LORD I BELIEVE Summary

183rd Annual General Conference of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

Sunday Afternoon, 7 April 2013

Key Doctrines and Principles:

Elder Holland teaches key principles about belief and doubt directly from the father-son story in Mark 9:14–24. “‘If thou canst do anything,’ spoken by the father, comes back to him ‘If thou canst believe,’ spoken by the Master. . . . Belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and [we] need never apologize for “only believing.” . . . Christ Himself said, “Be not afraid, only believe (Mark 5:36).” . . . Belief [is] always the first step toward conviction and . . . the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase ‘We believe.’ See Articles of Faith 1:1–13”

 Elder Holland states that each of us has more faith than we think we do, as evidenced by the blessings and miracles in our lives. The example of this father, with a troubled child, is to assert first what he believes. Elder Holland teaches, “[If our] initial conviction . . . is limited. . . . that is good enough for a beginning. . . .To all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. . . . Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! . . . Remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle. . . . In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.

Elder Holland also reminded us to be kind, patient, and forgiving to ourselves and others, as in human frailty we seek to become like our Redeemer.

Favorite Quotes:

“Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. . . . When you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work.”

 “Even if ye can no more than desire to believe,” Alma declares, “let this desire work in you, even until ye believe (Alma 32:27).”

“ ‘Straightway,’ the scripture says—not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but ‘straightway’—the father cries out in his unvarnished parental pain, ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’ In response to new and still partial faith, Jesus heals the boy (Mark 9:24–27) . [The father] asserts . . . strength first and only then acknowledges . . . limitation. His initial declaration is affirmative and without hesitation: ‘Lord, I believe.’(Emphasis mine.)”

So what?

“This work is God’s very truth, and . . . only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.”

“God will send help from both sides of the veil to strengthen our belief. . . . When . . . moments [of desperation ] come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.  . . The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know. . . . Be true to the faith you do have."