This article was first published by Church News and is republished here with their permission.
General Authority Seventy Elder David P. Homer invited students at Brigham Young University–Idaho to “choose faith in Jesus Christ, His restored Church and His restored gospel.”
“Though challenges will come and doubts may arise, choosing to believe in Jesus Christ will bring clarity, peace and hope,” he testified during the campus devotional on Tuesday, May 20. “Now is the time to fortify your faith — to stand firmly and to move forward with unshaken confidence in His love, His truth and His divine promises.”
Elder Homer was accompanied by his wife, Sister Nancy D. Homer, who testified of the blessings received by embracing one’s divine identity.
Faith as a ‘source of strength’
Near the start of his devotional message, Elder Homer told listeners that life will present them with challenges that may test their convictions, “revealing that faith is sometimes needed most when it seems to be working least.”
Elder Homer recounted one such experience, which he heard a grandmother speak about her young daughter. This grandmother shared that her daughter “suffered the devastating loss of an infant girl just days after her birth.” Yet, she said that, despite her grief, her daughter found comfort in God’s plan, affirming to others that she would see her baby girl again.
Said Elder Homer, “This kind of faith, holding to God’s promises even in life’s most difficult moments, empowers us to overcome every challenge. It also serves as a foundation that leads us to a life full of deep and lasting joy.”
Elder Homer then quoted President Russell M. Nelson, who taught that “everything good in life — every potential blessing of eternal significance — begins with faith.”
He added, “Faith is more than an abstract principle — it is a source of strength and light through which we discover the power to progress, the wisdom to trust and blessings that our Father in Heaven desires for us."
Fortifying faith through the ‘deliberate choice’ to believe
“Recognizing the vital importance of faith in Jesus Christ,” Elder Homer continued, “it is worth considering what it is, where it comes from and how we can strengthen it.”
Elder Homer referenced a teaching from Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with Alma’s words regarding faith as recorded in the Book of Mormon, to teach that when a “spark of desire” is followed by a “deliberate choice” to believe, heaven grants the “gift of faith.”
“Faith in Jesus Christ is something we actively cultivate,” Elder Homer taught. “The responsibility rests with us.”
Elder Homer then reminded listeners that faith grows by doing that which “requires more faith,” as President Nelson has taught.
‘Navigating questions of faith’
In addition to life’s challenges, Elder Homer told listeners they will encounter voices that challenge their belief in the “divine” and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, attempting to “prove spiritual truths through intellect alone.”
Yet, after sharing a historical example that demonstrates the risks of “depending exclusively on rational thought,” Elder Homer said receiving spiritual understanding “requires humility, faith and a willingness to seek divine guidance.”
He taught, “In navigating questions of faith, we must approach uncertainty with patience and recognize that true enlightenment comes not only from knowledge alone but also from personal revelation and the confirming witness of the Holy Spirit.”
Elder Homer concluded his remarks by inviting listeners to expand their knowledge, refine their talents and “make the deliberate choice to believe in Jesus Christ.”
Embracing one’s identity as a child of God
Sister Homer testified to students of the “many blessings” available to those who embrace the truth of their divine identity.
“We know we are all children of God, but how is knowing that significant?” she asked.
Sister Homer taught that those who embrace their identity as children of God are reminded of their purpose. They know that they are loved even when they “feel unloveable,” that they are seen as capable despite their weaknesses and that they are seen for who they can become.
She said, “These truths that we accept do not make us better than others, but knowing these things helps us be better at serving and loving those around us.”
Sister Homer then testified of the peace she felt knowing she was known and loved, even as she and her family faced a “stretching time.”
In retrospect, times of struggle can become sacred, she said. “Our covenant bond becomes tighter and more meaningful as we recognize Him in our lives. I believe that peace, clarity and heavenly power flow into our lives as we remember and believe and come to know that we are beloved children of God.”