This week, I learned (or rather remembered) a really awesome concept about Faith. I wanted to share this today in Testimony Meeting at church...but I freaked out and talked myself out of it. It's just been so long and I guess I'm a Pansy!
So I will blog instead ☺
These last couple years, I have to admit that I've been bothered by the whole idea of "having faith". Some people have this gift and faith comes easy for them--I am a skeptic by nature and, at times, it just doesn't seem like it can be enough. For someone like me, I feel I just need more than to simply hope for and believe in things that I can't understand or absolutely know to be true.
I have forgotten something amazing...there really is more to faith than I had been thinking! Earlier this week, something triggered a memory and I decided to get my Book of Mormon and read about it so I could remember. It is found in the Book of Alma, toward the end of chapter 32 when Alma compares faith to a seed. While faith is not a perfect knowledge and you "cannot know of their surety at first"...you will! You take the first step in faith, not knowing but desiring to know. Then after that step, you are immediately rewarded and it just soars from there! Once you let it take place in your heart, you feel something start to grow, it enlightens your understanding and your mind begins to expand. "Oh then is not this real?" Yes, I do remember that it feels very real.
After your experiment, your knowledge is perfect in that thing and your faith becomes dormant. Now you do "know of a surety". But you can't lay faith aside, because you will need it when you experiment again on something more. Then nourish it as it continues to grow until it brings a fruit that is most precious, sweet and pure above all that is pure.
So next time I am backed up to a wall of Faith, there I will continue to take my stand...because I remember what happens after that.
1 comment:
Oh Wendy! I now want to dive into the scriptures and study faith as well! You may have just given me my next topic for RS pres message! I gave the lesson yesterday and was happy with the turn out on my topic of "the promise of enough" (abundant life). But i was grateful for the lesson i learned teaching it myself. I always get seriously nervous in front of crowds. Don't like the limelight when I'm up there alone to be heard. But this Sunday, i learned that i never feel stronger than when i am bearing my testimony. The spirit strengthens me! It is BeaUtiful. I may not have the 'right words' but the spirit has the right message and carries that to their hearts. Thank you for this wonderful thought on faith that you have shared. I loved it.
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