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When we are not doing what we know we ought to be doing and when we are not living the way we know we ought to live, we have a tendency to be unhappy. And make no mistake about it, we know when we are not doing what we ought to do because every one of us has a conscience. We are born with the Spirit of Christ, and we know instinctively what is right and what is wrong when it comes to our personal behavior. It offends that spirit when we allow ourselves and our values and standards to be manipulated by aesthetic propaganda in behalf of Satan’s lies.
Not all film or television or publishing or music is evil, because you and I both know that that is simply not true. There is much that is good in the media, and it can be a wondrous and marvelous thing and a blessing in our lives. But some of it is evil; there can be no other word to describe it.
In the media today, I think we would have to say that evil influence has a far more dominant influence than has the good.
We are in a war!
Our Heavenly Father and his beloved Son Jesus Christ have given a plan for us and our children, and we have the responsibility as parents and leaders to teach and protect all children throughout the world. Success will come as we become more expert and more able to harness the wonderful technology that the media has given to us and our families.
When we watch media we engrave certain thoughts on your minds and we carry it with us as we walk through life. Lets give the Lord equal time and share our thoughts, our time, our talent, and our attention. I know that we are all very busy with school and work and social responsibilities. This is a critical time in our lives when we are establishing a foundation for our families and our careers. There are many demands for our attention, and our time is limited by a wide variety of constraints. But as we learn to manage our time, be sure that we give the Lord His portion.
Establish a time and place to study the scriptures on a daily basis, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time. Pray regularly. Serve others faithfully. Those of you who are beginning your families, start now–even when your children are infants–to spend meaningful time with your family at home where good lessons are taught and pleasant family activities are shared. In the great scheme of things, these things take so little time. But the long-term benefits to you and to your families are infinite and eternal, and they will do much to prepare you and your children for the steadily increasing challenges of the future.
These are the last days. As has been foretold by God’s holy prophets since the world began, they are challenging times, and they are going to become even more challenging. So wherein is our safety? Where is our peace? Where is our joy? Where is our inner security?
Safety, peace, joy, and security are found only in the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of Almighty God. We must embrace His teachings, give up all of our sins, repent and do all that is in our power to do to come unto Him in a true spirit of discipleship, knowing perfectly well that it is through His grace that we are saved, even after all that we can do. And as we give ourselves to Christ, fully and completely, we find safety, peace, joy, and security in Him.
Does that mean we will not have turmoil or personal problems or sickness or family challenges or employment difficulties? Not at all. But it does mean that if our faith is anchored securely in our testimonies of Christ, we will be able to cope with whatever adversity comes our way, and we will be able to do so in a positive, faith-promoting manner. If we keep the eye of faith focused on Christ, we gain a broader view and an eternal perspective, and with that we can understand adversity from within the context of God’s eternal plan for all of His children. And we can find comfort in this life in the eternal safety, peace, joy, and security that He promises.
“Train up a child in the way he should go;
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
A couple of days ago, God gave the people what they wanted. This heated election season is over. We have our president. The people passed over Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate, and overwhelming lent their support for Obama and the Democrat agenda.
I can understand the peoples support for the Democrat Party. Much of what they say they stand for sounds moral and compassionate, especially concerning the poor and minority populations. Yet, my convictions and research eventually led me to reject the Democrat ideology, preferring to side with people and political parties more aligned with the morals and values consistent with my Christian faith.
I used to be a Democrat, but I am no longer. I am a registered Republican. Not because I thought the Republican Party was so righteous, but because there came a time in my life as a Democrat, that I could no longer reconcile my politics and my faith.
Since my faith supersedes everything else for me, I find that it is pure madness for me to vote for politicians who uphold policies that are in a direct conflict with my faith. It is foolishness for me to vote against my own values and interests. Christianity is more than a title for me, it is who I am and determines how I live and how I view the world.
