What Does It Mean To Have Faith in Jesus Christ?

As you study the scriptures and other resources to learn about faith, look for things that would
help the young men strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:49, 1729; Ether 12:1122 (Examples of people who showed faith)
James 1:56; 2:1420 (Faith is belief and action)
Alma 32:21, 2643 (Faith is hope for things that are true but not seen)
Moroni 7:3341 (Miracles are wrought by faith)
Neil L. Andersen, Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice,Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 6568
Russell M. Nelson, Let Your Faith Show, Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 2932
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrificethan Cain, by which he obtained witn
ess that he wasrighteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he beingdead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not seedeath; and was not found, because God h
ad translatedhim: for before his translation he had this testimony, thathe pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for hethat cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is arewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seenas yet, moved with fear, prepared an ar
k to the saving ofhis house; by the which he condemned the world, andbecame heir of the righte
ousness which is by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into aplace which he should after receive for
an inheritance,obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in astrange country, dwelling in tabernacles w
ith Isaac andJacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

Heb !1
11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But inthe gift of his Son hath God prepared a
more excellentway; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.

12 For if there be no faith among the children of men Godcan do no miracle among them; wher
efore, he showed nothimself until after their faith.
13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek thatcaused the prison to tumble to the earth.
14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wroughtthe change upon the Lamanites, that
they were baptizedwith fire and with the Holy Ghost.
15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethrenwhich wrought so great a miracle among
the Lamanites.
16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wroughtthem by faith, even those who were be
fore Christ and alsothose who were after.
17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained apromise that they should not taste of d
eath; and theyobtained not the promise until after their faith.
18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miraclesuntil after their faith; wherefore they first
believed in theSon of God.
19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedinglystrong, even before Christ came, who c
ould not be keptfrom within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes thethings which they had be
held with an eye of faith, andthey were glad.
20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one ofthese was the brother of Jared; for so grea
t was his faith inGod, that when God put forth his finger he could not hideit from the sight of th
e brother of Jared, because of hisword which he had spoken unto him, which word he hadobtain
ed by faith.
21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger ofthe Lord, because of the promise whic
h the brother ofJared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withholdanything from his sight;
wherefore he showed him allthings, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.
22 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained thepromise that these things should come un
to their brethrenthrough the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commandedme, yea, even Jesus C
hrist.

James 1:5-6

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, thatgiveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth n
ot; and it shallbe given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he thatwavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the windand tossed.
Alma 32:21
21 And now as I said concerning faithfaith is not tohave a perfect knowledge of things; therefo
re if ye havefaith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
26 Now, as I said concerning faiththat it was not aperfect knowledgeeven so it is with my w
ords. Yecannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, anymore than faith is a perfect kno
wledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties,even to an experiment upon my words
, and exercise aparticle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire tobelieve, let this desire
work in you, even until ye believe ina manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, ifye give place, that a seed may be planted
in your heart,behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not castit out by your unbelief, t
hat ye will resist the Spirit of theLord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts;and whe
n you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin tosay within yourselvesIt must needs be that t
his is a goodseed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlargemy soul; yea, it beginneth t
o enlighten my understanding,yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I sayunto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not
grown up to aperfect knowledge.
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, andbeginneth to grow, then you must needs
say that the seedis good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, andbeginneth to grow. And now,
behold, will not thisstrengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: forye will say I kno
w that this is a good seed; for behold itsprouteth and beginneth to grow.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? Isay unto you, Yea; for every seed brin
geth forth unto itsown likeness.
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it growethnot, behold it is not good, therefore it
is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried theexperiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth
andsprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs knowthat the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea,your knowledge is perfect in that thing, an
d your faith isdormant; and this because you know, for ye know that theword hath swelled your
souls, and ye also know that ithath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin tobe enlig
htened, and your mind doth begin to expand.
35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because itis light; and whatsoever is light, is goo
d, because it isdiscernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; andnow behold, after ye have
tasted this light is yourknowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay asideyour faith, for ye have only exercised yo
ur faith to plantthe seed that ye might try the experiment to know if theseed was good.

37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say:Let us nourish it with great care, that i
t may get root, thatit may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And nowbehold, if ye nourish i
t with much care it will get root, andgrow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for itsnourishment, behold it will not get any r
oot; and when theheat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath noroot it withers away
, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neitheris it because the fruit thereof would n
ot be desirable; but itis because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourishthe tree, therefore
ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, lookingforward with an eye of faith to the fruit the
reof, ye cannever pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree asit beginneth to grow, by your faith wit
h great diligence,and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, itshall take root; and be
hold it shall be a tree springing upunto everlasting life.
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and yourpatience with the word in nourishing
it, that it may takeroot in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruitthereof, which is most pr
ecious, which is sweet above allthat is sweet, and which is white above all that is white,yea, and
pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feastupon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hung
er not,neither shall ye thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of yourfaith, and your diligence, and patience,
and long-suffering,waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.
Alma 7 33-41
33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me yeshall have power to do whatsoever thing is
expedient inme.
34 And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, andcome unto me, and be baptized in my
name, and havefaith in me, that ye may be saved.
35 And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case thatthese things are true which I have spok
en unto you, andGod will show unto you, with power and great glory atthe last day, that they ar
e true, and if they are true has theday of miracles ceased?
36 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children ofmen? Or has he withheld the power of t
he Holy Ghostfrom them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or theearth shall stand, or there s
hall be one man upon the facethereof to be saved?
37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith thatmiracles are wrought; and it is by faith that a
ngels appearand minister unto men; wherefore, if these things haveceased wo be unto the childr
en of men, for it is because ofunbelief, and all is vain.

38 For no man can be saved, according to the words ofChrist, save they shall have faith in his na
me; wherefore, ifthese things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; andawful is the state of ma
n, for they are as though there hadbeen no redemption made.
39 But behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better thingsof you, for I judge that ye have faith in
Christ because ofyour meekness; for if ye have not faith in him then ye arenot fit to be numbered
among the people of his church.
40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak untoyou concerning hope. How is it that ye
can attain untofaith, save ye shall have hope?
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say untoyou that ye shall have hope through t
he atonement ofChrist and the power of his resurrection, to be raised untolife eternal, and this b
ecause of your faith in him accordingto the promise.