For the past few weeks, I've been thinking about the ideas of belief and doubt. In some ways, I think that this whole mortal existence is one large tutorial in learning what things to believe and what things to doubt. Belief and doubt certainly matter. We should all believe some things and we should all doubt some things.
I firmly believe that each of us struggles with beliefs and doubts in our own way. It has never been a struggle for me to believe the Gospel. I've never found myself deeply disturbed by matters in the history of the Church or by the imperfections of the people within it. Given my profession of choice, this has been a profound blessing in my life; one for which I am certain I have not adequately thanked God. And yet my life has not been free of doubts and questions. Each new semester, I wonder if I am really intelligent enough to keep up with the coursework of graduate school, and strong enough to manage the inherent stress. Every time I call to ask a girl out on a date, or hear another lesson about dating and marriage, I am riddled with doubts about myself that seem every bit as perplexing to me as the doubts some have about the Gospel and the Church. In these moments, I have wondered why belief doesn't come easier; why it seems so easy for some people to deal with such questions, but not for me. In such moments, whatever our struggles of faith happen to be, we come to realize that there really is what Elder Bruce R. McConkie called, a "talent to believe."
This week as I pondered some of these questions, I came to a conclusion that has seemed to help me. Last October, Bishop Richard C. Edgley taught us that "faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed." As I pondered this thought, I felt liberated by the idea that we can choose to believe and to have faith if we really want to. Obviously the choice to believe will be easier in some cases than in others. When facing our own personal Goliaths, the choice of faith will never be easy. But it will always be possible.
Considering that truth, I also came to the realization that if faith is a choice, so is doubt. While questions and doubts may initially thrust themselves upon us without our consent, we can determine what becomes of them following those initial encounters. From time to time we choose to nurture our doubts, ironically making them into our beliefs. But if we can nurture our doubts, we can also starve them.
Ultimately, no matter what challenges we face, "God expects us to believe." Indeed, is it not significant that when declaring the fundamentals of our faith, the Prophet Joseph began twelve of the thirteen statements with the simple declaration "We believe." Believing is a talent, but it is one that God will give to each desirous soul. May the phrase "We believe" continue to define our attitudes towards the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church!
Brett
Boy it's tough not to listen to the "noise" of the world sometimes, isn't it? The adversary is SO good at attempting to cloud our judgement and pull our thoughts and hearts away from what really matters. Your post here is such a powerful and uplifting reminder that there is something far better and far stronger to believe in than his tauntings and temptations, powerful though they may be. Choosing to believe . . . choosing to have faith . . . choosing to look to our Heavenly Father and Saviour can bring us that peace that "passes all understanding" and help see us through the darkest times. We don't know everything that is in store for us, but they do, and if we can exercise even that"particle of faith," their hands are "outstretched still," waiting to help us along. Thanks for reminding us that we are not alone and that we can seek for the gift of believing, Brett. I'm lucky to have such wise siblings. :) Love you!
ReplyDelete