Deliberate Faith and Revealed Faith

Volume One—Chapter Ten DELIBERATE FAITH AND REVEALED FAITH

#Introduction

Revealed faith is a type of faith you may come to possess only after you have been obedient and found worthy to receive gifts of the Spirit. Revealed faith facilitates further obedience. But what if you are a beginner in the process of acquiring revealed faith? What if you have yet earned little in the way of spiritual gifts? How are you to begin this process? What is it that is supposed to impel your initial acts of obedience? Is faith involved?

Surely, there must be a type of faith preliminary to revealed faith. Consider the individual just anticipating his first deliberate steps toward spiritual growth. While he may be capable of obedience, there may be little to drive or make that obedience happen. He must summon from somewhere the inclination to overcome his natural self. He must find a way to start. How is he to become involved in this process of spiritual growth? He must obey the Lord’s commands before he qualifies to receive gifts of the Spirit. Surely, faith is involved in this initial obedience.

But what exactly is faith in this situation? What form does faith assume in the beginner? Are we not all beginners in many aspects of our spiritual progress? Are there not certain areas in which each of us continues to be a sinner—areas in which each of us has not yet exerted the effort to consistently obey and qualify for the commensurate gifts of the Spirit? Surely there must be another type of faith associated with the initial efforts of a man to obey, but what precisely is it?

#Scriptural References to a Preliminary Type of Faith

There is indeed another type of faith. I will call it “deliberate faith.” Alma and Amulek, in preaching to the Zoramites, found them to be spiritual beginners. Alma counseled them in his great lecture on faith in Alma 32. He was counseling spiritual novices—people who had little reason to believe him or obey the commandments he was expounding. Why should they care about the preachings of Alma and Amulek? Alma urged them to exercise faith—a preliminary type of faith. Alma said to them: “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” (27-29). In other words, Alma said to them, “Look, I know you don’t, as yet, have faith (revealed faith) or much reason to believe in me. But will you please trust in the words I have spoken to you? Please do what I say. Just try it. Obey these commandments. Be willing to just act and thereby ‘experiment upon my words.’ Then you’ll see.” Alma even seems to imply, “I don’t really care if you don’t truly believe, but if my preaching has instilled in you even a small desire to find out—a desire to believe—please just do what I ask of you.”

Look again at figure 1 in the previous chapter, the loop diagram I called the “Algorithm for Reaching Heaven.” There, I illustrated the positive effects of revealed faith or the gifts of the Spirit the individual already possesses, particularly the extra or perquisite gifts. They power the algorithm in a clockwise direction. The whole process seems to start with obedience to a commandment of the Lord. But that diagram teaches nothing about what provides the individual with the initial motivation to obey. Revealed faith facilitates our continued spiritual growth. But this other type of faith starts him off. Deliberate faith must be something that powers the individual to obey before he has earned much in the way of revealed faith. I want you to be thinking about a precise definition of deliberate faith. What exactly is it?

Joseph Smith discussed this preliminary type of faith. He assured us that faith is “the first principle in revealed religion and the foundation of all righteousness.” He then taught that faith is also “the principle of action in all intelligent beings” (Lectures on Faith, 1). Apparently, the Lord commands faith and obedience even in those matters where, to us, the evidence is scant or even non-existent. He urges us to summon up the character to obey—to act—even before he has revealed to us any faith or testimony in the concept.

#Man Is Not Inclined to Act Without Reason

It is not the inclination of any man to act without reason or behave in a certain way without expecting a certain outcome. He does not throw a light switch, plant a seed, or turn the ignition key in a car without expecting a result. An expectation of a result—a belief or hope—is an essential motivation. The individual who would start the process of growing spiritually must therefore find from somewhere the motivation to initially venture forth and obey. Motivation is all the more important because obedience to the Lord’s commands is inevitably difficult. The individual must overcome adversities produced by his natural self in order to obey.

What of this motivation? Of what does it consist? The individual contemplating obedience to the Lord’s commands, but having little in the way of motivation, must find it somewhere. He must come to believe that obeying is the correct thing to do. Then he must convert that belief into a desire to obey. He must come to want to obey. Finally, he must be willing to actually obey, even when it is difficult.

#Belief or Hope

Can you think of any influences in this world that might provide some motivation for the spiritual novice? We may refer to this motivation as belief or hope. I will list three of the most important motivations available to such an individual:

1. The most basic source of motivation is the light or Spirit of Christ (see Moroni 7:16 and D&C 93:2). This small amount of light or responsiveness to the Spirit of God accompanies every man into this world. It is an “entitlement;” it doesn’t have to be earned. The Spirit of Christ engenders, within the breast of each man, a subtle yearning for something beyond this life, something more soul-satisfying than the events and accomplishments of this world. More specifically, the Spirit of Christ produces a longing for and responsiveness to Jesus Christ and his teachings. The Lord’s teachings ring true, though that ringing may be soft and distant. This influence within each of us may be thought of as a small gift of the Spirit, a small amount of revealed faith, given freely, lovingly, and optimistically to every man. It is indeed a free gift of belief. It may serve us as our initial inclination, and perhaps our only inclination, to obey.

