In This Life, We Are Called To Walk By Faith...

Scriptural base:

Doctrine and Covenants 82:3-4

3 For of him unto whom much is given, much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.
4 Ye call upon my name for revelations, and I give them unto you; and inasmuch as ye keep not my sayings, which I give unto you, ye become transgressors; and justice and judgement are the penalty which is affixed unto my law.

Alma 32:17-19

17 Yea, there are many who do say: if thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.
18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing, he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
19 And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?

Have you ever wondered why God requires us to walk by faith in this life? In some ways wouldn't it be easier on everyone if the Lord simply made Himself so undeniably available that no reasonable person could believe otherwise? And an explanation about the meaning and purpose of life given that so many struggle in a world replete with injustices, inequities, and yes, terrible evil would, perhaps, provide comfort, knowledge, and courage to those facing the trials of this fractured and imperfect world.

How can we reconcile the fact that God is hidden from us in this life, choosing, for the most part, to reveal himself only to those who actively seek Him, and to those who do seek Him, He reveals Himself almost exclusively through His spirit, which, again, necessitates faith on their part.

The greatest commandment is: "...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:36-37). The fact that God asks us to love him so completely is a difficult and challenging test even for the faithful let alone for those who struggle with their faith given that He is in a very real way hidden from us.

And what of John 17:3? "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Why has the Lord complicated this life by requiring so much faith?

Many would say that the arguments presented above are enough to persuade them to not believe in God. Knowing this causes me sorrow because, despite the seeming difficulty in coming to a knowledge of God, I know it's not only possible, but inevitable to those who humbly seek Him. What joy, comfort, and courage this knowledge brings! I have felt God's spirit so powerfully that I can not deny Him. I know that He is and that He loves me. In this world, I am nothing, but in God's eyes, I am His son, and that makes all the difference.

I believe the reason God reveals Himself a little at a time (as we prepare ourselves to receive Him)...is to allow us the time we need to prepare ourselves to accept Him, that we be not overwhelmed, nor condemned. God is merciful and spares us the attendant responsibility that a full knowledge would require. If ever there were a reason that in this life we are called to walk by faith...this is it! By this means (faith), we can be made partakers of that which is of God and of heaven without having to bear the whole weight and consequence a perfect knowledge demands (Alma 32:19, 2Nephi 28:30). It is by this marvelous mechanism of faith, in concert with the atonement, that God's desire to bless His children reaches its highest expression. Oh, the greatness of God, for He loves His children and has ordained a way of blessing them far beyond that which they merit of themselves without adding a burden of responsibility they cannot bear.

And thus, by faith, we touch the heavens and secure for ourselves and our loved ones blessings that otherwise would not be available because of our weaknesses and imperfections. So faith, then, is actually a manifestation of God's great love for us, His children, and was not, in reality, instituted merely as a test to complicate our lives, but is a channel through which God's greatest blessings flow.