Humility, Faith, and Spiritual Growth

Humility is the first principle in coming to the Lord because a person who believes he already knows enough will not be taught by God.

Alma taught:

“I behold that ye are lowly in heart; and if so, blessed are ye” (Alma 32:8).

Humility means recognizing that we need the Lord, that our understanding is limited, and that we must be willing to receive correction. A humble person is willing to ask, “Lord, what do I need to change?” and then act on the answer.

This is where repentance begins.

Humility and Repentance Prepare the Heart

Alma compared the word of God to a seed. Before a seed can grow, the heart must be willing to receive it.

Pride prevents that. A proud heart resists correction, justifies itself, and assumes that its present understanding is sufficient. A humble heart is willing to listen, reconsider, repent, and change.

The Savior taught:

“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

Becoming as a little child does not mean becoming ignorant or weak. It means becoming teachable, trusting the Lord, and being willing to change when He corrects us.

Repentance prepares the heart because it removes the sins, habits, attitudes, and desires that keep us from receiving what God is trying to teach us. At the Waters of Mormon, those who believed Alma’s words were willing to enter into covenant with God through baptism and to change the way they lived (Mosiah 18:8–17).

Trials can also humble us. Difficult circumstances may expose how little control we actually have and how much we need the Lord. The righteous and the wicked both experience affliction, but the important question is what we do when it comes.

Do trials make you more willing to seek the Lord, or do they make you more resistant to Him? When correction comes, do you ask what the Lord is trying to teach you, or do you immediately defend yourself?

The Lord said:

“I dwell … with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble” (Isaiah 57:15).

Humility prepares us to receive the word of God because it makes us willing to be taught.

Once the heart is prepared, the next step is to believe.

Choose to Believe

Once the heart has been prepared by humility, the next step is to choose whether to believe the word of Christ. Belief and faith are closely connected, but they are not the same thing. Belief is the inward choice to receive Christ's word as true. Faith is the action that follows from that belief. If a person chooses to believe Christ, that belief gives His word a place in the heart, and acting upon His word becomes faith in Him.

If a person refuses to believe Christ, that person does not become neutral. They will still act, but their actions will proceed from some other confidence. They may trust their own understanding, the wisdom of the world, the pressure of other people, the desires of the flesh, the fears of the heart, or the lies of the adversary. In that sense, unbelief in Christ becomes practical trust in something else, because something other than His word has been permitted to govern the response.

This is why unbelief is the first inward step in falling away from Christ. People do not usually abandon the Lord all at once. The departure often begins inwardly when the word of God is placed before them and they decide in their hearts that they will not receive it. Their words and actions then reveal what has already been chosen within. Hebrews warns against “an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” and later explains that Israel could not enter the promised land “because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:12, 19).

Israel had already seen the Lord's power. They had seen Egypt judged, the Red Sea divided, manna given, and water brought from the rock. Yet when the Lord commanded them to enter the promised land, they still had to decide whether they would believe Him. They saw the strength of the people in the land and allowed what they could see to become greater in their hearts than what God had promised. Their unbelief then became murmuring, fear, rebellion, and refusal to go forward (Numbers 13–14). The outward rebellion followed the inward decision not to believe the Lord.

The same pattern appeared during the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ. Many people heard His teachings and saw His works, but they still had to decide whether His word would govern them. When some of His disciples heard a teaching they found difficult, they said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” John then records, “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 66). Their departure became visible when they walked away, but the separation began when they refused to receive what Christ had said.

This danger applies even to those who remain outwardly near the Lord. Jesus rebuked His own disciples when their response showed unbelief, telling them that a failure before them was “because of your unbelief” (Matthew 17:20). Association with Christ, knowledge of His teachings, and previous spiritual experiences do not remove the need to believe Him in the matter that is presently before us. Every new command, correction, or trial requires us to decide again whether His word will govern our response.

