Knowing By the Spirit

In today’s post, I would like to address a question asked by one of my anonymous readers:

Anonymous said...

I have heard many Mormons make the comment about the Book of Mormon: "I have read parts of this book and prayed to God if it was true and I received a warm feeling in my heart that it was. I now know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God." They sound so sure of themselves from the little that they have read.

So my question is. Can you or any other Mormon who may read this say with that same firmness and assurety "I know that I am going to be in Heaven with God for eternity without a shadow of a doubt I know I will be there with him."

I know alot of Mormons who say I hope so, or if I have lived a good enough life I will. I have yet to meet one who can answer with an assured "Yes I will go to Heaven to be with God forever."

Why is that?

Dear Anonymous-

I would like to respond to your comments/questions in sections, addressing first the comment you started out with and then the question you finished with. And, as I do so, please bear with me, as I will be discussing principles that you may not have directly addressed, but that I feel apply to the discussion. Please feel free to ask for clarification or to share any of your thoughts on any part of this discussion.

Acquiring a Knowledge of any Truth

I would first like to address your initial comment about those of our faith knowing the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I too know many people who have acquired for themselves a knowledge of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Those who have read “parts of this book”, as you put it, can, indeed receive personal revelation as to the truthfulness of those parts of the Book of Mormon (see my post on personal revelation here). Through rules of deduction, one could then conclude that if “parts” of the Book of Mormon are true, then it would logically suffice to say that the entire book is true. However, I think it important to point out that we should be reading the entire book in order to assess if the entire book be true. In fact, as with any book, the more times you read it, the better you come to understand its principles.

In a similar vein, obtaining a personal witness of the truthfulness of a book can be applied to any book, not just to books of scripture. I personally want to always be seeking truth. In my mind, truth is truth. All knowledge, whether traditionally viewed as secular or spiritual is, in my mind, all spiritual. To me, there is no distinction. Either something is true or it is not. And, in my mind, all truth has depth to it. In other words, all truth can be studied and appreciated in deeper and deeper degrees of understanding as we seek more truth by applying that which we have already acquired. In other words, we build upon our working knowledge—this is what we call faith and it applies to principles traditionally seen as spiritual as well as those traditionally seen as secular (see my post on faith here).

So, as we study and search for truth, how do we filter through all the information out there to determine what is truth, what is partial truth, and what is falsehood? To me, one who thinks with an empirical mind, the scientific process is a great approach. We start with some truth we have already acquired, and use it to develop a hypothesis (an expected outcome). Then we apply the bit of information we are trying to understand to that hypothesis to see what happens. If our hypothesis is consistently confirmed, we assume that information to be truth. If our hypothesis is refuted, we accept that we have misunderstood the information and start the process over with a new hypothesis. This can be done with any principle, including those found in the Book of Mormon. We can apply them to our lives and see if they work. This is an organized way of approaching questions that appeals to my mind.

But, in the scientific community, it is said that a principle is never “proven”, only confirmed or disproven. So, in order to “prove” to myself if a principle is true, I like to combine this scientific approach with personal revelation (knowing by the Spirit)—this is the personal witness which you described as a “warm feeling”. It also has been described in many other ways including a “burning of the bosom”, a “quiet voice”, “a still small voice”, a “wave” over or through the body, as well as many other descriptions. In my mind, this kind of personal witness is additional empirical evidence to that discovered through the scientific process. It is a physical response—tactile evidence. I can use the knowledge I acquire through the scientific method to explain many things in logical language, but the spiritual witness I receive confirms those principles to me. Does that make sense?

It’s almost like when you are in school and your teacher gives you a problem to solve. You work through the problem and reason out the solution, then you ask your teacher for confirmation that your solution is correct. You teacher either confirms or refutes your answer. The “teacher” that provides us this “warm feeling” is what we call the “Holy Ghost”, also referred to as the “Holy Spirit”, “The Comforter”, as well as other names. He is quite literally a teacher to us. He confirms truth to us by giving us a personal witness through a physical response such as feeling a “warm feeling” or hearing a “still small voice”. (See *** at the end of this post for a side note on additional ways the Holy Ghost works in our lives.)

Can I Say That I “Know” I Will Live with my Father in Heaven for Eternity?

