Summary: For most people seeing is believing, meaning they first want to see some sort of evidence that something is true before they are willing to believe in it. However, the most fundamental teaching of Christianity is that we need to have faith in Jesus Christ, and “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In other words, faith is to believe in something that we cannot see or know for sure but hope is true. But if Jesus wants us to believe in him, then why doesn’t he provide us with tangible evidence that he is real and that what he tells us is true? This article answers that question.

In the 12th chapter of the book of Ether we learn that the prophet Ether taught his people, “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, 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” (verse 4).
.
The idea of having faith in God is one of the core beliefs of Christianity and has been the subject of many a sermon, but here Ether gives us a deeper understanding of what faith is. The scriptures tell us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 1:1). In other words, faith is to believe in something we can neither see nor know for sure, but hope is true.

In mortality we encounter pain, sorrow, sickness, disease, disappointment, deprivation, fear, and death. But God promises that those who believe in him will someday live in a better world called heaven which has been described as a place of never ending happiness, Yet, the vast majority of people have never seen God or heaven, and so we have to believe that such a place exists without any tangible evidence that it does. .

However, Ether tells us that it is our faith in God that gives us a “surety of hope for a better world.” We don’t just hope there is a better world waiting for us when we die, but that we can be sure of its existence. Therefore, faith isn’t some passive idea but is an active force that motivates us and drives us to do those things we would otherwise wouldn’t do. In this case, it is our faith in Jesus Christ that motivates us to live in such a way that will allow us to live in a better world after we die.

The scriptures talk about us enduring to the end, and that is usually associated with us keeping the commandments of God, but it is our sure belief in the better world God promises us that motivates us to keep those commandments. It’s when that belief falters that we then begin to question why we should do what God asks. In other words, why should we struggle to get a reward that doesn’t exist? Therefore, we must endure to the end in keeping our faith in God strong and bright.

But what is that “better world” like? Christians say that our reward for believing in Jesus is to live with God in heaven, but Ether says the reward God promises us is to have “a place at the right hand of God.” The New Testament is filled with references to Jesus sitting on the right hand of God, therefore, that is a highly exalted position for someone to occupy, and nearly all Christians believe that only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is qualified to sit on the right hand of God.

Yet it was Jesus himself who said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). If the throne that Jesus sits on is on God’s right-hand side, and he says that those who overcome will get to sit in HIS throne, then that means they too will get to sit on the right hand of God.

The world doesn’t really understand what this means, but because of modern revelation, we know that’s referring to us becoming an exalted being, just as God and his Son, Jesus Christ are exalted beings. This is what eternal life is all about. Therefore, the sure hope we have isn’t that we’ll someday live with God, but that we will someday become like God, to sit on our own thrones and rule over our own kingdom and have power and dominion over it, just like our Father in heaven does. This is what it means to sit on the right hand of God.

Ether then tells us that our faith in this promise “maketh an anchor to the souls of men.” An anchor is what keeps a ship from drifting away by the currents of the sea and the blowing winds. When the anchor is firmly dug into the bottom of a body of water, it’s as though the boat is on solid ground.

In the same way, it is the sure knowledge we have in the better world God promises us that acts as an anchor to our souls, because it is that hope which keeps us from drifting away from keeping the commandments of God when the currents of society and the winds of man’s philosophies try to take us away from what is waiting for us if we remain faithful to God.

But why do we have to keep the commandments God gives us?

Everything God requires of us, in one way or another, involves loving God and loving our fellow man, and to do that involves doing something good for them. Thus, to fulfill the gospel of Jesus Christ requires us to abound in doing good works. Therefore, when our hope in a better world is sure, steadfast, and unmovable, then we will always abound in doing good works because that’s what it takes to inherit a future better world.

But Ether says that when we do this, we will be “led to glorify God.,” but why?

The way most people interpret this is to say that we will glorify God by praising him and giving great thanks unto him for allowing us to come live with him instead of being cast down to hell, and although that is certainly true, yet there is a more significant meaning to this phrase.

As Jesus hung on the cross, he lifted his eyes towards heaven and said to his Father in heaven, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). But how did Jesus glorify his Father? According to what Jesus said, it was by finishing the work his Father gave him to do. And what was that work? The Lord revealed to Moses, “For behold, this is my work and my glory–to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

However, in order for God to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man, there first first had to be an eternal and infinite atoning sacrifice made for the sins of man. When Jesus died on the cross, his sacrifice ensured that all men will come forth from the grave and obtain immortality, and it was because of his atonement that all men also now have the opportunity to obtain eternal life. Therefore, by dying on the cross, Jesus was bringing glory to his Father by helping him in his efforts to bring about the immortality and eternal life of his children.

Immortality is a gift from God that we don’t have to do anything to receive, but, although God has provided a way for us to receive eternal life, the way we qualify for, or become worthy of, or are able to prepare ourselves capable of living such a life, is through learning how to continually do the kinds of good work that God does. This is why faith without works is incomplete.

When our faith is such that we have a sure hope of a better world, then we remain steadfast in loving God and our neighbors, which is what the commandments of God are designed to help us do. It’s when we have done our part in that process, just as Jesus did his part, that we are then helping God become glorified as he seeks to bring about, not just our immortality, but our exaltation.

But then, Moroni inserts his own comments about the subject of hope and faith. He says, “ I would show unto the world that 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” (verse 6).

It should be noted that in the context in which he is speaking, Moroni uses the words hope and faith interchangeably, and the definition of faith is to believe something we cannot see or know for sure. However, for most people seeing is believing, meaning they want to see some sort of evidence that something is true before they are willing to believe in it.

