Faith in Jesus Christ

Dear Family,

  This week’s message focuses on faith.  Faith in Jesus Christ is such a fundamental part of the gospel.  As we work on cultivating and strengthening our faith, we can become closer and closer to the person Heavenly Father wants us to be.  Faith in God requires that we work daily on developing a relationship with him. You will only understand what that relationship is like after you do the work to have a relationship. When you know what it is like to feel his life intertwined with your life you will understand how we put our trust in Him and allow our lives to change for the better. It is a use it or lose it principle. 

With Love,

DaD

In a quiet moment of Pondering, I learned that there is a relationship between faith and character.  The greater our faith in Jesus Christ, the stronger our character, and increased character enhances our ability to exercise even greater faith.  -  Richard G Scott 

When faith is properly understood and used, it has dramatically far-reaching effects. Such faith can transform an individual’s life from maudlin, common, everyday activities to a symphony of joy and happiness. The exercise of faith is vital to Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness.

Faith is a foundation building block of creation. I am confident that the Savior Jesus Christ uses faith in His capacity to act under the direction of Father in Heaven. The Master used it to create the most remote galaxies as well as to compose quarks, the smallest elements of matter we know of today.

Faith and character are intimately related. Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is intended to be used. Your exercise of faith in true principles builds character; fortified character expands your capacity to exercise more faith. As a result, your capacity and confidence to conquer the trials of life is enhanced.

We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day. Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming. Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind. In the next life your righteous character will be evaluated to assess how well you used the privilege of mortality.

Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life. Such choices are made with trust in things that are believed and when acted upon are confirmed. Faith is an important element in developing that trust.

What are some of the empowering principles upon which faith is based?

• Trust in God and in His willingness to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstance.

• Obedience to His commandments and a life that demonstrates that He can trust you.

• Sensitivity to the quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit.

• Courageous implementation of that prompting.

• Patience and understanding when God lets you struggle to grow and when answers come a piece at a time.

Every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise.

With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow.

The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit and to be obedient to it. A secure foundation for your growing character is laid by making Jesus Christ and His teachings the center of your life.

Your happiness on earth as well as your eternal salvation require many correct decisions, none of which is too difficult to make. Together those decisions with the help of the Lord forge a character resistant to the eroding influences of sin and transgression. Noble character is like a treasured porcelain made of select raw materials, formed with faith, carefully crafted by consistent righteous acts, and fired in the furnace of challenging experience. It is an object of great beauty and priceless worth. Yet it can be damaged in a moment through transgression, requiring painful, prolonged effort to be rebuilt. When protected by self-control, righteous character will endure for eternity.

Material things do not of themselves produce happiness and satisfaction and the joy of attainment on earth. Nor do they lead us to exaltation. It is nobility of character, that fabric of inner strength and conviction woven from countless righteous decisions, that gives life its direction. A consistent, righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the destructive influence of sin and transgression. Your faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments will strengthen your character. Your character is a measure of what you are becoming. It is the evidence of how well you are using your time on earth in this period of mortal probation.

 21 Principles by Richard G Scott