INVOKING

THE
CELESTIAL POWERS

Grant Von Harrison

Translated by Ann Heywood Angulo and Gloria Meléndez, Ph.D.
Griselda Sasayama, Editor

[Link]

0
INDEX
Preface. 3

Nature and function of faith. 6

2. Faith and celestial powers. 9

3. The principles that govern faith. 15

Your faith will be tested. 33

5. Guide to increasing your faith. 39

6. Develop a deeper understanding of faith.

The Author. 58

1
 PRELIMINARY NOTE
The ideas presented in this book were conceived by the author in large part
when I was a missionary. The author feels great gratitude for these inspired ideas
and deep appreciation for the influence they have had in his life. Consequently,
All the profit from the sale of this book will be donated for support.
financial of non-American missionaries.
The author suggests that if the reader feels that their own life has been blessed in
substantially thanks to this book, make an additional donation to the Department
Missionary. To that end, send a check or money order in the name of the Church of Jesus Christ.
from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the following address:

Missionary Department
Church Office Building
50 East North Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
U.S.A.

2
 PREFACE
The following quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie refers to a process that each
a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must know about
background. Referring to the process of prayer, it exhorts us to 'learn how to
to pray boldly and effectively, not only with words but also with spirit, and with
power, so that we may invoke the powers of heaven upon us.
The celestial powers are very real and can dramatically influence the
course of events in a person's life. In our relationship with
God, the idea of "heavenly powers" refers to any influence or power (inspiration,
of the Spirit, power of the priesthood, etc.) that is governed by God and that operates
to our benefit.
In order to reach our maximum potential in this life, we must learn to
invoke the celestial powers. No degree of knowledge or skill can
compensate for the absence of the powers of heaven in our lives. With the help of those
powers, one can succeed in this mortal existence despite weaknesses
personal because, literally, the powers of heaven compensate for weaknesses
humans.
If you learn to invoke the celestial powers, their limitations, their past and
physical characteristics will become insignificant. The Lord has promised that if you
about Him humbly and with enough faith, his weaknesses will become
areas of strength:
And if men come to me, I will show them their weakness. I give to men
weakness so that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men who
they humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me,
So I will make weak things become strong for them. (Ether 12:27)
Our access to the powers of heaven makes this promise possible. If you learn to
invoke the celestial powers upon oneself, his talents and abilities are granted to him
will greatly increase. The maximum achievements of your life will be determined
more for his ability to use celestial powers than for relying solely on
natural gifts. President Ezra T. Benson has said that:
The men and women who dedicate their lives to the Lord will realize that
that he can make much more of his existence than they themselves are
capable. He will deepen your joy, expand your vision, speed up your
mind, will strengthen your muscles, will lift your spirit, will multiply your
blessings, will increase your opportunities, will comfort your soul, will make you
friends, and will flood you with peace. Whoever loses their life for God will find themselves with
who has eternal life.
When you learn to invoke the powers of heaven, you will see this promise fulfilled in
his life.
The powers of heaven are governed by spiritual laws; they are always based on
obedience to the law. When one understands these laws and learns to comply with them, one
you can constantly invoke celestial powers to help you in your
pledges. The scriptures clearly tell us that we must obey certain laws
specific in order to receive certain blessings from God.

