Alma asked the people of Zarahemla if they “look forward with the eye of faith” to the resurrection and the Final Judgment. He wondered if they could imagine the Lord saying to them, “Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?” (Alma 5:16). He also invited them to imagine alternative outcomes, in which they were less prepared for that significant event. How would they feel, standing in God’s presence and being “filled with guilt and remorse,” knowing that they had not been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ? (See Alma 5:18-25.)
Looking forward with an eye of faith is a crucial activity for disciples of Jesus Christ. If we can visualize an extraordinary future, we may be motivated to act in a way that leads to that future.
Alma later compared our spiritual growth to a tree. He said:
If ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
Alma 32:40-41
Looking forward with an eye of faith is more than a one-time activity. It is a hope that we sustain over time. That hope motivates us to keep doing the work every day, even though we may only faintly perceive the growth.
Moroni described the end of the journey. After listing a number of people who exercised faith, Moroni added, “There were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad” (Ether 12:19).
The sequence is powerful: First, we envision what could be. Then, we work wholeheartedly to achieve it. Finally, it becomes reality, and we see with our physical eyes what we had previously only seen with “the eye of faith.”
Today, I will visualize positive outcomes. I will trust God to bless me as I work toward worthy goals while exercising faith in Him.
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