Growing Faith into Perfect Knowledge

     Last week this blog focused on Alma’s comparison of the first sprouts of growth from a seed to confirmation of our faith.  I imagine you are perfectly aware that, when we plant seeds, we are hoping for something far greater than a little shoot of growth peaking up from the ground.  So the growth of a seed doesn’t stop there.  Alma’s analogy didn’t either.

     As we continue studying Alma’s analogy, found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we come upon a passage of scripture that seems to contradict itself.  It reads, “And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.  And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?  “Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, 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. 

     “O then, is not this real?  I say unto you, yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?  Behold I say unto you, Nay, neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.”  (Alma 32:33-36)

     So it seems Alma first states your knowledge becomes perfect after you see the sprouts growing out of the ground, and then later states your knowledge isn’t perfect.  Yet, as you stop and ponder upon his meaning, you realize the small phrase “your knowledge is perfect in that thing” is quite different from “perfect knowledge”.

     Let me illustrate with another analogy.  Imagine you’ve developed an idea for the recipe of a new drug that you believe will prove valuable in fighting some common disease.  You decide you want to see if your idea will work, so you hunt down funding, facilities, and other necessities for developing the drug.  By your choice to act, you’ve turned your belief into faith.  Your hard work in finding the funding, facilities, and other necessities allows you to plant your seed of faith and see what comes of your idea.

     Next you start combining the ingredients for your new drug.  This step can bring failure as different ingredients may prove incompatible for the results you were seeking.  But you persevere through any failures that come and finally reach your first success.  You have a mixture that combines as you hoped they would.  You have your first sprout of evidence it may work. 

     At this point, you have a perfect knowledge that it’s possible to get a mixture of ingredients that combines in the manner you were looking for.  Yet you don’t know if this mixture you’ve developed will actually work as you expect it to, nor do you know if it’s even possible to produce a mixture of ingredients capable of doing what you want.  So your knowledge is perfect in part of the matter, but it isn’t perfect in regards to the entire matter.  Fortunately, your faith in your ability to achieve what you ultimately desire is increased.

     So you move on to testing the product.  There are several different stages of testing that must be passed.  Each one presents new challenges and could result in starting over at step one.  Yet every success increases your knowledge and faith.  Success at review boards grants knowledge your drug meets the approval of others and increases your belief you can create an effective drug.  Successful clinical studies prove the drug can be effective against controlled populations and increases your belief it can be effective in the general population.  Yet you don’t have a perfect knowledge the drug can help the general public until it is sold on the open market and actually helping people.

     So it is possible to have a perfect knowledge relating to one matter without having a perfect knowledge about the entire subject.  This is essentially what Alma is saying in the above passages of scripture.

     The same truth holds for each principle the Lord has given unto the children of men.  We can obtain a perfect knowledge that we can pray to God without having a perfect knowledge of the power and importance of prayer.  We can then learn a perfect knowledge in God’s ability to hear our prayers without having a perfect knowledge in the power and importance of prayer.  So our knowledge of prayer grows one step at a time until it becomes perfect.    

     God has declared He teaches His gospel through “…precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little…”  In other words we can obtain perfect knowledge about the matters of God and His word as we exercise faith, yet we can’t reach perfect knowledge all at once.  We must learn a little here and a little there, one step at a time, until the time comes that we reach a perfect knowledge and become like God.

Shoots of Proof

     In The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the prophet Alma the Younger teaches us how faith grows.  He states exercising faith in a true principle will cause a swelling within our breasts and enlightenment to our understanding.  What is this swelling and enlightenment?

     Alma uses a metaphor to describe it.  He compares truth, particularly the truth of the word of God, to a seed.  He states, “Therefore, if a seed growth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.  And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.”  (Alma 32:32-33)

     This imagery Alma is drawing makes me think of gardening.  In the springtime, gardeners plow a spot for their garden.  They then plant individual seeds throughout the plot of land, specifically selecting where they want each type of plant to grow.  They typically know just how many seeds they plant, where they are planted, and what they expect to get from these plants.

     After they’ve planted these seeds, attentive gardeners devote a lot of time to nurturing these plants.  They water them as often as needed.  They weed the garden, ensuring no unwanted plants come in to choke out the good crops.  They provide extra nourishment in the form of fertilizer when the plants need it.  And they watch and wait for the fruits of their labor.

     If the gardener has planted a good seed and nourished it well, it won’t be long before the gardener sees little shoots of growth peeking forth out of the ground.  I’ve been in this situation before, and I know how exciting it is to see this growth.  Bad seeds on the other hand never bring forth these little shoots of growth.

     Now bring this metaphor drawn by Alma back to truth and knowledge.  The first step is giving a place in your soul for the seeds of truth.  You must open up your mind and be willing to learn.  There was a time when the people of the world believed the sun revolved around the earth.  Though Aristarchus, Copernicus, and several others taught otherwise, several people resisted the possibility the earth could actually revolve around the sun.  Though it was true, these people were not willing to accept it as possible.  They wouldn’t give a place for the seed, so it would never grow in them and they would never have this knowledge.

