“Faith in Jesus Christ,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson (2023)
Chapter 4
Faith in Jesus Christ
Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of all belief and the conduit of divine power.
From the Life of Russell M. Nelson
In 1985, Elder Russell M. Nelson was assigned by President Ezra Taft Benson to be the first contact for the Church in Europe. To help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in this part of the world, Elder Nelson visited many times, strengthening Church members, building relationships with government leaders, and seeking official recognition of the Church.
Elder Nelson exercised his faith in Jesus Christ and witnessed the faith exhibited by members of the Church in this area. For example, the papers recognizing the Church in Czechoslovakia were signed on February 21, 1990. That blessing was due in part to the faithful efforts of Jiří Šnederfler and his wife, Olga:
“Recognition [of the Church] could be formally requested only by a Czechoslovakian member of the Church,” President Nelson said. “So we went to the home of Brother and Sister Šnederfler. We explained that we had just received that information from the chairman of the Council of Religious Affairs. Knowing that other Czechoslovakian leaders and thinkers had been imprisoned or put to death for religious or dissident belief, we told Brother Šnederfler that we, as his Church leaders, could not and would not make that request of him. After contemplating only a brief moment, Brother Šnederfler humbly said, ‘I will go! I will do it!’ As he spoke, his wife, Olga, shed a tear. They embraced and said, ‘We will do whatever is needed. This is for the Lord, and His work is more important than our freedom or life.’
“Some months later, when the papers were properly prepared, Brother Šnederfler submitted them personally. He and our members were then subjected to strict surveillance. The Saints continued in courage and faith. Ultimately, after periodic fasting and prayer and complete compliance with all requirements, that glorious announcement of recognition came. How I admire the Šnederflers and all these stalwart members who endured so much interrogation and risk!”
Teachings of Russell M. Nelson
Every blessing of eternal significance begins with faith in Jesus Christ
Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of all belief and the conduit of divine power. According to the Apostle Paul, “Without faith it is impossible to please [God]: 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].
Everything good in life—every potential blessing of eternal significance—begins with faith. Allowing God to prevail in our lives begins with faith that He is willing to guide us. True repentance begins with faith that Jesus Christ has the power to cleanse, heal, and strengthen us.
“Deny not the power of God,” the prophet Moroni declared, “for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men” [Moroni 10:7; emphasis added]. It is our faith that unlocks the power of God in our lives. …
Please know this: if everything and everyone else in the world whom you trust should fail, Jesus Christ and His Church will never fail you. The Lord never slumbers, nor does He sleep. He “is the same yesterday, today, and [tomorrow]” [Mormon 9:9]. He will not forsake His covenants, His promises, or His love for His people. He works miracles today, and He will work miracles tomorrow.
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. …
We might each ask ourselves, where is our faith? Is it in a team? Is it in a brand? Is it in a celebrity? Even the best teams can fail. Celebrities can fade. There is only One in whom your faith is always safe, and that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element to accessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.
Study Question
What does it mean to you to have faith in Jesus Christ?
Dynamic faith in the Lord leads to complete conversion
The first principles of the gospel begin with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” [Hebrews 11:1]. He pled “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend … and to know the love of Christ” [Ephesians 3:17–19]. Paul entreated us to “come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God” [Ephesians 4:11–13].
From the Book of Mormon we learn that “we are made alive in Christ because of our faith. … And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” [2 Nephi 25:25–26]. …
Dynamic faith in the Lord leads to complete conversion and a consummate commitment to His holy work. … Dynamic faith in the Lord brings conversion, a mighty change of heart [see Alma 5:12–14], a change of thinking, from the ways of the world to the ways of Deity. It causes one to repent with “full purpose of heart” [2 Nephi 31:13]. Alma added, “Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ” [Alma 37:33]. …
Faith in Jesus Christ not only brings blessings in this life, but it is essential to our eternal salvation and exaltation.
The most profound thing I’ve witnessed is the unrivaled difference that belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, has in a person’s life. There is simply nothing to compare with the refining, ennobling strength and meaning that come into the life of a devoted believer and servant.