There is yet another important aspect of the Spirit of Christ within each of us. The Spirit of Christ of each individual is different from that of all other individuals. Our own Spirit of Christ tends to be quantitatively and qualitatively different than anyone else’s. The reason is that each of us was a unique individual in the pre-existence, primarily because of the differing levels of spiritual progress we achieved there. The Spirit of Christ within each of us is a reminder of who we were in premortality. It encourages each of us to remain true to our premortal self. It functions for each of us as a standard of behavior. Each of us is inclined to seek after the level of spiritual performance we achieved in the pre-existence. Each of us has a unique inclination toward righteous behavior.

Let us also be reminded that the blessing of the Spirit of Christ is also a potential cursing. The light of Christ is a stewardship for which we will each be held responsible. If we find ourselves strongly inclined toward spiritual things, then we had better seek for them! “For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.” (D&C 82:3).

2. To the Spirit of Christ, we may add the testimonies, written or spoken, of the Lord’s servants as they bear witness of gospel truths. Their testimonies are powerful, potential motivators of others. A particular servant may know all or only part of the Lord’s gospel. How fortunate is the individual blessed to encounter one of the truly authorized servants of the Lord versed in the fulness of the Savior’s gospel. Many who preach the Lord’s will on this earth are not authorized and lack the fulness of his gospel. Nonetheless, influential spiritual truths may be spoken by well-meaning individuals of all religious persuasions, Christian and non-Christian.

3. Testimonies of truth may also come in non-verbal forms. A man’s curiosity and interest may be piqued as he contemplates the universe, as he ponders the unmistakable order found in the nature of things, or as he senses the hand of God in the affairs of men. The Lord said unto Adam, “all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual” (Moses 6:63).

Regardless of their form, testimonies of truth and the associated influence of the Spirit may resonate with the Spirit of Christ within the hearer. We may refer to the subtle promptings available to every man from these three sources as “whispered testimonies,” as they serve as subtle influences on the soul of man. Collectively, these enable every individual to “hear” the word. They are the first step in acquiring deliberate faith. The apostle Paul said, “Faith cometh by hearing . . . the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The prophet Joseph Smith wrote, “Faith comes not by signs, but by hearing the word of God” (HC, 3:379). The “hearing” spoken of here, of course, comes less through the ears and more through the Spirit’s testifying to the heart.

Clearly, the Lord expects these whispered testimonies to arouse at least the spiritual curiosity of every man. While their effects may be more subtle than a spiritually-revealed gift of the Spirit, the Lord hopes they produce a belief, a desire to believe, or at least a desire to know more. The prophet Alma urged the Zoramites to trust in his words and deliberately obey the commandments. He knew their willing obedience would start them on the road to spiritual growth. Then their subsequent obedience would become self-sustaining.

Prior to a man’s receiving a gift of the Spirit, then, he often possesses a mental inclination for righteous action—a tendency to obey the commands of God. This inclination is a curiosity, a small interest, a small desire to know more, or a small belief or hope. We may actually refer to this belief or hope as a form of faith we might call “entitlement faith.” It is something he holds in his mind that has the potential for causing him to obey. While I have chosen not to present this as a major type of faith (I’d rather continue to refer to it has “belief” or “hope”), it is actually the closest thing to the intuitive definition of faith held by the majority of members of the Church mentioned in the previous chapter. That definition holds that faith is a belief in something that you cannot know for sure.

The Spirit has not yet ratified this belief or hope. It is not yet spiritual knowledge. It is not yet a testimony, a gift of the Spirit, or revealed faith.

#Are Some Individuals More Predisposed to Believe and Obey than Others?

An important issue arises here, and we must digress to consider it. First, a bit of background. Do you believe each person born into mortality has a given level of righteousness to which he will tend to gravitate? Certainly, all of those born into mortality have complete agency, but is each individual, as he enters mortality, similarly inclined toward exaltation? Will all be eternally content and comfortable with celestial glory? Or, might it be that individuals are variously, individually inclined? Is it possible that some are more apt to seek for celestial glory, while others might be more at home with a terrestrial or telestial reward?

Does each of us start anew with a completely blank slate here on earth? Or, does each bring with us an extensive experience with God’s laws, written into our souls, that will surely penetrate the veil and impact us and our behaviors here on earth?

We do believe that the moment of mortal birth is preceded by a long experience with law and agency. Our spiritual growth began longer ago than we can even imagine. In the premortal world, we likely lived for eons of time in a setting of trial and testing. We were aware of God’s laws, and had abundant opportunities to obey or reject them. Over this extended period each of us became unique individuals with unique combinations of spiritual gifts. As is true here on earth, those gifts of the Spirit were earned through obedience. We also failed to earn spiritual gifts through disobedience. We all had considerable and prolonged experience with striving, succeeding, stumbling, and repenting. None of us was a stranger to obeying, and none was unfamiliar with sinning. Each of us was a seasoned veteran in the process of spiritual growth and spiritual struggles in various areas of our lives. Each of us had also long tended to become comfortable with our level of performance relative to eternal law. We had come to “fit into a mold or a grove,” and each of us likely sought the solace and company of others similarly inclined.

