Faith is like a little seed

Image source

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

Sword of the Spirit

Okay so it's time for my favorite! The sword of the Spirit!

If you look at all the armor that we've talked about, they are all for protection. Don't get me wrong, protection is wonderful and safety is essential, but it is only a covering for ourselves. It will safeguard us from the evils of the world, but it will not fight it or diminish it. Only weapons can do that.

The Spirit is the only weapon of the armor of God. Weapons are used to stop the adversary, but also to protect and help other people. With every prompting of the Spirit that we follow, we are weakening the devils forces and strengthening heaven's.

The Spirit will guide you in what is right, but it is also from the Spirit that we gain a testimony of truth. Moroni 10:4-5 says:


4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. 

 Do you hear that? You can know the truth of ALL THINGS! if you ask Heavenly Father with a sincere desire to know the truth, and really intend to act on His answer, and trust that God will answer you, then you CAN gain that knowledge for yourself.

I know that this is true because I have studied and then laid it all before my Father and asked if it was true. The Spirit testified to my heart and mind peace concerning these things. It is by following this formula that I have come to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God lives and loves me, that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that this church is true.

If you ever have any questions or doubts, go to your Father in Heaven. I do not know all things, but He does (he's the source of all truth, so by definition, he knows more than Google ;). Trust him. He will answer you and show you the truth.

I love that and am going to end with that. Sometime soon I'll talk about acting on prompting a (because that is extremely important as well) but I want you to know that through the Holy Ghost, I know by myself that this church is true. I say these things in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

<3 Eliza

Image source

Truth

Truth is the first element of the armor of God that we need to clothe ourselves with everyday.

A loincloth is a piece of fabrics used as a belt and a protection for vital organs. A warrior cannot leave home without it; otherwise, they will be vulnerable and the rest of their armor will cease to stay in place and protect them from harm. Each piece of armor is placed for a reason, and each one is important for protection.

Truth and a testimony of it is the first thing we need to reach. Truth grounds our integrity and provides a foundation for all other actions. It holds our choices, causes, thoughts, words and deeds in place so that we know exactly how to use them to come closer to Christ. Truth is also a protection, as it guards us against lies, unfairness, misconceptions and vainness.

The prophets have counseled us to read our scriptures and pray every day. Why is that so important? Because every day we face different challenges and trials, and we need the protection of the truth. As we remember who we are, why we are here, and where we are going, we will be able to withstand all of the storms of the adversary.

Truth also holds the rest of the armor in place. Even if we choose the right most of the time, even if we try our best at everything we do and want to listen to Heavenly Father, we will not stay grounded without a knowledge of the truth. In the hardest times, it is our testimony that truly keeps us going.

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/45/82/93/4582939f5f65db0368b972ddf43c754b.jpg

It is our anchor!

He Reaches My Reaching

Hey guys I finished it! See this post to understand my painting. It looks better in person...oh well. 

I'm done with the faith value project! Yay! 

Haha look I'm wearing the Young Womanhood Medallion!

He Reaches My Reaching is the title of this piece. No matter how many storms we need to go through, hold tight to the iron rod. Someday you will make it to the tree of life, and be able to taste the sweetest, purest fruit: the love of God. 

Shine the Light

(Copyright Intellectual Reserve)

There are many messages the world throws us. Immorality is okay, glory is of utmost importance, you can cheat a little to get what you want. As long as you're not caught, you haven't done anything wrong.

That is so far from the truth.

Darkness is all around us. The storms and waves of the sea threaten to overturn us. You can see it on billboards, in newspapers, and peers. So many times we run into apathy, even disdain for anything virtuous.

In all this darkness, there are many who are searching for light, looking everywhere for a glimpse of hope.

We've all been given lights, in our testimonies and in our knowledge of right and wrong. But many of us choose to hide under umbrellas, "protecting" that little candle so that it won't go out. This hides our light from others though, and makes it unusable for ourselves.

As disciples of Christ in these latter days, as Christians and as morally keen people, we need to be in the world, but not of the world. Do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? No. They put it on a hill for all to see and be guided by it, for all to feel of it's warmth.

My friend once bought a homeless man some food, and cared for him. He tried to make sure the man had everything he needed to make it through that day. As he was leaving, the man called out to him and asked if he was Christian. He said yes. Make your life consistent with what you believe so that people recognize who you are.

One time I was on a bus, and this girl brought up the topic of religion. She asked me where I belonged and I told her I was Mormon. She got all excited and was like "I knew it, I knew it! All you Mormons have that smiling, bright face!" I was a bit surprised, but I was grateful to know that the gospel light is shining through me in the way that others can feel my happiness.

How often is your light on? How bright does it shine through your eyes? Shine so that others will want to know Christ, so that others will see him through you.

Spirit is Willing, Flesh is Weak

(copyright Intellectual Reserve)

Aw you guys! A bit disappointed in myself... The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, and I'm feeling it today.

This morning I prayed for an opportunity to share the gospel. Then I remembered someone I could share it with.

A couple weeks ago I gave a Book of Mormon to my friend for Christmas. The gift of the joy and peace that comes from the gospel is the best gift you could ever give to somebody. But I always get super nervous at the moment of missionary work. While my ideals and intentions are good, I end up tongue tied and anxious. So i decided to write my testimony inside of it and wrap it up do I wouldn't have to talk about it right then and there. First mistake, because while it saves my anxiety right then and there, it causes for a lot of trouble later.

The first day back from winter break, I was SUPER nervous. Like seriously, about to throw up. It wasn't that I was ashamed of the gospel, just that even without fear I get flushed and it's embarrassing and everyone starts looking at me concerned like "are you okay?" And then I get stuttery and troubled, and try to end the awkward conversation. (I've gotten a lot better, because it only gets comfortable with practice ;)

Well, the first day back, neither of us saw each other. I was getting more relaxed as the week went by. Maybe I wouldn't need to talk to her about it and embarrass myself.

