Faith is like a little seed

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Faith is often compared to a little seed.

First a little story.

Once there was a girl named...uh, let's call her Grace. I've always liked the name Grace.  Grace is born into a faithful family with lots of older brothers and sisters who are wonderful examples. Her parents love her, and have raised her in the church. She has always been active, raises her hand in Sunday School, and has never dated anyone. 

On the outside, she is a perfect Mormon-mold. But even though her life looks pretty perfect on the outside, she has some troubles on the inside. Her older brother always makes fun of her for her being the only non-special person in their family. Her younger sister, whom she was so close with, died of cancer.  She has had some unpleasant friendships over the years, and maybe she has had a sip of coffee once or twice. But no matter what she is going through, what mistakes she has made, she knows that if she could keep her testimony strong, she would be able to get through everything with God's help. 

The problem is, she isn't even sure God exists. And the paradox of all the lessons in church come down to one thing: how can Grace expect God to answer her prayers when she doesn't even believe? How would she be able to recognize the Holy Ghost testifying to her if she doesn't know what it feels like? Why would she deserve to have a testimony anyway?

Satan has put doubts in her mind. No matter what Grace does, they don't seem to be going away. 

But wait! Didn't I just say faith is like a little seed?!

When you plant a seed, you don't actually know if it will sprout, if it is a good seed. You have to have that smallest bit of desire to have a tree, enough to say "ya know, I'll see if this seed, this little seed, is the one! Today I will find out if this tree will give me good fruit!"

Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith—faith 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."

The problem is,  (scanning memory for my favorite fruit...) a peach doesn't grow in one day. You have to keep nourishing it, feeding it, just in case that slight possibility of THIS SEED being the RIGHT SEED is true. 

When we plant the seed of faith, or begin to try out what God says and see if it works, we are taking the first step.  

Alma 32:27 "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can NO MORE THAN DESIRE to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. "

Even if you feel like you have zero faith whatsoever, but you still want to believe (whether it be about Heavenly Father, or the church, or you are praying about the Book of Mormon, etc) follow that desire, try it out. By experiencing it for yourself you will find out if it is true. 

So if the missionaries told Grace to read the Book of Mormon, and then pray if it was true, and then they PROMISED her that the Holy Ghost would answer, then what should Grace do? Well, she still doesn't know if The Book of Mormon or Bible is true, so why should she listen to these people anyways? Well, if she tries it out, then she will be able to find out if it is true. If it is not true, no harm done. 

If, while she's reading, it tells her to ____________ (fill in the blank with follow the prophet, or honor parents, or love people) then she should try it out. She should act on it to see if it is true and good, if it makes her life better. 

As it grows and a person feels the Holy Ghost, the small seed of faith will grow a little. Finally, after a lot of work and in the Lord's time, she will be able to taste the fruit of the tree. She will have a full knowledge that these things are true. 

Now, know that these things take time. But take it from someone who has been through it, GOD WILL ANSWER. I know because I have tried it. I have planted this seed of faith in my heart and then studied and studied and prayed and worked and tried and finally was able to say "Yes. I have felt the Spirit testify to me that these things are true"

I know that Heavenly Father loves us and will answer our prayers. 

<3. Eliza

P.S. See some other awesome testimony posts here:

Marie-Rose at Hope Always and Pray Constantly

Whitney at The Life of a Mormon Teen

Whitney at  Sprinkles on My Icecream