Therefore, how can you and I really expect to glide naively
through
life, as if to say, “Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not
sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be
forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee
what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy
joy!”
Serving, studying, praying, and worshiping are four
fundamentals in perfecting “that which is lacking in [our] faith.” (1 Thes. 3:10.)
If we cease nurturing our faith in any of these four specific ways, we
are vulnerable.
"While faith is not a perfect knowledge, it brings a deep trust in God, whose knowledge is perfect! Otherwise, one’s small data base of personal experience permits so few useful generalizations! But by searching the holy scriptures, we access a vast, divine data bank, a reservoir of remembrance. In this way, the scriptures can, as the Book of Mormon says, enlarge the memory. (See Alma 37:8.)"
These Nigerian Saints believed the counsel of President Howard
W.
Hunter: “It would please the Lord for every adult member to be worthy
of—and to carry—a current temple recommend, even if proximity to a
temple does not allow immediate or frequent use of it.”
In her hand, carefully wrapped in a clean handkerchief, each sister
carried her precious temple recommend. I carry their examples of faith
carefully wrapped in my heart."
Help Thou My Unbelief - Elder L.
Whitney Clayton of the Quorum of the Seventy, Oct 2001
"We promote the process of
strengthening our faith when we do what is right—increased faith always
follows."
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and
is more than mere belief. Faith
is a “hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” Faith always moves
its possessor to … physical and mental action.” “To have faith in Jesus
Christ means to have such trust in him that we obey whatever he
commands. There is no faith where there is no obedience.”
Faith comes from hearing the word of God and is a spiritual gift. Faith increases when we not only hear, but act on the word of God as well, in obedience to the truths we have been taught.
Developing faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ is a step-by-step, line-upon-line, and
precept-upon-precept process. We promote the process of strengthening
our faith when we do what is right—increased faith always follows as a
consequence. If we exercise our faith daily with prayer, study, and
obedience, the Savior helps our unbelief, and our faith becomes a
shield to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Alma taught
that we may “withstand every temptation of the devil, with [our] faith
on the Lord Jesus Christ.” However, we can neither ignore nor
reject the essential ingredients of faith and then expect to reap a
rich harvest.