Il Miracolo della Fede (The Miracle of Faith)

 

The Miracle of Faith

It is human nature that people need to see something before they can believe it. “I’ll believe it when I see it” we like to say. Many an atheist has looked to the heavens and argued that science, rather than Divinity, is responsible for our world and universe, and that the existence of God cannot be proven, because He cannot be seen.

In Alma Chapter 30 of the Book of Mormon, Korihor and the prophet Alma had this very same debate:

 43 And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words. (I’ll believe it when I see it)

44 Alma replied….all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

     

Today, in our modern day court of law, when someone wants to prove that a person has been present at a certain location, one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that we accept as truth, ironically cannot be seen with the naked eye. Fingerprints. 

     

The process of fingerprinting is performed by dusting an area with a fine powder that binds to the oils left behind by the fingers of those previously present. Then a light is shone on that area, and the imprints are exposed. Only after this process is performed do fingerprints become visible to our eyes.

I would like to suggest that in a spiritual way, God provides us a very similar process to show us that He is and has been present in our lives. That process required of us is Faith.

  In Ether 12:6, we read And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. In other words, You will see it when you believe it.

           I had several personal experiences that solidified this concept before we left for our mission, and now we're seeing it every day here in Italy. One of the first things we were taught upon arrival as we listened to 150+ missionaries recite the mission's mantra was..."We seek and expect miracles..."

Whatever you want to call this...affirmations, intentions, willful manifestation or visualization, the brightest minds in Quantum Science now know what God has taught for millenia; "what the mind can conceive and believe...it can achieve."

The subject of miracles is a common conversation in this mission. Stories and experiences are shared daily across the mission messenger page, and listening to stories of how the Lord is preparing these people every.single.day. is simply astounding:

• A missionary meets a man from Africa on a train while his companion is on the phone with their ward mission leader. A conversation ensues when the mission leader learns the man is from Africa...the missionary hands the phone to the stranger. "What part of Africa are you from? Oh really, me too, what area? No way...what street? Wait, what's your name?" It turns out they are related and in the same extended family. Both are now here in Italy living a new life, and were somehow connected through 2 missionaries on a train. The man is now being taught the gospel by his own family member, alongside the Elders.
• Missionaries are approached daily by people in the street who say, "I know who you are! I met with missionaries in my home country, but I lost contact when I came to Italy...can I meet with you?"
• "You are missionaries, is that correct? My niece was just baptized into your church in Africa yesterday. (shows a photo from home of a girl in baptismal clothes from the day before) I would like to talk to you more about this..."
• Referrals from people who request to be connected with missionaries here are coming in by the thousands. This mission has seen success that is unprecedented for this country within the past 3 years. Especially considering that in January of 2022, the Prophet Russell M. Nelson told the European saints: "Europe has an unparalleled future-because of you! You have access to the power-God's power-that will literally change the future of Europe." And now it is happening.

"We seek and expect miracles".

"You will see it, when you believe it".

            Psalm 8:3-4 states: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4. What is man; that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?

The principle of Faith has never been more clear to me...when you stop and look around for the fingerprints of God in your life, expecting that you will see them, then they will begin to be manifested...EVERYWHERE.