Faith Is The Power To...

Last night, we searched the scriptures, church history, and personal experiences to find definitions of what we can do by the power of faith. Here are some of my favorites:

Faith is the power to use your own muscles, then God's
The key to this one is action first. God blesses us after we first act ourselves, trusting he will make up where we cannot reach. Showing God we are willing to work, willing to do, is an act of faith. We are exercising our agency for a good cause, and he fills in the rest.

Faith is the power to be okay 
Sometimes, we go through hard times. Sometimes, life seems rougher than we can handle. Sometimes, it may seem easier to just give up. But through faith, everything is okay. Trusting in Christ and his Atonement makes everything okay. There is always a better day to come in the future. Always a brighter day. If we have faith and endure, everything will be okay.

Faith is the power to receive revelation
We have to be worthy to receive guidance and revelation. Having faith is one requirement to being worthy for this great gift. When we pray, we are showing God we are willing to do His will, and he blesses us with this inspiration with what to do. I have seen so many times in my life that I only receive the guidance, when I am willing to act. We can't "trick" God into getting our way. I often catch myself praying for specific events to happen, and they don't, and I miss out on the bigger picture. However, when I pray for His will and am willing to do as he has planned, I receive more revelation and guidance in my life.

Faith is the power to perform miracles
"For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them" (Ether 12:12). Faith is the key to miracles. Sometimes, we think the people in the scriptures saw miracles so often, and we do not. This is not true. How many times has a prayer been answered? A loved one saved from danger? A feeling to change something? A fast answered? These are all miracles. God loves us today and blesses us with these miracles. But first, faith is needed. Faith preceded every miracle. If you have faith, you can perform miracles as well. In the Attribute Activity in Preach My Gospel, under faith, it says "I have enough faith in Christ to accomplish anything He wants me to--even miracles if necessary" We can do miracles through faith.

Faith is the power to move mountains
The scriptures tell us that the Brother of Jared had faith to move mountains. I believe this to be literal, but as well has symbolic truth. Mountains often represent trials and hard times. When we have "faith to move mountains" we have faith to overcome. We have the faith to not only MOVE the mountain, but to understand the mountain. It doesn't seem much like a mountain when we are looking forward to the blessings and growth at the top. Moving the mountain could also mean to put it behind you, after you've already worked to climb over it.

Faith is the power to make weaknesses strengths
Ether 12 promises us that through faith and humility, our weaknesses become our strengths. Christ can help us do this, when we work to better our weaknesses. The key word here is also work, for faith requires action. If your weakness is patience, try to be more patient through prayer and action. If your weakness is being shy, try to talk to someone new next time you're in a social activity. Whatever your weakness, work to make it a strength by DOing. I can testify through personal experience that some of my weaknesses have become strengths as I strive to do better and build God's kingdom.

Faith is like a little seed. If planted, it WILL grow!