“We are looked upon by God as though we were in eternity. God dwells in eternity, and does not view things as we do.”
| Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 356.
Faith
LDS Quotes on Faith
It is my hope and my belief that the Lord never permits the light of faith wholly to be extinguished in any human heart, however faint the light may glow. The Lord has provided that there shall still be there a spark which, with teaching, with the spirit of righteousness, with love, with tenderness, with example, with living the Gospel, shall brighten and glow again, however darkened the mind may have been. And if we shall fail so to reach those among us of our own whose faith has dwindled low, we shall fail in one of the main things which the Lord expects at our hands.
| Conference Report, October 1936, p. 114
“The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity. The three qualities faith, hope, and charity working together, grounded on the truth and light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, lead us to abound in good works.”
| The Infinite Power of Hope, Ensign, Nov 2008, 21–24
This faith and hope of which I speak, is not a Pollyanna-like approach to significant personal and public problems. I don’t believe we can wake up in the morning and simply by drawing a big “happy face” on the chalkboard believe that is going to take care of the world’s difficulties. But if our faith and hope is anchored in Christ, in his teachings, commandments, and promises, then we are able to count on something truly remarkable, genuinely miraculous, which can part the Red Sea and lead Modern Israel to a place, “where none shall come to hurt or make afraid.” Fear, which can come upon people in difficult days, is a principal weapon in the arsenal which Satan uses to make mankind unhappy. He who fears loses strength for the combat of life, in the fight against evil. Therefore the power of the Evil One always tries to generate fear in human hearts. In every age and in every era fear has faced mankind.
| “An Anchor to the Souls of Men,” CES Fireside for Young Adults, February 7, 1993
However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation. Procrastination and inconsistency are its mortal enemies.
| “Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady,” Ensign, November 2005, p. 38
“It will take unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to choose the way to eternal life. It is by using that faith we can know the will of God. It is by acting on that faith we build the strength to do the will of God. And it is by exercising that faith in Jesus Christ that we can resist temptation and gain forgiveness through the Atonement. We will need to have developed and nurtured faith in Jesus Christ long before Satan hits us, as he will, with doubts and appeals to our carnal desires and with lying voices saying that good is bad and that there is no sin. Those spiritual storms are already raging. We can expect that they will worsen until the Savior returns. However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly.”
| Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady, October 2005 General Conference
As member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we need to place unreserved confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we accept as the Son of God. Until the world accepts Him as the Savior of mankind, lives His teachings, and looks to Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life in all phases of our lives, we shall continue in our anxiety about the future and our ability to cope with the challenges that mortality brings to each of us. . . .Why is it expedient that we center our confidence, our hope, and our trust in one solitary figure? Why is faith in Him so necessary to peace of mind in this life and hope in the world to come? The answers to these questions determine whether we face the future with courage, hope, and optimism or with apprehension, anxiety, and pessimism.
| Ensign, June 1990
Faith is like spiritual oxygen. As we allow faith to freely flow within us, it awakens and enlivens our spiritual senses. It breathes life into our very souls. As faith flows, we become sensitively attuned to the whisperings of the Spirit. Our minds are enlightened, our spiritual pulse quickens, our hearts are touched.
Faith fuels hope. Our perspective changes; our vision becomes clearer. We begin to look for the best, not the worst, in life and in others. We gain a deeper sense of life’s purpose and meaning. Despair gives way to joy.
| “Faith, Service, Constancy,” Ensign, November 2006, p. 13
You never totally move beyond faith as hope; it is not a box we check off and say, “I am done.” Rather, we begin again and gain experience with a new principle. It spirals upward as a helix, building and continuing. Here is how that occurs. We move from level of faith to level of faith through desire, a willingness to experiment and act, and then receiving a spiritual confirmation as evidence of things not seen. This process and experience bolster our faith. Consequently, we exhibit an increased willingness to experiment and receive an even greater confirmation. Our confidence waxes stronger, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.
| Presentation at BYU-Idaho