Which Leadeth Them to Faith

Amaleki gave this description of the people of Zarahemla when Mosiah and his people found them: “Nevertheless, they had had many wars and serious contentions, and had fallen by the sword from time to time; and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator.” One of the messages of this story seems to be that the scriptures are essential for us to keep our faith in God. What happened to this people as a whole is surely a warning for each of us as individuals. When we don’t have the scriptures—or don’t study and use them as we should—our faith will diminish, potentially to the point that we don’t even believe in our Creator. Despite their spiritually degenerate condition, though, the people of Zarahemla were able to still recognize the value of the scriptural records: “There was great rejoicing among the people of Zarahemla; and also Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews” (Omni 1:14,17). Their rejoicing was in particular because Mosiah had brought with him the plates of brass. Surely this was in part because it contained a history of their own ancestors, but perhaps they also eventually recognized that they needed the power and direction the commandments and words of the Lord would bring them. We too should rejoice that the scriptures in our time have been given to us and use them each day to protect our faith in the Lord.

                Samuel the Lamanite described the Lamanites who had been converted to the truth in these words: “And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them” (Helaman 15:7). What led them to faith in the Lord? It was the words of the holy scriptures and the prophets which are written. As Paul said, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Faith is nurtured in us through the word of God. We believe in God because we have His word and feel its power. It is surely instructive to us that the first work that Joseph Smith was called to do, even before organizing the Lord’s church, was to bring forth a scriptural record: “And you have a gift to translate the plates; and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift until my purpose is fulfilled in this; for I will grant unto you no other gift until it is finished” (Doctrine and Covenants 5:4). He had to bring forth the Book of Mormon before anything else, and this was a powerful witness to us that God indeed lives as revelation declares: “By these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:17). We have free access to the words of God like never before in the history of the world, but if we want to know for ourselves that “there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal,” and not forget like the people of Zarahemla, we must read and ponder and study the holy scriptures that lead us to faith on the Lord.