The Book of Mormon shows the same pattern in Laman and Lemuel. Nephi records that they murmured because they did not understand the dealings of God and did not believe the Lord's warnings concerning Jerusalem (1 Nephi 2:12–13). Even after an angel appeared and commanded them to return to Jerusalem, they immediately began questioning how the Lord could deliver Laban into their hands (1 Nephi 3:29–31). Their later rebellion did not appear from nowhere. It grew from a repeated refusal to believe the word of the Lord when it conflicted with what they feared, wanted, or thought possible.

Alma teaches the opposite pattern. He tells those who cannot yet say that they know to begin with a desire to believe: “Even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you” (Alma 32:27). He then warns them not to “cast it out by your unbelief” (Alma 32:28). Belief gives the word a place in the heart. Faith begins when we act upon that word. As we continue acting, the Lord can give experience, evidence, and knowledge that were not available before obedience.

Choosing to believe does not mean accepting every thought, claim, or spiritual impression without discernment. We must still learn whether what we are receiving is actually from God. But once we know that Christ has spoken, the question is no longer whether His word agrees with our present understanding. The question is whether we will believe Him enough to act. That is where belief becomes faith. If the heart refuses Christ's word, departure has already begun inwardly; if the heart receives Him, faith can move forward in obedience.

Learn to Discern

Scripture teaches:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1).

We must learn to distinguish between revelation from God, our own thoughts, and influences that lead us away from Him.

Moroni taught:

“All things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil” (Moroni 7:12).

He also taught that what invites and persuades us to do good and to love God is inspired of God (Moroni 7:13, 16).

This gives us a standard for judging impressions. The Lord will not command us to do wickedness. His direction will lead toward truth, repentance, humility, obedience, charity, and the work He has appointed us to do.

The Lord said:

“Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost” (Doctrine and Covenants 8:2).

He also reminded Oliver Cowdery:

“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:23).

The Spirit may bring peace, clarity, correction, conviction, or understanding. We should also examine the fruit that follows an impression. Paul described the fruit of the Spirit as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” (Galatians 5:22), and the Savior taught, “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

The greatest of these fruits is charity, “the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47).

Discernment therefore requires more than asking whether an impression feels strong. We ask whether it agrees with the character and purposes of God and whether following it leads us toward righteousness.

God may also correct assumptions and traditions. Peter had to learn this when the Lord taught him concerning the Gentiles:

“What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” (Acts 10:15).

Revelation does not exist merely to confirm what we already think. Sometimes the Lord teaches us something that requires us to change.

Once we have received and discerned His direction, faith requires us to act.

Act in Faith

Once we have discerned that the Lord has spoken, belief must become action. Belief is the inward choice to receive the word of Christ as true. Faith is what follows when we act upon that belief. Alma described this as an experiment upon the word: we give it a place in our hearts and begin to act according to it (Alma 32:27). Faith therefore does not wait for complete knowledge before moving. It acts upon the word already received.

Jesus compared faith to a grain of mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). The comparison is important because a mustard seed begins very small, yet it does not remain small once it is planted. In another parable, the Savior described the mustard seed as among the smallest of seeds and yet becoming far greater when it grows (Matthew 13:31–32). The smallness of the beginning is therefore not the point by itself. The seed contains the capacity to become more than its first appearance suggests.

So it is with faith. A small beginning is not a reason for discouragement, but neither is it an excuse to remain spiritually weak. What matters is whether the faith we have will be planted. A seed held in the hand does not enter into its growth. In the same way, belief that is never acted upon does not become the obedient faith the Lord intends. Faith is planted when a person receives the word of Christ and begins doing what He has said.

Alma taught that if the word is not cast out through unbelief, it begins to swell, enlarge the soul, and enlighten the understanding (Alma 32:28). The increase comes after the word is given a place and acted upon. We do not create spiritual power by forcing ourselves to feel stronger. We receive the word, believe Christ, and obey. Through that obedience, the Lord enlarges what began in small measure.

