So this week I've been studying a little more on faith, because I lack it. So I will shed a little insight as to what I learned.
Through faith, all things can be done. In a sense the more faith we have, the more trust we are putting into Heavenly Father's hands. That gives him more to work with because we're giving more of our will to him.
1 Nephi 7:12 describes what I'm trying to get at:
12 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.
When Jesus walked on water, Peter followed him, but then sunk. Jesus said he had such little faith. Faith can bring miracles! But we have to have lots of it and have it for the right reasons.
Ether 12:16 says:
16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith...
Again, miracles are always brought by faith. There can't be anything done without faith first. You won't get a huge Witness of anything if we don't have faith first. The bigger the miracle, the more faith is required. Take the brother of Jared for example. He's the guy who asked the Lord to light up the stones for the barges. Well, first he had to show great faith for the stones to be lit up. He said he knew the Lord would do it, that's more faith than I have for sure. Then if you read in Ether 3, it says that the Lord lit the stones up, then after it says he lit them up the brother of Jared saw the finger. So his faith level is already up there at 90 points, but then we he sees these stones starting to light up, his faith gradually goes to a good 98 points where the veil gets thin and he saw the finger of the Lord. At this point he's at 100 faith points. Then faith turns into knowledge, the veil is removed and he sees the Lord.
Ether 12:19-20
19...he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him.
Only when the brother of Jared had faith to the point of absolute knowledge did he see mighty miracles. Not the kind of knowledge that we saw when we are bearing our testimonies in testimony meeting, but actual 100% knowledge based on faith, never doubting anything.
Ether 12:6-7 it says:
6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.
It says in Ether 12:12
12 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.
Testsing+Faith=Miracles & Witness
Alma 32:26 tells us faith is not perfect knowledge:
26 Now, as I said concerning faith--that it was not a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
Faith is not a perfect knowledge. You don't need to know everything to have faith. Perfect faith can't come from knowledge, but perfect knowledge can come through perfect faith. I'm going to repeat that so that no one skimming over misses that...
Perfect faith can't come through knowledge, but perfect knowledge can come from perfect faith.
I get it, a lot of us don't like to hear "oh just have faith and stop asking." That's not what's going on, ask questions, but then study, not on google! That's wrong. But if we study we can find the answers, the gospel has a lot more to it then most of us realize.
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Monday:
We woke up to teach seminary today about the plan of salvation. It made me wonder if that's how I used to be just a year ago. Dang I'm so mature now. And humble. Other than that we did service, ate dinner had a FHE which I was put on the spot to teach and did my regular p day thing.
Tuesday:
Just a boring ol' day. Don't want to make any of y'all fall asleep on me so I kept it short.
Wednesday:
As we biked we had some kids chase us yelling, "missionaries! Missionaries!" It was cute. We stopped and talked with them and walked them home from the bus stop. They said missionaries used to come by their house a lot. It's nice to know people remember us and seeds are in fact planted. And now we're going to start teaching their mom again. We also got two new referrals last night who seem pretty legit. We met one today and he was literally the chilliest guy I've ever met in my entire life. I have much faith in him. His name is Ky, he aspires high and is a family guy. Spitting straight fire. He's a yung thug, but he's the most respectful yung thug I've ever met. I also had a gift of tongues. I had a conversation with someone in Spanish, I sounded white but I got enough to have her want another visit (from Spanish missionaries).
Thursday:
Same ol' Bible Belt missionary thing today. But today was the first day it wasn't hot.
Friday:
Another beautiful day in the South. Someone brought us a ton of food so that's fantastic! We also helped an awesome lady in the ward and she has enormous amounts of faith. And if y'all read my thing in the beginning, through faith all things can happen. And I swear, this lady is known for having so much faith that when she says things they happen. She prays for you, whatever she prays for it happens, even if it's a stretch. She'd be an apostle if she were male and a member for more than a year I swear. Anyways, she promised us four missionaries something, that when we got off our missions, we won't struggle (outside of the normal life struggles and if we keep living the commandments and whatnot). It was like an apostolic blessing! Dang it was intense, had to be there. She also said that my countenance has changed a ton since I first got here (not my personality, don't worry guys). And a side note, it's surprising how many investigators have told us that they were going to brush us away or felt uneasy about us approaching them and wanted us to leave, but then felt something tells them to talk us and trust us. We just had someone else tell us that today. Same ol' miracles you know.
Saturday:
Well Satan is real. The power went out at the church for the span of general conference. The odds of that are ridiculously low. So all us missionaries went to the leasing office and turned on byutv right in the lobby and watched the morning session. It was kind of a pain because of people walking in and out but mostly because they were playing music in the next room. I miss music SO BADLY!!! In between sessions we knocked some doors up. Then we went to another church building for the next session. Conference is awesome when you actually pay attention. I only fell asleep twice! There's great stuff to learn. Poor President Monson wasn't looking too good in the priesthood session. He talked for a few minutes on the word of wisdom. He doesn't have much time left and he chose to talk on that with the time he had, so that shows some significance. It was kind of lame, the priesthood session back home usually fills up at least half the gym...here not even a third of the chapel was full.
Sunday:
I only fell asleep during one session today! I fell asleep sitting up again while typing notes on my iPad. I fell asleep hard enough for Elder May to write "you're asleep" in my notes and another elder to switch my name tag. I woke up like nothing happened and went back to typing and saw that and that I didn't have my name tag and got confused. Conference was super good as usual, but hopefully y'all saw it already so I'll just move on. Honestly not a whole lot happened today, we had conference, dinner, a lesson, then tried to see some people.
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