Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Faith; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
2. As we have seen in our former lectures, that faith was the principle
of action and of power in all intelligent beings, both in heaven and
on earth, it will not be expected that we shall, in a lecture of this
description, attempt to unfold all its effects; neither is it necessary
to our purpose so to do; for it would embrace all things in heaven
and on earth, and encompass all the creations of God, with all their
endless varieties: for no world has yet been framed that was not framed
by faith; neither has there been an intelligent being on any of God's
creations who did not get there by reason of faith, as it existed
in himself or in some other being; nor has there been a change or a
revolution in any of the creatures of God, but it has been effected
by faith: neither will there be a change or a revolution unless it is
effected in the same way, in any of the vast creations of the Almighty;
for it is by faith that the Deity works.
3. Let us here offer some explanation in relation to faith, that
our meaning may be clearly comprehended: We ask, then, what are we
to understand by a man's working by faith? We answer: We understand
that when a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of
physical force: it is by words instead of exerting his physical powers,
with which every being works when he works by faith--God said, Let
there be light, and there was light--Joshua spake and the great lights
which God had created stood still--Elijah commanded, and the heavens
were stayed for the space of three years and six months, so that it did
not rain: he again commanded and the heavens gave forth rain--all this
was done by faith; and the Saviour says, If you have faith as a grain
of mustard seed, say to this mountain, remove, and it will remove; or
say to that sycamine tree, Be ye plucked up and planted in the midst of
the sea, and it shall obey you. Faith, then, works by words; and with
these its mightiest works have been, and will be, performed.
4. It surely will not be required of us to prove, that this is the
principle upon which all eternity has acted and will act; for every
reflecting mind must know, that it is by reason of this power that
all the hosts of heaven perform their works of wonder, majesty, and
glory: Angels move from place to place by virtue of this power--it is
by reason of it that they are enabled to descend from heaven to earth;
and were it not for the power of faith they never could be ministering
spirits to them who should be heirs of salvation, neither could they
act as heavenly messengers; for they would be destitute of the power
necessary to enable them to do the will of God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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