On the Doctrine of the Church of the
Latter Day Saints.
Of Faith.
Section 1.
1. Faith being the first principle in revealed religion, and thefoundation of all righteousness, necessarily claims the first place ina course of lectures which are designed to unfold to the understandingthe doctrine of Jesus Christ.
2. In presenting the subject of faith, we shall observe the followingorder—
3. first, faith itself—what it is.
4. Secondly, the object on which it rests. And,
5. Thirdly, the effects which flow from it.
6. Agreeable to this order we have first to show what faith is.
7. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews, in the eleventh chapterof that epistle and first verse, gives the following definition of theword faith:
8. Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, theevidence of things not seen.
9. From this we learn that faith is the assurance which men have ofthe existence of things which they have not seen, and the principle ofaction in all intelligent beings.
10. If men were duly to consider themselves, and turn their thoughtsand reflections to the operations of their own minds, they wouldreadily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the movingcause of all action in them; that without it both mind and body wouldbe in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, bothphysical and mental.
11. Were this class to go back and reflect upon the history of theirlives, from the period of their first recollection, and ask themselveswhat principle excited them to action, or what gave them energy andactivity in all their lawful avocations, callings, and pursuits, whatwould be the answer?—Would it not be that it was the assurance whichthey had of the existence of things which they had not seen as yet? Wasit not the hope which you had, in consequence of your belief in theexistence of unseen things, which stimulated you to action and exertionin order to obtain them? Are you not dependent on your faith, orbelief, for the acquisition of all knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence?Would you exert yourselves to obtain wisdom and intelligence, unlessyou did believe that you could obtain them? Would you have ever sown,if you had not believed that you would reap? Would you have everplanted, if you had not believed that you would gather? Would you haveever asked, unless you had believed that you would receive? Would youhave ever sought, unless you had believed that you would have found?Or, would you have ever knocked, unless you had believed that it wouldhave been opened unto you? In a word, is there anything that youwould have done, either physical or mental, if you had not previouslybelieved? Are not all your exertions, of every kind, dependent on yourfaith? Or, may we not ask, what have you, or what do you possess, whichyou have not obtained by reason of your faith? Your food, your raiment,your lodgings, are they not all by reason of your faith? Reflect, andask yourselves if these things are not so. Turn your thoughts on yourown minds, and see if faith is not the moving cause of all action inyourselves; and, if the moving cause in you, is it not in all otherintelligent beings?
12. And as faith is the moving cause of all action in temporalconcerns, so it is in spiritual; for the Savior has said, and thattruly, that he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. Mark16:16.
13. As we receive by faith, all temporal blessings that we do receive,so we, in like manner, receive by faith all spiritual blessings, thatwe do receive. But faith is not only the principle o