The Leap Out of Faith

Growing up, I took it for granted that faith was a virtue--one of the highest. As I went through my faith crisis I began to see faith more as a dangerous tool used to manipulate people into believing a person's claims without them having to provide any evidence. But there are still stories of "faith" that seem to inspire me. Why is that the case? Should I be giving faith a second look? One of the most salient examples of faith in the Book of Mormon is the story of Samuel the Lamanite (see Helaman 14-16). Samuel, a stranger from out of nowhere, gets up on the city wall and declares that, according to an angel he spoke to, a sign of Jesus' birth will come in 5 years. Then he basically runs off and disappears from the narrative. Somehow all the good guys believe him, and all the bad guys don't. Tensions mount between the believers and non-believers over the next 5 years, and finally come to a head when the non-believers decide to kill all the...

In Tara Westover's wildly successful memoir Educated , she documents her unlikely transformation from her parents' brand of anti-government, anti-education, homeopathic prepper beliefs, to a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge and, well, a wildly successful memoirist. I won't go into a lot of detail here--if you haven't read it, you should--but I just want to make a few observations. Tara's decision to take the ACT and enroll in university, without ever having any formal education in public schools, was a huge step, and was certainly critical in her transformation. But it occurred to me that Tara could have just as easily returned home from school with nothing more than a music degree and a stronger conviction of the world's corruption. I could picture her settling back near her parents, having lots of babies, directing the church choir, and mixing herbs and essential oils for her mom. So what really made the difference? Something that struck me in h...

I recently learned of a man whose wife has struggled with severe health problems. For the past two years, this man has prayed fervently, along with many family and friends, for his wife to recover, but to no avail. Recently he expressed resignation that the miracle he seeks will not come "until the resurrection." But he also asked a poignant question, "Why bother to pray? If the Lord will do what the Lord is going to do, in his time and his own way, why ask for something?" This is a great question, though he undoubtedly felt guilty even asking it. In fact, he later apologized for bringing it up (this was in a religious setting), and he finally said:  "I've come to the conclusion that I am not humble enough... I'm afraid my complacency and pride has brought this on." Up to this point I had been quiet, but I have spent too much time blaming myself for my own unanswered prayers to let someone else do that. I told him, "One thing I am certain of i...

After the crash, Sailor had a choice. She could have chosen to stay by the airplane in the dark, alone and afraid. But there was a long night ahead, and it was just going to get colder. She chose another way. Sailor climbed up a hill, and there she saw a light on the horizon. Gradually, as she made her way through the night toward the light, it grew brighter. Still, there must have been times when she could not see it. Perhaps it went out of view when she was in a ravine or behind trees or bushes, but she pressed on. Whenever she could see the light, Sailor had evidence that she was on the right path. She did not yet know precisely what that light was, but she kept walking toward it based on what she knew, trusting and hoping that she would see it again if she kept moving in the right direction. By so doing, she may have saved her life. Our lives can be like that too. There may be times when we have been hurt, when we are tired, and when our lives seem dark and cold. There may be times...

Once personal identities and entire social systems are built on top of a story, it becomes unthinkable to doubt it.    ~ Yuval Noah Harari We all remember the iconic moment when Indiana Jones faces the chasm on his search for the Holy Grail. He approaches a deep canyon with no apparent way across, but somehow he knows that if he takes a step of faith, a way will be provided. Once he steps, he discovers that a bridge was there all along, hidden via optical illusion. Ignoring the fact that he could've saved himself some heartburn by simply feeling around with his hands first, this scene is an important allegory for many things in our lives. Sometimes we can't see how things will work out, so we have to take a leap of faith. Cowardice or Courage Many people who leave their religion are accused of cowardice, of taking the easy road. And this may be true for some who fall by the wayside despite still believing. But for me and many others I know--those who left because they no longe...