Local Priesthood Leader Message
“Lord, I Believe, Help Thou Mine Unbelief”
“Many of us at times wonder whether we have enough faith, or if we just outright doubt whether we actually have faith.”
Many years ago, I was sitting in a sacrament meeting where “O My Father” was sung, and the following words seemed to be speaking to me directly:
For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, “You’re a stranger here,”
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.1
I suppose many of us can relate to the words of this hymn. There are times that a secret something whispers that to us that we are strangers here. I have looked into the eyes of many of my brothers and sisters—both inside of and outside of the Church—and have felt that I know them from somewhere. In fact, at times I have walked past someone, paused and walked back and asked, “Do we know each other?”
We all know that before we came to earth to dwell, we lived with our Father in Heaven. When we were presented with the glorious opportunity to come to earth, we shouted for joy! Now that we find ourselves on earth, and especially as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have the sacred privilege of knowing that we can indeed return to that more exalted sphere. The good news is that He awaits our triumphant return. One thing that it will require is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
There will certainly be days when the journey will seem long and tiring; however, with unwavering faith we have an opportunity to make our way back. So many times, we have met others on the journey who have asked the question, “Why am I here, and when my life draws to a close where will I be going?” The Saviour answered that question when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”2
Someone may then ask, “How do I develop or increase my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?” The father in Mark 9:24 exclaimed, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” I guess many of us at times feel like that father: we sometimes wonder whether we have enough faith, or if we just outright doubt whether we actually have faith. I would like to suggest a few simple things that we can do to increase our faith in Jesus Christ.
Have a desire
We learn in Alma 32:27: “even if you can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that you can give place for a portion of my words.” This is more than just wishful thinking, but instead it is having a strong feeling of wanting something—in this case, wanting to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, put it not too long ago, “When we speak of faith—the faith that can move mountains—we are not speaking of faith in general but of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can be bolstered as we learn about Him and live our religion. The doctrine of Jesus Christ was designed by the Lord to help us increase our faith.”3
Study the scriptures and the words of living prophets and apostles
Our faith can and will increase as we make an effort to study the scriptures daily and as we familiarise ourselves with the teachings of His prophets and apostles. While growing up as a young boy, I lived with my grandmother. She could not read or write, but she loved the scriptures. She went to Church every Sunday and memorised the verses that were read aloud. She would then return home and ask me to read them to her over and over again.
One night whilst reading 1 Samuel, chapter 3, I came across a scripture that got me to sit up and wonder. I read about how Samuel was called as a prophet. That scripture stirred something within me. In fact, from that moment onward I started wondering why God had stopped calling prophets in our day. I started by asking the very pastors in our family church; and since they could only attest it to the fact that God has spoken and that’s why we have the Bible, I started looking elsewhere. I then started a quest of searching for a church that believed in a God that spoke to His children through prophets and apostles as He did to Samuel of old.
I was only about 10 or 11 years old when I started this search, which took me from church to church until I met the missionaries as a teenager. The question I had for them in our first meeting was simple, “Do you believe in a God who speaks? Their answer was a resounding “yes”, and then they shared with me how Father in Heaven called Joseph Smith and restored His church through Him. I joined the Church because of that simple answer, and through the years I have been richly blessed by the teachings of living prophets and apostles. Their counsel has helped me increase both my faith in and testimony of the Saviour Jesus Christ. A simple practice of daily scripture study as taught by my grandmother has helped me as an individual, and now as a father—as my wife and I strive to teach our children the value of daily scripture study.
Repent daily and partake of the sacrament worthily every week
In order for us to partake of the sacrament worthily each week it is important that we follow the counsel of President Nelson when he taught, “When Jesus asks you and me to ‘repent,’ he is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit—even the way we breathe. He is asking us to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our wives, teach our children, and even care for our bodies.”4 If any of us is carrying unconfessed sins, I would like to extend an invitation to you to give heed to the prophet’s counsel. In so doing, we will turn our focus to Christ, our true and sure foundation and make use of His Atonement, which will lead us to find true healing, peace and comfort. As we exercise faith even unto repentance, our faith will increase.
Pray
As children of a loving Father in Heaven, not only do we have a desire to connect to Him through prayer; but He in turn desires to bless us as we come unto Him in humility and with a heart filled with desire. He knows our worries and concerns. He is fully aware of the yearnings of our heart and as a loving parent He wants to hear from us. We can and should approach Father in Heaven and ask Him to bless us with increased faith.
Some time back while attending stake conference—as the closing hymn was being sung—I felt impressed to look at the choir. The voices of the choir members were melodious beyond description and they all had beautiful smiles on their faces. Somewhere on the back row I spotted a sister with tears in her eyes and thought that she probably has been moved by the song that was sung: “God Be with You Till We Meet Again.” Immediately after the closing prayer was given, I sprang to my feet and headed to that sister in the choir. I just felt that I had to thank her for her contribution to the spirit of the conference.
I asked her whether the hymn we sang had a special meaning to her. She nodded and with tears streaming down her cheeks she said, “I lost my husband a few weeks ago and as if that is not enough, I then lost our daughter who was about two years old. All I have left is my daughter, who is about ten years old. I have been contemplating whether or not I should be singing in the choir, but today as the closing hymn was sung, I felt the presence of my husband and our daughter.” She then closed with this observation, “I have been praying to Father in Heaven for two things: first that He would strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ and then to give me an understanding of the holy Resurrection; second that the presiding officer would come over and say something that would strengthen my faith.” I don’t remember saying anything to that dear sister, but I remember how my faith was strengthened by her unwavering faith and by the fact that her prayer was an answer to my own. Before that very conference I had prayed to be led to someone to whom I would have an opportunity to minister—instead I think she ministered to me that day.
As we go through life’s challenges, it is important that we approach an all-knowing Father in Heaven and seek for His wisdom and understanding to deal with whatever challenges we might be facing. Challenges may come in the form of sickness, loss of a loved one, deep disappointment with a spouse or friend, struggling to find an eternal companion or even financial pressures at home. During such trying times, our faith can either be strengthened or scorched to a point where we walk away from all that we once held dear. My dear friends, no matter what, do not walk away from the Holy One of Israel, but instead may we follow the invitation He gave to them in Jerusalem when He said, “Come, follow me”5. I know that as we pray unto the Father, in the name of Christ, our faith can and will be increased amidst all the challenges that we might find around us. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, put it in one of his general conference addresses, “Through the incessant din and drumbeat of our day, may we strive to see Christ at the center of our lives, of our faith, and of our service.”6
Service
As we reach out in service to Father in Heaven’s sons and daughters, our faith will increase. I know of a young man named Gofaone Lebang who joined the church when he was about 16 years old. There was something unique about this young man; he was born with a physical disability, which meant that he was wheelchair bound ever since he was a baby. Brother Lebang has always been a very vibrant and faith-filled disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the age of twenty he made the decision to serve a service mission. He was called to the Johannesburg South Africa Mission. One could not ask for a more positive individual. He always had something uplifting to say to all he came in contact with. I later had the opportunity to serve with him in the same elders quorum presidency and then on the high council. Through the years, I never once heard him complain or murmur about his physical disability but instead have always watched him move forward with faith. His willingness to serve increased the faith of all who served with and around him. Many years later he is still the same; he reaches out and ministers to others in different ways.
Clement M. Matswagothata was named an Area Seventy in April 2018. He is married to Busisiwe Novelty Buthelezi; they are the parents of three children. Elder and Sister Matswagothata reside in Gaborone, Botswana.