0:00:00 - 0:00:17 Welcome to this video on the lectures on faith. We'll be talking about the principle of action today. How faith is the principle of action? This is uh it's part two of the series. It's video three because there's an introductory video and I invite you to watch the first two videos. If you haven't already 0:00:17 - 0:00:40 , we'll just pick up as if you have watched them. So I hope you have. So how is faith? The principle of action? In lecture one, we read, read faith is not only the principle of action but of power also in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven or on earth, were this class to go back and reflect upon 0:00:40 - 0:00:58 the history of their lives from the period of their first recollection and ask themselves what principle excited them to action or what gave them energy and activity in all their lawful avocations, callings and pursuits. What would be the answer? Would it not be that it was the assurance which we had 0:00:57 - 0:01:26 of the existence of things which we had not seen as yet. So this is talking about hope, it's hope that is the assurance which we had of the existence of things which we had not seen as yet. Hope is defined as desire for and anticipation of a future event or condition. In order to have hope. You have 0:01:26 - 0:01:55 to have a what? And two whys the first, why is, why do you want it? And the second, why is why do you expect it? Faith is the way that you get hope in Alma 3221 we read if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. Hope does not get faith, but faith gives you hope. So if you 0:01:54 - 0:02:20 want more hope, which is how you'll, you'll the hope is how you get uh action. It's the principle of action, but hope comes through faith. So how do you increase faith in the third lecture we read, let us here observed that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may 0:02:19 - 0:02:41 exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the idea that he actually exists. Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. Thirdly an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will. For without an acquaintance with these three 0:02:41 - 0:03:01 important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive. But with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to increase faith, you have to learn more 0:03:00 - 0:03:24 about God. There is no other way. If you want to increase your faith, you have to reconcile yourself to everything you know about God and everything He teaches you. There is no other way and you continue this process and as you continue this process, your faith in God will increase. You have to gain 0:03:23 - 0:03:47 more information about and from Him and you have to act, feel desire and think differently than you did before. Based on that information, that's the same thing. That's how you increase faith. There is no other way. This goes back to what we were reading about becoming like God in the introduction video 0:03:46 - 0:04:10 . This is how you do it. This is how you increase faith. So we're gonna read through some examples of gaining more information about or from God and then changing your actions, feelings and desires and thoughts based on the information that you gain in Hebrews 11 7, we read by faith, Noah being warned 0:04:09 - 0:04:33 of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house. Do you see the information that Noah received from God? Do you see how Noah acted differently and felt differently based on the information he received? Here's another one Hebrews 11 8 says by faith Abraham 0:04:32 - 0:04:54 , when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out not knowing whither he went. Do you see the information Abraham received from God? Do you see how he acted differently because of it? So, neither Noah nor Abraham made this up. He didn't 0:04:53 - 0:05:13 just say, hey, I've got an idea. Uh I imagine a flood is gonna come. So I'm gonna just build a boat and Abraham didn't say, oh, I've got an idea. I'm just gonna wander around in the wilderness for the rest of my life. Both of them received information from God and they, they reconciled that information 0:05:12 - 0:05:32 rather, they reconciled their character and their, their behavior to that information. Here's another one, Hebrews 11 and 11 by faith, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful, who had promised. So where did she 0:05:32 - 0:05:55 get the information from, from God that triggered this change in outcome by faith? Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them. He was told what to do and he was told why and he changed because of it by faith. The Israelites passed through 0:05:55 - 0:06:16 the Red Sea as by dry land which the Egyptians are saying to do were drowned. They were able to do what the Egyptians were not able to do because they were told to do it. They received information from God. Number 32 we read the general pattern. It says behold, if you will awake and arouse your faculties 0:06:15 - 0:06:36 , even to an experiment upon my words and exercise a particle of faith. Yeah. Even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place 0:06:36 - 0:06:54 that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief that you will resist the spirit of the Lord. Behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts. And when you feel these swelling motions, you will begin to say within yourselves 0:06:53 - 0:07:14 . It must needs be that this is a good seed or that the word is good for it, begin to enlarge my soul. Yeah. It begin to enlighten my understanding. Yeah. It begin to be delicious to me. Now, behold, would not this increase your faith I say unto you. Yeah. Nevertheless, it hath not grown up to a perfect 0:07:13 - 0:07:38 knowledge. So how do you increase your faith? You experiment upon God's word. That's how you exercise a particle of faith. And when you do that, when you give place or when you do it, it will begin to swell within you and you start to see evidences that what you were told is true and this increases your 0:07:38 - 0:07:59 faith. Faith is the principle of action because it will drive you to seek God and receive more information. And as you implement that information and see the evidence of it being true, it will give you more desire to seek God even more, receive even more information. And all of this will increase the 0:00:00 - 0:00:17 Welcome to this video on the lectures on faith. We'll be talking about the principle of action