Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2013 address, “Lord, I Believe,” reminds us that we know enough to believe and to act for good in spite of our weaknesses, our unbeliefs, and even our sins. The father’s plea for the Savior to heal his stricken son is like our pleas to the Lord to heal us of our infirmities and weaknesses and sins. As the Savior had compassion on the father and his son, so, too, does the Savior have compassion on us. He understands our frailties and our suffering. He wants to lift us up and lighten our loads. All He asks is that we believe. For “if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). When we believe in Him and His promises “of good things to come,” He helps our unbeliefs by enlightening our misbeliefs to the truths of His gospel, by enabling us in our weaknesses, and by embracing us with His love as we are now.
Believing Christ means remembering what we know and what we have experienced that is good, that is truth, and that has filled us with light and love. Our unbeliefs focus on our weaknesses and on the lies that Satan wants us to believe. We show the Lord we believe when we recognize our weaknesses and yet proceed to do good, drawing on our strengths and His strength to climb up the mountain a little bit closer to Him each day. We show the Lord we believe when we ignore the enticings and false promises of Satan as we remember the truths we have been taught, live those truths, and believe in His promises for good.
I gain courage to move forward each day knowing that the Lord will help my unbeliefs and my weaknesses, trusting that I know enough. Elder Neil L. Andersen’s October 2008 address, “You Know Enough,” reminds me that I know enough to do good. I know enough to know that God loves me and that He has compassion on me and wants to help me succeed. I know enough to know that He will help me and strengthen me and climb with me as I journey through this wonderful life to an even better world (see Ether 12:4).
What do you believe? What do you know? Will you let the Lord help you in your unbeliefs and your weaknesses? I love what Dr. Wendy Ulrich, PhD, says in her book, Weakness is Not Sin: The Liberating Distinction That Awakens Our Strengths, about believing Christ. She says that when we acknowledge our weaknesses and unbeliefs, and even our sins, and then humbly acknowledge, ask for, and believe in Christ’s power and promises to strengthen us, then the Lord adds His grace to our lives. Grace is the Savior’s divine love and enabling power that strengthens us to overcome our weaknesses, our unbeliefs, and even our sins in order that we may desire to do good and act to do good. As we believe in Christ and do the good things that we have heard and seen Him do, we receive His blessings, we bless others, and we become more like Him. In our quest to the mountaintop, we will experience times of darkness, doubt, temptation, and trouble. In those times, let us remember the Savior’s loving admonition, “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36).