LDS Place

“Oh, how much is faith needed in each of our lives—faith in ourselves, faith in our associates, and faith in the living God.

“Those pioneers who broke the sunbaked soil of the Mountain West valleys came for one reason only—’to find,’ as Brigham Young is reported to have said, ‘a place where the devil can’t come and dig us out.’ They found it, and against almost overwhelming adversities they subdued it. They cultivated and beautified it for themselves. And with inspired vision they planned and built a foundation that blesses members throughout the world today.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Faith of the Pioneers,” Ensign, July 1984, 3

“Let us never forget, my brethren and sisters, that each of us is a part of the whole and that what we do mars or beautifies the magnificent panorama of the kingdom of God.

“As our fathers labored in faith with a moving vision of the destiny of this work, even so can we. There is so much to be done, so much improvement to be made, but we can do it, walking in faith.

“ ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt. 17:20.)

“So declared the Lord.

“God grant us faith.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “God Grant Us Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1983, 53

“The power that moved our gospel forebears was the power of faith in God. It was the same power which made possible the exodus from Egypt, the passage through the Red Sea, the long journey through the wilderness, and the establishment of Israel in the Promised Land.

“It was by this power that our gospel forebears left Nauvoo and the beautiful lands of the Mississippi to travel to the shores of the Great Salt Lake. To me, it is a thing of never-ending wonder that Brigham Young and his associates had the faith to move to the mountain valleys of Utah. Of course, there were others who traversed the continent, but for the most part they were small groups. The movement of our people involved an exodus of many thousands to a land which others thought barren and unproductive. Nevertheless, they went west, putting their trust in God that he would rebuke the sterility of the soil and temper the climate that they might be sustained and grow and become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains in order to send from its bastions the word of truth everywhere.

“It was by the power of faith that they threaded their way up the Elkhorn and along the Platte, past Chimney Rock, and on to South Pass, down the Sweetwater to Independence Rock, and finally over Big Mountain and into Salt Lake valley.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Faith of the Pioneers,” Ensign, July 1984, 5

“I bear witness of the power of the priesthood given to the Church to protect us and guide us. And because we have that, we have no fear of the future. Fear is the opposite of faith. We move forward, certain that the Lord will watch over us, particularly in the family.”

Boyd K. Packer, “The Power of the Priesthood,” Ensign, May 2010, 10

“The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This includes faith in His divine birth and heavenly heritage and faith that, under His Father’s direction, He created the earth and all things that dwell therein (see John 1:10; Mosiah 3:8). At the very heart of our faith in Christ is the assurance that through His atoning sacrifice, though our sins may be as scarlet, they can become as white as snow (see Isaiah 1:18).”

Spencer J. Condie, “Claim the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises,” Ensign, Nov. 2007, 16

“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful repentance must be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who is the Author of our salvation.”

Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, 2

“Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome.”

Thomas S. Monson

“Paul counseled his beloved friend and associate Timothy, ‘Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity’ (1 Timothy 4:12).

“I would urge all of us to pray concerning our assignments and to seek divine help, that we might be successful in accomplishing that which we are called to do. Someone has said that ‘the recognition of power higher than man himself does not in any sense debase him’ (Stephen L. Richards, in Conference Report, Oct. 1937, 10). He must seek, believe in, pray, and hope that he will find. No such sincere, prayerful effort will go unanswered: that is the very constitution of the philosophy of faith. Divine favor will attend those who humbly seek it. . . .

“. . . May we learn what we should learn, do what we should do, and be what we should be. By so doing, the blessings of heaven will attend. We will know that we are not alone. He who notes the sparrow’s fall will, in His own way, acknowledge us.”

Thomas S. Monson

Preparatory faith is formed by experiences in the past—by the known, which provides a basis for belief. But redemptive faith must often be exercised toward experiences in the future—the unknown, which provides an opportunity for the miraculous. Exacting faith, mountain-moving faith, faith like that of the brother of Jared, precedes the miracle and the knowledge. He had to believe before God spoke. He had to act before the ability to complete that action was apparent. He had to commit to the complete experience in advance of even the first segment of its realization. Faith is to agree unconditionally—and in advance—to whatever conditions God may require in both the near and distant future.

Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon, p.18 – 19

Where faith is, there will the knowledge of God be also, with all things which pertain thereto—revelations, visions, and dreams, as well as every necessary thing, in order that the possessors of faith may be perfected, and obtain salvation.

Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, Lecture 7, p. 69

“[The Salt Lake Tabernacle] is a peculiar building, the only one of its kind in all the world. It was built almost a century and a half ago in the days of the poverty of our people. It was literally a Tabernacle built in the wilderness. The temple was far from finished at the time. Those who built the Tabernacle did so with faith, as well as their rudimentary architectural skills. Skeptics, of whom there are always many, predicted that when the scaffolding was removed, the roof would come down with it. This did not happen, and it has remained in place through sunshine and storm through all of these many years.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

“Our Mormon forebears covenanted their lives!–and not a few gave them. The following places hallow the memory of the latter-day martyrs: Jackson County; Crooked River (where one of the Twelve was martyred); Haun’s Mill; Carthage; Nauvoo; and the unmarked graves along the Mormon trail. They gave their fortunes!–and many, if not most, lost their lands, homes, and businesses. They gave their sacred honor!–this by covenant to God.

