We had the privilage of having a lesson from Sister Lisa Lara this week. She spoke on this talk,
Make the Exercise of Faith your First Priority Elder Richard G. Scott What is Faith? We might think of the primary song that goes like this:
“Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day. Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray. Faith is like a little seed: If planted it will grow. Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know. Faith is knowing I lived with God before my mortal birth. Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on earth. Faith is trust in God above; In Christ, who showed the way. Faith is strengthened; I feel it grow whenever I obey.”
The Bible Dictionary teaches us that, “To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone…Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith. Miracles do not produce faith but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith.” Faith is a principle of action and power. Whenever you work toward a worthy goal, you exercise faith. You show your hope for something that you cannot yet see. (True to the Faith, pg. 54) There are many examples of faith in the scriptures…Moroni sums some of them up nicely – Ether 12:6, 12-18.
It is important to understand that our faith needs to be centered in our Savior. “Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him – trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though you do not understand all things, He does. Remember that because He has experienced all your pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help you rise above your daily difficulties.” (True to the Faith)
Why is it important that we have faith in our Savior? Elder Richard G. Scott says, “We were taught in the premortal world that our purpose in coming here is to be tested, tried, and stretched. We knew we would face the evils of the adversary.” Life is HARD!
Sometimes we may feel more aware of the negative things of mortality than we are of the positive…Despite all of the negative challenges we have in life, we must take time to actively exercise our faith. Such exercise invites the positive, faith-filled power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives.”
Elder Scott talks about exercising our faith. How do we do that? He suggests that there are 4 important tools “to help us come unto Christ and exercise faith in his atonement.” He says that when these tools become fundamental habits, they provide the easiest way to find peace in the challenges of mortality.
The first tool is Prayer. “As you exercise your agency and include Him in every aspect of your daily life, your heart will begin to fill with peace, buoyant peace. That peace will focus an eternal
light on your struggles. It will help you to manage those challenges from an eternal perspective.” President Monson has said, “To those within the sound of my voice who are struggling with challenges and difficulties large and small, prayer is the provider of spiritual strength, it is the passport to peace…miracles are wrought through prayer.”
The second tool is Scripture Study. We should study the scriptures as well as the words of the living prophets. General conference was held only a short month ago. How many of us have re-read or listened to some of the talks again? Elder Scott says, “We often talk to God through prayer. He most often communicates back to us through His written word.”
Elder Scott also counsels us: “Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!”
Elder Scott makes a promise to us: “As you dedicate time every day, personally and with your family, to the study of God’s word, peace will prevail in your life. That peace won’t come from the outside world. It will come from within your home, from within your family, from within your own heart. It will be a gift of the Spirit. It will radiate out from you to influence others in the world around you. You will be doing something very significant to add to the cumulative peace in the world….I do not declare that your life will cease to have challenges…challenges are an important part of mortality. Through daily, consistent scripture study, you will find peace in the turmoil around you and strength to resist temptations. You will develop strong faith in the grace of God and know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ all will be made right according to God’s timing.”
The third tool is Family Home Evening. Says Elder Scott, “This is a precious time to bear testimony in a safe environment…to strengthen family bonds; to develop family traditions; to talk to each other; and more important, to have a marvelous time together.”
For our family we have to exercise much faith to have family home evening every week. It is not easy to do with young children. They are tired, restless, and their attention span is not very long. Elder Scott tells us, however, that, “The structure of your evening is not as important as the time invested. The gospel should be taught both formally and informally. Make it a meaningful experience for each member of the family.”
President David O McKay in 1967 declared, “Families who prayerfully prepare and consistently hold their weekly Home Evenings, and who work together during the week to apply the lessons in their lives, will be blessed. There will be better feelings between husband and wife, between parents and children, and among children. In such homes the Spirit of the Lord will be made manifest.” Who doesn’t want that promise?!
The fourth tool that Elder Scott talks about is Temple Attendance. There is no more peaceful place in all the world than the temple. If you don’t have a temple recommend, qualify to get one. When you do have a recommend, use it often. Elder Scott advises that we schedule a regular time to be in the temple. “Don’t let anyone or anything prevent you from being there.” He also tells us, “The temple is one of the best places to come to understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Seek Him there.”
Through these four tools our faith will be strengthened and we will be able to use the power of Christ’s atonement in our lives. “Remember our Savior is the Prince of Peace. Peace in this mortal life comes from His atoning sacrifice. When we are consistently praying morning and night, study our scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to “Come Unto Him.”
The more we develop these habits, the more anxious is Satan to harm us but the less is his ability to do so. Through the use of these tools, we exercise our agency to accept the full gifts of His atoning sacrifice. I know that as we put our faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, in his atonement, we will be blessed to endure the challenges that come our way. They will not necessarily be easy, but it will be possible to get through them. By using these four tools, we will be strengthened to do so.
