FAITH

[The] particle of faith most precious and which you should protect and use to whatever extent you can is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Moroni taught the power of that faith this way: “And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God” [Ether 12:18]  (Henry B. Eyring, "Mountains to Climb”, General Conference April 2012).

Some may say, “I cannot believe; I am not a religious person.” Just consider, God promises us divine help even if we have only a desire to believe, but it has to be a true and not a pretended desire (Deiter F. Uchtdorf,  "The Power of a Personal Testimony", General Conference, October, 2006).

A foundation of faith … takes time to build. … If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble.

 - That solid basis for a foundation of faith is personal integrity. 

 - It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. … You can do it wherever you are and however alone and deserted you may feel. (Henry B. Eyring, "Mountains to Climb", General Conference April 2012).

If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up [see D&C 84:88]. And He always keeps His word (Henry B. Eyring, "Mountains to Climb", General Conference April 2012).

I bear witness of the power of the priesthood given to the Church to protect us and guide us. And because we have that, we have no fear of the future. Fear is the opposite of faith. We move forward, certain that the Lord will watch over us, particularly in the family (Boyd K. Packer, "The Power of the Priesthood," Ensign, May 2010, 10).

The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father (Boyd K Packer, “The Shield of Faith,” Ensign, May 1995, 8)

As children of God, knowing of His great love and His ultimate knowledge of what is best for our eternal welfare, we trust in Him. The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and faith means trust. (Dallin H Oaks, “Healing the Sick, Ensign May 2012: 50).

God has given you the capacity to exercise faith so that you may find peace, joy, and purpose in life. However, to employ its power, faith must be rooted in something secure. There is no more solid foundation than faith in the love Heavenly Father has for you, faith in His plan of happiness, and faith in the willingness and power of Jesus Christ to fulfill all of His promises.

Some of the principles upon which faith is based are:

1.    Trust in God and in His desire to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstance.

2.    Obedience to His commandments and a commitment to living a life that demonstrates He can trust you.

3.    Sensitivity to the quiet promptings of the Spirit and courageous follow-through.

4.    Patience and understanding when God lets you struggle to grow and answers come a piece at a time over an extended period.

(Richard G. Scott, “Living Right,” Ensign Jan. 2007: n.pag. Web. 27 May 2012.)

Revelation and other miracles will never cease unless faith ceases. Where there is adequate faith, these things will continue. (Spencer W. Kimball, “Gospel Forum: Continuing Revelation,” Ensign Feb. 1971: n.pag. Web. 27 May 2012)

When we hear the transcendent truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, hope and faith begin to blossom inside of us. 5 The more we fill our hearts and minds with the message of the risen Christ, the greater our desire is to follow Him and live His teachings. This, in turn, causes our faith to grow and allows the light of Christ to illuminate our hearts. As it does, we recognize the imperfections in our lives, and we desire to be cleansed of the depressing burdens of sin. We yearn for freedom from guilt, and this inspires us to repent.

Faith and repentance lead to the purifying waters of baptism, where we covenant to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and walk in His footsteps. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Way of the Disciple,” Ensign May 2009: n.pag. Web 27 May 2012)

I have just two things to say to you who are troubled about the future. I say them lovingly and from my heart.

First, we must never let fear and the father of fear (Satan himself) divert us from our faith and faithful living. Every person in every era has had to walk by faith into what has always been some uncertainty. This is the plan. Just be faithful. God is in charge. He knows your name and He knows your need.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—that is the first principle of the gospel. We must go forward. God expects you to have enough faith, determination, and trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. He expects you not simply to face the future; He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it, rejoice in it, and delight in your opportunities.

God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “This, the Greatest of All Dispensations,” Ensign July 2007: n.pag. Web. 27 May 2012).

We once had a major decision to make. When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed. Sensing that I was still very unsettled, he said, 'The problem with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.' Then he quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon, 'Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith' (Ether 12:6).

He added, 'You must learn to walk a few steps ahead into the darkness, and then the light will turn on and go before you.' That was a life-changing experience from one verse in the Book of Mormon (Boyd K. Paker, "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ," Ensign, May 2005, 8).

What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? Our assignment is positive: to forsake the things of the world as goals in themselves; to desist from idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies (Spencer W. Kimball, ‘The False Gods We Worship,” Liahona Aug. 1977)

The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe He has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes. [Neal A. Maxwell, Even As I Am (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982), 93]