Since I am not only a Christian, but a citizen of this nation, I have the right to share and debate my values and ideas, as does everyone else. I am so proud that I can, with my vote, influence this nation in upholding godly principles and values. I will continue to vote with the party and/or persons that supports what I interpret to be godly and biblical values—the Judeo Christian values that were engrafted into our constitution and laws—the values that made this nation the greatest nation on earth and have afforded people of EVERY faith, and people who claim to have NO faith, to live free and prosperous lives here.
Great nations have fallen because of grievous sins and ungodliness and America is not exempt. In Scripture, when Israel was prosperous, it was not because of her own economic ingenious. Israel was blessed when she obeyed God—when she as a nation loved what God loved, and hated what God hated.
The primary reasons why I reject the Democrat platform is because it has within it the most immoral and ungodly principles to guide this nation. Our preference for this course for our nation is a sure sign that we as a nation have not rejected the Republican Party, per se, but we have rejected God. Just like in the days of Samuel, when the Israelites demanded that Samuel “appoint them a king,” God told Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me.”
Rejecting God will be, as our enemies would say, death to America. It is our flat out refusal to love what God loves and detest what He detests that will drive this nation over a moral and economic cliff.
Even though I adamantly reject the Democrats historic racist position concerning black Americans, racism is but one sin. As a Christian, I cannot reconcile my faith with the Democrat’s support of socialism, re-defining marriage, and abortion.
President Obama “impressively” won 93% of the black vote! I am black, but I am among the 7% who did not lend Obama my support. What may be perplexing to some is that blacks are overwhelmingly conservative in their moral values and convictions, so their support of the Democrat Party seems inconsistent. Yet, for these black Christians, they believe that the Republican Party perpetuates the “unforgivable” sins of racism and oppression of the poor. Jesus, they say, admonishes us to care for the “least of these” in society. Never mind what history confirms about the Democrats, these Christians believe that it is the Republicans that are perpetuating hatred and discrimination against so many that have less pigment and/or estrogen than they do. I understand the argument. I lived the argument. I believed the accusations that are waged against Republicans; accusations that Republicans have done so poorly to defend themselves against.
To the “black liberation theology” prodigies, it is the “black man” that must receive it’s just dues from its evil white oppressors that have kept blacks trapped in failing schools, in crime ridden neighborhoods, and without job skills and an education that would make them employable. These evil white oppressors may once have been Southern Democrats and the Ku Klux Klan, but now they are Republicans.
This is what many blacks believe about Republicans. And though you show them proof of otherwise, they will find you tons of revisionist historical literature to defend their past oppressors, the Democrats.
I have been told by a few of my black Christian friends concerning this election that God has upheld the “black man” in righteousness and protected him from the “haters.” I want people to really get this and understand. Obama is not president because he is righteous. There is NOTHING righteous about Obama’s support for child killing, sodomy, covetousness, and idolatry. His black skin does not make him right for black people. Obama does not share the values of most blacks and his policies hurt the people he claims he wants to help.
BUT, what God has said in his Word is coming to pass. Christians are aligning themselves with lawlessness and ungodliness. And because Obama is black, many blacks and others choose not to acknowledge how far into abomination that Obama has taken them. They choose to overlook and ignore what God says in his Word concerning the moral and economic issues we face as a nation, choosing instead to side with Obama’s words over God’s Word:
“Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
God has PROMISED to judge in righteousness and has often used ungodly rulers to execute his judgment. Surely America will be judged for her grievous sins that go up daily as a stench in the nostrils of a holy God. I just pray that God has mercy upon this nation and upon us all.
I have also been told to “get over it” and not be a sore loser. I am told to pray for our president because that is what we as Christians are suppose to do, because everything is in God’s hand anyways. True, God is in control. Obama is president by God’s permissive will.
But I am not so convinced that if Mitt Romney had won the presidency, black Christians would be praying for him as they tell me to do for Obama. Instead I believe that we would continue to hear from the leftist liberals the same old tirade of rants about racism that we have been hearing for the past few months; and hearing blacks call Mitt Romney out for being the “racist that he is” and fearing that he will bring back Jim Crow.