today. How faith is the principle of action? This is uh it's part two of the series. It's video three because there's an introductory video and I invite you to watch the first two videos. If you haven't already 0:00:17 - 0:00:40 , we'll just pick up as if you have watched them. So I hope you have. So how is faith? The principle of action? In lecture one, we read, read faith is not only the principle of action but of power also in all intelligent beings, whether in heaven or on earth, were this class to go back and reflect upon 0:00:40 - 0:00:58 the history of their lives from the period of their first recollection and ask themselves what principle excited them to action or what gave them energy and activity in all their lawful avocations, callings and pursuits. What would be the answer? Would it not be that it was the assurance which we had 0:00:57 - 0:01:26 of the existence of things which we had not seen as yet. So this is talking about hope, it's hope that is the assurance which we had of the existence of things which we had not seen as yet. Hope is defined as desire for and anticipation of a future event or condition. In order to have hope. You have 0:01:26 - 0:01:55 to have a what? And two whys the first, why is, why do you want it? And the second, why is why do you expect it? Faith is the way that you get hope in Alma 3221 we read if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. Hope does not get faith, but faith gives you hope. So if you 0:01:54 - 0:02:20 want more hope, which is how you'll, you'll the hope is how you get uh action. It's the principle of action, but hope comes through faith. So how do you increase faith in the third lecture we read, let us here observed that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may 0:02:19 - 0:02:41 exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the idea that he actually exists. Secondly, a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. Thirdly an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will. For without an acquaintance with these three 0:02:41 - 0:03:01 important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive. But with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to increase faith, you have to learn more 0:03:00 - 0:03:24 about God. There is no other way. If you want to increase your faith, you have to reconcile yourself to everything you know about God and everything He teaches you. There is no other way and you continue this process and as you continue this process, your faith in God will increase. You have to gain 0:03:23 - 0:03:47 more information about and from Him and you have to act, feel desire and think differently than you did before. Based on that information, that's the same thing. That's how you increase faith. There is no other way. This goes back to what we were reading about becoming like God in the introduction video 0:03:46 - 0:04:10 . This is how you do it. This is how you increase faith. So we're gonna read through some examples of gaining more information about or from God and then changing your actions, feelings and desires and thoughts based on the information that you gain in Hebrews 11 7, we read by faith, Noah being warned 0:04:09 - 0:04:33 of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house. Do you see the information that Noah received from God? Do you see how Noah acted differently and felt differently based on the information he received? Here's another one Hebrews 11 8 says by faith Abraham 0:04:32 - 0:04:54 , when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out not knowing whither he went. Do you see the information Abraham received from God? Do you see how he acted differently because of it? So, neither Noah nor Abraham made this up. He didn't 0:04:53 - 0:05:13 just say, hey, I've got an idea. Uh I imagine a flood is gonna come. So I'm gonna just build a boat and Abraham didn't say, oh, I've got an idea. I'm just gonna wander around in the wilderness for the rest of my life. Both of them received information from God and they, they reconciled that information 0:05:12 - 0:05:32 rather, they reconciled their character and their, their behavior to that information. Here's another one, Hebrews 11 and 11 by faith, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful, who had promised. So where did she 0:05:32 - 0:05:55 get the information from, from God that triggered this change in outcome by faith? Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them. He was told what to do and he was told why and he changed because of it by faith. The Israelites passed through 0:05:55 - 0:06:16 the Red Sea as by dry land which the Egyptians are saying to do were drowned. They were able to do what the Egyptians were not able to do because they were told to do it. They received information from God. Number 32 we read the general pattern. It says behold, if you will awake and arouse your faculties 0:06:15 - 0:06:36 , even to an experiment upon my words and exercise a particle of faith. Yeah. Even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place 0:06:36 - 0:06:54 that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief that you will resist the spirit of the Lord. Behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts. And when you feel these swelling motions, you will begin to say within yourselves 0:06:53 - 0:07:14 . It must needs be that this is a good seed or that the word is good for it, begin to enlarge my soul. Yeah. It begin to enlighten my understanding. Yeah. It begin to be delicious to me. Now, behold, would not this increase your faith I say unto you. Yeah. Nevertheless, it hath not grown up to a perfect 0:07:13 - 0:07:38 knowledge. So how do you increase your faith? You experiment upon God's word. That's how you exercise a particle of faith. And when you do that, when you give place or when you do it, it will begin to swell within you and you start to see evidences that what you were told is true and this increases your 0:07:38 - 0:07:59 faith. Faith is the principle of action because it will drive you to seek God and receive more information. And as you implement that information and see the evidence of it being true, it will give you more desire to seek God even more, receive even more information. And all of this will increase the 0:07:59 - 0:08:15 amount of hope you have because you will trust God to a greater extent that His words will be fulfilled. And that uh His character is what it is proclaimed to be in terms of Him being all loving and all knowing.