"Study is an act of faith requiring the use of personal agency."I want to examine today what acting in faith has to do with gospel study. In a future article I will discuss the role of personal agency.
Impressions
One definition of faith is acting without a sure knowledge of the outcome.
We study by reading, listening, pondering, watching and practicing without knowing for sure that we can master the gospel and keep all of the commandments and achieve perfect charity. At the outset we do not know for sure that we will receive a full remission of our sins or that we can make our calling and election sure. But we study and practice anyway in the hope that Christ will help us and enable us and qualify us and sanctify us.
Scriptures
When a group of high priests in Kirtland prayed for guidance and the will of the Lord for them in building up Zion, the Prophet received the following instruction as part of the answer.
"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118; 109:7).As noted in the citation, these same words are restated in Section 109, which is the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple. When the Lord repeats himself, it is an indication of significance.
Per this scripture, if we lack faith, we are to study words of wisdom out of the best books. What we learn from studying should motivate us to act, and when we act, we practice faith. When our faithful attempts bear fruit, our faith grows. We then study more so that we know how to act more effectively, which increases our faith.
Nephi in the Book of Mormon shows us how faith works with study.
"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
"And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?
"And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
"And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
"And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.
"And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired." (1 Nephi 11:1-6).Nephi desired to see and hear the same things that his father had seen in vision. He had faith in his father. He also had faith in God. There was no other source from which he could study his father's vision except to go to the original source, which was God himself. He acted in faith, and his faith was rewarded with a stunning example of personal revelation.
Example
In 2005 President Hinckley called on the members of the Church around the world to read or re-read the Book of Mormon by the end of that year. In issuing this call to study, he said, “Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”
For the millions of members who took the challenge to study, we exercised faith that the promised blessings would come into our lives. Our personal and combined study was an act of faith in the prophet of God.
The purpose of study is to change behavior. Knowledge for its own sake is of little value. Knowledge that is acted on is powerful.
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