Faith Comes First

Moroni was not impressed with Ether’s people. When Ether prophesied “great and marvelous things” to them, “they did not believe, because they saw them not.” Moroni emphasizes the foolishness of this approach by teaching the following principle: “Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen,” and therefore “ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:5-6).

Alma taught the same principle to the Zoramites. He observed that many people say, “If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.” But how does that count as belief? “If a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it” (Alma 32:17-18).

Jesus pointed out that it’s easy to love people who already love us. (See Matthew 5:46-47, Luke 6:32-33.) There’s nothing remarkable or admirable about it. What is admirable and soul-stretching is loving people who don’t love you.

In the same way, there’s nothing remarkable or admirable about believing something that everybody already knows. Faith exists in an environment of uncertainty. It is faith because you’re not 100% sure, and because other people don’t believe it at all. That’s what makes it a choice: something you do instead of something that simply happens to you.

“Dispute not because ye see not,” says Moroni, “for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). So there is a period of time in which we simply trust God. We don’t know for sure how long it will last, but we believe in His prophecies and promises, and we behave as if we knew they would be fulfilled. We calm our fears, and we look forward to seeing our faith converted into knowledge.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton taught:

God asks us to bear with Him—to trust Him and to follow Him. He pleads with us to “dispute not because ye see not.” He cautions us that we shouldn’t expect easy answers or quick fixes from heaven. Things work out when we stand firm during the “trial of [our] faith,” however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming. I am not speaking of “blind obedience” but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord.

“Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It,” General Conference, April 2017

Today, I will trust God. I will remember that uncertainty and delay provide opportunities for me to do something meaningful: choose to believe. I will move forward with confidence, believing that God will provide the outcomes which I currently only see with “an eye of faith” (Ether 12:19).