Faith

1. Faith www.kevinhinckley.com

2. Gospel Doctrine Complaint Dept?

3. From the mailbag… Kevin,In your experience have you ever come across someone, who in your estimation, has sought diligently to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon but never received one? Based on my reading of the scriptures I don't see that it is possible for an honest seeker of truth to be denied an experience with the Holy Ghost. That being the case, how do we understand those who say they've sought for a testimony but didn't receive a manifestation from the Holy Ghost?

4. Merrill Bateman In my early years I was confused by the fact that some individuals read the Book of Mormon, prayed about it, and received the witness promised, but others seemed to follow the same course but never received the witness. I have since learned that it is not God who is random but we mortals. Some individuals don’t believe they will receive a spiritual prompting even though they may pray. Others are not diligent in applying the truths they have been taught. An important lesson of life is to learn that the Father and the Son deliver on their promises. BYU Devotional, Jan 1997

5. Paul Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. assurance

6. Joseph Smith I might add numerous testimonies from the Scriptures that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the principle which prompts to action all intelligent beings, and that when • based upon the promises of the Lord, • unmixed with the theories of men, • and acted upon, it has never failed to bring knowledge and rest to the weary mind in that security which comes from a pure knowledge of God.

7. President Hinckley If there is any one thing you and I need in this world it is faith, that dynamic, powerful, marvelous element by which, as Paul declared, the very worlds were framed Faith—the kind of faith that moves one to get on his knees and plead with the Lord and then get on his feet and go to work—is an asset beyond compare, even in the acquisition of secular knowledge. I do not minimize the need for study and labor. I would add to these faith and prayer, with the sacred promise that "God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost." (BYU Speeches of the Year, September 25, 1973, p. 109.) Question: How does faith aid in gaining secular knowledge?

8. Joseph F. Smith "The ancient prophets speak of 'entering into God's rest'; what does it mean? To my mind, it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. We know of the doctrine that it is of God, and we do not ask any questions of anybody about it; they are welcome to their opinions, to their ideas and to their vagaries. The man who has reached that degree of faith in God that all doubt and fear have been cast from him, he has entered into 'God's rest,‘ and he need not fear the vagaries of men, nor their cunning and craftiness, by which they seek to deceive and mislead him from the truth. I pray that we may all enter into God's rest—rest from doubt, from fear, from apprehension of danger, rest from the religious turmoil of the world..." (Gospel Doctrine, p58)

9. Question Why are you at church? Does it matter? Does “faith” make a difference in what do daily?

10. Paul’s Discourse on Faith (Hebrews 11) Faith caused Abel to offer up an acceptable sacrifice to God.  Cain had little or no faith as demonstrated by his sacrifice (v4). By faith Enoch was translated. (v5). By faith Noah prepared an ark (v7) By faith Abraham went out to find the place of his inheritance (v8). By faith Sara was delivered a child when past age (v11). Abraham offered up Isaac believing that the Lord would deliver on his promises (v17). By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau (v20). By faith Isaac blessed the sons of Joseph (v21). By faith was Moses' life preserved (v23). By faith, Moses forsook Egypt (v27). By faith, Moses and Israel kept the Passover (v28). By faith they passed through the Red Sea (v29). By faith the walls of Jericho fell down (v30). By faith, the life of Rehab, the harlot, was preserved (v31).

11. Finally Think about your own challenges. Where are you, on your own personal ‘faith-o-meter?

12. One man’s experience… I awoke early one morning to feel a very real presence in my bedroom. Although I could not identify who was there nor hear with my natural ears, I knew that I was supposed to learn something important. Clear words entered my mind. They told me: "Something terrible is happening. Tell [your daughter] that it must stop or she will suffer unmeasurable sorrow.“ I asked, "Will she know what it is about?“ "Yes.“ "Is it too late?“ "It is not too late.“ The message was relayed to the daughter, who called her father later that week to tell him not to worry. She had received a priesthood blessing and was visiting with her Church leaders. Some time later she told her father that she had been contemplating terminating her activity in the Church. She had become so disillusioned by disappointments and seemingly unfulfilled promises that her life was filled with confusion and numbness. Her trials were far from over, but by then she had the support of Church leaders, family members, and, most important, the Holy Ghost. TODD A. BRITSCH, Sept 1997 BYU Devotional