Area Presidency Message
We Walk by Faith (2 Corinthians 5:7)
“It is helpful to remember that ‘miracles do not produce faith, but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ.’”
A few years ago, while serving as a mission president, I received a call on a Sunday night from a leader at the Provo (Utah) Missionary Training Center. He said that a missionary who was assigned to our mission—and who would arrive the next day—was having a crisis of faith. While in the MTC, he had begun to question whether he really believed what he had been taught all his life. He then called his parents and said he needed to return home because he did not have a testimony. They were loving and supportive but encouraged him to give it at least one day in the mission field. He hesitantly agreed and the following day I sat with him in an initial interview. With much nervousness he described that he did not know how he could possibly be a missionary when he did not know if the Church and its teachings were true.
An inspired question came into my mind: “Elder, what do you know is true?”
“I know my family loves me.”
I then told him I would assign him a wonderful companion and encouraged him to simply go out and bear testimony of what he did know was true—how a loving Latter-day Saint family has blessed his life. I bore my testimony to him that as he studied the Book of Mormon each day and did all that was asked of a missionary, the Spirit would help him gain the testimony he desired. He nervously agreed to give it a try; and as he left the office, I wrote on my notepaper 50 percent (meaning there was a 50/50 chance he would make it through the first week).
All week long I worried about this sincere and good young missionary, who had so many doubts and who questioned his faith. I resisted the urge to call him and see how he was doing, knowing that might make it too easy for him to ask to be sent home. So instead I anxiously awaited his first weekly letter to the mission president. My joy was full as I read the following:
Dear President Palmer,
I can honestly say I’ve had a great past week. When I spoke with you in our interview, the only thing keeping me going was fear of what would happen if I went home. I truly had no desire to stay and serve a mission for two years.
But as of right now, I’m so glad that I stuck it out. I still don’t know everything that I need to. But just in the last few days I’ve come to fully understand how the Church brings change and happiness to people’s lives. That’s what I am basing my testimony on. I know I still have a lot to develop my faith on, but this is a huge step for me. I had been stuck between what I was learning in Church and what my brain was telling me made more logical sense. But I’ve felt the Holy Ghost.
On Saturday night, we taught a guy named Cory. My companion brought the Spirit so strongly, and I knew Cory was feeling it as strongly as I was. When it was my turn to speak, I explained how Joseph Smith read in James and then prayed to know if it was true. While I quoted the First Vision I could hardly breathe. My heart was pounding. It was so awesome.
Like I said earlier, I don’t have a testimony of everything yet, but one thing I cannot deny is that Cory’s life will never be the same. We didn’t even get the entire baptismal invitation out before he said yes. I couldn’t believe it. I just kept thinking back to what my mom said before I left the MTC, that if I didn’t really give it a real chance, I would never find out for myself. But I plan on doing that now.1
This young man went on to become an outstanding missionary, whose faith became strong as he continued to grow in his understanding of the gospel through diligent study — and who received powerful witnesses of the Spirit while bearing testimony to others.
Over the years I have often pondered about this experience while meeting those who question whether they still have a testimony or struggle with doubts. Every fast Sunday we hear repeatedly from the pulpit, testimonies borne which start with the words “I know,” yet what do we do if in our hearts we are like the missionary described above and are unsure?
The simple answer is that we live by faith and we act in faith, desiring to know, but also accepting that it is enough to believe, to hope for, to seek and to act. We can be as the Apostles of old who personally knew and walked with the Saviour—yet still pleaded with Him, “Lord, increase our faith.”2
Some good and honest members feel that because they are unable to say they know the Church is true there is not a place for them in Church. But this denies the very definition of faith which is “not to have a perfect knowledge of things, therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”3
Some other members find themselves wavering between belief and doubt, but if they will continue to act in faith, placing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they can be as the father we read about in the New Testament who declared through his tears, “Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”4
Others were once confident in their testimonies but somewhere along the journey of life have run into a stumbling block, a question for which there does not seem to be an answer, perhaps a particular doctrine or practice that troubles them. To such, Moroni counseled: “dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”5
Even the great and righteous prophet Nephi declared, “I do not know the meaning of all things.”6 But, much like my missionary friend, he had felt the love of his Heavenly Father and in the same sentence was able to say, “I know that He loveth His children.”7
The important question for all of us is how do we strengthen our faith?
We can learn some important lessons from the experience of this young missionary.
First, thanks to the encouragement of those who loved him, he was willing to act. As a missionary, that meant studying the scriptures daily with his companion, praying and then going forward each day to serve others.
This is exactly the pattern Elder Dale G. Renlund, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, recently taught: “The only way faith grows is for an individual to act in faith . . . we must choose faith-building actions, such as praying, studying the scriptures, partaking of the sacrament, keeping the commandments, and serving others.”8
Second, he was willing to truly listen to the testimonies of other servants of God who had faith, including his companion, mission president and the words of his mission call from a prophet of God.
Joseph Smith plainly taught: “Faith comes by hearing the word of God through the testimony of the servants of God”.9
Third, he demonstrated righteousness and obedience. As he did so, he was then able to participate in the miracle of conversion and see his faith grow. In other words, his testimony grew as he participated in the Spirit leading a humble investigator to receive a witness of the Spirit, but he did not receive his witness until after the trial of his faith.10
It is helpful to remember that “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.”11
Fourth, he did not give up—but was willing to experiment upon the words he had been given and let his desire to believe work within him. This was just as Alma taught in his profound sermon on faith found in Alma 32:26-43. He did not cast out the true seed (the word of God) and did not resist the Spirit of the Lord. His understanding was enlightened and it was delicious.12 By humbly following the process Alma described, there were things in which faith was replaced by knowledge and he was able to taste the precious fruit we know as the love of God.13 In this missionary’s own words; “it was so awesome.”
During this blessed time serving in Africa, I have been overwhelmed by the pure testimonies borne each fast Sunday, and by the many demonstrations of great faith I witness in the lives of members. Yet the records of the Church still contain many names of those who have wandered away from activity. To any who may be struggling with doubts, I invite you to follow the example of my young missionary friend and act in righteousness. You can start by continuing to come to Church and doing those things that allow the Spirit to work within you. If you feel you do not belong because your faith is weak, and you feel unable to declare “I know”, please understand that there is, and always will be, a place in this Church for you. You are not broken, you are not lost, you are not forgotten. And when you feel the least like praying, know that there is never a more important time to make this quest for a testimony a matter of prayer and fasting.14
Dear friends, especially my young friends, allow the desire to believe take hold within you, and your faith will be strengthened as you make the Sabbath a delight and you immerse yourself in studying the word of God, particularly the Book of Mormon.15 My promise is that the Spirit will confirm the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that as your faith in Him strengthens, you will reap the rewards of your patience16 and experience miracles—including the greatest miracle of all, which is true conversion.
S. Mark Palmer was named a General Authority Seventy in April 2016. He is married to Jacqueline Ann Wood; they are the parents of six children.