Now that we have addressed why people can say that they “know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God” and be so sure of that statement, let’s address the next part of your question: Can I “say with that same firmness and assurety ‘I know that I am going to be in Heaven with God for eternity without a shadow of a doubt I know I will be there with him.’" My initial reaction to this question was one of understanding for the responses you have received from other Mormon acquaintances. However, when I take a moment to really ponder and consider your question in my own life, and how I really feel about it, deep down inside myself, at this time I am assured that I WILL return and live with my Father in Heaven for eternity. In fact, I feel it so strongly, that it feels like a part of my core soul. I believe that part of my feeling this way is due to the fact that the Lord is already such a large part of my life. I converse with Him consistently throughout each day, as I face the difficulties and triumphs of life. I seek His guidance when I am unsteady, I seek His comfort when I am suffering, I seek His comfort for those suffering around me, and I express to Him my most sincere gratitude for the blessing He is always bestowing upon me and those with whom I am acquainted. I do not share these things to boast, for I commune with Him daily because I need His influence in my life. But rather, I simply share them to help reveal to you what my day-to-day life is like.

In addition to the role my Father in Heaven plays in my life, His Son, Jesus Christ also plays a huge part in my life. I consistently see the workings of Christ’s atonement in my life. I recognize my imperfections and diligently work to improve and allow the Savior’s atonement to take root in my life. And, finally, I strive always to keep the Holy Ghost as my constant companion. I feel the very raw sensation when His presence withdraws from me, when I am in circumstances that would drive Him away. With all three members of the Godhead being such a core part of my existence now, I cannot imagine being without my Father in Heaven in the eternities and, because I am always striving to live as He would have me live even though I am imperfect, at this point in time, I can say that I do know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will return to live with Him in the eternities.

What do Mormons Mean when They Respond to your Question that They “Hope So”?

But, let me now return to my initial reaction to your comment, so that you might better understand the foundation of the responses you have received by the Mormons you have asked this question of in the past, such as “I hope so” or “if I have lived a good enough life I will”. Obviously, I don’t know these individuals personally, but their responses stem from the principles of agency, choice, and accountability as taught by passages from both the Bible and the Book of Mormon; and these principles directly relate to the interplay of grace, works, and mercy.

In the book of 2^nd Nephi, found in the Book of Mormon, chapter 31, versus 17-20, Nephi, an ancient prophet, is teaching his people:

“17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

18 And then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and of the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

19 And now my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father; Ye shall have eternal life.”

In the Bible, the books of Psalms and Proverbs teach us

Proverbs 31:30-31 . . . a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 24:12 . . . and he that keepeth thy soul . . . shall not he render to every man according to his works?

Pslams 62:12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

These sacred scriptures teach us that it is not enough to repent and be baptized. We must continue to “press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end” in order to obtain eternal life with our Father in Heaven. Our “works” in this life combined with the atonement of Christ and His mercy toward us as well as God’s grace, work together to satisfy the demands of justice that determine whether or not we qualify for eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

Our Father in Heaven sacrificed His first born Son, Jesus Christ, who has atoned for our sins, so that our agency and imperfections in this life would not prevent us the opportunity to return to Him in the eternities. Our agency, allows us to become more like God, as we learn to make correct choices based on true principles. Because we are quite literally “children” of our Heavenly Father, we are still learning and we make mistakes along the way. This is why an atonement was necessary. Without an atonement, there could be no mercy to satisfy justice, and we would need to pay for our own sins. But, without repentance, the atonement cannot take effect on our salvation. So, although Christ has suffered for our sins, we are still held accountable for our own actions—for our “works” in this life. Of course, the interaction of all these principles has so much depth that it really should be a post of its own.

So, when Mormons say they “hope” they will return to live with God for eternity or that they will “if they have lived a good enough life”, they are simply expressing their understanding that living with God for eternity is conditional upon their own choices and actions, not that they don’t actually “expect” to live with God for eternity. This, however, does not take away from the fact that the atonement, mercy, and grace all also play crucial parts in our salvation. They are all part of our Father’s Plan of Salvation for us that allows us the agency necessary for our growth and learning in this life. For, without growth, what would be the purpose of our life here on earth? So, we see that the above responses to your question are not a condition of despair, but one of hope. Those individuals know that they, themselves, have agency in the matter. Our loving Father in Heaven wants us to return to Him and has prepared a way for us to do so, but He will not force us to, if we choose not to.