Then why does God not give us a witness of the truth until after we already have faith in him? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

There are two reasons why. The first is that the scriptures tell us it was by faith that God created the worlds (Hebrews 11:3), therefore, it is obvious that God himself has to have faith. Since the reason we’re here on earth is to learn how to become like God, then we have to learn how to have the same kind of faith that he has. But if God gives us proof before we have faith, then, by definition, that requires no faith on our part, which then prevents us from developing faith.

But there is another reason that’s even more important. Before we came to live in mortality, we lived with God in heaven and had an absolute sure knowledge that he existed. But now that we’re living on earth, if God wanted us to know for sure that he exists, he wouldn’t have placed a veil of forgetfulness over us. But since he has, then this clearly indicates that he deliberately doesn’t want us to remember our prior life with him. Therefore, we are forced to exercise faith in believing that God exists, whether we like it or not.

To have faith in something we don’t know for sure requires making a choice because if we are absolutely sure of something then there is nothing for us to choose between. By putting us in an environment where we don’t know for sure that God exists, or if there is a heavenly reward waiting for us, we have to choose to believe whether that is true or not, and the choices we make are determined by the desires of our heart, which is another way of saying that it shows our character.

If we choose to believe in God, in the atonement of Jesus Christ, and in his plan for our redemption from sin, then that is an indication of what is important to us, which also shows the kind of character we have. And the same is true of those who choose not to believe in God, because it shows that their desire is for the things of this world more than the things of God.

Those who choose not to believe in God will not accept any sort of evidence that proves them wrong, no matter how strong the evidence may be, therefore, it is useless for God to convince people of something they don’t want to be convinced of.

On the other hand, people will have faith in something they don’t know for sure because there is something that gives them a reason for doing so. For example, we set our alarm clock with the hope (faith) that it’s going to wake us when we want it to, but if our clock continually fails to do that, then we will eventually lose faith in it. Therefore, there has to be some sort of evidence for people to continue having faith in something they don’t know for sure.

In the same way, God asks us to have faith in him without any proof, but when we do, he provides evidence that our faith in him is justified. If he didn’t, we would eventually lose faith in him. Therefore, God provides a witness to assure those who love him that they have a reason to trust him. Then, when we have to face a greater test of our faith, we can draw on that previous witness to help us get through the next challenge. And it’s in this way that God helps our faith to grow stronger and stronger.

Moroni then said, “For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world. But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen” (verses 7,8).

When Jesus was on the cross, “the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:41-42).

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples, who already believed in him, then why didn’t he show himself unto the chief priests, scribes, and elders who had mocked him? Does anyone really think that if he had done that they would have finally believed he was the Son of God? Of course not.

In the Book of Mormon, we read that Samuel the Lamanite prophesied that when the Messiah was born, there would be a day and a night and a day as if it was all one day. There were many who mocked that prophecy, saying it would never happen, but when it did, “from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen” (3 Nephi 1:27).

On the other hand, when Jesus showed himself to those who already believed he was the Son of God, including the Nephites, it greatly strengthened their faith in him. This is why he doesn’t send a witness “until after the trial of your faith.”

Then Moroni said, “But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen. Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith” (verses 8,9).

In verse 7 Moroni says “ he showed himself not unto the world,” yet in verse 8 he says “he has shown himself unto the world.” Is this a contradiction? Not at all. After Jesus was resurrected, he showed himself only to those who had faith in him, but later he has shown himself to the world, not in a physical appearance, but by preparing “a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift.” And how did he prepare that way?

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mathew 28:19). God has shown himself to the world by establishing his church “for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12), meaning, the preaching of the gospel, and it is this way that he is showing himself to the world so they too “might be partakes of the heavenly gift” which God offers to all mankind.
Page 4
But this gift can only be given to those who have hope, or in other words, who have faith in Jesus whom they have not seen. The early disciples had faith in Jesus before he rose from the dead and in the same way he will reveal himself to those who first have faith in him.

Moroni explained, “Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God. Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled” (verses 10,11).

The reason why someone is ordained to the priesthood after the holy order of God is because of their faith in God. To be a priesthood holder is to be an ambassador or servant of God, but if someone doesn’t believe or have faith in him or trust his word, then it’s pointless to give such a person the priesthood.

When Moses led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, they followed him because they believed he was sent by the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The reason why God gave them a law to follow and didn’t give that same law to the Egyptians, or Canaanites, or Philistines is because they didn’t believe in him, and therefore they would have o reason to follow what he said. In addition to this, when God gave his law to the children of Israel, it was a blessing to them, but those who didn’t believe in him didn’t receive that blessing precisely because they didn’t want to follow it.

Moroni further explains, “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith” (verse 12). We could interpret that verse as saying that God cannot or is unable to do miracles among those who don’t believe in him.

But if God is all-powerful, then he can do anything he wants, then why can’t he do miracles unless someone believes in him? Does our unbelief somehow prevent God from using his power?

Earlier we talked about how God is trying to help increase our faith and how giving us evidence that our faith in him is justified helps further strengthens that faith. But if he gives miracles to those who don’t believe in him, that actually weakens, rather than strengthens their faith. Since that is contrary to God’s plan, then he can’t give miracles to the unbelievers because it would undermine what he’s trying to do with us.

What we find as we study the twelfth chapter of Ether is a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the purpose of faith.

 

Related articles can be found at The Nature of Salvation