“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” New Testament, Hebrews 11:1
This is the definition of faith so many of us know and understand. But there is so much more to the principle of faith. There came a point in our lives where we had reason to need, my husband and me, further understanding of this very basic tenet of our religion. Borrowing from Joseph Smith, Jr.’s Lectures on Faith, as outlined in Bruce R. McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine, we learn:
“Faith is based on truth and is preceded by knowledge. Until a person gains a knowledge of the truth he can have no faith . . . Faith and truth cannot be separated; if there is to be faith, saving faith, faith unto life and salvation, faith that leads to the celestial world, there must first be truth.”
As an example: Joseph Smith, Jr. outlines these truths about God;
1. He was God before the world was created, and the same God that he was after it was created;
2. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness, and . . . he was so from everlasting, and will be so to everlasting;
3. He changes not, neither is there variableness with him, and . . . his course is one eternal round;
4. He is a God of truth, and cannot lie;
5. He is no respecter of persons;
6. He is love.
These truths are necessary to come to an understanding and obtain faith as to the existence of God the Father, and subsequently, His Son, Jesus Christ. As this faith in God grows, we are rewarded with greater faith and knowledge from our Father in Heaven. Therefore, faith was built on truth, which garnered additional knowledge and greater faith and so on.
Let me explain it in simpler terms. The truth we will use is that snow, when it falls from the sky, comes in millions of individual snowflakes drifting to the ground in a blanket of white, or a variation of white. This is truth. I can decide that snow is really chartreuse and have faith that is so – but because that faith is not based on truth, which is that snow is white, that faith is baseless.
As I studied Joseph Smith’s Lectures on Faith, I came to understand that I had complicated my understanding of faith in such a way to wonder if I even had the faith the size of a mustard seed. When one approaches our Father in Heaven asking for miracles, big ones, then faith plays a huge part in the granted miracle.
Moroni goes on to tell us that,
“. . . it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased[,] wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief and is vain.” Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:37
He then goes on to share with us how we can attain faith:
40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.
43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity [pure love of Jesus Christ] he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
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 the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:40-45
So from here we learn that we must have hope, meekness and lowliness of heart and charity in order to have faith. When my husband and I approached our Father in Heaven requesting a miracle, we had great hope, we were very humble and willing to submit to the will of the Lord and we have perfect love for one another and for our God. We knew Him to be everlasting. We knew Him to be all powerful. We knew Him to be loving. We knew Him to be capable of all things of righteousness.
Because we approached Him in such way, and because it was His will, we were granted that miracle. That day we were humbled and overwhelmed by the response from the heavens and have never forgotten to thank Him on a daily basis for this miracle.