I know that this information is rooted in many principles that should be discussed in further detail, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information. Please feel free to ask any questions about any topic I have addressed today (or in past posts). I hope that I have answered your questions completely. Please let me know if I have not. Thank you for initiating this discussion.

*** In addition to confirming truth, this kind of physical evidence can also guide and direct you to act when you otherwise would not have, due to your limited knowledge. For example, someone you may know may be in need of your service or assistance, but you may be completely unaware of that person’s need. The Spirit can put thoughts in your mind that you should help that person in some given way, just as your teacher may initially tell you how to solve a problem, before leaving you to solve more on your own. This personal witness may be the only evidence you have of that person’s need. This has happened to me many times throughout my life. The Spirit tells me I need to call a certain friend, or stop by someone’s house or drop off dinner, or offer to babysit, whatever. And, when I act on those feelings, that person tells me something to the effect of, “I was just praying for the Lord to help me figure out how to get dinner on the table today” or “I was so depressed and your call helped me realize someone loves me” or “I am so sick, the Lord must have sent you here to help.” As we receive and heed these promptings, we become better able to recognize them, more attune to them, just as a musician becomes more attune to his instrument the more he plays it.

The Love of God

In this post I wanted to share a talk given by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf in our latest General Conference Address. I love Elder Uchtdorf for his ability to always focus on the "basics" of the gospel, which, in my mind are where the real meat is. I feel that the most basic, core principles of the gospel are also the depth of the gospel. They are the principles from which we gain greater and greater degrees of understanding as we seek knowledge. I love focusing on our core beliefs, and consequently so enjoy the talks given by Elder Uchtdorf. I love how his title for this talk, "The Love of God", is a play on words as it means not only the love of God for us (His love for us), but the love of God that we have (our love for Him). Really, what is the most fundamental principle of knowledge of any kind? Similarly, what is the most fundamental principle of happiness? Love. From love springs all knowledge and all happiness. The more I study, the more I understand this principle. Anyway, I wanted to share his talk with you. You can read it below, or go to the talk directly by clicking here. Enjoy!



The Love of God
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24

Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship.



The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is continually growing and becoming better known throughout the world. Although there will always be those who stereotype the Church and its members in a negative way, most people think of us as honest, helpful, and hardworking. Some have images of clean-cut missionaries, loving families, and friendly neighbors who don’t smoke or drink. We might also be known as a people who attend church every Sunday for three hours, in a place where everyone is a brother or a sister, where the children sing songs about streams that talk, trees that produce popcorn, and children who want to become sunbeams.

Brothers and sisters, of all the things we want to be known for, are there attributes above all others that should define us as members of His Church, even as disciples of Jesus Christ? Since our last general conference six months ago, I have pondered this and similar questions. Today I would like to share with you some thoughts and impressions that have come as a result of that inquiry. The first question is:

How Do We Become True Disciples of Jesus Christ?
The Savior Himself provided the answer with this profound declaration: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”1 This is the essence of what it means to be a true disciple: those who receive Christ Jesus walk with Him.2

But this may present a problem for some because there are so many “shoulds” and “should nots” that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles—many coming from uninspired sources—complicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One person’s good idea—something that may work for him or her—takes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of “good ideas.”

This was one of the Savior’s criticisms of the religious “experts” of His day, whom He chastised for attending to the hundreds of minor details of the law while neglecting the weightier matters.3

So how do we stay aligned with these weightier matters? Is there a constant compass that can help us prioritize our lives, thoughts, and actions?

Once again the Savior revealed the way. When asked to name the greatest commandment, He did not hesitate. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” He said. “This is the first and great commandment.”4 Coupled with the second great commandment—to love our neighbor as ourselves5—we have a compass that provides direction not only for our lives but also for the Lord’s Church on both sides of the veil.

Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.

When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.

Why Should We Love God?
God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.

No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!
For what we love determines what we seek.
What we seek determines what we think and do.
What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.

We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.

Since the beginning of time, love has been the source of both the highest bliss and the heaviest burdens. At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things.

And the greatest of all good things is God.

Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created this wondrous world we live in. God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions.

He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has.