This leaves no room for either despair or complacency. A person should not conclude that they cannot follow Christ because their faith presently feels small. The mustard seed also begins small. But a person should not make peace with remaining weak when the Lord has provided a way for faith to increase. Living faith moves. It is exercised through obedience and becomes stronger as it is used.

The Savior joined the mustard-seed comparison with the promise that His disciples could say to a mountain, “Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove” (Matthew 17:20). This does not mean that faith gives men power to accomplish whatever they personally desire. Faith does not make a person sovereign. It submits the person to Jesus Christ, who is sovereign.

The promise concerns the sufficiency of God's power for the work God appoints. When the Lord commands a work, He is able to prepare the way for it to be accomplished. Nephi expressed this principle when he testified that the Lord gives no commandment without preparing a way for His children to accomplish what He commands (1 Nephi 3:7). The obstacle may appear as immovable as a mountain, but it cannot finally overthrow the will of God.

For this reason, faith must never be confused with presumption. A person cannot attach the Lord's name to personal ambition and then demand divine power to accomplish it. The first question is whether the work is truly God's. Once His direction has been discerned, faith means trusting Him enough to move forward in obedience even when the means are not yet visible and the obstacles appear beyond human strength.

The power remains God's. The servant does not become mighty independently of Him. The servant believes the word of Christ, obeys the assignment given, and relies upon the Lord to provide what the work requires. Faith therefore places confidence not in the greatness of the person, but in the certainty of God's word and the sufficiency of His power.

Planting the seed does not mean that the work will immediately become easy. Faith that has begun to grow will still meet fear, delay, opposition, pressure, and trial. The next question is whether the disciple will continue believing and obeying when those things come.

Faith Must Survive Opposition

Acting once is not the end of faith. The word must continue to grow despite opposition.

Jesus taught this in the parable of the sower. Some seed was taken away immediately. Some grew in shallow soil but withered because it had no root. Some was choked by thorns representing the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:3–23).

The problem in each case was not the word of God. The problem was what happened after the word was received.

The same thing can happen to us. We may receive a prompting and then allow fear, doubt, embarrassment, worldly concerns, or the opinions of others to stop us from following it.

Faith means continuing to obey when those pressures appear.

Abraham demonstrated this when he obeyed the command to offer Isaac even though he could not see how the Lord’s promises would be fulfilled. Hebrews explains that Abraham trusted that God was able to fulfill His promises even when he could not understand how (Genesis 22:1–14; Hebrews 11:17–19).

Faith is tested when obedience becomes difficult.

Wait Upon the Lord

Some answers come quickly. Others require time.

Waiting does not mean that nothing is happening. It means that we continue faithful while the outcome remains unseen.

The disciples experienced this when they were struggling against the wind on the sea and Jesus did not come to them until the fourth watch of the night (Matthew 14:22–33). The Lord knew where they were before He arrived.

Joseph in Egypt also endured years of slavery and imprisonment before he understood how the Lord would use his experiences to preserve his family (Genesis 39–45). Job remained faithful through severe loss and suffering without initially understanding why those things had happened (Job 1–2; 13:15; 42:10–17). Joseph Smith cried to the Lord from Liberty Jail and received the assurance that his afflictions would “give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7).

These accounts teach the same principle: faith must sometimes continue for a long period before the purpose or result becomes clear.

During that time, we should not conclude that the Lord has abandoned us simply because the answer has not yet come.

Ask yourself whether you still trust God when His timing is different from yours. Are you willing to continue doing what He has already told you to do while you wait for the next answer?

Faith includes patience.

Nourish Faith Continually

Alma taught that planting the seed is not enough. It must be nourished:

“Because of your diligence and your faith and your patience … it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life” (Alma 32:41).

Faith is nourished through consistent discipleship. This includes prayer, scripture study, repentance, Sabbath worship, service, sacrifice, ordinances and covenants, obedience to spiritual promptings, and continued trust in the Lord.

These practices are not separate from faith. They are how faith is kept alive and strengthened.

