Does Faith Even Work?

Does faith even work?

Let me share with you and then let us see.

I love to learn. Yet the classes I have a hard time with are the ones that have anything to do with English or writing. I’ve never been good at spelling, grammar, or punctuation. There are so many rules and exceptions to remember. I’ve never been good at persuading or debating, which is what so much writing is about. Ugh! I don’t like it. Thank you Tyler and Grammarly for correcting my work.

When you want to earn a degree, you have to take classes that you don’t like. This semester, I have been taking an advanced business writing class. Needless to say, I have not liked this class. It’s hard for me. Plus, we have traveled during this semester, there has been a holiday, I’m having some unexplained health issues, and more. All of this during a semester where I’m taking a hard class. The class ends in a week and a half and I’m very excited for it to end!

Even though I haven’t liked this writing class, I have to pass. I have the desire. Not a desire to love writing or English, but a desire to pass this class because I’m excited to get on with the rest of my major. This reminds me of Alma 32: 26-27, “Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

 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.”

This is me. I had a desire to do well in this class so I can get my degree. At the beginning of the semester, all I had was this desire. Well, that is enough for faith to get started.

But! I know there is more to faith than just believing or having a desire. Faith is an action word. Christ has encouraged us to experiment and try His teachings, putting His promises to the test. If I do what He says, will He really help me?

Ever since I started school again back in January 2021, I said a prayer and read a chapter of the Book of Mormon before each time I studied or did homework. Throughout 2021 and the beginning of 2022 I was doing well in school. It wasn’t until this semester that I felt like I really had to exercise my faith and experiment on the word of the Lord. The traveling and the holiday I knew about going into the semester. I knew it was going to be hard to do school and those fun summer things at the same time. In order to get Christ’s help this semester, I knew I would have to experiment. I would have to put forth the effort into His gospel to get His help while doing my best to do well in the class.

I did it. I continued to pray and read the Book of Mormon. Did I feel a strong spiritual moment every time I prayed and read? No. I still had to work hard. I have stayed up late many nights trying to give my best effort in this class. I sacrificed family time, especially while we were traveling, in order to stay on track with school. We’ve also dealt with illness and some issues with the house and garden. Not to mention those everyday duties of taking care of my boys, being a helpmate to Tyler, and taking care of life in general. All of it is stressful, difficult, and frustrating. I still have to give my attention and best effort to this really hard class! This was not how my summer was supposed to go.

Yet, through all of this, I have kept up with my class and I am passing.

“…for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.” Alma 32:34

There were definite times this semester that I felt guided. I felt that enlightenment. I felt my mind expand as I was studying and doing my homework. I was given more understanding. I have absolutely felt the Lord’s help this semester. I know it was Him. I knew it would be only with His help that I would even get through this semester. By dedicating time before school to pray and study His word, I was given that help. I was nourishing the ground where I had planted my seed of desire.

“But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.” -Alma 32: 41-43

This may be a small example of faith working. However, it has given me enough encouragement to keep going. To keep experimenting with faith. Using it. Putting our Lord’s words to the test. I am also developing trust that He will help me in the future with other hard classes during other stressful semesters, both in school and in life.

So, to answer my own question: Does faith even work? Yes, yes it does.