If all that is not enough reason to love our Heavenly Father, perhaps we can learn from the words of the Apostle John, who said, “We love him, because he first loved us.”6

Why Does Heavenly Father Love Us?
Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.7

God does not look on the outward appearance.8 I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.9

How Can We Increase Our Love of God?
Since “God is love,”10 the closer we approach Him, the more profoundly we experience love.11 But because a veil separates this mortality from our heavenly home, we must seek in the Spirit that which is imperceptible to mortal eyes.

Heaven may seem distant at times, but the scriptures offer hope: “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”12

However, seeking God with all our hearts implies much more than simply offering a prayer or pronouncing a few words inviting God into our lives. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”13 We can make a great production of saying that we know God. We can proclaim publicly that we love Him. Nevertheless, if we don’t obey Him, all is in vain, for “he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”14

We increase our love for our Heavenly Father and demonstrate that love by aligning our thoughts and actions with God’s word. His pure love directs and encourages us to become more pure and holy. It inspires us to walk in righteousness—not out of fear or obligation but out of an earnest desire to become even more like Him because we love Him. By doing so, we can become “born again … [and] cleansed by blood, even the blood of [the] Only Begotten; that [we] might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.”15

My dear brothers and sisters, don’t get discouraged if you stumble at times. Don’t feel downcast or despair if you don’t feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible—and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.

How Can We Hear the Father’s Voice?
As you reach out to your Heavenly Father, as you pray to Him in the name of Christ, He will answer you. He speaks to us everywhere.
As you read God’s word recorded in the scriptures, listen for His voice.
During this general conference and later as you study the words spoken here, listen for His voice.
As you visit the temple and attend Church meetings, listen for His voice.
Listen for the voice of the Father in the bounties and beauties of nature, in the gentle whisperings of the Spirit.
In your daily interactions with others, in the words of a hymn, in the laughter of a child, listen for His voice.
If you listen for the voice of the Father, He will lead you on a course that will allow you to experience the pure love of Christ.

As we draw near to Heavenly Father, we become more holy. And as we become more holy, we will overcome disbelief and our souls will be filled with His blessed light. As we align our lives with this supernal light, it leads us out of darkness and toward greater light. This greater light leads to the unspeakable ministerings of the Holy Spirit, and the veil between heaven and earth can become thin.

Why Is Love the Great Commandment?
Heavenly Father’s love for His children is the core message of the plan of happiness, which plan is made active through the Atonement of Jesus Christ—the greatest expression of love the world has ever known.16

How clearly the Savior spoke when He said that every other commandment hangs upon the principle of love.17 If we do not neglect the great laws—if we truly learn to love our Heavenly Father and our fellowman with all our heart, soul, and mind—all else will fall into place.

The divine love of God turns ordinary acts into extraordinary service. Divine love is the motive that transports simple words into sacred scripture. Divine love is the factor that transforms reluctant compliance with God’s commandments into blessed dedication and consecration.

Love is the guiding light that illuminates the disciple’s path and fills our daily walk with life, meaning, and wonder.

Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship.

Love is the way of the disciple.

I testify that God is in His heaven. He lives. He knows and loves you. He is mindful of you. He hears your prayers and knows the desires of your heart. He is filled with infinite love for you.

Let me conclude as I began, my dear brothers and sisters: what attribute should define us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Let us be known as a people who love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and who love our neighbor as ourselves. When we understand and practice these two great commandments in our families, in our wards and branches, in our nations, and in our daily lives, we will begin to understand what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus the Christ. Of this I testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes
1. John 14:15.
2. See Colossians 2:6.
3. See Matthew 23:23.
4. Matthew 22:37, 38.
5. See Matthew 22:39.
6. 1 John 4:19.
7. See Isaiah 54:10; Jeremiah 31:3.
8. See 1 Samuel 16:7.
9. See D&C 88:63.
10. 1 John 4:8.
11. See Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:7, 16.
12. Jeremiah 29:13.
13. 1 John 5:3; see also 2 John 1:6.
14. 1 John 2:4; see also Isaiah 29:13.
15. Moses 6:59.
16. See John 15:13.
17. See Matthew 22:40.

