If ye have not charity

     A subject on my mind today is that of faith, this has been on my mind because we taught it 4 times today to different groups of missionaries.  I have learned so much about faith just in these past 24 hours alone.

                                                               


       Faith is a principle of power. God works by power, but his power is usually exercised in response to faith( see Moroni 10:7).  He works according to the faith of his children.  Doubt and fear are opposed to faith.  I have seen this so much in my life, and especially on my mission.  I think about the times when I have had great faith in something, there were small miracles wrought because of that faith.  There have been other times when I felt like something was too hard or too out of reach.  Because of this doubt, they were.  Without that faith I couldn't have Gods power and thus accomplish what he needed me too.

                                                         
         
     There are many examples in the Book of Mormon of people who exercised great faith and saw mighty miracles.  Ether chapter 12 sums most of these up   "For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead..." (vs. 7)  "Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth..." (vs. 13)  "Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost..." (vs. 14) "And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared..." (vs. 20)
These are just a few of the miracles in the Book of Mormon all wrought by faith.

                                                              

  There is however another principle that is essential to performing and seeing the miracles of God.  In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 it says "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of  prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."  I love this scripture because it teaches us what our motives must be in order to recieve have God's power to be with us.  Our greatest motivator has to be love, without it we are nothing.  I have learned this so greatly on my mission, I have truly developed a love for all the people I serve.  Because of this love, and my small faith, I have seen miracles.  I am so thankful for the lord and his love for me.