Questions and Answers

Responses are intended for help and perspective, not as pronouncements of Church doctrine.

“One day I read 1 Nephi 7:12, which says that the Lord is able to do all things for us if we exercise faith in Him. How do we exercise faith in Christ?”

Liahona

• Exercising faith in Jesus Christ means having trust and confidence in Him.

• Faith is the power to manifest His will in your life.

• Faith, a gift from God, comes as you are righteous.

• Three must-read chapters on faith are Hebrews 11, Ether 12, and Moroni 7.

Faith is having trust and confidence in the Lord. Your faith in Him is a power that will lead you to obey His gospel, and your obedience will help you have more faith, which is a gift from God.

As the scriptures say, if you have faith in the Lord, He can do all things for you, such as heal, forgive, comfort, and convert you. But having faith doesn’t mean telling God what to do. It means trusting Him and understanding that all blessings come “according to his will” (1 Nephi 7:12) and “in his own time, and in his own way” (D&C 88:68). For example, you may not receive an immediate answer to your prayers. But your faith assures you that Heavenly Father hears your prayers and will answer at the right time.

To develop and exercise your faith, (1) learn the word of God, whether by reading the scriptures or listening to those who have the authority to teach it (see Romans 10:17). Knowing the word will help you see that God always keeps His promises.

(2) Act on what you learn, or as Alma says, experiment on the word. The word is like a seed. If it is good, it will enlarge your soul, enlighten your understanding, and begin to be delicious to you (see Alma 32:28). That is your spiritual confirmation that the word is true, which will build your faith.

(3) Obey the commandments. Your righteousness allows the gift of faith to grow in your life. Show your belief in Jesus Christ by following His example and teachings. Do what He asks of you through the scriptures, the teachings of living prophets, and the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Did you, for instance, accept President Gordon B. Hinckley’s invitation to read the Book of Mormon by the end of 2005? Those who did acted with faith and received the promised blessings. (Of course, if you didn’t finish reading the Book of Mormon then, you still can!)

While many people get through life without faith in the Lord, they can never inherit eternal life without faith in Him. Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ—with faith in Him as the first principle—can we enjoy “eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).

“Every time you try your faith, that is, act in worthiness on an impression, you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. Those feelings will fortify your faith. As you repeat that pattern, your faith will become stronger. … With consistent practice, faith will become a vibrant, powerful, uplifting, inspiring force in your life.”
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing,” Liahona, May 2003, 76.

Readers

I believe our devotion to Christ and to His gospel is the best way of showing our love for and faith in Him. When we live His principles and standards and walk steadily in the way He has shown us, we are bearing witness not only to Him but also to other people in our life. We bear witness of our gratitude for His sacrifice for us and also for the Restoration of the gospel.
Jan V., 17, Moravia, Czech Republic

Having faith in Jesus Christ means trusting completely in Him and being sure in your mind and heart that He exists and that He is our Savior. We must place our trust in Christ because He knows how to help us overcome the difficulties in our lives. Our lack of faith in Him causes us to be worried about our spiritual state and to doubt God’s promises. Focusing on the Savior has helped me remain firm in the gospel, control my fears, and overcome obstacles.
Natalia N., 19, Chimborazo, Ecuador

Exercise faith in Christ by obedience. Faith without works is dead. By obeying when we don’t know why, we show our trust and faith in Him. Obeying commandments shows that we trust Him and have faith in what He tells us to do. Prayer and reading the scriptures daily strengthen my relationship with Heavenly Father, giving me more faith in Him. Also, you have to expect answers to your prayers. Pray for help to obtain faith.
Meghan S., 18, Missouri, USA

We can exercise faith by allowing the Lord to lead our lives. By trusting God, following Him, and by working diligently to keep the commandments, we can exercise faith in Him. After submitting our will to His, we can witness great miracles in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Dmitriy Z., 21, Donetsk, Ukraine

We have many ways to exercise faith in God such as reading the scriptures and praying every day, keeping the Sabbath day holy, giving tithes and fast offerings, serving others, and being willing to keep other commandments.
Seng S., 18, Battambang, Cambodia

When we believe in the help and the power of the Lord, then we can go forward having trust in Him. Our obedience to the commandments shows that we have faith in Him. I know with all my heart that He wants to give us great blessings and that faith and obedience are essential to obtain them.
Marco C., 18, Liguria, Italy

If we have a knowledge of the gospel and have faith in its truth, we need to experiment living it to receive the blessings. Faith without works is dead. If there is faith with works, then faith becomes more and more firm. In 1 Nephi 7:12, we are reminded that we must be faithful to God. Being faithful is the first part of developing faith.
Otgonchimeg B., 15, Töv, Mongolia

We can exercise faith in Jesus Christ by relying on and trusting completely His omniscience and omnipotence. A nice way to do this is by paying tithing, for through it we can show that we are willing to give up worldly things for greater promised blessings.
Samantha L., 15, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines

We exercise faith in Christ by coming to church, saying our prayers, reading the scriptures, accepting callings, repenting of our sins, taking the sacrament, and magnifying our callings.
Adam N., 18, Georgia, USA

Next Question

“My friends and I have a problem with gossiping and saying mean things about others. What can I do to stop and help them stop?”

Send us your answer, along with your full name, birth date, ward and stake (or branch and district), and photograph (including your parent’s written permission to print your photo and response) to:

Liahona, Questions and Answers 11/07

50 E. North Temple St., Rm. 2420

Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3220, USA

Or e-mail: [e-mail]

Please respond by November 15, 2007.

Photograph by Carlos Israel Gutiérrez Robles, posed by model