None of us is strictly limited by our premortal accomplishments or failures. Any mortal may earn his exaltation. Each may rise to the top or fall to the bottom. Yet, the law of restoration surely holds. Each of us tends to be the same person in mortality that we were in premortality. While we reject completely the principle of predestination, each of ultimately is variously inclined toward a celestial, terrestrial, or telestial eternal reward.

Allow me now to ask you a few questions: Is it possible for a Muslim to be exalted by following assiduously the teachings of the Koran? Might a Jew be exalted if he adheres diligently to the teaching of the Old Testament, the Talmud, and the counseling of his Rabbi? Can an Evangelical Protestant be “saved” (exalted) by carefully complying with his understanding of the New Testament and the preachings of his minister?

The answer to each of these questions is “yes.” But is it possible that a celestialbound individual might find incomplete fulfillment, or even gnawing inconsistencies or errors in the Koran and in the Talmud? Might the celestial person be confused and frustrated by the ambiguities in the Bible, and might he tend to seek for more clarification? On the other hand, might a terrestrial or telestial individual be less bothered or even unaware of this lack of fulfillment or these inconsistencies, errors, and ambiguities?

I believe many Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, and people from every religious persuasion—and many of no religious preference at all—will be exalted. But we should not be surprised to learn that during mortality they were always incompletely spiritually fulfilled and constantly seeking for more eternal truth—for the gospel of Jesus

Christ in its fulness—but they never found it. Those who are completely comfortable with less than the complete truth here on earth are likely to be most comfortable in a lesser degree of glory for all eternity.

The question is sometimes posed: If all that is necessary for exaltation is to be completely true to the principles of truth to which one is exposed in mortality, then why is the fullness of the gospel even necessary here on earth? At least part of the answer is that by allowing us to have access to the fulness of Christ’s gospel, the Lord mercifully makes available to us the only source of true and complete spiritual fulfillment available in God’s universe. Only by having access to the fulness of the gospel can an individual grow spiritually at the rate of which he is capable. Only by having the fulness of the gospel available here on earth is the earth a complete testing ground. During those periods of the earth’s existence, sometimes prolonged, when the fulness of the gospel was unavailable, every celestial-bound individual was obligated to live a life of spiritual frustration, regardless of the religious discipline he espoused. One cannot help but wonder if some of the great religious reformers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were of this group.

#What Exactly Is Deliberate Faith?

Let us return to the issue of deliberate faith. It is that which results in obedience to a commandment when revealed faith has not yet been received. We come to the vital question: What precisely is deliberate faith? Is it the belief or hope—the “entitlement faith”—the subtle inclination to obey? Is it something one holds in one’s mind? Or is it the act of obedience itself that results from the belief?

A subtle modicum of belief or hope in spiritual truths is nearly universal. But, true obedience to the commands of God is less common. Does the individual who has a subtle belief, but does not act upon it, truly have faith? He has the subtle belief or hope but cannot muster the necessary obedience. Such an individual surely lacks faith. Deliberate faith is not the slight belief or hope itself. It is not the “entitlement faith.” It is not intent. Rather, it is the obedience itself. It is the action that is stimulated by belief. Deliberate faith is not a principle of thought. It is very much a principle of action. It is not just a positive feeling. It is a decision, a commitment, a willingness, and an actual act.

#The Relationship Between Deliberate and Revealed Faith

Once deliberate faith is exercised deliberately, it will become stronger. The individual willing to deliberately act based on only subtle inclinations—whispered testimonies—will be strengthened in his deliberate faith. This increased strength comes by virtue of the perquisite gifts of the Spirit, including the “gift of character” we discussed in chapter 8, The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts. There we described character as a perquisite gift of the Spirit that results from striving to earn any of the many gifts of the

Spirit. Character is the strength to obey even when obedience may be painful, difficult, and not accompanied by a clear assurance that obedience will benefit us. Character enables us to do the right thing when it is hard to do. Character is also courage. Character may operate in secular as well as spiritual matters. When we apply character to obeying the commandments of God, that is “spiritual character.”

The development of character should begin early in a child’s life. It may begin with something as simple as being given a daily chore that must be accomplished without fail. The child’s obligation to complete the chore must be a solemn one. It may require arising from bed earlier than is comfortable. It must require real work and take priority over easier, more pleasurable activities. The child must be required to apply discipline and fulfill his obligation deliberately in spite of inconvenience and discomfort.

If the child lives up to his obligation, he will eventually be blessed with a growing feeling of satisfaction. The chore will become easier, and performing it will no longer be associated in the child’s mind with its initial noxious and adverse overlay.

