Mormon now turns to teaching us about faith. “I will tell
you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing” (Moroni 7:21).
“Faith is a conviction that spurs us on through hope to
action and experimenting on the word. Mormon describes faith as the power by
which we ‘may lay hold on every good thing’ (Moroni 7:21)-a power of action, of
discerning truth from error and increasing our collection of truth as we grow
in faith. Faith breaks down into two components: an emotional trust in God and
a willingness to experiment and try his word.”[1]
God knows all thing from everlasting to everlasting. “And as
I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews, that Jesus is the very Christ,
it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced also that Jesus is the Christ, the
Eternal God” (2 Nephi 26:12).
“And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal
Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the
beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Alma 11:39).
“For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a
changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity”
(Moroni 8:18).
Angels have been sent to minister to the children of men, to
reveal the coming of Christ. “Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient
that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be
his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part
of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and
there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God” (2 Nephi
10:3).
“And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen
him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto
them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I
will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he
proveth all his words” (2 Nephi 11:3).
Through Christ will come all good things. God revealed to
the prophets that Christ would come.
God manifested to us in various ways that all things good
come from Christ. Without Christ, we would remain a fallen people and no good
thing could come to us. “And men are instructed sufficiently that they know
good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is
justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were
cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good,
and become miserable forever” (2 Nephi 2:5).
Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is brought by
the ministering of angels.
“And after God had appointed that these things should come
unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know
concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;
“Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused
men to behold of his glory.
“And they began from that time forth to call on his name;
therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of
redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this
he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy
works” (Alma 12:28-30).
Men began to exercise faith in Christ. Through their faith,
they held every good thing until Christ came.
“What should we have faith in as we lay hold on gifts? Not
in the gifts themselves, nor in our strength to receive them, but in Jesus
Christ. As Mormon articulates faith, we hear the words of God and his
messengers and then exercise faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice according to these
words. This idea Mormon describes clearly: ‘Wherefore, by the ministering of
angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men
began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon
every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ’ (Moroni 7:25).
Laying hold thus begins at our first demonstration of faith in Jesus Christ.
Christ offers a central, singular gift, himself-which comes to us initially
through the medium of the divine or angelic or prophetic word. All other gifts
manifest and extend the sacrifice of Christ’s life, his powers of redemption
and resurrection. When we lay hold on faith in Christ’s resurrection and
redemption, we effectually lay hold on every good thing Christ brings into the
world through his great sacrifice.”[2]
After his atonement, we could be saved through faith in
Christ. “And that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers,
and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe
the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through
faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen”
(D&C 3:20).
After exercising our faith, we become sons of God. “And
whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that
ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 18:20).
“The prophets have taught that faith begins by hearing the
word of Christ. The words of Christ testify of His atoning sacrifice and tell
us how we may obtain forgiveness, blessings, and exaltation.
“Upon hearing the words of Christ, we exercise faith by
choosing to follow the teachings and example of the Savior. To do this, Nephi
taught that we must rely ‘wholly upon the merits of [Christ,] who is mighty to
save.’ Because Jesus was a God in the premortal existence, lived a sinless
life, and during His Atonement satisfied all the demands of justice for you and
me, He has the power and keys to bring about the resurrection of all men, and
He made it possible for mercy to overpower justice upon conditions of
repentance. Once we understand that we can obtain mercy through Christ’s
merits, we are able to ‘have faith unto repentance.’ To rely wholly upon
Christ’s merits then is to trust that He did what was necessary to save us and
then to act upon our belief.”[3]
[1] Science,
Pseudoscience, and Religious Belief, Allen R. Buskirk, Maxwell Institute
website.
[2] Mormon’s
Question, Candice Wendt, Journal of
Book of Mormon Studies 24 (2015): 251.
[3] The
Doctrine of Christ, Elder Brian K. Ashton, October 2016 General Conference.
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