     After giving place for the seed, you must plant it and nourish it.  If everybody around you tells you there are constellations in the night sky, you can believe it’s true.  But if you never figure out what these constellations are supposed to be, never figure out where you might find them in the night sky, or never look up and find your first constellation, you’ll never have any support for this possibility.  So you simply must nourish possible truths with knowledge.

     Then, if the seed is good, or the knowledge is true, you’ll see a little shoot of proof.  You’ll see pictures of a constellation on the Internet or in a book, you’ll find out where it is supposed to be, and you’ll find it in the night sky.  Finally you’ll get to the point you will have the swelling within your breast, the enlightenment to your mind.

     The swelling within your breast and the enlightenment to your understanding that Alma speaks of is really this confirmation of truth.  If something is true, you will get this confirmation through some method.  It always comes.

     The problem we run into at this point is the difference in methods of receiving the confirmation.  Some truths are confirmed by simply seeing the evidence of its truth, such as the constellations in the night sky.  You have to work to find it at first, but you can actually see it with your own eyes and confirm it’s true. 

     Some truths are confirmed through the senses of touch, smell, and sound.  You know trains make loud noises because you’ve heard it.  You know poopy diapers stink because you’ve smelled them.  You know a fire is hot because you’ve felt it.

     But there are truths that are hard to confirm.  How do you know the earth revolves around the sun?  You haven’t seen it.  You haven’t touched the two and felt how the earth moves around the sun.  You certainly can’t smell it or hear it?  So how do you know?  Yet you know it is true.  For me, that knowledge came because I was shown evidence in school that made sense and confirmed it was true.

     Faith in God and many of the truths of His gospel falls into this more difficult category of truth.  Few people hear the voice of God in their ears as they would their friends.  Few people have the opportunity to touch the prints of the nails in the hands of Jesus.  And few people get the opportunity to see Him.  So what shoots of evidence are given to prove their faith in God is a good seed?

     Years ago, when I was a teenage boy of 15, I wanted some hard evidence that God existed.  I spent hours praying for this proof, this hard evidence.  After several months had passed and I hadn’t received my hard evidence, I finally became frustrated and decided to protest to God.

     I distinctly remember that I was at work on the dairy farm I worked at.  Almost all of the cows had been milked and it was time to feed them.  So, I went out to the stack of hay in front of the feeder to feed them.  As I started pushing the bales of hay from the top of the stack, I started to pray in frustration. 

     My exact words during this prayer were, “Heavenly Father, I know thou art there.  I know thou art listening to me pray and that thou canst hear me asking for proof that thou art there.  And I know thou hast the power to answer my prayers.  So why won’t you prove to me that thou art there?”

     At that moment I received an answer.  I didn’t see God.  I didn’t hear His voice calling from above and telling me He was there.  And I didn’t see any great miracle proving He was there.  Instead I felt a small impression enter my soul.  Several years have passed, and the memory of that small impression has faded a little with time.  But the impression left a distinct and simple remark upon my mind that I can still remember.  That remark was, “Exactly, you already know.” 

     The truth was I did already know God existed and I felt quite silly at the moment I received that impression for having demanded some proof of something I already knew.  Yet at that moment, I was exercising faith in the possibility of an answer, and I received one.  I saw the shoot of proof that God existed and that He answers prayers. 

     I’ve had several opportunities to receive shoots of proof about the truths of God since that time.  I’ve learned that I receive these shoots of proof through that same method, a simple impression.  For you it may be different.  But if it is true, you will receive a shoot of proof that serves as enlightenment to your understanding or a swelling within your breast.