Thus, we learn that if the child is willing to deliberately do the chore when it is difficult and inconvenient, he will eventually become better able to perform it. Here is the essence of deliberate and revealed faith and the relationship between the two. Deliberate faith is the willingness to do the difficult thing when there is no certainty of reward or return—providing, of course, that the willingness leads to the doing. Revealed faith is the increasing ability to do it better and with a growing satisfaction in the doing of it. Deliberate faith is distinct from revealed faith. Deliberate faith leads to revealed faith. Deliberate faith is the doing; revealed faith is the increased strength to do.

This principle is applicable to all aspects of our spiritual growth. The Lord seems to require us, regardless of the spiritual gift we are striving to obtain, to evidence our deliberate willingness to act (our deliberate faith) prior to his revealing to our souls the ability—the confirmatory truth, the spiritual gift, the testimony of the matter (the revealed faith).

Surely deliberate faith was required of the prophet Nephi as he returned to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass: “Not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth” (1 Nephi 4:6-7).

Another powerful example of deliberate faith, and the Lord’s inclination to require it of us, is that of the children of Israel as they transported the Ark of the Covenant under the leadership of Joshua (see Joshua 3:7-17). Recall how the Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters would part, or “stand upon an heap” (Joshua 3:13). The Israelites would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly, the waters did not part as the children of Israel stood on the banks of the river waiting for something to happen. Rather, the soles of their feet were wet before the water parted. The deliberate faith, or willingness, of the Israelites was manifested by the fact that they walked into the water, hoping (exercising deliberate faith) it would part, before it actually parted. But they were committed. They were going to walk across anyway. As the Israelites moved forward, the water parted. They were blessed to be able to cross over on dry land.

To summarize, then, deliberate faith is the willingness or character to deliberately obey God’s commands. It is willing obedience. It is doing the right thing when that obedience is difficult for us, when our very nature seems inclined against that obedience, when there seems but little reason to obey.

#Deliberate Faith is a Pertinent Topic for Each Man

Deliberate faith is a pertinent topic for each of us regardless of the level of our spiritual accomplishment. In mortality, none of us will master all of the spiritual gifts to the point of easy joy in keeping all of the laws of God. For each of us, even to the time of our death, there will remain areas in which deliberate faith will be required.

So, again, when we say of a man, “He has great faith,” we may be commenting on more than the gifts of the Spirit he has acquired. We may also be referring to the strength of his character. We may be acknowledging his willingness to obey when he is not sure.

#Prayer of Faith

Several scriptural passages teach of the “prayer of faith” (James 5:15; D&C 28:13; 42:14; 43:12; 52:9; 58:44; 93:51; 104:80). This type of prayer is repeatedly referred to as an especially effective way to court the favor of the Lord. We have, by now, come to appreciate faith, at least in its deliberate form, as an action word. We might, therefore, appropriately assume that the expression “prayer of faith” refers to more than simply an uttered prayer. It implies a combination of sincere prayer with a willingness to deliberately act. Again, we are reminded of the pertinent old saying: “Pray as if everything depends upon the Lord, and then work as though everything depended upon you.”

In the April 2008 General Conference, Elder David A. Bednar spoke of the “prayer of faith” (“Ask in Faith,” Ensign, May 2008, 94-97). He offered a specific example of church members’ often praying that the missionaries will be “guided to the pure in heart” but then failing to observe the principle of the prayer of faith. Elder Bednar pointed out that when we petition the Lord to help the missionaries with a true prayer of faith, we ought to get up from our prayer and find people for the missionaries to teach. He taught it is the missionaries’ calling to teach, but our responsibility to find investigators to teach.

#More on the Relationship between Deliberate and Revealed Faith

The concepts of revealed and deliberate faith are the vital “nuts and bolts” of the principle of faith and must be understood clearly. Early in the previous chapter, I predicted that faith, once discovered and defined, would turn out to be the very force that enables, encourages, enlivens, and makes possible our spiritual growth. Indeed, faith powers the process of our obedience and consequent spiritual growth.

By now, it is intuitively obvious how deliberate faith is related to revealed faith. Deliberate faith leads to revealed faith. Eventually, in certain specific areas of our lives, deliberate faith may become less essential, as the revealed gift of the Spirit produces fundamental changes in us and renders us strongly inclined to obey

We may illustrate deliberate faith with a diagram:

#Whispered Testimonies

#Variable Belief or Hope Deliberate

#(“Entitlement Faith”) Obedience

#Deliberate Faith

(Deliberate Character) Fig. 1

It is easy to see how this diagram fits into the loop diagram in the previous chapter (figure 1 of chapter 9). Once the individual exercises his deliberate faith and obeys a commandment, he inserts himself into that loop diagram, and he is off and running. He begins the self-perpetuating process of growing spiritually.

Deliberate obedience is analogous to lifting weights. Deliberately denying the natural self strengthens the character muscle. With each act of obedience, our strength of character is increased. When the gift of spiritual character is received, it is always combined with other perquisite gifts such as a lessening of the pulls of the natural man and an increased testimony of and confidence in God—that he is really there and is working on our behalf. It is no wonder spiritual growth is an ever-accelerating phenomenon!

