Trial of Your Faith

One of my favorite songs is "Hallelujah."  Though I don't know who originally sings it, one of my favorite lines is, "Well your faith was strong, but you needed proof."

What is faith when we need proof?  I'm grateful that I have a God that gives me faith to rely on.  It's not always something that comes easy.  Believing in something I cannot see is sometimes difficult to do.  I have learned that Faith is something that must be tested. 

In the Book of Mormon we read "...faith is things which are hoped for and not seen: wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6)

When I see this scripture, two words stick out to me:  Witness and Trial.  It reminds me of a courtroom.  So lets follow the counsel in this scripture and put our faith on Trial.  Faith is being held accountable, to see if what I feel is true.  In order to do so, we must have a judge.  Christ is the ultimate judge of the World-so let us place him at the Judgement seat to direct the trial just as he directs our lives.

  We read that we will not recieve a witness  until we put our faith to the test.  Often times my faith is tested when there is a doctrine I don't understand, or when I am going through a difficult challenge in my life.  So with my faith on trial, I will call up Witnesses, like the Book of Mormon, the Bible, the words of the Modern Prophets, and search them for answers.  They never fail to increase my faith because they are reliable witnesses.  They are the convincing evidence "that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God... wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ." (Book of Mormon Title Page)

My faith, therefore, is found spotless before Christ when I search the scriptures for my answers.  My Heavenly Father will never lead me astray, and gives me the opportunity to test my faith out and learn for myself.  Not only do I learn to follow my faith, but I grow closer to God.