Discover Faith in Christ through Church History

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is so much more than Joseph Smith, and it is so much more than the mortal people with weaknesses and imperfections who helped establish the Church. The central figure is Jesus Christ, and our study of Church history should help us build faith in Him.

As we discuss the history of the Church, we often focus on Joseph Smith and others involved in the restoration. But by a slight change of focus, our vision can shift to see the work of the Savior in restoring His gospel. By seeing how these events were guided by Jesus Christ, we can discover faith in Him as we study Church history.

“Discover” implies an intentional search

I have previously written about my experience as a trial attorney.¹ One of the most significant aspects of litigation is called “discovery,” which is the process used by litigants to obtain evidence for trial. Discovery can include “discovery requests” to the other party (written requests for information or documents), or sending subpoenas to parties not involved in the litigation, or taking depositions to get witness statements, or other possible methods allowed in the Rules of Civil Procedure.²

However it is conducted, “discovery” requires an intentional search. We do not stumble upon evidence by accident. It is very rarely just given to us. Under the Rules of Civil Procedure, parties have a right to object to discovery requests, so we sometimes have to overcome objections to obtain discovery. It is something we have to fight to obtain.

In a similar way, we have to discover our faith in Christ. We have to make an intentional effort to obtain it. We will face obstacles. We will have to confront doubts and questions. We will not just “find” our faith. We have to fight for it.

Faith is hard, requiring us to move forward without proof

By its very definition, faith is not easy. It has been called a “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”³

No proof. Consider the significance of that definition. Why would we choose to follow something for which there is no proof?

The concept of “proof” is itself challenging. It is defined as “something that induces certainty or establishes validity.”⁴ It may sound circular, but faith is belief in something for which there is no proof, so if we had proof, we would not need faith.

But consider faith in Jesus Christ in the context of his mortal ministry. He was present on the earth, teaching, performing miracles, and yet he was rejected. Did he present “proof” of his divinity? When John the Baptist asked whether Jesus was “he that should come,” or whether they should “look for another,”⁵ Jesus responded, “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”⁶ Under the definition of “proof,” shouldn’t his miracles “induce certainty” or “establish validity” of his divinity? And yet, he was “despised, and rejected of men.”⁷ Even when he was present on the earth, it required faith to follow him.

The Savior taught that people will reject even the most evident “proof.” In the very direct parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus, both of them died, and the rich man ended up in hell but saw Lazarus with Abraham.⁸ Being in torment, the rich man asked for Lazarus to come give him some water to cool his tongue, but when he was told that could not happen, he asked for Lazarus to visit his brothers and testify to them, “lest they also come into this place of torment.”⁹

Think about that for just a moment. In this parable, the Savior was talking about someone returning from the dead, no doubt alluding to his own resurrection. But in the parable, he warned that not even resurrection was sufficient “proof” to make people believe:

“Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

“And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”¹⁰

Ominous. Would we really not believe? Would the world not believe when Jesus Christ himself, who was so publicly executed, rose from the dead? And yet, when that did happen, when he became “the firstfruits of them that slept,”¹¹ even his own disciples struggled to believe.¹²

Faith is hard. Even for those who were in his presence during his mortal ministry, it was challenging to have faith in Jesus Christ. Is it such a wonder that it can be hard for us, 2,000 years removed from his mortal ministry?

The Restoration is all about Jesus Christ

Although we revere Joseph Smith as a prophet, an intensive focus on Church history can result in too much of an emphasis on him, rather than on Jesus Christ. The history of the Church contains evidence of significant miracles, but it requires faith to see those miracles. Just as the personal ministry of Jesus Christ tested the faith of his disciples, faith is required to see Jesus Christ in the events of the restoration.

The best example of how to shift our focus to discover faith in Christ as we study Church history is found in the Proclamation to the World called, “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” issued by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.¹³ I would encourage you to study the whole document, but the following quotes show how a focus on Jesus Christ can help us discover faith in Christ as we study the restoration:

“We affirm that under the direction of the Father and the Son, heavenly messengers came to instruct Joseph and re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins. Three of the original twelve Apostles—Peter, James, and John—restored the apostleship and keys of priesthood authority. Others came as well, including Elijah, who restored the authority to join families together forever in eternal relationships that transcend death.

“We further witness that Joseph Smith was given the gift and power of God to translate an ancient record: the Book of Mormon—Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Pages of this sacred text include an account of the personal ministry of Jesus Christ among people in the Western Hemisphere soon after His Resurrection. It teaches of life’s purpose and explains the doctrine of Christ, which is central to that purpose. As a companion scripture to the Bible, the Book of Mormon testifies that all human beings are sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven, that He has a divine plan for our lives, and that His Son, Jesus Christ, speaks today as well as in days of old.”¹³

That exemplifies a focus not just on the people and events, but on the work of the Father and the Son in restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a subtle shift, but it makes all the difference.

Try faith

In the Book of Mormon, we read that Alma encouraged his people to try faith:

“But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”¹⁴

Alma says to “experiment,” but in that context, I hear him say “just try it.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made a series of videos in which people were invited to “try faith” for 30 days.¹⁵ This “challenge” is much like Alma’s “experiment.” Just try it. Try faith in Christ, just for 30 days.

Are you willing to try faith in Christ? Can you make just a little effort each day to think of Him and try to exercise faith in Him?

Christ is at the center of His Church, even though that Church has been built by weak, imperfect people. If we focus on those people, we can become disillusioned. But if we shift our focus just slightly to see Christ in Church history, we can discover our faith in Christ.

References

1. “How Do I Judge the Evidence of the First Vision?” https://discoverfaithinchrist.com/how-do-i-judge-the-evidence-of-the-first-vision/.
2. See Utah R. Civ. P. 26.
3. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “faith,” accessed August 28, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith.
4. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “proof,” accessed August 28, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proof.
5. Matthew 11:2-3.
6. Matthew 11:5-6.
7. Isaiah 53:3.
8. Luke 16:19-23.
9. Luke 16:24-28.
10. Luke 16:29-31.
11. 1 Corinthians 15:20.
12. Despite hearing the testimonies of other disciples, Thomas said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:25.
13. “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-restoration-of-the-fulness-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ/a-bicentennial-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng.
14. Alma 32:27.
15. There have been two challenges. The first was reported on February 26, 2023, “‘Try Faith: A 30-Day Challenge’ Shows How Four Young Vloggers Built Faith in Jesus,” https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/try-faith-30-day-challenge-vlog-series-how-young-adults-built-faith-in-jesus. The second was reported on August 6, 2023, “‘Try Faith: A 30-Day Challenge:’ 7 People Share How Each Grew Closer to Jesus Christ,” https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/try-faith-30-day-challenge-7-share-how-each-grew-closer-jesus-christ.