CHAPTER 17
Faith without works is called belief, a good yet incomplete part of
the power we could and should have. This power we attain through study
and prayer, and it is completed by works.
1 Our faith in Jesus Christ lies at the foundation of our religion,
the foundation of our hope for remission of sins, and for exaltation
after death, and for the resurrection from death to everlasting life.
Our faith in the doctrines that have been restored through the
instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith confirms and strengthens
us and establishes beyond a question or doubt, our faith and belief in
the divine mission of the Son of God.
It is said that faith is a gift of God, and so it is; but faith does
not come without works; faith does not come without obedience to the
commandments of God.
2 Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
3 Faith leads to action, including repentance, obedience, and
dedicated service. When you have faith in Jesus Christ, you trust the
Lord enough to follow His commandments--even when you do not
completely understand the reasons for them. You accomplish what the
Lord wants you to accomplish. You help bring about good in your own
life and the lives of others. You are able to do miracles according to
the Lord�fs will. Your faith will be manifest through diligence and
work.
4 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a
man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith
without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
5 If we speak of faith in the abstract, it is the power of God by
which the worlds are and were made, and is a gift of God to those who
believe and obey his commandments. On the other hand, no living,
intelligent being, whether serving God or not, acts without belief. He
might as well undertake to live without breathing as to live without
the principle of belief. But he must believe the truth, obey the
truth, and practice the truth, to obtain the power of God called faith
(DBY, 153).
When a person is placed in circumstances that he cannot possibly
obtain one particle of anything to sustain life, it would then be his
privilege to exercise faith in God to feed him, who might cause a
raven to pick up a piece of dried meat from some quarter where there
was plenty, and drop it over the famishing man. When I cannot feed
myself through the means God has placed in my power, it is then time
enough for him to exercise his providence in an unusual manner to
administer to my wants. But while we can help ourselves, it is our
duty to do so (DBY, 155).
6 Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to
do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so
be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to
him.
7 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no
miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their
faith.
8 What we need today is faith in the living Christ, which is more than
a mere feeling, but a power that moves us to action--a faith that will
put purpose into life and courage into the heart. We need the gospel
of application.
9 We are all aiming for celestial glory, and the grandeur of the
prospects before us cannot be expressed in human language. If you will
continue faithful to the work in which you are engaged, you will
attain unto this glory, and rejoice evermore in the presence of God
and the Lamb. This is worth striving for; it is worth sacrificing for,
and blessed is the man or the woman who is faithful unto the obtaining
of it.
10 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
11 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and
the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a
hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can
command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the
mountains, or the waves of the sea.
12 �gFaith is the moving cause of all action.�h. If you stop to
consider that for a moment, I think you will agree that it is
absolutely true in temporal things as well as in spiritual things. It
is true with us in our own acts, as well as with the acts of God.
13 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying,
Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and
caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst
thou doubt?
14 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let
him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
15 The Lord personally taught this truth to his disciples: �gIf ye
have faith,�h he said, �gnothing shall be impossible unto you�h (Matt.
17:20). Faith is nurtured through knowledge of God. It comes from
prayer and feasting upon the words of Christ through diligent study of
the scriptures.
16 Verily, I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs,
and there have been such even from the beginning; but, behold, faith
cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe. Yea, signs
come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the
will of God.
17 Every man and woman who serves the Lord, no matter how faithful
they may be, have their dark hours; but if they have lived faithfully,
light will burst upon them and relief will be furnished.
18 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto
thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many
witnesses.
Younger Elder Brooksby
1-Teachings of Presidents: Joseph F. Smith-Chapter 6: Faith: The
Foundation of All Righteousness
2-Matthew 17:20(edited)
3-Preach My Gospel Chapter 6: How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?
4-James 2:17-18, 26
5-Teachings of Presidents: Brigham Young-Chapter 8: Faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ
6-1 Nephi 7:12
7-Ether 12:12
8-Teachings of Presidents: David O. McKay-Chapter 21: The First
Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel
9-Teachings of Presidents: Lorenzo Snow-Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny
of the Faithful
10-Ephesians 6:16
11-Jacob 4
12-Teachings of Presidents: Joseph Fielding Smith-Chapter 5: Faith and
Repentance
13-Matthew 14:29-31
14-James 1:5-6
15-�gWith God Nothing Shall Be Impossible�h by Russell M. Nelson,
April 1988 General Conference
16-D&C 63:8-10
17-Teachings of Presidents: Lorenzo Snow-Chapter 7: Faithfulness in
Times of Trial: �gFrom the Shadows into the Glorious Sunshine�h
18-1 Timothy 6:12
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