In fact, I don’t remember the black Christian community praying for Bush or any other president the way they do for Obama. In fact, I remember some pretty fancy and ungodly words and terms used to describe President George W. Bush. I won’t repeat them here.
Regardless of this, I WILL pray for our president. I will pray that he repents and turns to God, and leads this nation in the path of righteousness. I pray that he surrounds himself with godly counsel and does not shun and mock the Word of God.
I pray for his success.
BUT, his success should not be measured in how many people he can put on foodstamps, but how many people his policies free from foodstamps. His success should not be measured in how many poverty programs he enacts, but in how many poverty programs he needs to eliminate because Americans are working and successful. His success should be measured not by how many women he gives access and money to have abortions, but how many abortion clinics need to be shut down because their services are no longer needed. His success should be measured not in how much wealth he can redistribute, but how much wealth he can help individuals and businesses generate; thereby keeping America the most prosperous and generous nation on earth. I want Obama to have success because his success is America’s success.
And for the record, I don’t hate Democrats, but I do hate the policies and ideas they have aligned themselves with. I really have a problem with the way the Democrats “pimp” the poor. Yeah, I said it! They are poverty pimps and they use the poor as pawns. They stir up envy and hatred among the poor and pit them against the rich, causing the poor to covet and vote for politicians who will steal from the wealthy and give it to them. They vote for politicians that will “punish” big business, but in the end, it is these job creators that have to lay-off workers, raise prices, send jobs overseas, or shut their doors–ultimately hurting the poor and increasing the poverty base.
I won’t go on much more, but “redistribution of wealth” and “paying your fair share,” are rooted in covetousness and there is no biblical foundation to justify our government stealing from one family to give to another. Unless under your immediate or parental care, no one should be forced to pay for another’s health insurance, home, car, education, food, clothing or anything else. Redistribution of wealth eventually leads to redistribution of poverty because ultimately everyone will be equal, but they will be equally poor.
Some of the current issues in the forefront of the divisions between Democrats and Republicans are non-negotiable for me. Though they are far from perfect and in need of some soul searching themselves, I admire the historic position and legacy of the Republican Party for championing the rights of women, blacks, and the poor. This is part of the reason they still have my support. We as a party have some work to do. But the reason I choose not to vote Democrat has little to do with the fact that they are the party of Jim Crow and the KKK, but that today they are on the wrong side of the EVERY ISSUE that matters to me most. “Choice,” “Reproductive Rights,” “Marriage Equality,” “Fair Share,” are all repackaged code names for the same age old sins: “child-killing,” “sodomy,” and “covetousness.” Nothing new under the sun.
“Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? Mark 8:18
“And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.” Mosiah 24:13
“Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.” Moroni 7:42
(The following scriptures were written between AD 321 and 328)
22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. Ether 8:22-26
And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. Mosiah 2:22
(But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. D&C 60:2
The Plan of Happiness – It’s Heavenly Father’s Plan Of Life
The Plan of Happiness – It’s Heavenly Father’s Plan Of Life
Who am I?
Why am I here?
Where am I going?
What you have seen and heard with this film is of most importance. It is something that each of us try to share with one another because as the Lord said, “where much is given, much is expected.” We truly have been blessed!
My family and I have tried to share with our music and word, the ‘Plan of Happiness’ to individuals and families all over the world. The message is the same for all of us; that we are children of God who loves us and has placed us here on earth in families to prove ourselves and to give us the “power” to choose ‘the way’ we wish to live our lives. Free agency is something we fought for even before we came to this world and we continue to do so today. Good and Evil are the choices.
Yes, we will make mistakes. Jesus knew we would and that is why He came to this world to show us the way to love one another and to follow Him. He knew that some of our debts would require much more than we alone would be able to pay and so He died for us and took upon Himself our sins. In return He has asked us to follow Him and to repent and take upon ourselves His name by being baptized even as He was and receive the Holy Ghost.
