The Unauthorized Investigator's Guide to
The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints

Lesson 3

Faith in Jesus Christ

The Missionaries Will Teach...

The first principle of the gospel is faith in Jesus Christ.  Having faith in Jesus Christ means firmly believing that he is the literal begotten son of God and the savior and redeemer of the world.  We need to believe that the only way to return and live with God is by the mercy and grace of Jesus.  When we have faith, we accept his teachings and apply them to our lives; we trust him and obey him.  We firmly believe that he has the power to do what he says he'd do.  Heavenly Father blesses those who have faith to obey his son.

Faith in Jesus Christ leads to action.  It leads to sincere and lasting repentance.  It causes us to try as hard as we can to learn about Jesus and be like him.  We strive to learn and obey his commandments.  Even though we'll still make mistakes, we try as hard as we can to obey the commandments and avoid sin.

We believe in Jesus, and believe that he wants us to keep all of the commandments.  We desire to demonstrate our faith by obedience, and we pray for the strength to overcome temptation.  We can also have faith in a particular principle of the gospel such as tithing or the word of wisdom by first believing in Jesus Christ enough to obey his commandments.  As we live a specific commandment, we learn the truthfulness of it through experience.  Our faith continues to grow by hearing and reading the word of God.

When we obey God, he blesses us and gives us the power to face life's challenges.  He helps us to change the desires of our hearts.  Through faith in Jesus we can be healed, both physically and spiritually.

Some Additional Thoughts...

Are Mormons Christian?  I hate that question, but lots of people like talking about it.  Here are my thoughts.

My Doubts about Faith.  Why is faith a virtue, anyway?

Faith Through the Eyes of a Statistician. I don't think very many readers will appreciate this angle, but if you are a deep thinker, give it a read.

The Faith that the Saints Exercise by a site visitor. 


Back Up Next

If you have a question or would like to discuss these topics, I suggest that you go to a Mormon-related bulletin board (here are some recommendations). If you'd like to contact me with comments or feedback, you may send an email to analytics@lds4u.com.