“They came west with the faith that God had ’set his hand again the second time’ (2 Ne. 21:11) to restore the house of Israel. They knew that they were a part of this great movement. They were converted to the truth that the Church of Jesus Christ had been restored again on the earth through the instrumentality of a latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith, and that following his martyrdom, the keys of the priesthood had been continued through Joseph’s ordained successor, Brigham Young. They believed themselves to be God-directed and prophet-led. Their conviction inspired their sacrifices.”

Ezra Taft Benson

“For both the Israelites and the Saints, their travail forged great spiritual strength. They both endured trials of their faith, during which the weak were winnowed away and the strong were empowered to endure to the end (see Ether 12:6; D&C 101:4-5; 105:19). They had to leave their homes and earthly possessions and learn to rely wholly upon God. Protection was provided for ancient Israel by the Lord, who ‘went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire’ (Ex. 13:21; see also v. 22; Num. 14:14; Deut. 1:33; Neh. 9:19). The same has been said of the divine watchcare afforded to the pioneers (see History of the Church, 3:xxxiv; see also Thomas S. Monson, in Conference Report, Apr. 1967, 56).

“Scriptures given to both societies speak of the strength of the Lord’s hand in their deliverance. To those of ancient Israel, Moses said, ‘Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place’ (Ex. 13:3).

“To the Latter-day Saints, a comparable scripture was revealed: ‘For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am’ (D&C 84:119).”

Russell M. Nelson

“Those with true hope often see their personal circumstances shaken, like kaleidoscopes, again and again. Yet with the ‘eye of faith,’ they still see divine pattern and purpose (Alma 5:15).”

Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, Nov 1994, 34

“Walk by faith. God will open the way. When there is no way, He will open the way. ”

— Gordon B. Hinckley

“Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do what we have said we’ll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain.”

— Gordon B. Hinckley

“It is our faith in Jesus Christ that sustains us at the crossroads of life’s journey. It is the first principle of the gospel. Without it we will spin our wheels at the intersection, spending our precious time but getting nowhere. It is Christ who offers the invitation to follow Him, to give Him our burden, and to carry His yoke, ‘for [His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light’ (Matthew 11:30).”

Quentin L. Cook, Ensign, Nov 2007, 70–73

“If there is any one thing you and I need in this world it is faith, that dynamic, powerful, marvelous element by which, as Paul declared, the very worlds were framed . . . Faith—the kind of faith that moves one to get on his knees and plead with the Lord and then get on his feet and go to work—is an asset beyond compare, even in the acquisition of secular knowledge. I do not minimize the need for study and labor. I would add to these faith and prayer, with the sacred promise that ‘God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.’

Gordon B. Hinckley – “Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley”

“You exercise faith by causing, or by making, your mind accept or believe as truth that which you cannot, by reason alone, prove for certainty. The first exercising of your faith should be your acceptance of Christ and His atonement.”

Boyd K. Packer – Ensign Nov. 1994

“Faith brings with it the expanding ‘evidence of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1.) Some mortals dismiss this real, spiritual evidence because ‘the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him … because they are spiritually discerned.’ (1 Cor. 2:14.) But this provincialism on the part of others should not deprive the rest of us of energizing evidence.”

Neal A. Maxwell – Ensign May 1991

“…faith makes us confident of what we hope for and convinced of what we do not see. The scientist does not see molecules, atoms, or electrons, yet he knows they exist. He does not see electricity, radiation, or magnetism, but he knows these are unseen realities. In like manner, those who earnestly seek for God do not see him, but they know of his reality by faith. It is more than hope. Faith makes it a conviction—an evidence of things not seen.”

Howard W. Hunter – Ensign Nov. 1974, 97

“Some may say if we have enough faith, we can sometimes change the circumstances that are causing our trials and tribulations. Is our faith to change circumstances, or is it to endure them? Faithful prayers may be offered to change or moderate events in our life, but we must always remember that when concluding each prayer, there is an understanding: ‘Thy will be done’ (Matt. 26:42). Faith in the Lord includes trust in the Lord. The faith to endure well is faith based upon accepting the Lord’s will and the lessons learned in the events that transpire.”

Robert D. Hales, Ensign, May 1998, 75

“It takes great faith and courage to pray to our Heavenly Father, ‘Not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ The faith to believe in the Lord and endure brings great strength.”

Robert D. Hales, Ensign, May 1998, 75

“You will find that the more you reflect upon what must be done to have a richer and more abundant life, the more you will be led back to central considerations that are contained in the messages of the Master. If we follow in his footsteps, we can live by faith rather than by fear. If we can share his perspective about people, we can love them, serve them, and reach out to them—rather than feeling anxious and threatened by others.”

Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Jul 1978, 3