Lectures on Faith 1: 12-17

Intro | Preface
Lecture 1: 1 |  2-9 | 10-11 | 12-17 | 18-24

So now that Joseph has discussed what Faith is, how vital it is in our daily lives, and gave examples of how we use Faith in mortal aspects, he now turns to the Spiritual side of things.

Verses 12-13: "And as faith is the moving cause of all action in temporal concerns, so it is in spiritual; for the Savior has said, and that truly, that he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. (Mark 16:16) As we receive by faith, all temporal blessings that we do receive, so we, in like manner, receive by faith all spiritual blessings, that we do receive." Here the example is simple: If you 1) believe in Christ, and 2) act through being baptized, you will receive the result of this Faith, which is Salvation. It works exactly the same as planting a crop or working a job, like Joseph described earlier.

"But faith is not only the principle of action, but of power, also, in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven, or on earth" (v. 13).

That is, Faith doesn't just motivate us to do things; Faith also gives us power to do things, or even create things.

"Thus says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. (11:3): 'Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God: so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.' By this we understand that the principle of power, which existed in the bosom of God, by which the worlds were framed, was faith; and that it is by reason of this principle of power, existing in the Deity, that all created things exist—so that all things in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, exist by reason of faith, as it existed in HIM" (vs. 13-15).

I've got to say, I'm very grateful for Joseph Smith's explanation of the Bible, because I wouldn't have understood Paul's comment without Joseph's insight. Instead of reading it as "Because of our Faith, we understand this," Joseph rephrases it to say "We understand that the worlds were framed through God's Faith." He believed, acted in the way He knew would lead to His desired outcome, and His desired outcome came to pass: the worlds were created. Therefore, the things we can see around us weren't made by other things we can see; they were made by God's actions through His voice and His Faith--which is otherwise intangible and invisible.

Therefore, "Had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would never have been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust—it is the principle by which Jehovah works, and through which he exercises power over all temporal, as well as eternal things. Take this principle or attribute, (for it is an attribute) from the Deity and he would cease to exist" (v. 16)

That is an intense statement: without Faith, God would cease to exist? How could that be?

Well, what is Faith? It's believing in something and acting on what you believe.

Imagine that ability taken away from you.

What would you do, if you literally didn't believe anything would happen? Would you do anything? Would you even think anything, or would you eventually give up that practice too, because it didn't matter?

If you don't act or think, who are you? Would "you" even exist at that point? Or would you be no different than the dust of the Earth, acted upon by everything but never acting? Without anything enticing you one way or another, leading you to choose and act, would you be "as dead, having neither life nor death"? (2 Nephi 2:11)

It seems as though Faith-with the agency to act on your beliefs-is key to your own individuality. Without that, there would be no point to one's creation and existence, because there would be nothing unique about t hem (just as Lehi explained in 2 Nephi 2). But, because we do have Faith and agency, we have individuality and we exist. And that's how God exists, too.

"Who cannot see, that if God framed the worlds by faith, that it is by faith that He exercises power over them, and that faith is the principle of power?" (v. 17)

At first glance, this may seem like a stretch of reasoning, but think it over: If God acted once through Faith, and if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13: 8; Mormon 9: 9), then He would always act by Faith in exercising any future power over His creation. Therefore, Faith is the principle that generates power, since that's how God generates power.

"And if faith is the principle of power, it must be so in man as well as in the Deity?" (v. 17) We are created in the image and likeness of God (Moses 2: 26), which can mean "copy" or "resemblance" in the 1828 dictionary. If we're physically created to be like Him, would we also be created spiritually like Him, with the potential to develop His spiritual abilities? If it's in the Parents, it must be in Their children. "This is the testimony of all the sacred writers, and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man" (v. 17).

Apparently, from Adam, to Enoch, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to Jesus Christ, to Peter, to Joseph Smith, and to every other inspired, sacred writer sent by God, this has been the main lesson each has worked so hard to teach: God's power consists of acting in Faith. God created us to be like Him in every way, though in a naturally lesser form. Therefore, we have the ability to act and create in our own lives through Faith as our Father does. While it's a smaller form, it can be exercised to grow more and more like our Father, just like an acorn can grow over the decades into a near copy of its mother tree.

That's a lot to write for now, but in the next verses I'll get to the examples Joseph gave of the spiritual power available through the proper exercise of Faith: to show how it's done.