Does the gift of character obviate the need for deliberate character (deliberate faith)? Does deliberate faith atrophy in the individual with strong revealed character. Perhaps he doesn’t need deliberate faith any longer? What about the character of God? Does he possess the potential for strong deliberate faith? Certainly, he possesses all spiritual gifts to perfection. Surely, he has no “natural self” remaining in his soul. Does he still need strong deliberate faith? If he were placed in a hypothetical situation wherein he was required to obey an eternal principle in the face of severe opposition, would he be successful? Indeed he would. He possesses matchless, perfect strength of character. More about this in a few moments.

#The Consequences of a Lack of Faith

Each individual on earth possesses a spark of belief or hope. This is born of the Spirit of Christ and the other whispered testimonies mentioned above. Does that spark of belief ever fail to ignite sufficient motivation or action? Does it ever fail to result in obedience? It happens all the time. We may then say that the individual lacks faith. But which type of faith is he lacking? He is lacking in deliberate faith. He is unable to summon the character necessary to willingly obey a commandment of the Lord. Will he also come to lack in revealed faith? He certainly will. The revealed faith, which might have resulted from his obedience, is not forthcoming. Anyone who lacks in deliberate faith will be unable to qualify for revealed faith.

A man who lacks faith may still possess an inclination to believe and obey—a modicum of “entitlement faith.” He might even openly claim to believe. Yet, he may find it too difficult, inconvenient, uncomfortable, and painful to actually act on that belief. As the prophet Alma taught, the man must “experiment upon [the] words” of Christ (Alma 32:27-29). Though he possesses the requisite notions of truth and even desires to know more certainly about those notions, if he is unwilling to act, he evidences a lack of faith. His deliberate faith is lacking. This results in a failure to acquire revealed faith. He will not grow spiritually.

If he does not grow spiritually, does he maintain his previous spiritual position? Does he maintain those gifts of the Spirit previously earned? No. Unfortunately, there are “no plateaus in spiritual growth.” If you are not growing spiritually, you are inevitably deteriorating. You are losing gifts previously obtained.

#Application of the Types of Faith to the Scriptures

We have reviewed two basic types of faith. Now let’s have a little fun with this new insight. Let’s see if knowledge of these two types of faith can help us understand two interesting passages of scripture:

Hebrews 11:1. Let us consider Paul’s rather enigmatic definition of faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Paul teaches that faith is two things, “the substance of things hoped for” and “the evidence of things not seen.” The two phrases in this verse are related, but let’s consider each separately. We will learn that Paul here is speaking of revealed faith.

First, faith is the “substance of things hoped for.” What does that mean? Let me first point out that Paul left something out of this passage. He omitted the act of successful obedience to a commandment of the Lord. The implied, but hypothetical, believer in Paul’s definition has just resisted his natural self and successfully obeyed a commandment. He has manifested his deliberate faith. Then, as Paul points out, his faith becomes “the substance of things hoped for.” How would you interpret this phrase? When Paul’s hypothetical and unmentioned individual in this verse approached the commandment, he was not sure—he had some doubt. He did have a hope or belief that what he was doing was right. He hoped his actions would bear spiritual fruit. His act of obedience vindicated that hope. In return for his obedience, he received an increment of a divine attribute, a substantial gift of the Spirit. He received revealed faith with its associated perquisite gifts. This modicum of revealed faith became the “substance of things hoped for.” It caused a joyful, “substantial” change of heart obviously perceptible to the individual himself. This new element of revealed faith, then, became “the substance of things hoped for.”

Now the second phrase is easy. Paul said, faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” Again, we are speaking of revealed faith. What is implied here? Though unseen by the human eye, the received gifts are perceived in a way that provides tangible “evidence” that they exist. Revealed gifts of the Spirit (revealed faith) provide evidence that God in his unseen spiritual realm truly exists and is responsible for the commandments. Whatever blessing you hoped might result from your obedience is now yours. You feel and know it. You feel assurance that your obedience will result in more joyful growth. You look to the future with joy and confidence. You come to know you are doing the will of our God. You know it is good to do so. You are more inclined to hope for another experience of the same type. Hence, your new revealed faith has become “the evidence of things not seen.”

Alma 32. Let us now consider Alma’s allegory on faith. Alma’s uses the analogy of a seed. It is thrilling to understand the two major concepts of faith and then read his allegory.

The prophet Alma outlined the sequence by which each man must develop his faith. I will number the steps in Alma’s “algorithm”:

1. Addressing himself to that individual who desires faith, Alma wrote: “in the first place . . . ye should believe, yea, even on his word.” In other words, you must acknowledge within yourself a small specific belief or hope in the Savior and his gospel. It originated with the whispered testimonies.

2. Then you must “awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words.” A mere professing of belief or hope does not qualify as faith. Only he who successfully arouses his faculties and willingly and actively experiments upon the word (obeys the commandment) may be called faithful. He evidences character and applies deliberate faith. He acts. He obeys.

3. Accordingly, his belief becomes more than mere belief. It is spiritually confirmed. It becomes a spiritual gift, spiritual knowledge, a testimony. Indeed, it becomes revealed faith.