I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I know that the Holy Ghost will lead and guide us through life just as our GPS systems lead us on unfamiliar highways. I know that Jesus is to return again soon. Even though the angels of heaven know not when He shall return, the Lord has given us “signs of the times” that we might be warned and prepared. Those signs are now upon us and I pray that everyone who watched this video, those who heard our album called “The Plan”, those who have felt Him calling you and those that have prayed for guidance and are seeking answers may know in your hearts that we are NOT ALONE!
Read your scriptures and pray with all your hearts seeking for answers for therein lies the keys to further truth and knowledge. If you seek, ye shall find. If you knock, it shall be opened up unto you. If you would like to know more about what we believe, click here.
With life there is ‘The Plan’. There is also ‘The Way; The Way to get back to our Heavenly Father. Jesus is ‘The Way‘, the one who will bring us together. He is the One, He is ‘The Way’!
Enjoy this New Years! Spend it with family and friends. Do what is right and don’t let the other guy or gal persuade you to do something you will regret! Stay sober. Be chaste. Have a Pure Heart and a Contrite Spirit.
Count your blessings! Stop and pray for your family and friends and give thanks that you are alive!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge HIM and HE will direct your path!
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. It is a spiritual gift, and it is necessary to our salvation. “Salvation cometh to none … except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Mosiah 3:12).
Faith is a “hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21; see also Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is a principle of action and power that motivates our day-to-day activities.
Would we study and learn if we did not believe we could obtain wisdom and knowledge? Would we work each day if we did not hope that by doing so we could accomplish something? Would a farmer plant if he did not expect to harvest? Each day we act upon things we hope for when we cannot see the end result. This is faith. (See Hebrews 11:3.)
Many scriptural stories tell how great things were accomplished through faith.
By faith Noah built an ark and saved his family from the flood (seeHebrews 11:7).
Seas have been calmed, visions opened, and prayers answered, all through the power of faith.
As we carefully study the scriptures, we learn that faith is a strong belief of truth within our souls that motivates us to do good.
This causes us to ask: In whom should we have faith?
Think about your everyday activities. What are things you act upon each day that you cannot see the end results of? How does faith move you to action?
Why Should We Have Faith in Jesus Christ?
We must center our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
To have faith in Jesus Christ means to have such trust in Him that we obey whatever He commands. As we place our faith in Jesus Christ, becoming His obedient disciples, Heavenly Father will forgive our sins and prepare us to return to Him.
The Apostle Peter preached that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12; see alsoMosiah 3:17). Jacob taught that men must have “perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel [Jesus Christ], or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 9:23). Through faith in the Savior and through repentance, we make His Atonement fully effective in our lives. Through faith we can also receive strength to overcome temptations (see Alma 37:33).
We cannot have faith in Jesus Christ without also having faith in our Heavenly Father. If we have faith in Them, we will also have faith that the Holy Ghost, whom They send, will teach us all truth and will comfort us.
How Can We Increase Our Faith in Jesus Christ?
Knowing of the many blessings that come through exercising faith in Jesus Christ, we should seek to increase our faith in Him. The Savior said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, … nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). A mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a large tree.
How can we increase our faith? The same way we increase or develop any other skill. How do we develop skills in woodcarving, weaving, painting, cooking, making pottery, or playing a musical instrument? We study and practice and work at it. As we do so, we improve. So it is with faith. If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we must work at it. The prophet Alma compared the word of God to a seed that must be nurtured by faith:
“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 than 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. …
“Now behold, would not this increase your faith?” (Alma 32:27–29).
So we can increase our faith in God by acting on our desire to have faith in Him.
We can also increase our faith by praying to Heavenly Father about our hopes, desires, and needs (see Alma 34:17–26). But we must not suppose that all we have to do is ask. We are told in the scriptures that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). The following story is about a man whose faith was shown by his works.
This man wanted to study the scriptures, but he could not read. He prayed for Heavenly Father to help him learn to read. In time a teacher came to his village, and he asked the teacher to help him. He learned the alphabet. He studied sounds and learned to put the letters together to make words. Soon he was reading simple words. The more he practiced, the more he learned. He thanked the Lord for sending the teacher and for helping him learn to read. This man has increased his faith, humility, and knowledge to such a degree that he has served as a branch president in the Church.
