Faith, Hope, and Charity

I'm supposed to write about faith today. But as I see it, faith, hope, and charity are so interconnected that you cannot really have one alone and do it right. The minute you have faith, well, hope snuck in somehow and charity is on its way. I read an article once comparing these three virtues to three sisters. Since I have two of my own, this seems pretty accurate. In the best sense.

Are these virtues eternal? Are they virtues of our Heavenly Father? Many would instantly say 'yes' and wonder why I bother asking. But there are others who wonder. They do it by questioning God's love when there are so many bad things happening. Theoretically, you might answer 'agency' or 'tests on earth' etc. I have found, however, that although this provides an answer, it is intellectual only. In other words, it provides knowledge in an intellectual sense, but I have found that it provides very little comfort to someone who is grieving over the death of a loved one or war or abuse or even losing a job. The head gets it. The heart isn't satisfied.

And that is why the three must go together if they are to truly change us into Christlike individuals. You must have trust in the Lord to endure a situation without becoming angry, bitter, or despairing. That trust in the Lord is faith. The trust you have that the Lord won't abandon you and will guide you through is hope. That trust you have that you will therefore not let go of Him or His children, that's charity. The late apostle, Joseph B. Wirthlin, explained it in a better way in his talk "Cultivating Divine Attributes" (found in the Ensign, Nov. 1998).

"As I read and ponder the scriptures, I see that developing faith, hope, and charity within ourselves is a step-by-step process. Faith begets hope, and together they foster charity. We read in Moroni, 'Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.' These three virtues may be sequential initially, but once obtained, they become interdependent. Each one is incomplete without the others. They support and reinforce each other. Moroni explained, 'And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.'”

In Hebrews 11:1, we learn that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The substance of something is what it is made of. Hope grows out of faith, just as Elder Wirthlin explained (sequential initially, but once obtained...). Someone truly wishing to understand God and become like Him must understand in the head and the heart. True faith is based on truth. It is more than belief in something. It is a belief so profound you will do something about it, you will change your life for it.

Knowing that, what do we hope for? What is true. To believe in a world without sorry is false hope because it is not based on truth. Even God wept (see the story of Enoch in the Book of Moses). Christ also felt sorrow (see the story of Lazarus' death). The day may come when we shall put off that veil of tears but for now, we must understand the Plan of the Lord and then accept it. This is what removes anger and bitterness. Understanding the entire overarching plan. It is also what allows us to hope. “And what is it that ye shall hope for?” He gave them this answer: “Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.” (Moroni 7:41)

And once we have this understanding and acceptance, we change. In a much simpler way, remember how you felt when you realized someone hadn't wronged you, but had actually done something really good for you but you didn't know or understand? You remember how you suddenly felt lighter and full of love towards that person? It's the same thing. When you realize that God has a plan for all of us that involves premortal, mortal, and postmortal life, you feel an increase of love for Him and for His children.

So now, we see that God is not wicked or cruel. How do we know He is loving? How do we know that faith, hope, and charity are eternal virtues? Simple. Because He said so and "God is a god of truth and cannot lie." In all holy scripture, the Lord has clearly stated the importance of these three virtues, as have prophets and apostles. Want to know for yourself? Prayerfully read through scriptures and then ask our Heavenly Father. "And if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. But let him ask in faith..." (James 1:5-6.)