3
 There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation.
of this world, upon which all blessings are based; And when
we receive a blessing from God, it is because we obey that law about the
which is based on. (DyC 130:20.21)
It is through our own efforts that we qualify to receive the
various gifts and blessings that come from the powers of heaven.
...the powers of heaven,...cannot be governed or managed except
according to the principles of justice. (DyC 121:36)
Once one realizes that the powers of heaven are governed by
laws, the challenge is to get to know those laws and principles well. It is very difficult, if not
impossible, to be obedient to the laws and principles given to us, unless
let's find out what they are, and what we need to do in order to comply with the
same.
When the reader finishes reading this book, they will have a clear understanding of the
faith in general, but even more importantly, you will have a clear understanding of the
faith processes that govern heavenly powers. Will know specifically how
invoke those celestial powers to help him achieve his rightful desires.
You will understand the role of the thinking processes involved in the exercise.
of faith and will know how to face the trials of faith that one can expect to arise
when, in fact, I tried to invoke the powers of heaven.
Unfortunately, many church members are limited in all
the aspects of their activities in this mortal life (church calling,
parental and professional responsibilities, social life, studies, etc.) because not
they know how to invoke celestial powers in order to use them for their own benefit.
The explicit purpose of this book is to teach the members of the Church how to
invoke the powers of heaven. In order to attain celestial powers, one must
knowing how to put faith into practice, because the powers of heaven are governed
through faith. As the reader reads this book, they will realize that the process of
Practicing the faith means much more than I previously understood. In this
moment of their life, their understanding of faith is likely based on this
well-known definition of it:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

One feels extremely limited in their ability to invoke powers

celestial unless I understand very specifically the process that is required
to exercise faith. The ability to recite a vague definition of faith is not
sufficient.
In order to exercise the type of faith required to invoke the powers of heaven
it is necessary to follow a very specific process. In order to master the exercise of faith, one must...
You must first understand your process thoroughly, and then you must learn to apply it.
this process in daily life. This book will help you understand the required process.
to invoke the powers of heaven in order to bless your life. When you follow this process
correctly, it will be able to invoke heavenly powers to help him to
fulfill their just wishes.
Although faith is a gift from God, it is obtained only through the exercise of
will. It is essential that you understand that one increases and perfects their faith.

4
putting your willpower. This book aims to help you in your endeavor to
to increase and perfect your faith.

5
 NATURE AND FUNCTION OF FAITH

Generally, church members have no difficulty understanding the

majority of the aspects of faith, such as faith that God lives, that Jesus is the
Christ, in life after death, or in the plan of salvation. Nevertheless,
Many people have trouble understanding the specific type of faith required.
to use the powers of heaven in order to have more success in every aspect of your life.
Regarding the nature of faith, Prophet Joseph Smith taught that:
just as faith is the driving force of all action in temporal matters,
it is also true in spiritual matters; 2) faith is not only the beginning
not only of action but also of power," 3) Faith, then, is the first great principle
who has power, dominion, and authority over all things.
Upon reflection, it is easy to see that faith is the driving force behind all action - to do
physical exercises, gardening, studying for an exam. However, many
members of the Church have problems with the necessary process to experience
what Joseph Smith called the power that comes through faith. It is important that the
church members understand that this power comes from God and learn to
use it, because without the powers of heaven we are extremely limited in what
we can do in any aspect of life. Church members have been
given the 'power...to do all things through faith' (2 Nephi 1:10). Through the
Yes, as a principle of power, people can do or experience things.
that they could not achieve in any other way.

FUNCTION OF FAITH.

The following example explains the role of faith in a person's motivation.

If a man wants to lose 5 kilos, he must take the following steps:
1. Have faith in the principles that will help you lose weight.
2. Commit to eating less and exercising daily.
3. Maintain a constant effort, motivated by faith.
However, many desires cannot be fulfilled solely by the faith that we
motivates to act. In addition to resolution and determination, there are many desires that
they require the specific help of the Lord. For example, if a hunter gets lost
during a heavy snowfall and starts to pray, asking the Lord to keep him safe
life inspiring him regarding the direction he should take to find refuge or
help, your wish will not be fulfilled unless you know how to invoke the powers of heaven to
that they help him.
Faith, then, as a principle of action, includes dedication, the
determination and the ability to make decisions. Faith, as a principle of power
include these three additional factors: 1) belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, 2) determination
by the individual to respond to God's requirements, and 3) granting
from the powers of heaven (greater strength and power of God himself).
Many just wishes are of a personal nature and their realization must come through
the faith of the individual. However, there are some desires that require the collective faith of

