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Faithfulness Through Hope
As discussed in the previous post, faith is a universal principle used by all to some degree or another. The faith that God initially calls us to is at first simple. In the words of Alma, it often begins within us as a desire to believe. This desire, if nourished, will soon sprout into the beginning of faith and faithfulness. In a later post, I will discuss how one can create what I refer to as a habit of faith.
When it comes to the believers in God, faith is a required attribute for having a relationship with God. God needs to trust us and we need to trust him. The result of faithfulness are great rewards.
But how do we know that we have been faithful enough to receive the rewards promised to the faithful?
The answer is through hope.
Today, the meaning of the word hope carries a different meaning from how this word is used in the scriptures. Today, hope most commonly refers to wishing for something. More specifically, hope refers to wishing for some outcome because that outcome is believed to be possible. Our use of the word hope is based on uncertainty.
For instance, someone might have fallen ill and we hope that they will feel better. We also use this hope when it comes to reaching some kind of achievement, whether that be in career, scholastics, athletics, or some other area of our life. We even use this term when evidence indicates the contrary.
Hope Is a Confident Assurance
But this definition of hope is diametrically opposed to how the scriptures use this term. To understand this difference, consider the following scripture involving Helaman’s account of the privations he and his stripling warriors experienced during their attempt to retake the city of Manti.
10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.
Notice that these verses are structured as a petition and an answer. In verse 10, Helaman states that he and his army prayed that God would deliver them out of the hand of the Lamanites and that they might be able to retake their lands. In verse 11 is the Lord’s response. The Lord responds by “visiting” them with “assurances” which came by “speaking peace to [their] souls.” The result of this assurance did give them “great faith” (i.e., trust in to God to bring about the outcome they were seeking) and gave them hope that this should be delivered by him.
The important point is that the hope they had was a result of the assurances they received from the Lord. Without these assurances that they would be delivered, they would not have hope (i.e., the assurance) it could happen.
Therefore, hope in the scriptures refers to a confident expectation in the outcome of some event. Hope does not refer to wishing for something to happen because one wants it to be so. Rather, hope comes through promises the Lord gives us. These promises serve to assure us that the promised outcome will occur. With this, we can rest in peace knowing that it will happen.
Critically, unlike our modern usage, the scripture meaning of hope is based on assurances that the outcome will happen.
This is why Abraham was able to press forward in faith upon receiving the promise from the Lord he would have a son and arguably was the reason he was willing to sacrifice his son -- “reasoning that the Lord would raise Isaac from the dead.” Or consider Lehi’s response to his wife who mocks him for leading the family in the wilderness and sending her sons to be killed by Laban.
But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness. (1 Nephi 5).
By saying “I have obtained a land of promise” Lehi’s posture is to act as if the promise (of the land of promise) has already occurred). Lehi does not say I will receive the promised land, but that I have. And having this promise leads him to rejoice because it will occur.
But to better understand this principle, let’s consider the inverse example -- i.e., instances where hope is absent. One example is that of Mormon, who remarks about the effectiveness of his prayers for the wicked Nephites.
1 And it came to pass that I did go forth among the Nephites, and did repent of the oath which I had made that I would no more assist them; and they gave me command again of their armies, for they looked upon me as though I could deliver them from their afflictions.2 But behold, I was without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them; for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them.
Unlike Helaman and Lehi who had hope through the Lord’s assurance, Mormon did not have this assurance and therefore could not hope. Mormon knew that the Nephites were unwilling to change their ways and repent and therefore the Lord’s judgment would come upon them. The Nephites wanted to live in their sins but be delivered from affliction their sins caused them. These things are incompatible with the Lord and therefore Mormon could not have any assurance that the Nephites would be delivered.
Similarly, Nephi makes a similar remark in praying for the welfare of the Gentiles.
9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation. (2 Nephi 33).
Nephi's statement reveals that unless the Gentiles are born again, Nephi cannot have hope for their welfare because God only saves those who submit to him.
Condition of Salvation
Now that the meaning of hope has been clarified. Let’s turn to explore how hope operates when it comes to salvation.
Speaking to the wayward members of the church in Zarahemla, Alma recounts the experience of his father Alma and his followers (the “People of Alma”) and both their temporal and spiritual deliverance. Importantly, Alma remarks that the People of Alma's deliverance from their bondage resulted in their “sing[ing] songs of redeeming love.” Alma then asks the Nephites: “on what conditions are [the People of Alma] saved?” and “what grounds had [People of Alma] to hope for salvation?”
By asking this, Alma is asking what evidence did the People of Alma have that they were saved. In other words, they say they were saved but how do they know? How do they know it was not just in their heads and that they are really saved?
This question is central for Alma’s sermon because he is not speaking to non-member Nephites, but to the members of the church. Apparently these wayward members believed they were saved just like the People of Alma. Alma is showing the members that salvation is based on more than membership in the church but upon assurances from God to the individual and group.
