Trust in God
Developing our trust in God is pivotal to our success in life. He can make more out of us than we ever could ourselves, though it may not be in a way that we imagined. But gaining this trust in Him, and he in us, requires effort and sacrifice on our part. It is a complete overhaul of our lives, but we can do it, if we trust in Him.
The scriptures are rife with examples of trusting in God. In the Gospel of John, chapter 9, there is an account of one man, blind since his birth. The Savior, in his mortal ministry, met this man and told his disciples “neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” This humble blind beggar probably did not understand the situation, or even who the man who put clay on his eyes was. He had not seen him, but only heard him and his disciples discuss as they passed. Nevertheless, he must have trusted in what he heard and felt. He did not try to quell the Spirit that accompanied the Savior but listened as Christ’s words resonated with his own spirit. He allowed Christ to anoint his eyes with clay and then went to wash in the pool of Siloam. The blind man did as the Savior told him, even though the instructions he received may not have made any sense to him. Trusted in God, and was healed of his lifelong infirmity. His story however, does not end there.
As he returned from washing in the pool of Siloam, he did not see the Savior, but testified to those who questioned him of the miracle of his sight, accrediting it to “a man that is called Jesus.” As always follows a spiritual high, a trial soon followed. Because he was healed on the Sabbath day, he was taken to the Pharisees. As they attacked and attempted to discredit Christ, calling Christ a sinful man even a man of the devil, the blind man stood firm in his testimony. They even called in his parents, who feared the Jews because “the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.” In other words, excommunicated, for testifying of Christ. His parents did not back him up at all, saying, “he is of age, ask him” yet he continued, trusting in his testimony of God, knowing that it would exile him from his community at the very moment he would be able to participate in it for the first time something he probably dreamed of his whole life. At the very moment he received that dream, he would lose it, sacrificing the opportunity for Christ, trusting that Christ would show him a better life although it may not be easier. He refused to reject his benefactor. So in the midst of his peers, in the midst of the social elite, the Pharisees he challenged them with this powerful testimony,
“27He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? 28Then they areviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. 29We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from awhence he is. 30The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.a 33If this man were not of aGod, he could do nothing.” He solemnly testified that Christ was of God, work was divine and that Jesus could not be a sinner. That’s from whence his healer is, That is where Jesus stood and he recognized the truth. He stood by his testimony knowing what it would cost him “34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.” The Pharisees rejected him because he was formerly blind, attempting to discredit his entire testimony. He paid the price to stand as a witness, becoming an outcast but showing his faith and trust in God despite the pressures about him to deny it.
Yet this once blind man still has something to teach us about trusting in God. In Ether 12:6 Moroni says “6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” This man still had not seen his Savior, but had had shown tremendous faith in the Savior’s goodness and standing with God, testifying against the Pharisees. So in v. 35 when “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” This man truly experienced conversion. He trusted in the Lord, showing faith even under fire, and thusly received a personal direct witness of the Savior.
It’s that kind of faith that builds trust in the Lord, faith to act in the first place, faith to share what you know, faith to hold to what you know at any cost, even giving up the life you’ve looked forward to having or have now, and faith to come to know the Savior. When we are trust him with our lives, turning our whole souls over to him, then we can come to know him personally as did this blind man.
We need to strive for faith like King Lamoni’s father. He trusted in the words of Aaron and prayed in faith, saying “18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.” He trusted the Lord enough to change his entire life. “I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.” It was a commitment to a complete lifestyle change. Are we so willing? Do we trust the Lord enough to let him guide our lives away from our sins? If we let him, he will provide us with experiences far greater than we could ever experience through any sin, we just have to trust him, and act on what he tells us to do. Are we willing, like these two men to give up what God requires, because we trust him?
I find this topic, trusting in God, oddly fitting for my farewell considering I’m going to Colombia. It will be an experience that will change my life forever, and I only hope, like the blind man Jesus healed and King Lamoni’s father that I will trust in the Lord enough to allow him to change my life as he would have it. Like their changes it may be hard and will require sacrifice but I know that God will only make me better.
