The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.Benjamin Franklin

Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods.

C.S. Lewis

When faith becomes blind it dies.

Sometimes you just have to believe. To be certain, without reason. To have faith in the unseen.

Mahatma Gandhi

Liz Betrey

Who is Liz Betrey? She’s just a lady who posted her thought about faith on the internet. She is no one famous. But here thought on faith is pretty representative of what most people say when they talk about faith. How we think about faith is so very critical. Consider the following:

Truly understood and properly practiced, faith is one of the grand and glorious powers of eternity. It is a force powerful beyond our comprehension. Our faith is the foundation upon which all our spiritual lives rest. It should be the most important resource of our lives.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Nov. 2002 Ensign, p. 84

Poorly defined, faith not only produces little conviction but also is difficult to nurture and increase.

Elder Neal A. MaxwellThe Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book, p. 110

There are two words in the scriptures which are KEY words in truly understanding and properly practicing faith so that it can be nurtured and increased:

“not seen”

Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the (assurance JST) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

. . .things not seen in any way.

. . .things not seen with physical eyes.

. . .things not seen fully or completely.

L.Lee

S.Sue

P.Pat

. . .things seen spiritually or seen with understanding.

. . .things seen spiritually and physically but

only in part.

Alma 32:21And 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.

S.Sue

P.Pat

L.Lee

. . . ye hope for things which are not seen in any way, which are true.

. . .ye hope for things which are seen spiritually, which are true.

. . .ye hope for things which are seen in part, which are true.

. . .ye hope for things which are not seen physically, which are true.

. . .ye hope for things which are not seen fully or completely, which are true

Ether 12:6I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not . . .

S.Sue

P.Pat

L.Lee

. . .faith is things which are hoped for and not seen in any way, wherefore, dispute not because ye see not any thing at all . . .

. . .faith is things which are hoped for and seen spiritually, wherefore, dispute not because ye see not with your physical eyes. . .

. . .faith is things which are hoped for and seen in part, wherefore, dispute not because ye see not everything . . .

It’s interesting! We talk one way about faith, but we really THINK differently about it. Consider the following statements. Which of the two REALLY fits how you think about faith:

•I have faith in the unknown and the unseen.•I have faith in what I see and understand about Jesus.I can’t see what’s ahead so I walk by faith not by sight.There is much I can’t see but, the part I can see is my faith. What I see gives me the courage to move ahead.Faith requires me to walk in the dark.Faith is following the light. My feet may be in the dark but with faith my mind is never in the dark.The more I am willing to walk in the dark the more my faith will grow. The more clearly I see Christ the more my faith grows.

And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. I Nephi 4:6

And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. I Nephi 4:6

Which words in this verse indicate Nephi’s faith? “Not knowing beforehand, or “And I was led by the Spirit” ?

And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. Moses 5:6

And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. Moses 5:6 Again, which words give us an understanding of Adam’s faith? “I know not” or “save the Lord commanded me” ?

Consider this example from the life of Elder Boyd K. Packer when he first became an Apostle:

“We once had a major decision to make. When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed. Sensing that I was still very unsettled, He said,

Can you see the problem?

Maybe this will be helpful:

“We once had a major decision to make (buying a home). When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed (buy it). Sensing that I was still very unsettled, He said,

President Lee (Prophet, seer, and revelator) chastens Elder Packer a little.

The problem with you is you want to see the end from the beginning. Then he quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon, “Dispute not because you see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” President Boyd

K. Packer, May 2005 Ensign, p. 8

“We once had a major decision to make (buying a home). When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed (buy it). Sensing that I was still very unsettled. Did Elder Packer have enough light to proceed? A prophet, seer, and revelator told him to proceed! He KNEW President Lee (an apostle at the time) was inspired. But he was afraid. He didn’t act on the part that he knew.

A trial or exercise of faith is very simple in process but challenging in application. The process is to simply focus on what you know to be true. The hard part is to maintain that focus no matter what distractions are thrown at you.

And he had hoped to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.

Jacob 7:5

O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men is so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

2 Nephi 4:26

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received – Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

D&C 84:54-55

We know not what lies ahead of us. We know not what the coming days will bring. We live in a world of uncertainty. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, May 2002 Ensign, p. 90

“And so it is with our eternal journey. We take one step at a time. In doing so we reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we cultivate that faith, we shall never walk in darkness.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley, May 2002 Ensign, pages 73, 74