And what is this assurance? The People of Alma knew they were saved because of the mighty change wrought in their heart. This mighty change, therefore, served as evidence that they were God’s people. It was the might change of the heart, not their status as members, that gave the People of Alma grounds to be assured of their salvation.
Because this mighty change assures the People of Alma they are saved, Alma then directs pointed questions to the Nephites in the Zarahemla church. He asks the following, some of which include:
- Have you been spiritually born of God
- Have you received his image in your countenances?
- Have you experienced this mighty change of heart?
- Do you exercise faith in God’s redemption?
- And can you see yourself standing in front of God to be judged and pronounced clean or do you feel guilty?
False Assurances
By asking these questions (and others throughout Alma 5), Alma is calling out the wayward church and exposing their false assurances to illustrate (and convince them) that hope for salvation can only come with assurances.
The lesson taught by Alma is relevant for today. Sadly there are many members in the church who believe they are saved by virtue of their membership alone and not the condition of their heart. Under this false belief, they rationalize sin by reasoning that they can talk to their bishop afterwards or that the sin is not really that big of a deal. Others under this false belief engage in gossip of others or pursue worldly success at the expense of God’s kingdom believing that their salvation is secure if they continue to pay their tithing and keep the other commandments.
The same erroneous thinking applies to Christians of other denominations as well. And this is evident because they fail to bear the fruits of salvation.
Many in this category have mistakenly assumed, like the Zaramela church and even the Jews, that membership status or profession of belief in Christ alone is enough to be saved. But as Alma points out, the hope of salvation is an assurance that we have received such. God does not expect us to guess the status of our salvation when the stakes are so high.
Therefore I turn to the reader:
- Have you received these assurances listed by Alma?
- Does your assurance in salvation come from God himself or by virtue of your membership or belief in Christ alone?
- Do you bear the image of Christ?
- If God appeared to you today, would you be able to stand in his presence and feel comfortable?
Calling and Election
One of the important principles revealed through the restored gospel concerns promises we can receive for eternal life. This promise is having our calling and election made sure. This promise pertains to our exaltation, which is a separate and distinct promise from that of salvation.
Although this is a central principle to the restored gospel, this teaching has sadly been lost throughout time. Nevertheless, just because we don’t discuss this principle/ordinance anymore does not mean it is no longer true.
Give then that God does not call us to guess our standing before him, the ordinance of receiving one’s calling and election is simply another way God provides assurances to us concerning the state of post-mortal existence.
I've discussed this principle and ordinance before but to ensure we are the same page, I provide a quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
To have one’s calling and election made sure is to be sealed up unto eternal life; it is to have the unconditional guarantee of exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world; it is to receive the assurance of godhood; it is, in effect, to have the day of judgment advanced, so that an inheritance of all the glory and honor of the Father’s kingdom is assured prior to the day when the faithful actually enter into the divine presence to sit with Christ in his throne, even as he is “set down” with his “Father in his throne” (Rev. 3:21). (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:31–32)
Elder McConkie is intentional with the language he uses. Notice that he uses words such as "guarantee" and "assurance" to stress that the calling and election serves to provide the recipient with assurances they are exalted.
Endurance and Good Works
This hope not only gives us assurances of our salvation , but allows us to endure the tribulations of the world because we have the guarantee that our faithfulness will yield its rewards (See Hebrews 10:34).
In the words of Moroni, this hope (assurance) serves as an anchor for us to be grounded in good works. (see Ether 12:4). And it is for this reason that faith cannot exist without hope (see Moroni 7:41). For faith is fueled and buttressed by the assurance that our faith will not go unrewarded.
Faithfulness Requires Hope
Faithfulness requires hope. This truth unlocks the fuller meaning behind Moroni’s triumvirate for righteousness: “faith, hope, and charity” the more complete meaning of which I will flesh out in another post.
Our ability to hold out faithfully through the trials of life--which is particularly endemic to those who seek to walk the straight and narrow/ascend the mountain of the Lord--is tied to our degree of assurances (i.e., hope) we receive from the Lord. While we might be able to fool ourselves for the initial while, eventually the sacrifices we’ll be called to make will be so great that only those who know their sacrifices won’t be in vain will be able to make those sacrifices.
As the Lectures on Faith explains:
An actual knowledge to any person, that the course of life which he pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to enable him to have that confidence in God without which no person can obtain eternal life...Such was and always will be the situation of the saints of God, that unless they have an actual knowledge that the course that they are pursuing is according to the will of God, they will grow weary in their minds and faint…For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also, counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, requires more than mere belief, or supposition that he is doing the will of God, but actual knowledge: realizing, that when these sufferings are ended he will enter into eternal rest; and be a partaker of the glory of God.
This actual knowledge is not something that can be willed by us, but is a gift through the grace of God that is dispensed upon us as we prove faithful to each precept God gives to us, which is faithfulness if marked by sacrifice.
Given these stakes, the question remains: how do we reach this level of faithfulness. The remainder of this series answers this question.