It can be overwhelming tackling school assignments, tests, papers, and attending class, but students pursuit of educational goals and gaining knowledge can be assisted by learning not only by study, but also by faith, said Elder David A. Bednar in his CES address entitled, “Seek Learning by Faith,” given in 2006.
Principle of Action: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Elder Bednar defines faith as three distinct characteristics:
(1) Faith as the assurance of things hoped for that are true,
(2) Faith as the evidence of things not seen, and
( 3) Faith as the principle of action in all intelligent beings.
“These three elements of faith—assurance, action, and evidence—are not separate and discrete; rather, they are interrelated and continuous and cycle upward,” said Bednar. Alma 32:27 reads, “Awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith.”
Exercising faith in Jesus Christ requires action. This may mean stepping into the dark and trusting that his light will illuminate the way.
Learning by Faith: To act and not to be acted upon
Elder Bednar said because people are given agency, they are given the power of independent action.
“Learning by faith requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive reception,” said Elder Bednar.
This type of learning is more than “cognitive comprehension and the retelling and recalling of information,” said Elder Bednar. “[It] causes us to put off the natural man, to change our hearts, to be converted unto the Lord, and to never fall away.”
For example, the Prophet Joseph Smith applied his faith in the phrasing of his critical question to Heavenly Father when he knelt in the Sacred Grove. He didn’t ask which of all the churches was true, he asked which church he should join.
The Holy Ghost is a teacher from the Father
Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “The office of the Holy Ghost in His ministrations among men is described in scripture. He is a teacher sent from the Father; and unto those who are entitled to His tuition He will reveal all things necessary for the soul’s advancement.”
The Holy Ghost acts as the third member of the Godhead and acts as the messenger where people are the conduit through which divine inspiration can flow.
Our Faith is strengthened as we help others seek learning by faith.
It has been said the most effective method of learning is to teach principles or ideas to someone else. D&C 88:77-78 states, “Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand.”
Elder Bednar expressed the importance of studying by faith in these latter days when he said, “The responsibility to seek learning by faith rests upon each of us individually.” He continued, “This obligation will become increasingly important as the world in which we live grows more confused and trouble
Writer: Hailey Gardiner ~ Multimedia Journalist