What Is Faith?
The letter to the Hebrews answers this question:
Now faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1; cf. Alma 32:21.)It's not something you see and hold—it's a divine assurance that something is right, true, and worth believing in. But much more than that.
How Does Faith Work?
As Paul wrote to the Galatians, "faith . . . worketh by love" (Galatians 5:6). Not by preachy preaching; not by fire and damnation; not by guilt trips, but by love. Think about that one.
How Can I Please God?
We must have faith to please God:
Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6.)It is not possible to please God unless we approach Him in faith, believe that He is, and believe that He will reward each of us when we diligently seek him.
What Is the Reward of Faith?
The Holy Ghost is a gift from God to those who have faith in the Son of God and who likewise diligently seek Him.
[Lehi] spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—[and] I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him. . . . (1 Nephi 10:17.)
How Do Blessings Come?
Blessings come to us according to our faith—the degree of our faith governs our reward. Likewise, whatsoever is not born of faith is sin.
And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened. (Matthew 9:28–30; cf. Romans 14:22–23.)
How Enables Us to Receive All [Good] Things?
We receive all good things (good is my adjective) by faith: "And all things shall be done by . . . much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by faith." (D&C 26:2.)
What Is the Relationship of Faith and Works?
Faith is love in action. Abraham showed us how to perfect our faith through our works for faith without works is dead:
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (James 2:21–22.)To recap:
• Faith is a motivating, divine assurance of what is true.
• Faith works by love.
• Our faith pleases God and without it we can't please Him.
• The Holy Ghost is a reward for faith in the Son of God.
• Blessings come to us according to our faith.
• We receive all [good] things by faith.
• Faith is love in action and our good works are perfected—made complete—by faith.
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