Do you have an idea of the confidence in each of your ideas about Jesus? You need confidence in your model of how Jesus is in order to follow his example in spite of any opposition. The confidence you have in your model of Jesus will affect the power you have with God.1 God’s power comes through faith,2 and your faith in him increases with your confidence in your beliefs about him. You can only have as much faith as you have confidence in your idea of what God would do in your place. In order to have greater power with God and learn more about him, you will have to develop a greater sense of your confidence levels in your beliefs about him, yourself, others, and the world.
What is the confidence threshold required for faith? It isn’t certainty, but it takes much more than a guess. For any idea, how thoroughly have you sought out more information?3 What are your reasons to believe, and what are your reasons to doubt? You should hold and act on any belief for which your reasons to believe are greater than your reasons to doubt.
How would you measure confidence? Belief and doubt should both be based on reason, not feelings. Strong belief in something without strong reasons is not faith; it is delusion. Strong doubt in something without strong reasons is not skepticism, it is unbelief.
How would you increase confidence? You gain confidence through observation, reasoning, and experimentation, and the greatest confidence cannot exist without all three. You can’t have confidence beyond your willingness to test your ideas, evaluate alternatives, and go with what works the best.
Recognize situations where you have more or less confidence than your evidence suggests is reasonable. In situations where you are overconfident, adopt more humility by arguing less often or intensely with and listening more honestly to those with whom you disagree, and spend more time searching for better ideas or evidence. In situations where you are underconfident, adopt more courage and consistency in acting and speaking according to what you believe.4
Footnotes
- 1. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth (Mormon 9:21) And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. (Moroni 7:33) ↩
- 2. ...Without faith you can do nothing.... (D&C 8:10) ↩
- 3. Faith requires reasonable use of all resources at your disposal. These include the scriptures, as well as all good books and people you have access to. Do not expect God to bring to your attention information you already have access to but did not make use of. ↩
- 4. I believed, therefore I spoke... (Psalm 116:10) ↩