But then this morning, I decided that if I got the chance, I would bear my testimony to her. Agh! Stupid natural man. Because guess what? After two weeks of not bringing it up, she finally thanked me for it. There was my chance. And I blew it. I don't think I'm going to even write what I said. It was just totally not what I had wanted, and I had let my fear come before following the Spirit.

Even though I feel like I messed up pretty bad, I think at this point, it's the best I can do. I put my best into my efforts, and tomorrow my best will be a little higher. Maybe I'll talk to her about it.

I tried my best while on the Lords errand, so I cannot fail. 

For next time though, I do think I need to remember that I am to be a tool, an instrument in the Lord's hand. He is the carpenter, and knows what we can do. If we just let him work through us, then miracles can happen. I will try to let The Lord work through me. You will too, won't you? For me? ;)

Run to Him

So tonight I thought I would tell you a story. You can find this story in the book of Enos in the Book of Mormon, on page 136-138.

 Enos was this guy. He lived with the Nephites, who are supposed to be the good guys, but most of the Nephites have been sinning lately, and do not believe in God any more. They do not put their trust in him like they used to.

 Well, Enos was caught up in all of this and didn't know what to do. His dad was the prophet (which means the person who received revelation from God for the group of people, who could talk to him and was a spokesperson for him), so naturally, Enos had been taught from a young age about the gospel. But now that all the good guys were kinda becoming bad guys and doubting, Enos didn't know what to believe.

 In Enos 1:1, he says his father was a just man. He knew his father loved him and was trustworthy. He also says his father had taught him the words if The Lord, and also the love of God. He was grateful that his dad was loving him enough to tell him these things, and knew his dad wouldn't lie to him, but he had to know if these things were true for himself.

 So one day he goes out to hunt. Basically he goes to work. When he's alone out in the forest, probably looking around him and wondering for the thousandth time if there truly is a creator, if his dad was telling the truth, if God really was there and loved him. He is remembering what his father said about eternal life, about the gospel, and then he remembers the "joy of the saints. " he says that these things sunk deep into his heart. He wanted the joy that the saints had, the joy that people who believed in God had, and he wanted to know if the words his father said were true. (1:3)

 Then in verse four, it says some of my favorite lines:  "And my soul hungered, and I kneeled down before my maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for my own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him."

 What happens when you are hungry? Your body is telling you that you are in dire need of nutrients and substance in order to have energy and continue working. But Enos had spiritual hunger. His spirit needed some nourishment, needed knowledge of the truth and needed to feel God's love. And he knew it. So he had to go find it.

 Matthew 5:6 says ( and really listen to this, this is Jesus Christ literally speaking) "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

 And who better to fill that void than our Heavenly Father, who knows every need, every tear, every word?

 But notice Enos is not just praying. Prayer is an important part to gaining a testimony, but it is not everything. In verse two, it says he wrestled before God before he gained this knowledge and felt God's love. This means he was fighting with himself, his mind was telling him one thing while his heart told him another. He had to lay down his pride and ask for help. He had to struggle and labor in order to receive these blessings. God expects us to work hard and be patient for his blessings. Sometimes, it is extremely hard to trust this when it feels like he is not answering our prayer right away, or with a grand manifestation of his power.

 In verse five, he gets an answer: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. In verse six, he says he knew God could not lie, so he was troubled no more and at peace. But then he asked how in the world he could be blessed with this gift of forgiveness and knowledge.

  Verse 8: "And he said unto me; Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years shall pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh. Wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole. "

 Check out the last verse, verse 27. Listen to all the things that he knows. This is many years later, after he has been faithful and believing for a while, and is on the right path. He says he will:
•soon die, but is not scared
 •knows he will see his redeemer (Christ)
•knows he is forgiven of his sins and has joy that comes with that
•is looking forward to the day of resurrection when the righteous will receive perfect bodies and will live forever in happiness
•knows he will see God face to face (imagine that!)
• and Heavenly Father will be proud of him, and has a place in heaven reserved for him

 Don't you wish you could have that knowledge? I know I do. I'm far from that faith, but I'm slowly getting there :). When I have those days of doubt and despair, I think of all these things that Enos mentioned, I think of the end result: someday I will get to run into Jesus's arms and hug him and thank him and thank him and thank him for all that he has done for me. I will be able to see him and say "i love you" in person. That is what helps me have faith to reach up to the light through all this darkness.

I can't wait to hug him. 

<3 Eliza

Ps. This is David Bowman's painting titled Security

He Will Not Fail You

(lds.org)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EzO0vltBtQ&sns=em

You need to watch this. The song is he will not fail you. I don't know if you've heard this yet, but I love this story and will share it again. This found in Matthew 14:22-33

Back when Christ was living on the earth, he had disciples. They were on a boat once, and mighty storms came. But then a man walked on water to them and told them not to fear. It was Christ, but they did not know that. Peter, the leader, asked if "if you are really the Son of God, let me walk on this water to you. "

That would be really scary. But Jesus said yes, come to me. So Peter stepped into the water. For a couple seconds he walked on water! With his eyes straight on the Savior, he walked to him. But then Peter got distracted by the storm, and got scared that he would sink and die. Once this fear and doubt entered his heart, he started sinking. He called out for Christ to save him, and straightaway, Christ grabbed his arm and pulled him back up.

This song is saying that sometimes, we need to leave behind our personal "ships," our doubts, sins, fears, and pain to walk to Christ. If we just believe that he will help us through the storm, then he will. We will be able to do incredible things as we trust in his love.

Please watch the video! This song helped me get through so many trials, heartache, and doubt.