Formula for Faith.

Ok. We had the best Book of Mormon study with Tracy this week. Every morning we do our studies and prep for the day. This was prepped just for Tracy, me, and everyone and I learned it during my spirit filled studies. The best. I love studies. So here are my notes and insights....

 

Alma 32-- I am obsessed with this chapter.

 

It starts with a group of people who are down on their luck. They have been kicked out of the synagogues because of their poverty, but this made them humble. So Alma, one of my favorite missionaries, comes in and teaches them all about faith.

 

So... here we go. The formula for faith:

Step 1: Verse 22-- BELIEVE. That's all we have to do is have a desire to believe.

Step 2: Verse 27-- Exercise a particle of faith-- DO SOMETHING. You can't just sit there and hope that that belief will grow, anymore than you can sit on the couch and hope that your waistline will shrink. It won't. Faith is the same. We have to act upon it.

Step 3: Verse 28-- GIVE IT GROWING TIME-- don't cast it out. We have to allow it time before we can see results. I never became a runner because I never kept running... faith is the same. We have to keep faithing it up before we can see results and have it become easier.

Step 4: Verse 28-- JUDGE-- is that belief leading you to good? Is it growing? Can you feel the spirit within you? Do you feel more peace, more love, more joy? Then it is is good.

Step 5: Verse 37-- NOURISH the TREE. We have to keep taking care of it so it can grow and the roots can become deep. The tiny sapling won't yield fruit, but eventually after time and treatment it will.  

Step 6: Verse 41-- HAVE PATIENCE, DILIGENCE, and HOPE. Continue to endure. Develop those Christ-like attributes and enjoy the fruits of faith.

 

All of this leads to the ulitmate fruit: "By and by ye shall pluck of the fruit which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst."

 

I think all of us have many faith trees being grown-- I feel like in some areas my faith is really strong, and in others I could use a little more growth. So pick something to grow and go and do it. The key is really effort, work, diligence, and faith.