Understanding Charity

One of my favorite passages of scripture is found in Moroni (a book in the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ that supplements the bible). It is found in Chapter 7, versus 45-48 which read:

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

There is so much to say about this passage. There is so much to learn from it. I have studied it for several years now and am still learning. But, for now, I will suffice by addressing the first thing I learned: that charity is the pure love of Christ as we are told in verse 47. It is not simply service—it is so much more. So, if charity is the pure love of Christ, then we should be able to substitute Christ’s name in for the word charity in this passage so that it reads:

45 And Christ suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not his own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not Christ, ye are nothing, for Christ never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto Christ, Who is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But Christ has the pure love of Christ, and He endureth forever; and whoso is possessed of Him at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Reading the passage in this way helps us to understand the true nature of Christ. And, are we not commanded to work to develop charity, or to become like Christ? I believe that this is our ultimate, life-long quest—one that even takes a life-time (or more) to accomplish. Therefore, if we replace “charity” or “Christ” with our own name, we will have a VERY clear picture of where we fall short and what areas we need to work on:

45 And I suffereth long, and am kind, and envieth not, and am not puffed up, seeketh not my own, am not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have me not, ye are nothing, for I never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto me, who is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But I have the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is possessed of me at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

When I read it in this way, it really amplifies my own imperfections. This helps me to focus on the areas I need to work on and better develop, but most of all, it helps me to love and appreciate the Savior in my life even more. For, how could I become perfect if I could not be perfected (completed) by Him? I am so grateful for the atonement of Christ and His unconditional love for me.

Obtaining Personal Revelation by Building Upon our Foundation of Faith

In response to a comment made by a good friend on yesterday’s post, I have been pondering throughout the night some of the universal truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ—something, as she put it, that all members of the church would agree upon. While the gospel is based on universal, foundational principles, the practical effect of those principles in our lives is entirely dependent upon our individual understanding and application of them in everyday life. So, while I hope to discuss such foundational doctrine as Christ, God, the Holy Ghost, faith, repentance, hope, charity, etc., it seems to me that the universal doctrine that ties all of these applications together is personal revelation. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe (and I can say that I personally know for myself) that we can each, in fact, individually receive personal revelation from our Father in Heaven as we seek to obtain truth in our lives.

Joseph Smith, the prophet who restored the gospel to the earth in the latter days, was a religious seeker who desired to know what church to join. As a young boy, he sought knowledge after reading a bible scripture in the first chapter of James that promised that he could, in fact, receive his own personal revelation:

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

The verses preceding and following this verse, however, add increased insight:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways

As I read this scripture this morning, I read it with the definitions of faith and perfection in mind (as described in my talk on faith--you can see here). This gave me new insight into this passage:

As we work to become “perfect” or “complete/entire” as Christ is, we must have patience as we seek personal revelation from our Father in Heaven by establishing first a foundation of faith, our “working knowledge,” before building upon it. Then, as our faith is tested, we must continue to have patience to see the result. Our faith, or current degree of knowledge, works in conjunction with revelation that we receive.

What benefit is it to us to ask a question that has no foundation in the knowledge we already have (our faith)? What benefit would it be to a scientist to attempt to understand photosynthesis without first understanding the properties of the sun and the plant? How could a mathematician create an algorithm if he does not understand mathematical language? Or for that matter, how could he even read an algorithm, let alone create one? He could not. Attempting to do so would only create confusion. How then should we approach personal revelation about questions of eternal significance? We must use our existing knowledge base to know what questions to ask, what hypotheses to form—to know what knowledge to seek next—or we will have no basis for interpreting the new information we acquire (or as the scripture puts it, we will be “like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”).

Asking questions in this way—questions that are founded in the truth we have already established for ourselves—is asking “in faith”. If we do not “ask in faith, nothing wavering”, as verse 6 puts it, then verses 7&8 tells us that we shall not “receive any thing of the Lord” for “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways”. The Lord is our Father. He loves us and wants what is best for us—He wants what will allow us to return home to Him. If we have not established a foundation to build upon, why then would the Lord help us build upon no foundation? It would be to no avail, but rather, perhaps even detrimental to our learning, just as trying to understand an algorithm without a knowledge of mathematical language would cause confusion. He certainly would hope to help us build that foundation first, so that He might succeed as He opens more truth to us. So, let’s have patience as we seek personal revelation. Let’s put in the work necessary to have a strong foundation before we attempt to build; for the wise man buildeth upon a rock, while the foolish man builds upon the sand. And, let’s continue in our patience as we seek more knowledge.