Alma compares this three-step process of earning faith to planting a seed. Let us repeat the same three steps above but this time include Alma’s seed metaphor:

1. Alma compares the “word unto a seed.” The “word” and the “seed” both represent eternal truth and the subtle inclination to believe that truth through the whispered testimonies, however small that belief may be.

2. Deliberate faith is seen in the person willing to “give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart.” To “Give place” is to live the principle to see if it is true. To “give place” is to deliberately act, to obey, to experiment upon the word.

3. The seed is “planted in your heart” when it is confirmed or revealed to you by the Spirit of God. Then it is a gift of the Spirit. It is revealed faith.

It is notable that if one deliberately pursues or obeys a false principle, he will receive no gift of the Spirit or revealed faith. Alma implies this:

Behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed [‘experimenting upon’ false premises or seeds will not bear spiritual fruit], if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief [to cast out the seed or cast out the small belief or hope is to fail to act, to fail to obey], that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord [to resist is to fail to act on the light or Spirit of Christ within you], behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts [the swelling within your breasts includes receiving gifts of the Spirit and their attendant tangible perks or blessings]; 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 [you have received ‘the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’—you have benefited from the perquisite blessings that attend all gifts of the Spirit]. Now behold, would not this increase your faith [would this process not enhance your revealed faith]? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge [no matter the amount of revealed faith we acquire in this life, we shall never have perfect faith, we shall never overcome completely the necessity of applying our deliberate faith] (Alma 32:28-29).

Some confusion has arisen in the Church over another verse in Alma 32. Alma is commenting on the individual who has successfully “experimented” on the word and has experienced the confirmation that his obedience has born fruit. Alma then says, “And now, behold, is your knowledge [revealed faith] perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith [deliberate faith] is dormant” (34). Alma seems to hold out the possibility that our revealed faith in unseen spiritual things may become “perfect” to the point where it is no longer necessary to exercise any element of deliberate faith. Thus, our faith (deliberate faith) becomes “dormant.” While it is exciting to contemplate that in some spiritual matters our revealed faith may become so strong it is no longer necessary have to exercise deliberate faith in that thing, it would seem that while we are yet here in mortality, it is unlikely this will occur. This should not, however, deter us from striving for perfection.1 Alma’s reference here is likely not to faith in spiritual matters, but rather to secular ones. When a gardener sees a plant sprout from the ground, he no longer needs faith that his seed will grow. He has experienced with his physical senses. He has seen it with his eyes. He no longer needs to exercise faith.

#More about Deliberate Faith

Some cardinal rules apply to our exercising deliberate faith or “experimenting upon [the] words [of Christ].” These, if followed, lead to greater success in acquiring “faith unto salvation” or substantial amounts of revealed faith. These are:

1. Add to your deliberate striving and obedience a prayerful yearning to draw closer to the Lord, even fasting at times.

2. Maintain a “broken heart and contrite spirit”—a humble submission to all of God’s commandments, especially including an acknowledgment of the Savior’s matchless love and atoning sacrifice.

3. Be consistent, day in and day out, in your obedience. Don’t rest on your spiritual “laurels.” This is the gospel principle of endurance.

4. Persist and be patient even in the face of hardship or discouragement.

5. Finally, the highest form of obedience—the highest form of deliberate faith—is sacrifice. Sacrifice is the willingness to give up something good, wholesome, cherished, or perhaps badly needed or wanted to attain a worthwhile goal. Sacrifice differs from ordinary obedience. Usually, when we obey, we have only to give up our natural lusts and temptations. In other words, we give up something evil. Sacrifice requires us to give up something good. The sacrifice must be offered while the attainment of the desired goal is yet in the future. It is hoped for and not yet attained. He who is sincerely willing to sacrifice all things for the Lord and for his fellow beings is most likely to see the flowering of his revealed faith.

#An Example of the Transition from Deliberate Faith to Revealed Faith

Let us take as an example the gift of charity. Charity is indeed a spiritual gift, one of the loftiest a mortal can obtain. The Lord Jesus Christ loves each and every one of us more than we can comprehend. We are commanded to love our fellow man with that same love (Matthew 22:36-40). His commandment requires us to begin to earn that same attribute the Lord possesses. We must strive to qualify to be given the love of God. He wants us to possess it, or part of it, for ourselves. Like all gifts of the Spirit, revealed charity, may only be received by personal revelation. We receive it only after we have exercised deliberate faith—deliberate charity.

What earthly behaviors lead to acquisition of the gift of charity? Logically, we suppose they would include deliberately seeking out the needs of others and serving them. We must serve others deliberately, diligently, and enthusiastically. We must serve others when it’s difficult and inconvenient, even if we must sacrifice to do so. We must constantly put others first and ourselves second. This is deliberate charity. As we manifest it again and again, we will begin to receive, incrementally, the grand revealed gift of charity at the pleasure of the Spirit of God. We will find ourselves genuinely loving others. Our hearts will be changed. We will slowly become a little more like God. During mortality we shall never see all our deliberate charity replaced with revealed charity. That, however, is precisely the goal for which we should be striving.

