Seeing Is Believing

We are all familiar with the old adage,

"Seeing is Believing."  

Are you one of those persons who has to see something to believe it is true?

If your friend told you, "Hey, I just baked the most amazing cake.  Would you believe or would you need to see it (maybe taste too)?  or "I just saw the most beautiful rainbow outside."  Would you need to look outside to see if there was a rainbow?

Do you need proof, to see for yourself, before you can believe something is true? It is probably safe to assume most of us need to see to believe.  But, is that true in all aspects of our lives, or can we trust?

Are there things that you haven't seen for yourself, but know they are true?  How about the Great Wall of China.  Have you seen it?  I know China exists and I have heard about the Wall, but I have not seen it.  Or, dinosaurs.  I feel confident in saying none of us lived during the time that dinosaurs roamed the earth.  I have seen pictures and replicas, so I have hope and faith these things are true. So I can surmise they are true without seeing for myself.  

These are two different examples of believing without seeing.  So are there other areas where we don't need to see to believe?  Think about that for a moment. 

Now, lets change "seeing is believing" to

"Believing is Seeing."

If we believe in something, will we be able to reach farther and see, or understand more?

Do you believe the scriptures in the New Testament are true without having lived in that time?  

In Hebrews 11:1 we read,

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

So, we can say we have hope and then upon further research we have faith things we have not seen or experienced for ourselves are true.

Read in Alma 32:21,

"And now as I said concerning faith-faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

The more hope and faith we have will lead us to studying the scriptures and pondering what we have read.  We began to understand more....we began to see. To see with spiritual eyes.  We will not only have hope and faith, but we will know.

The first step to knowing is to have faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  When Joseph Smith was but a boy of only 14, he wanted to know what was true.  He read in,

James 1:5-6

5  "If any of you lack wisdom, let his ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

Joseph had the faith to pray to his Father in Heaven.  He had not seen God, but he knew He existed.  He knew the promise in the New Testament was true.

Like Joseph Smith, we too can receive answers, if we have faith.  And like Joseph our knowledge will be increased as we remain faithful and study the scriptures.

BELIEVING IS SEEING things of the spirit.