Area Seventy teaches BYU-Idaho students about developing "first-person" faith

Elder Ronald J. Hammond, an Area Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke to Brigham Young University-Idaho students at the campus devotional on Tuesday, October 2. He taught students about developing "first-person" faith in order to strengthen personal assurance of God's love. 

Elder Hammond explained students must grow their personal faith to weather the trials ahead. "Faith in God, on the first-person level is essential now and will be increasingly so in days to come," he said, reminding that "those who are not sure of their faith remain vulnerable to doubt and despair."

To illustrate his point, Elder Hammond related the story of the young man stricken with a dumb spirit, found in Mark 9:17-24. Elder Hammond pointed out the boy's father had a generalized faith in the Savior's love and power, but held reservations as to whether the Savior could help him and his son personally.

Elder Hammond continued teaching four principles to developing first-person faith in God.  "Developing first-person faith in God refers to a process, requires personal involvement, involves remembering Jesus always, and matures into ‘doubt not, fear not, and only believe.'"  Elder Hammond then counseled students to be patient in developing their faith, reminding students that God gives trials to develop man's faith, "but all the natural man sees is God repeatedly picking on him." 

Elder Hammond encouraged students to welcome faith-strengthening experiences explaining that the saving kind of faith in Christ is a very personal, sweetly private, first-person kind of faith developed only ‘in the process' of personal involvement in life's challenges.

This should be a cheerful process. Submission to God's will is not to be a "grumpy giving up," but a joyful yielding to our Father in Heaven who only wants the best for us. "Therefore," Elder Hammond taught, "when grappling with life's heavy-weight trials, don't yell ‘uncle!' - just pray, ‘Father!'"

Elder Hammond concluded with the reassurance of God's love for everyone and His continuous involvement in all things: "First-person faith in God will move you past His generalized interest in humanity to an assurance of His first-person involvement in all of the first-person ups and downs of your life. I testify that God lives. He is worthy of our unrestricted trust and is mighty to make good on all his promises," he said.

Next week's devotional speaker will be Elder David R. Stone, a former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Devotionals are held every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium with additional seating in the Hinckley Chapel, Taylor Chapel and Kirkham Auditorium.  Devotionals are broadcast on KBYI-FM 100.5 at 2 p.m. and rebroadcast Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.