Faith

Faith

by anonymous

Faith is like a candle flame,

a glow that keeps us strong,

And faith is there see us

through when things seem

to go wrong.

life's not always easy,

We're bound to have

some sorrow.

But faith can help to

get us through,

To a better day, tomorrow.

So when you burn

this candle, And you see

its steady light.

Remember that your

faith will help,

Make dark days seem

more bright.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we have a program just for  the young women who are ages 12 to 18, at church in our Sunday and Wednesday classes we are taught core values to help us become better people. The values are faith, divine nature, choice and accountability, knowledge, virtue, integrity, good works, and individual worth. Out of all of these values, I think Faith is the most important. Without faith life is really hard, faith helps me to get through the challenges of just trying to be a good person in a hard world. President Gordon B. Hinckley (the president of our church) said in a conference talk: "This is my prayer for all of us. ... Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. ... Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. ... Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequences follow." The Prophet Joseph Smith further revealed through his inspired revision of the Bible that faith was the "assurance of things hoped for". There is a difference between Faith, Belief, and Hope even though they are often used interchangeably. Although we cannot have faith without belief and hope, we can believe without having faith. Faith is interwoven with other gospel, goodly attributes, especially hope and charity. I've learned that doubt and fear diminish as my faith increases. The more I believe in and learn about our Heavenly Father, the more I have faith that everything he does is for my good and that he will always be there to carry me when I fall.

Faith helps me learn about Christ's divine attributes, including His undying love for everyone. The more I learn about Jesus Christ the easier it is to become like him and to learn to love everyone-even those who make me mad or who hurt me.

My parents and my church have taught me to have faith in Jesus Christ. They taught me that first I have to have a desire to have more faith, and then I need to study, pray, provide service and sacrifice, and also be more personally righteousness.

My mom says that the more we study the scriptures the more we learn about Jesus and Heavenly Father. The more we know about or learn about something the easier it is to believe it's true and not doubt. The Prophet Joseph Smith instructed, "Faith comes by hearing the word of God through the testimony of the servants of God."

Prayer is the way we communicate with our Heavenly Father; prayer helps us to listen to him and draw closer to him. The more we pray to Him, the more we talk to Him, and the easier it is to listen to Him. The Apostle Paul counseled that through our prayers we "might perfect that which is lacking in [our] faith."

My parents have always tried to teach me to serve others and sacrifice my time to help others. We are also taught to sacrifice 10 percent of our income to help those in need and to learn to give back to Heavenly Father what he so freely gives us. Jesus Christ sacrificed His life so we could live with him again. I think that by sacrificing my time and money to serve and help others is very little compared to the sacrifice he made for me. 

I also need to be righteous in my words and actions. If I'm not righteous or working to become a better person and more like Christ how can I expect him to be there for me and to never doubt that he is there for me. The Savior taught, "If any man will do  God's will, he shall know of the doctrine.

I do know that it's easy to lose my faith, if I don't constantly repent, take the sacrament, and keep my covenants that I've made to my Heavenly Father he doesn't have to keep his promises to me.

My brother will be serving a mission for our church next year. (Our church asks all young men that are worthy and 19 years of age to leave their homes and serve missions to an area for two years). His faith  to be able to leave home for two years and to go out and preach the gospel, to teach and reach others, so that they can have faith is very important to me, his example helps to strengthen my faith. The faith of my parents and others who have overcome negative things also increases my faith. I'm thankful for the way they share their faith and help strengthen my faith. I think everyone should know about Heavenly Father and his love for us, I hope that by being more faithful, I can help others be strong and grow to know Heavenly Father.