Belief vs Faith

Faith vs Belief (or, Principle vs Practice)

College kids run the special risk of reducing their faith to belief. How many people claim they "know" certain things are true, then have absolutely no actions in their life that correlate to that truth? I fear that, for too many young people, their religious education had resulted in a sophisticated world-view with little relevance to their day-to-day actions. 

This is, scripturally, the antithesis of faith. Faith is an active exertion of effort, because of our beliefs. When Jacob warned the wise that they would perish, he only stipulated that they look not to God; certainly there is a place for those who are wise to the gospel, but look not to God in their daily lives. There is no man who is so converted that he cannot depart from a faith he no longer lives.

Indeed, such folks are not so different from the ministers of Joseph Smith's day, who had a form of Godliness, but denied the power thereof. Many of those on BYU's campus have a form of Godliness. They have a deep, nuanced, and often personal understanding of Gospel fundamentals, including the nature of God, the meaning of the Atonement, and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon; and in spite of this form, they deny its power by denying God a chance to act in their life; by denying themselves a chance to live their beliefs, and by denying the Savior devoted disciples. Remember, it was the savvy, learned Pharisees and Sadducees of Christ's day who rejected Him most vehemently. 

What can we do to avoid such tragic patterns in our lives? The simplicity of the answer is almost off-settling for would be-gospel intellectuals, but it is the truth: maintain your foundation. Look to God and live, live by every word that comes forth out of the mouth of God. Say your prayers and read your scriptures! And for heaven's sake, attend church and really try to get something out of it. If we convert our beliefs into action, then our faith will increase, and we will come to see miracles in our own lives. 

Let us avoid the pitfalls of hubris; because we all know what it's like to think, "I understand the principle, so there's little need for me to so rigidly adhere to practice." Sing a primary song. Listen to a talk. It may seem beneath your radical, free-thinking mind, but these apparently basic things will revitalize your life, they will ignite the spark of faith and bring fresh light into your life. Nobody is so wise or independent that we have no need of truth anymore. A simple question we can use to keep ourselves on track is found in Alma, Chapter 5: "If ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, can ye feel so now?"

What if you've already disengaged? What if you see yourself heading down this path, shackled to your own preconceived beliefs? You can stop and turn around. You are worthy of rescue from your own pride. You can find joy in returning to the light of the Lord. It is so much brighter than the feeble sparks we cast on our own. God will enlarge, ennoble, and invigorate who we are, making us more of who we are. We shouldn't be afraid of becoming somebody else if we do what others are doing in the church; truth remains truth, regardless of how many or how few practitioners it has. The gospel takes who we are, and refines, not redefines us. It transforms our weaknesses and ameliorates our strengths. It helps us be the best version of ourselves we can be. That is the power of faith. Belief on it's own is insufficient and inert; faith propels and elevates.