Similarly, once we have asked a question, we must, at that point have the patience to receive the answer. If we were to conduct a study on the effect of a new drug, we would not administer the drug one day, and determine the next whether it had treated the symptom. We would allow sufficient time for the drug to interact with the chemical makeup of the body before determining the drug’s effectiveness. We would be patient and wait for the results. So we must do with our faith—our working knowledge. As we study new principles, we must apply them to our everyday lives, then have patience as we watch to determine if and how they have affected our lives. We must have the patience necessary to allow our faith to be tested, just as we would have patience necessary to allow a drug to be properly tested. And, as we witness the benefit of patience allowing our understanding to develop, we will, in turn, have more patience as we study new principles. In this way we build upon and establish deeper degrees of faith, or knowledge of truth. And, when all is said and done, we will be perfect (“complete”), even as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

What is Faith, Really?--How I have come to understand Faith.

Faith—The First Principle of the Gospel

-Jennifer Earl Norton

Throughout my life, I have many times heard reference to the bible scripture, Matthew 17:20, where Jesus tells his disciples,

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

To me, this scripture has always been a troublesome one. As a young child, I tried using the pure faith of a child to move a mountain, but it did not work. I knew that the Savior only spoke truths, yet I could not see this scripture come to pass in my life. As I have grown older, this scripture is one that has continued to come to my mind and demand my ponderance. I have heard many explanations of what it means. One such explanation compares the minute size of the mustard seed to our faith, suggesting that if we can obtain but a small amount of faith, then nothing will be impossible to us. This explanation has left me increasingly perplexed as I have known, with certainty, that I do, indeed, have at least a small amount of faith, yet I continue to be unable to move mountains.

What then could this scripture possibly mean? From my search to answer this particular question have sprung two more very important questions:

1. What is faith?

and

2. Once I understand what the phrase “faith as a grain of mustard seed” actually means, how can I apply it to my life?

I will address the first here: What is faith?

Alma 32:21 explains “faith is not to have perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” Verse 26 continues “Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.” As I have pondered this scripture, I have realized that it describes faith by explaining what it is NOT. Therefore, if faith is NOT a perfect knowledge, I must understand what a perfect knowledge is, in order to understand what it is NOT. So, what is a “perfect knowledge”? Elder Russell M. Nelson, from the quorum of the twelve apostles gave the following description of the word “perfect” in his November 1995 Ensign article entitled “Perfection Pending.” He states:

In Matt. 5:48, the term perfect was translated from the Greek teleios, which means “complete.” Teleios is an adjective derived from the noun telos, which means “end.” The infinitive form of the verb is teleiono, which means “to reach a distant end, to be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.” End qoute. Russell M. Nelson, “Perfection Pending,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 86

Understanding the Greek translation of “perfect” to mean “complete” or “fully developed,” it follows that “faith is not to have a [‘complete’] knowledge”—not to have a ‘fully developed’ knowledge. If faith is not to have a complete or fully developed knowledge, than it must be to have an incomplete or underdeveloped knowledge. However, it is, in fact, a measure of knowledge. What kind of knowledge is it? Let me suggest a very useful definition of faith that has opened, for me, a whole new understanding of the scriptures:

FAITH is to have a working knowledge acquired through the application and observation of true principles.

Or, another description of FAITH could be a growing knowledge acquired through the application and observation of true principles.

Now, with this new understanding of faith, we can address the second question: What does the phrase “faith as a grain of mustard seed” actually mean, and how does it apply to my life? What does Christ mean when he tells us, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”?

Rather than comparing our faith only to the size of a mustard seed, let us compare our faith to the growth of a mustard seed. Christ describes this growth in Matthew 13:32. He explains that the mustard seed is “the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” Like the mustard seed, our faith will begin as a very small, limited, amount of knowledge that, in itself, does little for us. In fact, the seed is eaten by birds just as a very small, limited amount of knowledge can be easily quenched by adversity. But, if continually nourished and cared for, the “least of all seeds” will grow to thousands times it’s size and strength to become “the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” So it is with faith. As our faith, or knowledge, is continually nourished, it grows and strengthens. In fact, it becomes strong enough for others to temporarily “perch” on. In other words, our faith, our working or growing knowledge, if built upon, can become a “perfect knowledge,” a complete knowledge, like that of our Father in Heaven, making “nothing . . . impossible unto [us].”