Prayer keeps us in communication with God. Scripture teaches us His word. Repentance corrects our course when we move away from Him. Worship and ordinances renew our commitment to Christ. Service turns our faith outward. Acting on promptings teaches us to recognize and trust the Spirit.

If these things disappear from our lives, faith becomes weaker because we stop nourishing it.

This requires consistency more than occasional intensity.

Faith Can Grow into Knowledge

Alma taught that after the seed has been planted and begins to grow, we gain knowledge concerning that particular thing:

“Because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth … ye must needs know that the seed is good” (Alma 32:33).

This is how faith becomes knowledge.

At first we believe enough to act. Then experience begins to confirm what we believed. Repeated obedience brings repeated witnesses. Over time, some truths that began as hope become settled knowledge because we have seen the Lord act in our lives.

But knowledge does not end discipleship.

A person who has received one witness still needs humility, prayer, repentance, and continued revelation. Every new responsibility may require another exercise of faith.

This is why spiritual growth continues. We believe, act, receive greater knowledge, and then use that knowledge to exercise faith in the next thing the Lord asks of us.

Pride becomes dangerous at this stage because it can make us believe that we no longer need to be taught. Humility keeps us moving forward.

Keep Moving Forward

Spiritual growth depends on continued movement.

President Russell M. Nelson has taught about the importance of spiritual momentum. The principle is straightforward: repeated righteous choices make it easier to continue moving toward Christ, while sin and complacency interrupt that progress.

When we make a mistake, the answer is repentance and renewed movement, not giving up.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has also compared discipleship to an aircraft that requires forward thrust and continual adjustment. A pilot does not point the aircraft in the correct direction once and then stop making corrections. Wind and other forces require continued attention.

The same is true spiritually. We must regularly examine our direction and make small corrections through repentance, prayer, obedience, and revelation.

This does not mean living in constant anxiety about whether we are doing enough. It means refusing to become spiritually passive.

The Lord can correct a disciple who is moving and listening. A person who refuses to move because he wants complete certainty before acting will remain where he is.

How Do We Know We Are on the Right Path?

There will be times when we sincerely ask whether we are doing what the Lord wants.

The answer does not always come through a dramatic spiritual experience.

Elder Richard G. Scott taught:

“Most often what we have chosen to do is right. He will confirm the correctness of our choices His way. That confirmation generally comes through packets of help found along the way. We discover them by being spiritually sensitive. They are like notes from a loving Father as evidence of His approval.”

He also explained that when the Lord answers yes, He gives confidence; when He answers no, He prevents error; and when He withholds an answer, He gives us an opportunity to grow through faith.

This means that we should not assume that the absence of a dramatic answer means the Lord has rejected our course.

We continue seeking Him, obeying what we already know, and paying attention to the guidance He provides. Confirmation may come through peace in prayer, a scripture that gives needed understanding, timely counsel, an impression from the Spirit, or circumstances that help us recognize the next step.

The Lord said:

“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:23).

Peace can be an important witness, but it should be considered together with obedience, humility, scripture, the fruits of the Spirit, and continued revelation.

The clearest evidence that we are on the right path is not that life becomes easy. It is that we are sincerely seeking the Lord, obeying what He has revealed, repenting when corrected, and becoming more like Jesus Christ.

Over time, the Lord’s guidance becomes easier to recognize because we can look back and see how He has led us.

Humility begins the process because it makes us teachable. Belief gives the word a place in our hearts. Discernment helps us recognize what comes from God. Faith moves us to act. Patience keeps us faithful during the trial. Daily discipleship nourishes what has been planted. Experience turns some faith into knowledge, and humility keeps us ready to learn again.

This is how spiritual growth continues throughout life.

We do not reach a point where we no longer need the Lord. The more He teaches us, the more responsibility we receive to follow Him faithfully.

Continue to seek Him, act on what He teaches you, and remain willing to be corrected. As you do, faith will grow into knowledge, and the Lord will continue to lead you toward Jesus Christ.