The absence of a miracle doesn’t necessarily mean we lack faith—the faith to accept God’s will is an equally valid expression of devotion.
President Russell M. Nelson once told the story of two contrasting yet powerful examples of faith. In his April 2021 general conference talk “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” he recounted how during his trip to visit the Saints in the Pacific Islands, rain threatened to hamper the outdoor meetings. Latter-day Saints in the islands of Samoa, Fiji, and Tahiti saw answers to their prayers in the typical way, as the rain stopped just before the meetings. In Tonga, the rain continued, but those faithful members still came and listened to the prophet’s words. Since hearing this story, I have often thought of these different yet equally powerful examples of faith.
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In my experience, “faith” is a word that is often about getting results. I have often heard members say things like “do you have enough faith to…?” or “I need more faith so that….” And while these are totally valid expressions of devotion, we risk misunderstanding the varied manifestations of belief if we do not get the outcomes we expect. Sometimes the miracle we want is not the one we receive. President Nelson teaches us that in addition to having faith sufficient to affect outcomes in our favor, we can also have faith to accept outcomes the Lord has favored.
That can be a hard idea to accept, especially when doctrines of divine love and support seem to conflict with the harsh reality of our struggles. Why would a loving God not cure a loved one of a terrible illness? How could our supportive Heavenly Father allow one of his devout children to lose a job? What do we make of poverty and injustice in a world made by one who cares for us and has the power to take those woes away? When faced with those types of difficult questions, I have found it helpful to remember that the purpose of our lives is not to be comfortable all the time, but to grow. Sometimes that growth will require extreme discomfort.
Even when we struggle, we can still have access to God’s power and feel his love. As President Nelson says, “The mountains in our lives do not always move how or when we would like. But our faith will always propel us forward. Faith always increases our access to godly power.” Sometimes our faith is sufficient to stop the rain, and sometimes it is sufficient to endure the rain. Both are valid expressions of faith, and the important thing to remember is that Christ and his power will be with us either way. And he’ll have an umbrella when we need it.
Read President Russell M. Nelson’s full talk “Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains” to gain more insights about practical ways to have faith.
Source: General Conference
—Christopher Wolfersberger, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY CRAIG WHITEHEAD
Find more insights
Read Elder David A. Bednar’s devotional address “Accepting the Lord’s Will and Timing” to learn more about having the faith to accept God’s will.
Read Collin Mathias’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Faith to Not Be Healed” for more insights on manifestations of faith.
Read President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Let God Prevail” to learn more about accepting God’s will.
Read Elder Brent H. Nielson’s talk “Is There No Balm in Gilead?” to learn more about reconciling God’s love with the hardships we experience.