After Thomas expressed skepticism about the combined testimony of his fellow apostles, the Savior appeared to him, showing him that their testimony was indeed true. He then gave Thomas the following admonition: “Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).
The prophet Moroni gave us the same admonition. “Despise not, and wonder not,” he said. “Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him” (Mormon 9:27).
And in March 1833, the Lord provided the following reassurance to members of the church:
Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.
Doctrine and Covenants 90:24
Some good things will only happen if we first believe. Why? Maybe because belief opens our souls and makes us receptive. Unbelief may cause us to withdraw and disconnect from the people and experiences which can bring joy into our lives.
President Russell M. Nelson recently recommended five actions we can take to increase our faith. Here is one of those actions:
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 and stay faithful. Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures. Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters. Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.
“Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” General Conference, April 2021
Today, I will be believing. I will remember that an attitude of belief can help me be open to truth and receptive to God’s blessings.