FAITH? WORKS?

So today I was pondering about the word Faith? What is it? Why do we need it? Then I was also pondering about the word Works? What is it? Why do we need it?

There is a lot of commotion about Faith and Works. Some of us might have Faith but be lacking in the works. Some of us might have the Works but lacking in the Faith. Why are these two words so important to returning to be with our Heavenly Father.

First I would like to explain what each word means and its importants then I will tie it into on how we need both Faith and Works to return to be with our Father in Heaven.

So Faith as states in Alma 32:21, "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true," Faith is something you believe that is true but you cannot see. Just like our Savior Jesus Christ. We have all not seen Him but we know he truly is the Son of God, that He died for us and through Him we can return to be with our Heavenly Father.

Without Faith nothing is possible. We cannot receive anything. Faith is a daily task that we always need to continue to increase. You can never have to much Faith. As it states in the Matthew 17: 20; "Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." As we gain Faith we can do so much. It is so important to have Faith in our lives.

Next Works? Works, something so good to have in our lives. But something so simply to forget about. The definition of the word Works is, "The effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something." The Lord has asked us, "If ye love me, keep my Commandments" (John 14:15). Those are works, that we need to accomplish. As we show our Love for Him by keeping his commandments we are blessed with, increased Faith, (hum, there is the word I was was looking for) and also increased support and protection from our Heavenly Father.

 It is something that we need to do on a day to day basis. Not just today and take a couple days off and then get back on it. We need to strive to work everyday and every hour. Just like our Faith we need to strive to increase our Faith everyday. 

These two words; Faith and Works are so key and important to have in our Lives. We might have one but not the other. If that is the case we cannot progress. We are stuck. Its kinda like a rowboat. Usually you have two ore's that you use so you can go straight and get to your destination. Well if you forget one of those ore's and only use one then you will just go in circles. You would not continue on to your destination. With two they work together and then you will have a straight shot to your destination.

That is why our Heavenly Father has counciled us on exercising both; Faith and Works. As We read in James 2:14,17-18 & 26 it says; "14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

We all need both of them to reach the potential our Heavenly Father wants for us. I can testify as we strive to live our lives with The Faith and Do the works we can and will return to be with our Heavenly Father and we can receive the blessings that He has in store for us. Always remember John 14:15; "If ye love me keep my commandments." This is what He asked us to do. We need Faith and Works in this commandment.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

So a few weeks ago I addressed our Heavenly Fathers Plan for all of us. My question for all of you is How do we recieve that highest Kingdom of Glory. I talked a little about how we can but today and the next couple of days that is what I would like to focus on. How can we return to be with our Heavenly Father in The Celestial Kingdom?

We all do great things in this life that of course will help us get to that point of returning, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we believe that there are five things that we need to do and follow to continue to do the correct things to return to our Heavenly Father. 

They are; We have to have Faith in Jesus Christ, We have to repent, We have to be Baptized, We have to recieve the Holy Ghost, and the last thing and one of the most important things is we have to Continue that process again, in other words we have to Endure to the End. All of these are called The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So the first thing we have to do is have Faith in Jesus Christ. Most of us as Christians can say, "Ok i got that one down. I have had faith in Him since I was a kid". And I totally agree, as Christians we have grown up to believe in Christ and learn of him. We all have faith in him.

Well what is Faith? Faith is a principle of action. In the Book of Mormon it says, Alma 32:21, And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. That truly is what faith is. We know something to be real or true without seeing it. If we saw it, it would be knowledge and so that is why we have faith in Jesus Christ. Not all of us have seen Christ, Himself, and so we have to excierce our Faith and believe on Him. Who He is, What He did when He came into this World and everything.

We all have to exercise our Faith in Jesus Christ, that is the first principle in the Gospel. Without Faith we would not be able to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the fullest to return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know that we all need faith to progress to that great blessing.