If Thou Canst Believe

After Nephi desired to see the things that his father had seen in the vision of the tree of life, he pondered in his heart and was taken away to an exceedingly high mountain. The Spirit of the Lord came and asked him this: “Behold, what desirest thou?” he responded that he wanted to see the things his father had seen, and the angel then asked him this question: “Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?” Nephi answered, “Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father” (1 Nephi 11:1-5). I believe that Nephi was saying not only that he believed what his father had said about the vision of the tree of life but more importantly that he believed Lehi’s teachings about the Messiah recorded in the previous chapter. He had written this teaching of his father shortly after the account of the tree of life: “Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world…. Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer. And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord…. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles” (1 Nephi 10:4-11). So Nephi was in effect expressing his belief in the Messiah when he told the angel that he did indeed believe the words of his father. I believe that’s why the response from the Spirit of the Lord was so exuberant: “And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired” (1 Nephi 11:6). Nephi had expressed his faith in the Savior, and the Spirit felt that that was worth rejoicing over.

               I believe this exchange is very instructive for each of us in our lives. We often go to the Lord with our desires, and He says to us in His own way through His Spirit: “What desirest thou?” We respond with the blessing we desire of Him and He answers this question: “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” The first step to obtaining any good thing from the Lord is to believe in Jesus Christ—faith in Him is always the first principle of the gospel and the first action we need to take to obtain any blessing from God. When we truly do believe in the Savior and can answer like Nephi, then the Spirit rejoices and tells us, “Blessed art thou.” And, if our desire is according to His will, He also adds that we shall have “the thing which thou hast desired.” Whatever we desire, whatever we hope for and strive for, to obtain it we must “first believe in the Son of God”  (Ether 12:18). Once a man with a son with a “dumb spirit” which caused the boy all sorts of harm came to the Savior to have his son healed. We read in Mark’s account, “And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.” Jesus then gave this man and us the key to overcoming this problem: “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” The man replied “with tears” and said in earnest, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:20-24). Like Nephi, this man declared his belief in the Savior, even if at the same time recognizing that his faith was not perfect and needed strengthening. On another occasion “two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.” Jesus said to them: “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” They declared their faith in Him, and then He indeed healed them. Again the requirement was faith in Him, and surely that is the first step for all of us to receive the help and hope that we desire. If we will first believe in Him, even if that faith is not complete and our unbelief needs help, then the Lord can work His miracles and show us great things like Nephi received.