6
more than one person. When this is the case, one must take into account the faith that
there is or the lack of it. In some cases, the lack of faith of the majority suppresses faith
of the minority. In other words, under certain conditions, some worthy desires do not
They are carried out even if there are those who have enough faith to unleash the powers.
from the sky.
In the scriptures we see how the faith of certain individuals results in blessings.
for the crowd. However, we also learn that there are exceptions to this
principle. For example, when Mormon was called as the military leader of the Nephites.
They did not see the hand of the Lord in their success and bragged about their own strength.
Finally, Mormon's ability to exercise his faith for them was nullified.
Here I had directed them, despite their iniquities, many times I
I had led to battle; and I had loved them with all my heart, accordingly.
with the love of God that was in me; and all day my soul had been poured out
in prayer to God on their behalf; however, it was without faith, due to the
stubbornness of their hearts. (Mormon 3:12)
There are many cases where the influence of the powers of heaven requires faith.
collective. In the mission work, the absence of faith from a companion can
nullify the influence of the Spirit when the missionaries are teaching a family
Likewise, the lack of faith on the part of many people can restrict the Spirit.
at a church meeting.
An individual (missionary, branch leader, etc.) with great faith can invoke the
powers of heaven, but the process is facilitated when more than one person puts their faith
for the desired purposes.
When someone is sick, the collective faith of those involved in the
blessing, governs the powers of heaven. Obviously, a person's great faith
it can have a tremendous effect when someone receives a blessing. But, in the end,
the combined faith or the absence of faith, from everyone, is what determines if the blessing is
fulfill it or not.

After you have gained the ability to invoke powers

Heavenly through faith, one must strive to teach this process to others.
If you do this diligently, you will realize that you can be a great
influence on others so that they also become effective in the use of
powers of heaven. After they have learned to exercise faith, the
the efforts of your group will be supported by the powers of heaven to an exceptional degree.
In the missions, stakes, wards, families, where groups begin to exercise
collective celebration, thousands of people are blessed by a flood of heavenly powers.
The most obvious indication of collective faith in a given area is the number of
people who join the church. Collective faith is the realization of the desire of
President Spencer W. Kimball saw millions of people join the Church each
year. When the collective faith of the Church is sufficient, millions of people will
they will unite the Church every year, and the prophecies that refer to the Church rolling towards
forward like a rock and covering the whole earth will be fulfilled. Like
members of the Church need to realize that the fulfillment of these
prophecies depend on the collective faith of the members of the Church. It can be seen that
it is easier to exercise faith when an individual's faith is supported by the faith of others
others, as well as with the tasks that cannot be performed unless combined with the
physical strength of many people (e.g., lifting heavy objects, pushing a

7
automobile, etc). So it is with many just desires: they require combined faith or
collective of many people.
The following diagram shows the process of conversion of an individual to
gospel through the power of faith and prayer:
The first time you read this book, answer the following questions by writing
your answers on a paper:
Explain what 'powers of heaven' means.
What is the difference between the faith required to lose 5 kilos and the one needed
to help someone to become?
If possible, compare your answers with those of another reader of this book.

8
 2. FAITH AND CELESTIAL POWERS.

