As I start today, I will invite you to think of individuals in the scriptures, in church history or in your personal lives who have had a unique "faith promoting" experience. Possible considerations might include -- Abraham offering Isaac, David and Goliath, Nephi and the brass plates of Laban, the Brother of Jared, the Widow of Zarapheth, Peter walking on the water, Ammon caring for King Lamoni's sheep, Joseph Smith or even Brigham Young leading the saints west. Try to think of some personal or family "faith-defining" experiences. Now let me suggest that without exception no matter what the story or experience, there is at least one common factor or thread in any such story - in each case the primary participant has been called upon or stretched to do more than might have been expected or anticipated; in each case he or she goes beyond the typical - each exceeds minimum expectations.
As a young boy, growing up in the desert, I lived near a large man-made lake. It had some of the same characteristics of the Sea of Galilee. Being in the desert and subject to strong winds it could become stormy without much warning. I remember camping out on the shores of the lake as a boy scout. At the end of our camp out we got into a large cabin cruiser and started across the lake to return home. About 20 minutes into the trip, just when we were in the deepest part of the lake, the wind came up, and in a matter of minutes we had waves crashing over the top of the boat. I was too naïve to think we were in any kind of danger, but if someone had suggested to me that it was a good time "to get off the boat," I'm afraid my faith might have failed me. With this background, now turn with me to the 14th chapter of Matthew. In Verse 22 Christ has just fed the 5000.
In Matthew 14:22 we start reading:
"And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
That story is often quoted to suggest that Peter had fa ltering faith. But I note as I read in Matthew that Jesus "constrained" all of his disciples to get into a ship. That suggests the presence of at least 12 people on the boat, but only one, only Peter, was willing to "get off the boat." And, while he doubted, he is only one of two people that are recorded in history as having "walked on water." Similarly, although his faith may have failed, it was at least strong enough to carry him close enough to the Savior that when he cried out for help, the Savior could stretch forth his hand and save Peter. Certainly Peter did more than his companions expected him to do - but perhaps not more than the Lord expected. Maybe if our faith is only strong enough to get us close enough to the Savior that he can take our hand and save us, that will be close enough.
In a different illustration, we are all familiar with Nephi's faith - that is often illustrated by his response to his father:
"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them." (1 Ne. 3:7)
And that is a fitting representation of his faith. But we do Nephi an injustice if we simply quote the scripture without appreciating the fact that he lived it also. If you will remember things didn't quite go as smoothly as that scripture implies that they might.
Laman drew the short straw the first time. I suspect that he might have approached Laban this way: "Nephi says that Lord would prepare the way, so, Laban, you've probably been expecting me and I suspect you've got the plates all ready, do want to bring them out?" Verses 13 and 14 provide a different version.
"And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee. But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness."
Laman and Lemuel, looking through the eyes of the world, simply said in effect, "It didn't work, Nephi! Let's go home." We don't often quote the next verse, but it is equally as strong as 1 Ne. 3:7.
" But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." (1 Ne 3:15)
You are all familiar with the rest of the story. Nephi suggested that they could buy the plates with their father's gold and silver. When they tried,
"And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.
And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban." (1 Ne 3:25-26)
Now the brothers were really angry with Nephi, their father, and Nephi's younger brothers.. They decided that the only way Nephi was going to learn was by beating some sense into him and they "...did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod."
Nephi had been rejected, robbed and beaten. A less faithful one might have asked "When is the Lord going to prepare the way?" But Nephi's faith was such that he believed that each step was part of the preparation and that all he had to do was keep going. Even with rejection, robbery and a beating he still wasn't willing to quit.
Nephi's real faith was to see the Lord's hand in accomplishing the task even when adversity and hardship were part of the "preparatory process." He was satisfied that the Lord was doing His part. Laman and Lemuel couldn't see it. Nephi had faith.
You see, if we just quote 1 Nephi 3:7, we miss the power of experience. It sounds like all we have to do is move forward and the Lord will take care of everything. While the Lord does put things in order, faith is not simply to "step onto the water" and expect the waves to calm. Faith is to keep going, even in a storm.
One of the more challenging doctrines taught by Christ came when He was asked by the apostles to "increase our faith."
Luke 17: 5-10 reads, "And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said,
If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
In this fascinating but obscure parable the Savior taught that faith is built by extending beyond the minimal expectations. His reference to the servant who does only that which is required as a "unprofitable servants" gives impetus to the thought that "increase" comes from doing "more." To "increase our faith," the Savior suggests that we must be willing to expend greater effort. Perhaps that "increase" is explained in Doctrine and Covenants section 4 which suggests that only when faith is linked with hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God are we qualified for the work.