How do we obtain and maintain faith?

Once we understand what faith is, we must come to understand how to obtain, maintain, and build upon our faith. How do we obtain faith in this life? How do we build up our faith—build upon our working knowledge—until it becomes a perfect knowledge? The answers lie in the scriptures. The scriptures compare faith and its acquisition to experimentation. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”—subtance, evidence! of things hoped for. The Topical guide likens “hope” to “expectation”. Substituting this word into Hebrews 11:1 we read “faith is the substance of things [expected], the evidence of things not seen.” Is this not the same as the knowledge we acquire in all subjects, through the scientific process? We obtain evidence by applying an experiment to our hypothesis—to our expectation. Similarly, Alma 32 challenges us to “experiment” upon the word. Verses 27-34 read:

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more that desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every good seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness. Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away. And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your soul, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.

Thus we see that we can acquire faith (or, our working knowledge) in the same way that we acquire any knowledge here on the earth. We start with hope: a seed, (i.e., a question—a hypothesis, an expectation). Then we put that seed, that hypothesis, to the test. If it is a good seed, a true principle, it will “begin to swell within our breasts,” “enlarge our souls,” and “enlighten our understandings”. In other words, our experiment will show that our hypothesis was correct. It, therefore, increases our faith—it increases our knowledge. As the true principle is applied to our lives, we see how it works and come to understand the truth of that principle. In other words, we confirm our hypothesis and gain a portion of truth, and our “mind doth begin to expand”. Conversely, if the seed is bad, we see that it does not grow, it does not work, and we “cast it away”. We refute our hypothesis, deeming it untrue, gaining a knowledge of its falsehood. As we acquire knowledge in this way, we use each bit of knowledge to make more hypotheses, to develop more hope, expectations or seeds, to experiment upon. This allows us to gain a deeper and deeper understanding of eternal truths (i.e., it allows us to increase our faith). Each degree of knowledge we obtain is necessary to help us understand the next, deeper degree of knowledge. If we never learned algebra, we would never comprehend calculus. We build upon our knowledge as we spiritually grow older, like a child builds upon his knowledge as he grows older and progresses through school. Faith is developed ‘line upon line”.

However, as with all knowledge we obtain, we can lose a measure of our faith if we do not continue to seek to more fully develop it. After we graduate from school, if we do not continue to study and apply the information we learned there, then that knowledge is lost from our memory. For example, as I entered college, I could speak Spanish almost fluently. But, now most of it has been lost from my memory. Why? Because I have not continued to study and apply it. So it is with faith. If we become lazy or complacent, and stop studying, searching for, and applying our faith, then it withdraws from us, and we cannot build upon or grow from it.

Why do we need faith?

Understanding what faith is and its potential as we obtain, maintain, and build upon it is useless if we do not also understand why it is needed or desired—why it is important for us to seek out knowledge, to develop our faith. Without understanding its importance, we will have no desire to incorporate faith into our lives, deeming our understanding of this principle obsolete. If our ultimate goal is to become like Christ, to develop His pure love, or charity, the development of our faith will bring us to that goal. FAITH is the key to our metamorphosis. I would like to share a true story about Steven R. Covey as written in his book “6 Events.” He tells of an experience he had when riding the New York City Subway one Sunday morning. He relates:

“It was a fairly quiet ride until a father and his children entered our subway car. The children seemed completely undisciplined and unruly, and they violated the whole spirit of that calm, Sabbath morning. They were running around, jumping up and down, pulling people’s newspapers down, and even purposefully bumping into people. The father sat right next to me, put his head down, and didn’t even try to control them. After waiting several minutes to see if he was going to do something about them, I turned to him and said, ‘Sir, don’t you think you could handle your children a little better? They are upsetting a lot of people.’ He looked up as if he had just become aware of the problem, and then he said, ‘Oh, I know. I’m sorry. We have come from the hospital where my wife just died. I guess the kids don’t quite know how to take it, and, frankly, I don’t either.’ . . . I suddenly desired with all my heart to help that family. Why? Because I now had a different map of the same reality—a map that was more accurate.”

