Throughout the Church hundreds of thousands of faithful Saints have truly consecrated their lives and their energies to the work of the Lord, secure in the assurance that thereby they please him.
It is a disappointment, however, to find many others who are not willing to trust the Lord—or to trust in his promise when he says, ‘Prove me and see.’ I often wonder why men cannot trust their Lord. He has promised his children every blessing contingent upon their faithfulness, but fickle man places his trust in ‘the arm of flesh’ and sets about to make his own way unaided by him who could do so much.
The Lord has challenged us:
‘… prove me … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Malachi 3:10.)
The prophet Moroni stopped abruptly in his abridging to offer his own inspired comments concerning the matter of faith:
‘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.’ (Ether 12:6.)
Father Adam understood this basic principle:
‘… an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.’ (Moses 5:6.)
He showed his unwavering faith—and since the witness and the miracle follow rather than precede the faith, the angel then sought to enlighten him, saying:
“‘This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father… .’ (Moses 5:7.)
In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process. They would have the harvest before the planting, the reward before the service, the miracle before the faith. Even the most demanding labor unions would hardly ask the wages before the labor. But many of us would have the vigor without the observance of the health laws, prosperity through the opened windows of heaven without the payment of our tithes. We would have the close communion with our Father without fasting and praying; we would have rain in due season and peace in the land without observing the Sabbath and keeping the other commandments of the Lord. We would pluck the rose before planting the roots; we would harvest the grain before sowing the cultivating.
If we could only realize, as Moroni writes:
‘For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them… .
‘And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.’ (Ether 12:12, 18.) …
The Lord made it clear that faith is not developed by miracles.
‘But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.’ (D&C 63:9.)
To the scribes and Pharisees who demanded signs without the preliminary faith and works the Lord said:
An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign… .’ (Matthew 12:39.) …
Faith is needed as much as ever before. Little can we see. We know not what the morrow will bring. Accidents, sickness, even death seem to hover over us continually. Little do we know when they might strike.
It takes faith—unseeing faith—for young people to proceed immediately with their family responsibilities in the face of financial uncertainties. It takes faith for the young woman to bear her family instead of accepting employment, especially when schooling for the young husband is to be finished. It takes faith to observe the Sabbath when ‘time and a half’ can be had working, when profit can be made, when merchandise can be sold. It takes a great faith to pay tithes when funds are scarce and demands are great. It takes faith to fast and have family prayers and to observe the Word of Wisdom. It takes faith to do home teaching, stake missionary work, and other service, when sacrifice is required. It takes faith to fill full-time missions. But know this—that all these are of the planting, while faithful, devout families, spiritual security, peace, and eternal life are the harvest.
(Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, pp. 3–5, 10–11)