Introduction
While I was a missionary in Costa Rica, I came to realize how little I understood the core principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This invited me to see myself in somewhat of a pathetic light since I had grown up in the church. “I should understand these things!” I would tell myself.
Over ten years since returning home, I still feel that I have but little understanding of core gospel principles, yet I no longer feel any shame in this. There’s no longer any should about it. The word “little” is a comparator with no meaning if set independent of something else. In view of the omniscience of God, “little” will always describe my understanding. In view of the understanding of others, I have nothing but intellectual blindness; that is, I have no true view of the understanding of others, only my perception. This is one of many reasons why comparing myself (my knowledge, or my understanding, or my muscle mass, or my eyebrow bushy-ness, etc.) to others is incapable of blessing my life or anyone else's.
While I have chosen to disbelieve those beliefs which produced self-deprecating shame within me, it would be far from the truth to say I stopped caring about my level of understanding. I feel I “know no more. . .than a babe upon its mother’s lap.” That means there are some exciting things to learn!
In the first part of 2013 I participated in a mentoring group that explored, among other things, what it means to live with faith. Exploring this core principle helped me face straight on my concerns about not understanding it. I was able to choose out of the shame and I also launched on a campaign to gain deeper understanding of this basic principle. This post is largely a result of that effort.
I openly admit that, in writing this, I have a bit of concern. I do not wish someone to think that what I state here is absolute gospel truth. I take responsibility for what I write here inasmuch as it represents my current understanding according to my current capacity of expression. While I apologize to the reader for any errors and faults of clarity, I sincerely hope that I myself will see many of the shortcomings in this work! I would take it to mean that I have not ceased the adventure of life: learning.
And so, here I begin to write my exploration of a singular principle of faith.
What is Faith
Definition
Faith is the process in which an actor (or actors) act in hope of creating a specific outcome based on a belief or set of beliefs.
Faith the Process
I believe faith is a process. Specifically, I believe faith is the process of creation.
In Hebrews 11:1 we read “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Again in Ether 12:6, “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen.”
Faith is hoping for something that has not yet manifested, that is, it has not yet been created. Whether it is the creation of some experience, a state of being within oneself, a lifelong dream, or a breakfast omelet, it requires hope through faith. Inasmuch as “faith without works is dead,” faith is the process of acting on that hope (or on that belief) to realize (i.e. create) some end.
Let us consider the story of Ammon and his brethren in the Book of Mormon. They went out to teach the Lamanite people, a people described as “wild, and ferocious, and blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness. . .continually seeking to destroy [them].” And yet somehow they managed to develop a hope, a belief, that “perhaps [they] might save some few of their souls.” They exercised faith on this belief all along the way. At the beginning, they asked permission of their father (Mosiah 1:5-8). In the face of much opposition and scorn from their own people, (Alma 26:23-25) they embarked (Mosiah 1:9). They parted ways in the wilderness (Alma 17:13) and taught for 14 years (Alma 17:4)! Was it a process? Oh yes! And it wasn’t a single-act, kick-off-only process either. If they stopped acting after asking King Mosiah for permission to go, if they never went, would they have created the results they did? Of course not. It was a long process of acting on their hope day after day after day. Faith is a process; it is the process of creating what you hope for.
Faith the Instance
In the process of faith there is an actor and an action; faith without these is meaningless. Very simply, an instance of faith is an act performed. The converse is also true, that any action whatsoever is an act of faith. Thus an act performed is an instance of faith. Indeed, no action can be performed without faith.
Another name for actions is works. In James chapter two we read over and over that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:17) Works are the embodiment of faith. Faith is the spirit of works. Death is the separation of the body and the spirit.
In lectures on faith, we read the following: “It is faith and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action within them; that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease. . .Were [you] to. . .reflect upon the history of [your life], from the period of [your] first recollection, and ask [yourself] what principle excited [you] to action, or what gave [you] energy and activity in all [your] lawful avocations, callings, and pursuits, what would be the answer? Would it not be. . .the assurance which [you] had of the existence of things which [you] had not seen as yet? Was it not the hope which you had, in consequence of your belief in the existence of unseen things, which stimulated you to action and exertion in order to obtain them?. . .In a word, is there anything that you would have done, either physical or mental, if you had not previously believed? Are not all your exertions of every kind dependent on your faith? Or. . .what have you, or what do you possess, which you have not obtained by reason of your faith? Your food, your raiment, your lodgings, are they not all by reason of your faith?. . .If [faith is] the moving cause of all action in yourselves. . .is it not [the moving cause] in all other intelligent beings?” (Lectures on Faith, Lecture First, points 10-12)
Faith, Belief, and Hope
The central principles and foundation of faith are belief, hope, and action. An instance of faith is an act performed based on a hope of what outcome such action will achieve. Underlying this hope, and thus the instance of faith (the act), is a belief that the particular act leads to the desired result. If one has hope for something, does it not depend on a belief? Without belief there is nothing in which to hope, and without hope there is no faith and indeed there can not be, for faith is acting on hope in a belief or set of beliefs.
In True to the Faith we read, “Whenever you work [an act] toward a worthy goal, you exercise faith. You show your hope for something that you cannot yet see.” (True to the Faith p.54) So an act of faith is a manifestation of your hope. Paul taught the Romans “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13) When we place enough confidence in a belief that it brings us joy and peace, we then not only have hope, but we abound in it.
Let’s look at a simplistic example to illustrate all of this. I would like to drink a delicious fruit smoothie. I believe that I can make one. Regardless of how many times I’ve done it in the past, I do not have the assurance of a delicious smoothie because it is not in hand, i.e. it is not “seen” as yet. It has not yet been created. I believe I can enjoy one and I hope to enjoy one! I even feel a bit excited to enjoy one and may start salivating a little. Thus I act in faith to create one. I go to work! After making it, I taste the fruit of my faith (couldn’t pass up that pun). I beheld what I had only seen through the eye of faith. I held a belief with confidence, I had hope in that belief, and I exercised faith.
Regarding hope and faith, the converse is also true. That is, to have hope requires an exercise of faith. Your belief that you could enjoy a delicious fruit smoothie might be firm, but if there is no action (be it by you or by another), you will have no hope of obtaining one! Thus hope and faith are mutually inclusive or, as I like to call it, bidirectionally complementary.
