Friday, June 24, 2011

Faith Is Like A Little Seed

Seeds are peculiar things.  Or, at least they would be if we never experimented with planting them and watering them.  I mean, imagine you'd never experimented with a seed or seen one growing.  I might laugh at putting a pebble like object in a pot of dirt and spending a bunch of time every day taking care of it.  I might even try to stop others from wasting their time if I lacked the belief that seeds would grow.   I would wonder at the dedication others took to get up each morning and spend such time watering the dirt with a rock in it.  I would be shocked when they spent money on more rich soil and fertilizer. 

Thankfully I've believed others when they've said that these things will grow to be plants, even large trees, and I've experimented on that belief.  I've tried it.  Now I don't have to laugh at truth and wonder at plain facts, and I'm not shocked when I see people pay a price to have stronger and faster growth.  This growth can be compared to our own spiritual growth.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma compared faith to a seed.
  • 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. 
  • 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. (Alma 32 read past these 2 it's a great chapter)

When we are willing to believe enough to experiment on the promises of our loving Heavenly Father through praying, studying the scriptures, and keeping the commandments we can experience the 'swelling' within us.  That swelling is the spirit -
  • 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, 
  • 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  (Galatians 5 parenthesis added)
We can all enjoy these great blessings if we will but give the gospel a try.  God loves us and wants only the best for us.  No matter what the case may be this is the way to the most happiness.

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