Some time ago I was interviewing a young missionary who had been in the field for about 3 months. He indicated that he wanted to go home. As I made inquiry he explained that things had really gone sour for him. The first challenge was adjusting to the funny food he was having to eat. I asked if that was the only reason why he wanted to go home. He explained that that indignity was followed by jet lag and a cold. I then asked, "Is there anything else?" He said that his companion didn't think the way he did and was hard to get along with and hard to understand.
My response again was, "Is there anything else?" He answered that he was miffed that his language skills didn't come faster and that it was hard to understand the people.
Finally he shared the "coup de grace" -- he got a "Dear John" from his girl friend back home.
I asked him, "Which of these problems that you have had was a surprise to God?" He seemed startled and asked me what I meant.
I said, "Do you believe in an omniscient (all-knowing) God?"
He stammered for a second and replied, "yes."
Then I asked, "So if you believe in an omniscient - all-knowing - God, did He know that you were going to have all of these problems before you came into the mission field?"
He answered, "well, I guess so." I then said something that really caught him off guard. I said, "He must really hate you!"
After he got over the shock, he smiled and said, "No. Father in Heaven loves me."
I then asked him the question that he was now waiting for: "If God knew that you were going to have all this torment before you came into the mission field, and if He doesn't hate you, why would He allow all these things happen to you?"
Again, he smiled and suggested, "maybe I'm supposed to learn something."
His challenge was that he wanted the lesson without paying the price. He wanted faith, but did not want to act or persist or endure. Faith is an "action word." In James, chapter 1, we all remember that the Prophet Joseph Smith read:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
However, the next verse provides a qualifier: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed"
James invitation was not simply to "pray" but to exercise faith through prayer. In fact 17 verses further in the first chapter we read: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only..."
Faith requires action. Joseph would not have been the "Prophet of the Restoration" if he had merely sat and quietly pondered James' invitation. He had to act. This was made very clear by James when he explained: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:17-20)
Simply stated, James tells us that if belief were enough, the devils would be in good shape. He says, "The devils believe - and tremble."
Remember there are four different scriptures in the gospels in which Christ forbad the devils to testify of him. (Matt. 8:29; Mark 5:7; Mark 10:47; Luke 8:28). They believed that he was the Son of God, but it availed them nothing; belief, without action offers no benefit. The devils could not back up their belief. There was no action, no works.
Almost as significant is the challenge we confront if we try to quantify or measure our faith by any worldly standard.
As Christ pointed out to his Apostles, if you are going to increase your faith, then works must exceed basic expectations. There must be endurance and staying power.
Some years ago, while serving as a mission president in Zimbabwe, Africa I received a weekly letter from one of my missionaries. In his letter he related: "Dear President: I just completed my sixth month in the mission field and participated in my 50th baptism." While those efforts were commendable, and while this young man was a good obedient missionary, I was afraid that he had drawn some unfounded conclusions and I was particularly concerned that his subtle message was, "look how great I am; look at my faith."
I wrote back and said, "So, does that make you better than Abinadi?"
Abinadi was a great example of "the eye single" that is reflected in true faith. Remember Abinadi's words to those he was proselyting to (Mosiah 13:2-3):
"And they stood forth and attempted to lay their hands on him; but he withstood them, and said unto them:Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time."
Abinadi's final comment, "God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time" seems to suggest an appreciation that his mission would be not be showered with converts, nor would he escape unscathed. The remarkable thing about Abinadi was his unflinching determination to deliver his message, whatever the cost. Abinadi did not use his faith to bend God's will to save himself, but rather aligned himself with the will of God, regardless of the cost. Faith is not built on minimums.
Abinadi's words are reminiscent in modern times of the words of the Prophet Joseph on his way to Carthage: "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer's morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I SHALL DIE INNOCENT, AND IT SHALL YET BE SAID OF ME-HE WAS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD."
Both prophets were true to their purpose and both accepted the "price" for testifying of Christ. Both yielded their will and desire to that of the Father.
I was anxious for my young missionary to understand that real faith is demonstrated in persistence and endurance even when there is no numerical reward. Faith grows through persistence in doing what is right, even though there may be setbacks (as with Nephi) or persecution (as with Abinadi and the Prophet Joseph).
- What motivates people to go beyond basic expectations?
- Why do people willingly undergo hardship and tribulation and endure persecution?