Over the last few years I’ve been privileged to be part of an elite group of canyoneers, primarily consisting of the Barney’s in the 12th ward and my own father and siblings. As I have gained experience they, Todd and my father have allowed me to “run the rappels” meaning under supervision I set up the ropes and tied the knots and hooked everyone up. It is an intense process, knowing they are trusting you with their lives. The pressure is on. Those experiences inspired some of the most excited and fervent silent prayers to date. Last September we hiked a canyon called Pine Creek. They allowed me to run the last rappel. This one is a little different than most rappels because it is a 100 foot free fall, meaning you’re not against the cliff. You’re not literally free falling. So I set up the rappel and sent everyone down. As the last one down I had to rework the ropes so we can pull them through after I descend. This means I untied all the knots and rigged it up myself, without any supervision. It was a cool experience, sitting alone there at the top, checking and rechecking the set up I had to trust myself enough to allow God to work through me and thus save my own life. So there I was, alone, on the very edge of a 100 foot cliff. I set it up for myself to the best of my knowledge, said a little prayer and showed my faith in God and that he would consecrate my work and knowledge to the preservation of my life, by stepping off the cliff. I didn’t focus on the faults of myself or say, I can’t or won’t do. I trusted myself, believed in the feeling of security and confidence I believe came from the Lord and stepped off. Luckily, my faith wasn’t misplaced. If the gospel is the equipment, the rope, the belay device, my gloves, the anchors and caribeaners, all of which have been provided for me in my life, then it is up to me to use them correctly to return safely home. We have the equipment, we know it won’t fail. We trust that God and his plan are real and infallible, but we must believe in ourselves enough to know that we can use it to descend any drop or face any obstacle thrown at us in our life.
That’s my mission: I’m taking this equipment that I have, the gospel, to those who are trying to down climb these perilous cliffs of life without anything to catch them should they fall. I’m rappelling down to them, teaching them how to harness up, and how to use the gospel, their equipment to find happiness in this life and the life to come. They need only to trust in the equipment and be confident in their ability to use it to be saved.
When Joseph Smith faced his cliffs of persecution because he testified of the First Vision, where he saw God the Father and the Son, he said, “However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a avision….I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two aPersonages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was bhated and cpersecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me dfalsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not edeny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” He trusted himself to know he in reality experienced that vision. It wasn’t a figment of his imagination. He recognized it and held true to it all his life. “I knew it, and I knew that God knew it.” He accepted his call from God, trusting himself and God that he would be the instrument God needed him to be.
As it is with us. We must accept the feelings we receive from the Spirit with a willing heart and mind, acknowledging to ourselves it is from God. It will guide us to become people we never thought we could. We must trust ourselves enough to recognize we are not the source of these feelings and thoughts, but God is, and we must listen and obey the counsel. Sometimes I will receive a spiritual prompting, and I will rationalize my way out of not following it, saying it doesn’t make sense or doesn’t work. We can’t do that, we must take responsibility for what we’ve received and heed the Holy Ghost even if we are scared.
Recently I had a conversation with a friend about the gospel. We knelt in prayer together and I offered it. For some reason I was nervous, and it was hard for me to just let things flow. It wasn’t so much that I lacked faith in God, but lacked faith in my ability to relay what he wanted to be said. As we stood my friend looked me in the eye and said, “Do not be afraid.” He told me of how when he was in the marines he watched tragic things happen that could rock him mentally, but he would repeat, I am a marine. I am a marine. That gave him power to overcome any fear he felt. He then said to me, you are a missionary, repeat that in your head, I am a missionary. There’s power in that. Do not be afraid.” My Commission as a missionary, given by Bruce R. Mckonky is this;
“I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent him, to stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering among the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, my acts are his acts, my words are his words and my doctrine is his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done, to say what he wants said, to be a living modern witness- in word and in deed- of the divinity of His great and marvelous latter day work…How great is my calling!”
I am missionary. If I trust in God I will not fear. I have no time to waste fearing what could happen, fearing a door being slammed or being rejected. Fearing long hours or little success, I will trust in God because as Joseph Smith has said, “Our missionaries are going forth to different nations… The standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny ma defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehova shall say the work is done.” I trust God’s prophets and the feeling of confidence I have in them to know these things are of God, and not of man or myself.