Exercising Faith

Since I last posted, 2015 has slipped away and 2016 is in full swing. I had a great time visiting with my children over the holidays. I had a nice little break from the Pathway Program to rejuvenate and prepare for winter semester. Life has been good, except for one little thing.

While on break from school I backslid a little. I went from scripture studying, to scripture reading; I went from heartfelt prayers to hope I don't fall asleep while I'm praying prayers. I wasn't feeling as kind, patient or confident by the time school started again, and I definitely wasn't feeling as spiritual as I had before our break. I think I can pinpoint this to one specific thing. I was not nourishing my faith.

I love this Mormonad from July 1991 that I came across recently. It reads "Faith without Works doesn't work... Faith without works is like a boat without oars: it gets you nowhere. So stop drifting and start rowing. Otherwise you're dead in the water." James 2:17-18 




While I was studying Alma 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 this week, it kind of hit me as to why I had hit another Spiritual Dead Spot. I have not been exercising faith. And by exercising, I mean doing my part to be more spiritual. I was doing the bare minimum to get by.

I want to share an experience I had years ago. So, Alma 32 has always been one of my favorite chapters of The Book of Mormom. I think mostly because it is a story of hope. There have been times in my life when I have fallen into some spiritual dead spots for one reason or another, and my inaction caused my belief to dwindle.  I remember very clearly one night many moons ago sitting outside begging Heavenly Father to show me a sign. Even a falling star would do. Anything to show me that He was real, and that I mattered to Him. I sat there crying and pleading with Him for this great miracle to occur so that I could believe. You know what happened? NOTHING miraculous. No signs, no falling stars, no earth quaking, no angels. Just silence until I had a thought occur to me that He loved me enough to not give me a sign, for if He had I would not have been able to live up to the knowledge I was given. I was reminded of this passage of scripture found in Alma 32:17-19 
Alma says:
17. Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.
18. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
19. And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression.

Now, after thinking on this passage of scripture I started laughing to myself at the silliness of me begging and pleading for a sign. Heavenly Father heard my pleadings, and He answered me in such a quiet way that I barely recognized it. Did that mean I knew of a surety? No. But, it did give me the hope I needed to continue to have a desire to believe.

Alma went on to say this in Alma 32:21, And now as I said concerning faith- 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.

What simple, sweet, beautiful words. If ye have faith ye HOPE for things which are not seen, which are true.

I love the words of Elder Neil L. Anderson, in the following video. I've also included the link to his conference talk entitled, "Faith is Not by Chance, but by Choice."

Now if you're wondering what to do to move forward, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gives this wonderful counsel when answering the following question:

How do we receive a personal testimony rooted in the witness of the Holy Ghost? The pattern is outlined in the scriptures:

First: Desire to believe. The Book of Mormon encourages us: “If [you] will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, … even if [you] can no more than desire to believe. Alma 32:27

Some may say, “I cannot believe; I am not a religious person.” Just consider, God promises us divine help even if we have only a desire to believe, but it has to be a true and not a pretended desire.

Second: Search the scriptures. Have questions; study them out; search in the scriptures for answers. Again, the Book of Mormon has good advice for us: “If [you] give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart” through diligent study of the word of God, the good seed “will begin to swell within your breasts” if you will not resist with unbelief. This good seed will “enlarge [your] soul” and “enlighten [your] understanding.” Alma 32:28

Third: Do the will of God; keep the commandments. It is not enough to enter into a scholarly debate if we want to know for ourselves that the kingdom of God has been restored upon the earth. Casual study is also not enough. We have to get in on the action ourselves, and that means learning and then doing God’s will.

I'm so grateful for that I can exercise my faith by having a desire to believe, searching the scriptures, and doing the will of God by keeping His commandments.

I want to leave you with one of my all time favorite songs written and performed by one of my all time favorite artists, Cherie Call.

Thanks for spending some time with me. I would love to hear in what ways you exercise your faith.