To Believe or Not To Believe...

So, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! It has been another week since I last wrote. Meanwhile, life continues to be wonderful! What it is, of course, is all a matter of how I choose to view it. The larger question, however, is what role do our thoughts play in shaping it? As I point out in my book, The Secret of Life, there is a rather large difference between causing an automobile accident, and just reacting to it once it has taken place. Both reacting to and causing the accident are factors that shape the lives of those involved, but clearly causing something to happen would, at least, appear to be a broader or greater power than that of choosing one's reaction to it.

With all of that said, I will here interject that the question of causing an accident by one's (negative) thoughts would appear to be different from, say, causing some desired end by one's faith or belief. That being the case, let us here focus on the latter: bringing about that which we want, through the power of our thoughts - the power of faith or belief - coupled with prayer.

On this point, the scripture is clear: "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). So, whatever we desire, if we pray for them, and believe that we receive them, we shall have them.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven, before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated - and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (D&C 130:20-21).

Coupling these two passages, we see that any blessing we obtain (or desire to obtain) is based on law, and that the law upon which receiving that which we desire and pray for is based is that of belief. Bottom line: Because it is a matter of law - every time - if we fail to receive that which we ask or pray for, is it not because we lack faith?

In fact, there is one other requirement: "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be done unto you" (Moroni 7:26, emphasis added). So what we ask must be "good" - ostensibly good for us, as well as all concerned.

I hasten to add, however, that after the Savior promised in the Sermon on the Mount, "For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." he asked rhetorically, "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or, if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?" He answered his own question by saying "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (There's that word "good" again.)

I here give it as my opinion that our failure to receive that which we want or pray for is far more often the result of our lack of faith than it is of our asking for things that are not "good" - even though at times what we consider to be "good" might not in truth be so. Nevertheless, the Lord is making it clear that he, or his Father, will not give us a "stone" when we ask for "bread," or a "serpent" when we ask for "fish." Perhaps he might give us cake instead of bread, or shrimp instead of fish, but not a stone or a serpent!

I believe the real culprit in our thinking (the real reason for our lack of faith and the corresponding failure to receive that which we truly desire or pray for) is that we have been conditioned to consider anything beyond a "need" to be frivolous or worse, selfish! But that will be the subject of my next post!

Let me end with the question asked by Moroni immediately following his statement (quoted earler) that "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be done unto you" (Moroni 7:26). "Wherefore . . . have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven . . . ? (Moroni 7:26).

Followed by his answer "Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought . . . wherefore, if these things have ceased . . . it is because of unbelief, and all is vain" (Moroni 7:37).

So there you have it: If we are not receiving answers to our prayers; if we are not receving that which we ask for or desire ("which is good"), "it is because of unbelief, and all is vain."

While it is good to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things, it is not good to blame him when we do not believe his promises; for he has promised that "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23), but "Without faith, it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).

The response-ability is ours. To believe, or not to believe, that is the question!