As Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, he prayed and thanked the Father for hearing him. He then said:
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 11:42)
It is fascinating to consider Jesus’ surety of the Father always hearing him.
This was not a statement of knowledge, but one of faith. The Father had not yet given Jesus this knowledge—at that time, he still exercised belief that it was the case.
Many people incorrectly assume that Jesus had special access to heaven. In reality, he “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus experienced angels ministering to him after his forty-day fast and as he bore the sins of the world in the garden of Gethsemane. He heard the voice of the Father testify that he was his son at his baptism and on the mount of transfiguration, where he also saw and spoke with two heavenly messengers. But Jesus obtained these experiences as we do—through first exercising faith. His tremendous experiences came not to provide him with tremendous faith, but because he already had tremendous faith.
Understanding that Jesus, too, was subjected to the need to exercise and grow in faith in his mortal life should cause you to read accounts of his behavior in the New Testament differently. For example, can you ever imagine a situation where you would be so bold as to publicly proclaim something that was based on reasons—but not knowledge—as he did in the foregoing example? Can you imagine yourself having sufficient reasons— but through belief only—to publicly pray to the Father and then attempt to raise someone from the dead? Realize how much more there is to faith than you previously assumed!
Faith can grow into knowledge:
26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, 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.
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye 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 cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. (Alma 32)
However, we ought not underestimate the duration of the path that leads to knowledge. For each and every target of faith, there is a path one must walk for it to become knowledge. One might have sure knowledge in one area, and still walk by faith in another.
For example, mighty Alma, who at this point had seen an angel, seen the light of God, preached the gospel among the entire country, endured great persecution, received sacred records and seer stones, and been appointed chief judge, still contended in battle against a wicked man:
And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people. (Alma 2:30)
Isn’t it jarring to consider that this man of God still battled with a sword, that he needed to offer this sincere prayer, that he was at the point of being defeated when he did, and that God’s power in this instance had to be used in such a crude manner?
The juxtaposition of great knowledge with enduring faith ought not be so jarring. A central point of mortality is that, through faith, men and women can transmit great manifestations of light here from heaven, even while remaining in the midst of this fallen world. After all, the holy Lord Jesus Christ still went through the humiliating mortal experience of having to use the bathroom every day of his life.
The purpose of this life is to obtain, through faith, all things that can be obtained through faith. Until we obtain each possible outcome through faith, it is good for us to remain in our mortal limitations in that thing. This life is like a recipe: the completion of one step does not imply the completion of the recipe. While we yet live—while there remains some piece of knowledge we have not yet obtained—there is still work for faith to perform.
Many times, faith becomes knowledge all at once, after the trial of faith, such as when the Lord appeared to the brother of Jared:
19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him. (Ether 3)
Once the Lord had appeared to the brother of Jared, he knew and did not merely believe the Lord’s previous promise that he could be shown anything (see Ether 3:26). Because of this, in the moment he first saw the Lord’s finger, he also obtained access to everything else:
And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil. (Ether 12:21)
The greatest blessings come to those willing to endure pressure cooker experiences—trials which build and build without any release until they are finished.
This operates according to the justice of God, who must give a greater reward to those who exercise greater faith. The efforts of people who endure prolonged trials of faith are compounded and yield a much greater blessing than the shorter trials or trials which are punctuated by periodic confirmations of the path.
The greatest outcomes of faith are only available to those who are willing to endure prolonged trials of faith, with few—if any—signs along the way. The greatest knowledge is available only to those who will desire and do the greatest things through faith.
#Chapter 6: Examples of the Faith Cycle
As you learn the faith cycle, you will see it everywhere. You will see it in your life, and you will see it in the lives of others. You will see it all over the scriptures. Let’s consider a few examples from the scriptures to get you started.