President Spencer W. Kimball explained, “There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 205; italics in original).
Faith involves doing all we can to bring about the things we hope and pray for. President Kimball said: “In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process.” He continued by explaining that many of us want to have health and strength without keeping the health laws. We want to have prosperity without paying our tithes. We want to be close to the Lord but don’t want to fast and pray. We want to have rain in due season and to have peace in the land without observing the Sabbath as a holy day and without keeping the other commandments of the Lord. (SeeTeachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 142.)
An important way to increase our faith is to hear and study the word of the Lord. We hear the word of the Lord at our Church meetings. We can study His word in the scriptures. “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).
What Are Some Blessings That Follow Faith?
Through the gift of faith, miracles are wrought, angels appear, other gifts of the Spirit are given, prayers are answered, and men become the sons of God (see Moroni 7:25–26, 36–37).
“When faith comes it brings … apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth, and disappear when it disappears from the earth; for these are the effects of faith. … And he who possesses it will, through it, obtain all necessary knowledge and wisdom, until he shall know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has sent—whom to know is eternal life” (Lectures on Faith [1985], 83).
Romans 10:17 (faith comes by hearing the word of God)
“Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.” Alma 32: 43
“Yet thenumberofthe children of Israel shall be as thesandofthesea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye arethesonsoftheliving God.” Hosea 1: 10
“And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.’ Gen. 15: 5
In the premortal existence, Heavenly Father prepared a plan to enable us to become like Him and receive a fulness of joy. The scriptures refer to this plan as “the plan of salvation” (Alma 24: 14; Moses 6: 62), “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42: 8), “the plan of redemption” (Jacob 6: 8; Alma 12: 30, and “the plan of mercy” (Alma 42: 15). The plan of salvation is the fulness of the gospel. It includes the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and all the laws, ordinances, and doctrines of the gospel. Moral agency, the ability to choose and act for ourselves, is also essential in Heavenly Father’s plan. Because of this plan, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fulness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last throughout the eternities.
“That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gateof his enemies.” Gen. 22: 17
One of life’s great questions is “Who am I?” A beloved Primary song helps even little children answer this question. We sing, “I am a child of God, and he has sent me here.” The knowledge that we are children of God provides strength, comfort, and hope.
We are all literally children of God, spiritually begotten in the premortal life. As His children, we can be assured that we have divine, eternal potential and that He will help us in our sincere efforts to reach that potential.
“Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your cwelfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. Alma 34: 17-27
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. It is a spiritual gift, and it is necessary to our salvation. King Benjamin declared, “Salvation cometh to none … except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ”(Mosiah 3:12).
Faith is a “hope for things which are not seen, which are true”(Alma 32:21; see also Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is a principle of action and power that motivates our day-to-day activities.
Would we study and learn if we did not believe we could obtain wisdom and knowledge? Would we work each day if we did not hope that by doing so we could accomplish something? Would a farmer plant if he did not expect to harvest? Each day we act upon things we hope for when we cannot see the end result. This is faith.(See Hebrews 11:3.)
Many scriptural stories tell how great things were accomplished through faith.
By faith Noah built an ark and saved his family from the flood(seeHebrews 11:7).
He also asked the Lord to end the famine(see Helaman 11:9–17).
.
.
Seas have been calmed, visions opened, and prayers answered, all through the power of faith.
As we carefully study the scriptures, we learn that faith is a strong belief of truth within our souls that motivates us to do good. This causes us to ask: In whom should we have faith?
PONDER:
Think about your everyday activities. What are things you act upon each day that you cannot see the end results of? How does faith move you to action?
Why Should We Have Faith in Jesus Christ?
To have faith in Jesus Christ means to have such trust in Him that we obey whatever He commands. As we place our faith in Jesus Christ, becoming His obedient disciples, Heavenly Father will forgive our sins and prepare us to return to Him.
The Apostle Peter preached that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”(Acts 4:12; see alsoMosiah 3:17).
