BOTTLED

  • “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple. Dr. Suess

Friday, June 8, 2012

FAITH


Papa and I are almost done reading the Book of Mormon.

Again.

We think we might try to read it again before 2012 ends.
Will you join us?

Yesterday we read Ether chapter 12. Every time I read this book I am amazed, again, at all the things I learn about Jesus Christ - and life as it really is.

Verse 7 and 8 tell us that Christ came because of the faith that people had – they believed, without knowing, that he would come, as prophets had taught and prophesied for millennia. Ether then teaches us that faith is the power to accomplish all good things.

 2 And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether … began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be restrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him.

 3 For he … exhort[ed] the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled—

 4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, … which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

 And it came to pass that … they did not believe, because they saw them not.

 6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith …
12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them;

The Holy Bible teaches me the same exact things. I learned about loving and trusting God from the Bible when I was a child. My father and mother taught me to read and love reading using the scriptures and the stories in them.

Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 tells me, “… faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The rest of that chapter tells me about marvelous things done by prophets and others that obtained promised blessings, overcame unbelievable circumstances and accomplished amazing things by faith in Jesus Christ. Because I have read and reread their stories for so many years, I know who those people are and that they did accomplish amazing things. Each time I read I understand greater things about faith and hope. 

Jesus himself taught, 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.” Mathew 17:20

Alma (a prophet in the Book of Mormon) teaches that, “… faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. Alma 32:21

I hope for many things.

I begin to understand from these scriptures that I may obtain all good things by faith. Do I believe it? Do my actions show that I do? Really?


I hope for miracles.

I pray for miracles – for you and for me.

Have we asked God for it? - you know - prayed?
Are we doing the things that facilitate obtaining it?
Faith is an action word!

Do we believe?

Do we have faith?