Mormon Faith

According to Mormonism, faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the Gospel which all mankind must follow.  The Book of Mormon defines faith as having a “hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21, pg 289).  Faith is more than believing Jesus exists, it means believing Him when He says that you will be forgiven of your sins and saved in His Kingdom or trusting in Him enough to keep the commandments or fulfill one’s promises to God.  Faith in Jesus Christ consists in trusting that He has all power and can fulfill His promises to resurrect all mankind and save from sin those who repent and follow Him as their leader.  Those who have faith in God will have the courage to keep His commandments even when they are difficult.

Having faith means that you will act on your beliefs.  Merely believing or thinking that there is a God or that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world is not sufficient.  Jesus said in His masterful Sermon on the Mount that, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).  The Apostle James said of those who merely believe, but do not act on that belief: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20).

Faith, the confidence and assurance of what we cannot see with our natural eyes, comes as you exercise it by doing what God has commanded in the scriptures.  The Book of Mormon discusses how to develop faith (see Alma 32:18-43, pgs 289-291).  We begin by being humble and teachable.  If we are arrogant, the Spirit of God cannot work within us.  Second, we desire to believe.  The Book of Mormon compares this to planting a seed and watering it.  For example, if a person wanted to know if the Book of Mormon was true, he or she would read it and ponder its teachings through sincere prayer and meditation.  This is planting the seed.

Next, the seed must be nourished.  A person nurtures the seed through prayer, scripture study, service to others, and keeping the commandments.  So, a person praying about the Book of Mormon would begin applying its teachings to his or her life.  The Book of Mormon compares this to watering the seed or exercising a particle of faith.  The Holy Sprit will enter his or her heart and confirm that what they are studying and doing is correct.  If we do not experiment with our faith by keeping the commandments, praying, and attending church, the Spirit will not tell us whether the scriptures are true.

Mormons strive to develop their faith through study, prayer, service, and obedience to God’s commandments. Faith is a form of spiritual work and character-shaping, in conjunction with the miracle of Christ’s Atonement.  Mormons often refer to their personal faith as their testimony and refer to telling others about their faith as “bearing testimony.”