Jacob taught that men must have “perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel [Jesus Christ], or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God”(2 Nephi 9:23).
Through faith in the Savior and through repentance, we make His Atonement fully effective in our lives. Through faith we can also receive strength to overcome temptations(see Alma 37:33).
We cannot have faith in Jesus Christ without also having faith in our Heavenly Father. If we have faith in Them, we will also have faith that the Holy Ghost, whom They send, will teach us all truth and will comfort us.
PONDER:
How can faith in Jesus Christ influence us in our Church callings? in our family relationships? in our jobs? How does faith in Jesus Christ influence our hope for eternal life?
How Can We Increase Our Faith in Jesus Christ?
Knowing of the many blessings that come through exercising faith in Jesus Christ, we should seek to increase our faith in Him. The Savior said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, … nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). A mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a large tree.
How can we increase our faith? The same way we increase or develop any other skill. How do we develop skills in woodcarving, weaving, painting, cooking, making pottery, or playing a musical instrument? We study and practice and work at it. As we do so, we improve. So it is with faith. If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we must work at it. The prophet Alma compared the word of God to a seed that must be nurtured by faith:
“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 than 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. …
“Now behold, would not this increase your faith?” (Alma 32:27–29).
So we can increase our faith in God by acting on our desire to have faith in Him.
We can also increase our faith by praying to Heavenly Father about our hopes, desires, and needs(see Alma 34:17–26). But we must not suppose that all we have to do is ask. We are told in the scriptures that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone”(James 2:17). The following story is about a man whose faith was shown by his works.
This man wanted to study the scriptures, but he could not read. He prayed for Heavenly Father to help him learn to read. In time a teacher came to his village, and he asked the teacher to help him. He learned the alphabet. He studied sounds and learned to put the letters together to make words. Soon he was reading simple words. The more he practiced, the more he learned. He thanked the Lord for sending the teacher and for helping him learn to read. This man has increased his faith, humility, and knowledge to such a degree that he has served as a branch president in the Church.
President Spencer W. Kimball explained, “There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned”.
Faith involves doing all we can to bring about the things we hope and pray for. President Kimball said: “In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process.” He continued by explaining that many of us want to have health and strength without keeping the health laws. We want to have prosperity without paying our tithes. We want to be close to the Lord but don’t want to fast and pray. We want to have rain in due season and to have peace in the land without observing the Sabbath as a holy day and without keeping the other commandments of the Lord.
An important way to increase our faith is to hear and study the word of the Lord. We hear the word of the Lord at our Church meetings. We can study His word in the scriptures. “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).
PONDER:
What relationship do you see between our faith and our actions?
What Are Some Blessings That Follow Faith?
Through the gift of faith, miracles are wrought, angels appear, other gifts of the Spirit are given, prayers are answered, and men become the sons of God(see Moroni 7:25–26, 36–37).
“When faith comes it brings … apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth, and disappear when it disappears from the earth; for these are the effects of faith. … And he who possesses it will, through it, obtain all necessary knowledge and wisdom, until he shall know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has sent—whom to know is eternal life”.
PONDER:
What are some stories from the scriptures in which people have become stronger because they had faith in Jesus Christ? How have you seen this happen in your own life?
“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weakthings become strong unto them.” Ether 12: 27
Establish a time and place to study the scriptures on a daily basis, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time. Pray regularly. Serve others faithfully. Those of you who are beginning your families, start now–even when your children are infants–to spend meaningful time with your family at home where good lessons are taught and pleasant family activities are shared. In the great scheme of things, these things take so little time. But the long-term benefits to you and to your families are infinite and eternal, and they will do much to prepare you and your children for the steadily increasing challenges of the future.
the Son of Almighty God. We must embrace His teachings, give up all of our sins, repent and do all that is in our power to do to come unto Him in a true spirit of discipleship, knowing perfectly well that it is through His grace that we are saved, even after all that we can do. And as we give ourselves to Christ, fully and completely, we find safety, peace, joy, and security in Him.
“And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and 
President Spencer W. Kimball explained, “There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned”.