Study Question
How has placing faith in Jesus Christ made a difference in your life?
Start today to increase your faith
Exercising faith can seem overwhelming. At times we may wonder if we can possibly muster enough faith to receive the blessings that we so desperately need. However, the Lord put those fears to rest through the words of the Book of Mormon prophet Alma.
Alma asks us simply to experiment upon the word and “exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if [we] can no more than desire to believe” [Alma 32:27; emphasis added]. …
The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe. … Start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life [see 1 Nephi 7:12], even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.
Your mountains may be loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems. Your mountains will vary, and yet the answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith. …
… Increasing your faith and trust in Him takes effort. May I offer five suggestions to help you develop that faith and trust.
First, study. Become an engaged learner. Immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry. Know the doctrine of Christ so that you understand its power for your life. Internalize the truth that the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you. He took upon Himself your misery, your mistakes, your weakness, and your sins. He paid the compensatory price and provided the power for you to move every mountain you will ever face. You obtain that power with your faith, trust, and willingness to follow Him. …
The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power. The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.
Second, choose to believe in Jesus Christ. If you have doubts about God the Father and His Beloved Son or the validity of the Restoration or the veracity of Joseph Smith’s divine calling as a prophet, choose to believe [see 2 Nephi 33:10–11] and stay faithful. Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. … Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.
Third, act in faith. What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.
Fourth, partake of sacred ordinances worthily. Ordinances unlock the power of God for your life [see Doctrine and Covenants 84:20].
And fifth, ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.
Faith takes work. Receiving revelation takes work. But “every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” [Matthew 7:8]. God knows what will help your faith grow. Ask, and then ask again.
[An] element in drawing the Savior’s power into our lives is to reach up to Him in faith. Such reaching requires diligent, focused effort. …
When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do [see Doctrine and Covenants 88:63].
Study Question
What efforts can you make to increase your faith in Jesus Christ?
Faith always increases our access to godly power
To achieve the “impossible,” … the foremost requisite is faith. …
The Lord personally taught this truth to his disciples: “If ye have faith,” he said, “nothing shall be impossible unto you” [Matthew 17:20].
Do not minimize the faith you already have. It takes faith to join the Church and remain faithful. It takes faith to follow prophets rather than pundits and popular opinion. It takes faith to serve a mission during a pandemic. It takes faith to live a chaste life when the world shouts that God’s law of chastity is now outmoded. It takes faith to teach the gospel to children in a secular world. It takes faith to plead for the life of a loved one and even more faith to accept a disappointing answer. …
The mountains in our lives do not always move how or when we would like. But our faith will always propel us forward. Faith always increases our access to godly power. …
Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe [see Mark 9:23].
Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power.
Study Question
When has your faith helped you accomplish something that seemed impossible?
Faith will not prevent life’s problems but will help when things go wrong
It takes real faith in the Lord and in His gospel to withstand attacks from the adversary. I urge you to deny yourselves of all ungodliness, both physical and spiritual [see Moroni 10:32]. Keep a firm grasp on the iron rod of the gospel!
… The gospel of Jesus Christ is a sure foundation upon which we can build our individual faith. Some of us are weak; some are strong. We can waffle “like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6), or we can anchor ourselves with cords of spiritual steel, rooted and grounded to the eternal truths of the gospel [see Ephesians 3:17–19; Colossians 2:6–7; Helaman 5:12].
Such faith will not prevent life’s problems but will help when things go wrong. Bad things happen to good people. Accidents occur. Some married couples may not be blessed with children. Others may not marry in this life, or they may find themselves married to one who fails to keep the commandments of God. The Lord is aware of these circumstances. He will bestow all the blessings that He has in store for His faithful children—in His own way and in His own time [see Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21]. Be righteous, be patient, keep an eternal perspective, and you will be protected.
Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution” [2 Timothy 3:12]. That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.
How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. …
… I testify that God is our Father. Jesus is the Christ. His Church has been restored to the earth. His truth, covenants, and ordinances enable us to overcome fear and face the future with faith!