From this experience, we see that the amount of knowledge that Stephen Covey had of that particular situation dictated his behavior. Without the knowledge of the mother’s death, Stephen Covey felt upset with the man and his children. At that point, he certainly could have chosen to be nice and helpful to the man, but it would have required a considerable amount of effort to overcome his prejudgment of the situation and genuinely try to be helpful and loving. However, once he gained the knowledge of the death of the children’s mother, the man’s wife, he instantly wanted to help. There was no need for effort. It was a natural reaction to the circumstances. He, as he described it, had a “paradigm shift,” meaning, he saw the situation in a new light or, as he put it, “had a different map of the same reality—a map that was more accurate.” How do we obtain a more accurate map of the same reality? We increase our knowledge, we develop our faith. Faith makes following the commandments and living and abiding by true principles almost automatic. It simplifies life and allows us to naturally live the way our Father in Heaven would have us live. The more knowledge we obtain (or in other words, the more we build upon the working knowledge we call faith), the more we naturally become like Christ.

Many times, throughout my life, I have come home from church meetings feeling a

rejuvenation and a renewed desire and motivation to “start doing everything right”. I think,

I am going to study my scriptures for 15 minutes every day. I am going to pray morning and night and with every meal. I am going to treat everyone with kindness and patience. I am going to drop everything when I see someone in need of service. I am going to exercise regularly and prepare and eat healthy meals. I am going to write in my journal weekly. I’m going to attend the temple monthly. I am going to update my food storage, etc.

These goals don’t seem too lofty on Sabbath evenings, after I have spent the day pondering eternal truths and discussing with my ward family the reasons for our lives here on earth. But, when the mundane tasks of life return on Monday, and the children prod and persist and try my patience, and the doctor’s office is telling me to pay bills that the insurance company has promised to cover, and the plumbing springs a leak, and so on, these goals seem to fall by the wayside, leaving me feeling helpless and overwhelmed. Then, when I prepare for the Sabbath, and my thoughts and goals from the previous week return to mind, I realize that I have, once again, failed at the most important goals of life. I feel discouraged and want to give up. Then, after a calm, meditative Sabbath, I once again, return home from my church meetings ready to “start doing everything right” and excited for the changes I am going to make in my life. Perhaps I succeed at one or two of my goals that week, or even for a few weeks, but then the stresses of daily activities envelop me once again, and my goals dissipate into the whirling bustle of life. The cycle seems to repeat itself over and over until I feel so overwhelmed that I feel I can take it no longer.

This vicious cycle is one that many of us find ourselves in. It becomes discouraging and we feel like we want to give up. Why is it not effective? Because we are trying to run “faster than we have strength” (as warned against in Mosiah 4:27 and D&C 10:4). How do we break the cycle? We create a better map of the same reality. We increase our working knowledge, our faith. Rather than overwhelming ourselves by trying to run faster than we have strength—by trying to “do everything right” at once, let us first start with a single task. Let us work to increase our faith—to increase our knowledge of truth. Then, like Steven Covey on the subway, we will be creating for ourselves a more accurate map of the same reality. We will do what is right with ease, as a natural consequence of our knowledge of eternal truths. We will naturally become more like Christ. Faith, therefore, is directly related to developing charity, the pure love of Christ—as we increase our faith, we become more like Christ. If faith, or knowledge, makes living true principles easier, then it’s no wonder that faith is the first principle of the gospel.

It is my prayer that we will go a step further than just “believing” or just “hoping” the gospel is true. That we will plant that seed and focus our efforts on increasing our knowledge of true principles, so that we may discover and know for ourselves that the gospel is true. That we will apply our faith throughout our lives to beget more faith and become more like Christ. That through our search for knowledge and truth we will create for ourselves a “more accurate map” of our reality, allowing us to more naturally abide by gospel principles. That we will increase our knowledge of—our faith in—our Father in Heaven. So, that when times in our lives come, where our knowledge is limited, we can trust in the Lord that we will be guided and directed, for we will know Him as He is, and know His divine nature and power and unconditional love for us. That we will nurture our faith like a mustard seed, developing perfect faith, a complete knowledge. And, that as we do this, our actions and behavior will be dictated by the eternal truths that we come to understand, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.