And so it is with every gift of the Spirit. We should be seeking to replace the “deliberate” form of the gift with the “revealed” form. This is the essence of our spiritual progress.

#Two Components of Each Gift of the Spirit

A functionally useful perspective is to regard every gift of the Spirit as having both a deliberate and a revealed component. For example, the gift of a spiritual witness of the Book of Mormon has a deliberate component. It consists of the deliberate studying, praying, and pondering. It also has a revealed component—the revealed personal testimony of the book. We may speak, therefore, of “deliberate” and “revealed” testimonies of the Book of Mormon. Similarly, we may speak of “deliberate” and “revealed” testimonies of the prophet Joseph Smith, “deliberate” and “revealed” charity, “deliberate” and “revealed” long suffering, etc.

In every step of spiritual progress we make, we need to obey the formula. We start with the deliberate component of a gift and then proceed to acquire the revealed component.

#Two Little-Appreciated Gifts of the Spirit

Let us apply what we have learned. Consider two interesting gifts of the Spirit which presently are little appreciated or understood by many members of the Church.

1. The gift and spirit of sacrifice. Sacrifice is the ultimate form of applying deliberate faith, of “experimenting upon the word.” But have you ever regarded sacrifice as a gift of the Spirit?

Well, it surely is. Initially, our sacrificing for the Lord and his purposes is deliberate. When we deliberately sacrifice, we are rewarded with revealed sacrifice, the gift of sacrifice. We are thus endowed with the “spirit of sacrifice.” Our desire to sacrifice grows. The “spirit of sacrifice” is a revealed spiritual gift. As with all gifts of the Spirit, the spirit or gift of sacrifice must be earned by exercising deliberate sacrifice. We must generate our initial desire to sacrifice from within ourselves. We decide to sacrifice and do it deliberately. Once our efforts are judged sufficient by the Spirit of the Lord, we may receive, incrementally, the spirit of sacrifice. Our hearts become changed, and we are converted by the Spirit. We come to the point when we are not only willing, but anxious to sacrifice all that we have for the Lord. This is revealed sacrifice.

2. The gift of hope. Another example of little understood spiritual gifts is that of hope. Allow me to digress for a moment. Many words in the scriptures have two quiteseparate meanings. One is the specific meaning when they are used in the scripture. The other is their meaning in secular conversation. There is a tendency for us to confuse the secular and scriptural meanings. This makes it more difficult to understand the scriptures. Also, within the scriptures, a word may have two meanings, one for its deliberate component, and another for its revealed component. The word hope is an example of such a word.

There are many things we members of the Church may hope for. We hope all we are taught about the Church is true. We hope the scriptures are true. We hope to be exalted. We hope our relationship with the Lord is as it should be. We hope he approves of us. We hope he will allow us to return to him. This hope exists in two forms, deliberate hope and revealed hope—the gift of hope.

Deliberate hope has, as its foundation or source, those inclinations instilled in one’s breast by the “whispered testimonies.” Deliberate hope is acting on one’s beliefs. Deliberate hope has not yet been ratified by the Spirit. It has not yet been earned as a gift of the Spirit. Deliberate hope is deliberately maintaining a positive attitude about the Lord’s commandments and enthusiastically obeying them. It is studying about, praying about, and pondering the implications of the Lord’s atonement. It is deliberately manifesting the confidence and trust that you can and will be redeemed from your sins by the Lord’s atoning sacrifice. It is deliberately pondering, praying about, and yearning for a bright eternal future.

The gift of hope cannot be received until the individual has manifested his deliberate faith, which is the same as deliberate hope. When deliberate hope has been repeatedly exercised in the form of obedience with a positive attitude, it is then ratified by revelation. The individual then receives revealed hope. This gift of hope is not “obedience specific.” That is, it is not contingent upon obedience to any one specific commandment. As a man grows spiritually on several fronts and receives increments of several different gifts of the Spirit, he will begin to receive also the gift of hope.

But precisely what is the gift of hope? The gift of hope is a state of mind, heart, and spirit. It is a growing assurance and confidence that one’s eternal status is secure with God. It is a progressive feeling that one’s salvation, indeed exaltation, is likely and even sure.

A common passage of scripture simply states that an individual will never be exalted without first receiving this spiritual gift of assurance of one’s favorable status with God. This gift of hope is mandatory before an individual can be raised up to celestial glory. Every exalted person will possess much in the way of the gift of revealed hope. In D&C 131:6 we read: “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” This verse is often misunderstood. It is often used to encourage our young people to get an education. While an education is a good thing, this is not actually a proper application of this verse. Look carefully at the verse’s context in section 131. This verse teaches that no man or woman will be exalted without first receiving the gift of hope—the growing revealed assurance and confidence that he or she will, in fact, be exalted. It is wholly logical that this should be so.