Persevering to Learn about God

     In The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Alma defines faith as having a “hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”  (Alma 32:21)  Last week’s post focused on how we have hope for things before we have a perfect knowledge of them.  But how do we know if the things we hope for are actually true?
     Alma provides us some insight into the answer to this question.  He said, “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.
     “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed.  Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
     “Now behold, would not this increase your faith?  I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.”  (Alma 32:27-29)
     One of the things Alma says is that a true seed will swell within our breasts and enlighten our understanding if we don’t cast it out by unbelief.  So after we start acting in faith, we can cast out a good seed, believing it to be bad because of our own unbelief or resistance to it.  What could possibly make us reject truth, believing it to be bad, when we once believed in it and hoped it was true?
     Let’s think about riding a bicycle.  Many people learn how to ride a bike in their youth.  If you’re one of these people, think back on those days while I tell you about my experiences learning this skill.  I was really excited when I got a new bike.  I went out to start riding this wonderful toy.  Of course, I didn’t know how to ride it, but I believed I could do it.  I saw others riding bikes and believed I could do the same.  So I exercised faith and put my belief to action.
     When I climbed on my bike for the first time and put my feet on the pedals, I fell over.  With slightly wounded pride, but faith I could still prevail, I tried again.  I fell over again.  I tried a third time, pushing forward with my feet before picking them up off the ground.  This time I managed to go a few inches forward before falling over, but gravity grabbed me again and yanked me to the ground. 
     I can’t exactly remember what happened after this, but I’ll bet I eventually had to ask my dad to help me learn how to ride a bike.  I do know I still believed I could ride a bike, so I kept trying until I eventually learned how.  But it could have turned out differently.  It hurts falling off a bike.  What if the memory of the pain from falling off the bike stopped me?  What if the humiliation of failure kept me from pursuing my goal?
     If I allowed my pain or my humiliation to stop me, I would never have learned how to ride a bike.  I would have come away from those failures believing riding a bike was too difficult for me, and would never have learned that I could actually do it.  My own choices would have caused me to cast aside my faith in something that was in fact true.
     Apply this concept to faith in God.  The simple truth of the matter is that Lucifer, the great deceiver, exists.  So, when you find a truth about God that you believe and choose to act upon it, Satan will try to ruin your faith.  He’ll make sure you face pain, hardship, or persecution.  He’ll throw failure into your path.  If you give in to these pressures without giving God the proper amount of time to confirm the truth, then you’ll have cast out a truth to prevent struggle. 
     The point is that learning talents and skills in life takes perseverance through pain, hardships, and struggles.  Learning truths about God also requires perseverance through pain, hardships, and struggles.  If you truly want to know God, then you better be prepared to make some sacrifices and struggle through some difficult circumstances.
    Alma tells us we need to act upon our belief.  After we start acting upon it, Alma tells us that, if the principle is true, we will feel a swelling within our breasts and it will enlighten our understanding.  Next week I want to focus on what this swelling within our breasts and enlightenment is.

Alma Defines Faith

     As Alma converses with the Zoramites, he teaches them many things about faith and worshipping God.  Part of this excellent discourse, found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, focuses on what faith is.  This is where I want to focus today. 

     Alma states, “Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.  Now I ask, is this faith?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.”  (Alma 32:17-18)  He continues, “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.”  (Alma 32:21)

     Alma tells us that faith is not to have a perfect knowledge.  Instead it is hoping for things which we cannot actually see, but which are true.  Think about all the things we learn in our life.  All of these things start out with a mere belief.  Take college for an example.  We believe a college degree will pay off in the end.  There are many times it doesn’t, so it is possible the degree we obtain won’t benefit us.  Yet the majority of the people who earn college degrees find themselves in better life circumstances than they would have been in otherwise.

     So those of us that go to college believe our degree will benefit us in the end.  We have faith our college degree will amount to something.  This faith won’t become a perfect knowledge that college will benefit us until many years later when it actually has benefited us.  For many people that won’t be until they are well past the beginning of a new job using their college degree.  They will actually need to go through college, get into the workforce in their chosen career, and spend a good five to ten years working before they will actually reach a point where the college will actually pay off.  But, eventually, for most, their faith in college proves valuable.

     So faith starts out as a belief.  Alma teaches us that faith requires some action.  He says, “And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up and bring forth fruit unto us.  And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.  But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold, it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.”  (Alma 32:37-38)

     Take this back to the college degree.  It’s great to believe college will get you somewhere.  But what if you believe this is true and choose not to find a way to pay for college.  Your choice not to get a job, seek grants and scholarships, or get some money from family, friends, or student loans will prevent you from going to college.  Your lack of good action prevents your ability to put your faith into action, so you can’t ever find out if a college degree will benefit you.  Your faith cannot grow.

     If you get the funding, but refuse to go to class, study the lessons, and put some effort into learning, you won’t pass classes and won’t earn a degree.  So, again, your lack of good action will stop your faith from growing into knowledge.  And if you refuse to search for a job, work hard at a job when you get one, and make yourself valuable, you’ll never start a good career with the degree you earned.  So, again, your lack of good action prevents your faith from growing.

     The same principles holds true with God.  You don’t start out with a perfect knowledge of God.  The only knowledge you have of God to start with comes from what other people tell you about God.  And there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of differing opinions on who God even is and what He is like.  Then there are those that don’t believe God even exists.  You hear all these differing opinions and find that some of them stand out to you.  You believe they are true.

     Now that you’ve found something to believe in, you must act on this belief.  A lack of action will prevent growth in your faith.  You’ll never know whether or not what you believe about God is true because you fail to exercise faith.  But if you act on what you believe, you can have your faith grow until you know whether or not what you believe is true. 

     Remember, faith is not to have a perfect knowledge.  It is to believe in things we don’t know, but that are true.  Alma addresses how we know what things are true as well.  Next week I’ll focus on this.