Have a deliberate faith

"Instead of insisting to know the end from the beginning before taking the first step, Mary simply submits her will to the Lord.  How many of us would do likewise?  How many of us singles insist on knowing when we will marry and how it will happen before taking the first step towards eternal blessings?"

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Two months ago when attempting to decide which Conference talk should be the focus of my monologue, I could hardly decide.  So many options each seemed so worthy and acceptable.  Now I find that so many options are still good, but they don’t tug on me as they once did.

I read Conference address after Conference address, looking for something indicating the one that felt right.  I’m not sure why, but Elder L. Whitney Clayton’s address entitled “Whatsoever He saith unto You, Do It” gave me that tug I was seeking.

I actually felt something enticing me to read it as I looked at the different options before me, but for some reason I can’t fully explain, I shied away from it.  At length, not finding the indication I sought elsewhere, I turned to it and began reading.  As I read, what I sought was everywhere in spades.

Why I should focus here I have no idea.  But as the title of the address implies, when the Lord directs, we should do it.  When you think about it, that actually fits perfectly with our discussion last week about walking by faith and journeying with vision.

Adopt a deliberate humility

Elder Clayton begins by describing Mary, the mother of Jesus, at a wedding feast in Cana.  When the wine for the feast had been exhausted, Mary turned to Jesus.  After a brief consultation, she then instructed the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).  They did, and thus we have the miracle we know of turning water into wine.

Elder Clayton then described Mary’s original insertion into the Savior’s story when the angel Gabriel announced she would give birth.  Mary was of course startled at first.  Then as Gabriel began to explain the message he had been sent to deliver, Mary became filled with many questions.  But as Elder Clayton explains,

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Mary humbly responded that she would do what God asked, without demanding to know specifics and undoubtedly in spite of having countless questions about the implications for her life. She committed herself without exactly understanding why He was asking that of her or how things would work out. She accepted God’s word unconditionally and in advance, with little knowledge of what lay ahead. With simple trust in God, Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”

When we decide to do “whatsoever [God] saith unto” us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God’s will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality. Over time, simple habits of belief lead to miraculous results. They transform our faith from a seedling into a dynamic power for good in our lives. Then, when challenges come our way, our rootedness in Christ provides steadfastness for our souls. God shores up our weaknesses, increases our joys, and causes “all things [to] work together for [our] good.”

What an amazing example of faith and humility!  Instead of insisting to know the end from the beginning before taking the first step, Mary simply submits her will to the Lord.  How many of us would do likewise?  How many of us singles insist on knowing when we will marry and how it will happen before taking the first step towards eternal blessings?

Display a deliberate obedience

We all face challenges in life.  And sometimes we get so focused on finding the solutions to our problems that we forget the “simple practices of faith.”  Elder Clayton acknowledges these struggles in our lives while at the same time declaring that those simple practices provide the strength we need to confront our challenges.

We hear about those simple practices so often we call them Sunday School answers. And it’s easy to think of those simple practices providing answers only to routine living; they give us a structure for what we do everyday.  But when it comes to real living filled with problems that feel unique and have no easy answers, we often want something more than Sunday School answers.

As seemingly unrelated as they may seem to our unique challenges, simple practices of faith are the answer to whatever challenge we face in life.  Elder Clayton declared,

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Over time, . . . I have observed that those who are deliberate about doing the ‘small and simple things’—obeying in seemingly little ways—are blessed with faith and strength that go far beyond the actual acts of obedience themselves and, in fact, may seem totally unrelated to them. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face. But they are related. In my experience, getting the little daily habits of faith right is the single best way to fortify ourselves against the troubles of life, whatever they may be. Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do.

“Those who are deliberate about doing the ‘small and simple things’” aren’t living life on autopilot.  They consciously choose what they do and why they do it.  They consciously choose to be faithful in all the little questions regardless of if or when they get answers to their big ones.  That’s the mark of true walking by faith.

Receive deliberate blessings

Adopting this deliberate form of obedience can do more than strengthen us in our moments of trial.  It can also open the windows of heaven to unfolding before us the revelation we need to resolve concerns and overcome challenges.

When we think of revelation, certainly the First Vision comes to mind.  It’s hard if not impossible to imagine the Restoration happening without the First Vision.  But can you imagine the First Vision happening without the simple practices of faith that the boy Joseph Smith practiced before witnessing that marvelous revelation?

Elder Clayton spoke of the connection between the simple practices of faith and the revelation we seek.

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The trial of our faith will always involve staying true to simple, daily practices of faith. Then, and only then, does He promise that we will receive the divine response for which we long. Only once we have proven our willingness to do what He asks without demanding to know the whens, the whys, and the hows do we “reap the rewards of [our] faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering.” Real obedience accepts God’s commandments unconditionally and in advance.

Adopting a deliberate humility before the Lord will help us to display a deliberate obedience to all the small acts of righteous living.  That in turn will strengthen us in our search for eternal blessings.  Consciously choosing to do what the Lord wants us to do today without insisting on having any answers to questions about the future will qualify us to receive the rewards of faith, diligence, and patience.  And receiving those rewards will bring us more joy in our journey.