The prophet Moroni spoke of the gift of hope in Ether 12:4: “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith [both deliberate and revealed], maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”

One might intuitively suspect that the gift of hope may tend to erode the possessor’s resolve for continued righteous striving. Would not the greater assurance of one’s salvation be expected to permit a slackening of one’s ongoing determined obedience? Here Moroni points out that the gift of hope tends to do just the opposite. Instead, it renders its possessor “sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works.” It is obvious the gift of hope is more than merely heightened expectation or hopeful musings about a bright eternal future. Hope is realistic anticipation that takes the form of greater determination to continue to “endure . . . well” to the end (D&C 121:8). Hope stiffens, not slackens, the spiritual spine. It produces spiritual spunk.

Moroni also makes clear that the gift of hope is intimately related to revealed faith and, of course, it is. He who “believeth in God”—the individual with revealed faith—will “with surety hope for a better world . . . [and] . . . a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith.” The possessor of many gifts of the Spirit is also the possessor of the growing gift of hope.

#Testimony Bearing. Is It a Demonstration of Deliberate Faith or Revealed Faith?

As we sit in a fast and testimony meeting and hear one of our fellow saints bear his testimony, which type of faith are we witnessing in action? Is he expressing to us and to the Lord his determination to obey even though his knowledge is far from perfect—his deliberate faith? Or is he reporting to us, and acknowledging gratefully, his receipt of gifts of the Spirit—his revealed faith, his revealed testimony? The answer is certainly both. The bearing of one’s testimony in public serves two vital functions.

First, testimony bearing is an important way to exercise our deliberate faith. Bearing testimony is publicly expressing a belief, and encouraging a like belief in others, even when your belief is imperfect. Thus, your testimony is a visible manifestation before others and the Lord of your deliberate faith. It is “experimenting upon” the words of Christ. Indeed, one of the most important ways in which we can exercise our deliberate faith is by bearing testimony of a principle of truth! The Lord, the Spirit, and also the “angels,” as it turns out, take note of our spoken testimonies and consider them a manifestation of our deliberate faith. The Lord said to the elders of the Church in this dispensation: “The testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you” (D&C 62:3). When the Spirit of God takes notice, he rewards us accordingly. Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

Oh, if I could teach you this one principle. A testimony is to be found in the bearing of it! Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that “leap of faith,” as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two. “The spirit of man,” as the scripture says, indeed “is the candle of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). It is one thing to receive a witness [a belief or hope] from what you have read or what another has said; and that is a necessary beginning. It is quite another to have the Spirit confirm to you in your bosom that what you have testified is true [revealed faith]. Can you not see that it will be supplied as you share it? As you give that which you have, there is a replacement, with increase! (“The Candle of the Lord,” 54-55).

The Lord gathers us together in his Church to strengthen us. He desires that we each become sources of strength for our fellow saints. One of the ways we may succor each other is to bear testimony to one another, even when that testimony may be largely a “deliberate” one.

Second, it is also vital that we gratefully acknowledge, in public and before the Lord, the heavenly blessings, or gifts, we have received by personal revelation—our revealed faith. The Lord said to Joseph Smith: “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things” (D&C 59:21).

#The Vital Importance of Deliberate Faith

President Heber J. Grant bluntly counseled the saints and offered pragmatic counsel:

There is but one path of safety for the Latter-day Saints and that is the path of duty. It is not testimony. It is not marvelous manifestations. It is not knowing that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is not actually knowing the Savior is the Redeemer or Joseph Smith is his prophet that will save you and me [revealed faith]. But it is the keeping of the commandments of God and living the life of a Latter-day Saint [deliberate faith] (CR, April 1945, 9).

A marvelous story of doing one’s duty, of exercising deliberate faith, is told by Elder Henry B. Eyring about his father, Henry B. Eyring. The latter was a worldrenowned chemist and a thoroughly committed member of the Church. The senior Henry Eyring was senior member of the high council in his stake and in charge of the stake’s welfare farm. He was at the time about eighty years old and suffering from bone cancer. He suffered considerable pain, especially in his hips.

An assignment came for the stake’s priesthood brethren to spend a day at the farm weeding the onions. Brother Eyring assigned himself, though the assignment was certain to be difficult for him. Those who worked along side him reported that in order to weed the onions, he had to lie prone in the row between the onions and pull himself along with his elbows.

After spending some hours at this chore, the group of priesthood brethren was preparing to leave. One of the farm’s employees, on learning which field had been weeded by Brother Eyring, said, “Oh, Brother Eyring, you didn’t weed that field did you?” On learning that he did, the employee continued, “The weeds in that field were sprayed a few days ago and will all be dead in a week!” Brother Eyring just laughed and said that the joke was on him.

On relating this story to his son Elder Henry B. Eyring, the latter asked, “Dad, how could you have been so cheerful in a situation like that?” Elder Eyring has never forgotten his father’s answer. He chuckled and said, “Oh, Hal, I wasn’t there for the onions” (To Draw Closer to God: A Collection of Discourses, 102).

See further discussion of this topic in the section entitled, “Perfect Faith?” in chapter 11, Other Notes on Faith.