- What benefit can be derived by willingly accepting challenges beyond expectations?
The answer to these and other associated questions are found in both modern day and ancient scriptures. I will leave it up to you to do your own "feasting upon the words of Christ" to find answers. Suffice it to say that there is more than one answer to each question.
The Savior's direction in the parable demonstrating how one increases his faith was to teach that we are unprofitable servants if we do only that which is our duty. He suggested that real growth and development comes as we "forget ourselves" and see our calling as an opportunity to help and lift others. An inward focus certainly is inconsistent with the "eye single" required in Section 4. If our motivation is personal or focused inwardly, then faith is compromised. If our purpose is our love of God or our fellow man, then we will succeed even if, as with Abinadi, the world might call consider our efforts as a failure.
I cannot help but remember Alma's experience in Ammonihah. He attempted to teach the people but they "...withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city..."
You can imagine how he must have felt. Those of you that served missions know how depressing it is to come home after a fruitless day, even when we didn't get spit upon or cast out of the city.
We are told that Alma:
"...being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying:
Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; ..." (Alma 8:14-15)
Alma had just experienced "failure" as measured by any worldly standard. He had failed in his mission and had suffered personal indignity and had been cast out of his mission. What was there to "rejoice" about?
The angel goes on to explain: "for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him." (Alma 8:15)
According to the angel, the standard for rejoicing is not necessarily numerical success, but rather "faithfulness." Alma was not being judged by how receptive the people were (that was their problem), but rather by his own effort.
What was it that merited a visit by the angel? It wasn't worldly or quantitative success; it was faithfulness in adversity.
The Brother of Jared, Nephi, Moroni and others help us learn that our faith grows when we run out of ideas, but persist in that which is right. The Lord can do things with and for us that we would not otherwise experience after we come to the realization that we don't have all the answers, but we do have the power to act.
Section 58:26-28 of the Doctrine & Covenants reinforces this principle:
"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."
Sometime in each of our lives we are given the opportunity to stretch our faith. Some of you may have had such experiences. Let me suggest that God is not through with you. I would like to share one such experience that was sent to me by a sister serving as a missionary in Lusaka, Zambia:
From Zambia
Dear President:
This week I had some interesting experiences, but one defining moment in particular. Thursday Sister Odida and I got the inactive list from the Relief Society President and spent the day finding the inactive sisters. Sister Odida and I both felt prompted to go to certain places, so we followed the spirit and went - but had no success. It was a very frustrating day, full of "fall-throughs." As we started the very long walk home I couldn't help but feel discouraged. The road kept getting longer and longer and my strength weaker and weaker. I thought, "WHY? Why didn't things happen today? We followed the Spirit - What good did it do?" The conversation continued in my head:
Impression: You were obedient, weren't you?
Me: Yes, but there were no results.
Impression: "So - why do you need results? Isn't it enough to have faith that you were in the right place at the right time doing the right thing?"
Me: "Yeah, I guess so - at least I know I can "go and do." But I am so TIRED! Was my effort really worth it?"
Impression: "Why did you get out of bed this morning? Why did you ‘waste your energy by being obedient?"
Me: "Because I love the Lord so much. But I will never be able to really show Him how much I love Him. I can't give enough.
I can't believe I have to walk to Kamwala tomorrow. I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH! I love Heavenly Father and I Know He needs me to go down to Kamwala tomorrow but I JUST CAN'T!"
Needless to say that by then I was in tears. Then an image come to my head of me kneeling (before) My Father in Heaven sobbing (and) saying, "I love you so much - but I don't have the ability to show that love. Whatever I give will NEVER BE ENOUGH!" Then I saw the Savior kneel next to me and say, "Father I love HER so much that whatever she can't give, I will make up. Please accept her offering."
One of Satan's greatest tools is to make me think that the atonement is only for big sinners, but for people on the right path, we have to do it by ourselves. I now have a real understanding of the atonement of the Savior and how much strength I can and MUST gain from it. We went to Kamwala the next day and it was great. How thankful I am for the Atonement. How Real it is!! And it's not just a one-time-use thing. Strength comes daily even HOURLY from this precious gift. I know I will never have enough, but it's okay if I trust my Savior - Jesus Christ - to make up the difference.!
Sister Watts
Faith is action, but it also persistence. It is power to move ahead, even if it is only far enough to get close enough to God to cry out and with an extended hand say, "Lord, save me." Then, if we do that, perhaps we, like the Brother of Jared, may see the hand of God in our lives.