Study Question
When has your faith in Jesus Christ helped you deal with a trial?
Embrace the future with faith!
We have so much to look forward to! The Lord placed you here now because He knew you had the capacity to negotiate the complexities of the latter part of these latter days. He knew you would grasp the grandeur of His work and be eager to help bring it to pass.
I am not saying that the days ahead will be easy, but I promise you that the future will be glorious for those who are prepared and who continue to prepare to be instruments in the Lord’s hands.
… Let us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith! Turbulent times are opportunities for us to thrive spiritually. They are times when our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times.
I promise that as we create places of security, prepare our minds to be faithful to God, and never stop preparing, God will bless us. He will “deliver us; yea, insomuch that he [will] speak peace to our souls, and [will] grant unto us great faith, and … cause us that we [can] hope for our deliverance in him” [Alma 58:11].
As you prepare to embrace the future with faith, these promises will be yours!
The power of Jesus Christ will heal us, strengthen us, comfort us, and renew us! … As you believe in Jesus Christ and try to follow Him faithfully, His healing and strengthening power will help you move the mountains in your life.
We never know what tomorrow will bring. We may experience some degree of uncertainty and fear. For these and other challenges, there is only one sure antidote. It is the same antidote that moved our ancestors to action. It is a growing and unshakable faith that Jesus Christ knows us and will help us.
We live in a most vibrant era in the history of the world. I wake up every morning eager for the adventures of the day. And I hope you feel that same exuberance for the gift of life. Though our world is filled with serious challenges, I am optimistic about the future and feel confident about the fundamental goodness of humankind.
As the Church moves forward, we wish for people everywhere to have the opportunity to hear the positive message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ because we declare that it has the answers to the most compelling and complicated challenges facing us today. I give you my assurance that regardless of the world’s condition and your personal circumstances, you can face the future with optimism and joy if you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel.
My dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory” [Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:36], He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.
Study Question
In what ways do Jesus Christ and His gospel help you embrace the future with faith?
Invitations and Promises
Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life
Start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life [see 1 Nephi 7:12], even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.
Your mountains may be loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems. Your mountains will vary, and yet the answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith. …
The mountains in our lives do not always move how or when we would like. But our faith will always propel us forward. Faith always increases our access to godly power.
Reach up for the Lord’s power
When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do [see Doctrine and Covenants 88:63].
Withstand attacks from the adversary
It takes real faith in the Lord and in His gospel to withstand attacks from the adversary. I urge you to deny yourselves of all ungodliness, both physical and spiritual [see Moroni 10:32]. Keep a firm grasp on the iron rod of the gospel! …
Such faith will not prevent life’s problems but will help when things go wrong. Bad things happen to good people. Accidents occur. Some married couples may not be blessed with children. Others may not marry in this life, or they may find themselves married to one who fails to keep the commandments of God. The Lord is aware of these circumstances. He will bestow all the blessings that He has in store for His faithful children—in His own way and in His own time [see Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21]. Be righteous, be patient, keep an eternal perspective, and you will be protected.
Embrace the future with faith
I promise you that the future will be glorious for those who are prepared and who continue to prepare to be instruments in the Lord’s hands.
… Let us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith! Turbulent times are opportunities for us to thrive spiritually. They are times when our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times.
I promise that as we create places of security, prepare our minds to be faithful to God, and never stop preparing, God will bless us. He will “deliver us; yea, insomuch that he [will] speak peace to our souls, and [will] grant unto us great faith, and … cause us that we [can] hope for our deliverance in him” [Alma 58:11].
As you prepare to embrace the future with faith, these promises will be yours!
Videos
Reach Up to Him in Faith
The Answer to Each Challenge Is to Increase Faith
Related Talks
“Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains” (April 2021 general conference)
“Embrace the Future with Faith” (October 2020 general conference)
“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives” (April 2017 general conference)
“Let Your Faith Show” (April 2014 general conference)
“Face the Future with Faith” (April 2011 general conference)