By developing a basic faith in the plan of salvation, repent, acquire a

testimony of the restored gospel, and live in harmony with the gospel, one is in
position to exercise the class of faith that invokes the powers of heaven. These powers give you
they will allow achieving the just desires that require the help of the Lord, such as
getting a good job, getting rid of bad habits, helping someone to
to convert to the gospel, or to have the power of the Holy Spirit when delivering a speech.
Unless you exercise enough faith, you deny the Lord the opportunity to
to help him in his daily life. The scriptures teach us that certain powers of heaven
they are governed by the faith of mortal man:
And at no time has anyone performed miracles except after their
Fe. (Ether 12:18)
The Lord has the power to do all things for the children of men,
if they have faith in him. (1 Nephi 7:12)
Do not deny the power of God, for he works by power, according to the
faith of the children of men (Moroni 10:7)
For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles... and I do nothing among
the children of men but according to their faith. (2 Nephi 27:23)
And Christ has said: If you have faith in me, you will have power to do anything
whatever I may need.
Remember that without faith you can do nothing. (D&C 8:10)
Moroni understood the role of faith in invoking the powers of heaven. This
It is evident in his response to a revelation he received concerning the ability.
to overcome their weaknesses (Ether 12:27). This is what he declared when expressing his gratitude
to the Lord:
And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: Oh Lord,
Let your just will be done! for I know that you work with the children of men.
according to your faith; ...For so you manifested yourself to your disciples; because after that
they had faith and spoke in your name, you showed yourself to them with great power.
(Eter 12:29, 31)
Jesus performed miracles according to the faith of the people, as seen in the following
escrituras: Mateo 8:13, 9:20-22; 13:58; 3 Nefi 17:8.
It is important to understand that the influence of celestial powers in life is
governed or controlled by faith. In other words, the hands of the Lord are
tied unless we exercise faith. Just as faith without works is dead (James 2:14-
20), works without faith are dead and do not enjoy the support of the powers of heaven. The
The Lord has said that if we have fears (doubts) in our hearts, we deprive ourselves of the
blessings from heaven (DyC 67:3). For example, if one lacks faith, they can spend hours
in preparations for a Sunday School class without achieving any effectiveness in
reaching the hearts of their students. No matter how much time passes doing a task,
its maximum reach is limited unless it learns to exercise the necessary faith to
invoke the power and strength of the Lord that are at your disposal.
I estimate that among the members of the Church motivated to pay a fair tithe, there are
many who deny the blessings that result from the payment of them by not
9
exercise enough faith to allow the Lord to bless you for your obedience to the
law of tithes. We must realize that those who pay tithes comply with
just a part of the law. The complete law requires us to have the necessary faith to
receive the blessings of the Lord by paying tithes. This same principle works
similarly with the blessing of the sick. The Lord does not bless the person more
beyond the faith combined of all those who take part in the blessing. It is clear that
there are many blessings that the Lord would like to extend to the members of the
Church if only they exercised the faith that would allow them to do so. In other words
our just life (worthy deeds) generally exceeds our faith. If our faith were
mayor, we would reach many more blessings that the Lord wants us to have, and
for which we have qualified as a result of our good works.
The procedure of cultivating the land provides an excellent example of faith.
as motivation for the action that, under certain conditions, requires that
let's seek divine help. Let's analyze this process. The faith we have in the process
life motivates us to plant the seeds, water them, etc. However, if we see that
a calamity comes like a drought or, as in the early days of the Church, the
lobsters, perhaps we need to invoke the powers of heaven to save the harvest.
Let's consider the missionary who has the task of learning the talks. Faith leads him
it will provide the assurance that you can learn them if you apply yourself to doing so. If you only have
the type of faith that motivates action, the time it takes to learn them will depend on
his ability. However, if he exerts the faith necessary to invoke the powers of the
sky, his ability to learn will be enhanced by the Spirit and he will be able to learn the
talks in much less time.
The role of faith in motivating, as well as the power that can emanate from it, is
applies to all learning. Through the powers of heaven, we can increase
our intellectual abilities. Furthermore, the Lord has said that we can receive
instructions from heaven if we seek knowledge through 'the prayer of faith.' (D&C
52:9). By the powers of heaven, understanding and ideas can be revealed to us.
This promise applies to all areas and not just theology. For example, if
certain parents face difficulties in solving problems of
behavior of a child, they can receive inspiration to know how to solve such
family dilemma.
Let's analyze the role that faith plays in inspiration. If a person is
when faced with a decision, faith can motivate her to pray and seek help
of your Heavenly Father. However, unless you exercise the necessary faith to invoke
the powers of heaven, the Lord cannot inspire him regarding his problem. In other
words, the individual's faith largely governs his ability to receive
inspiration.
Another example is the effort that a latter-day saint makes to inspire
a researcher who joins the Church. Faith can motivate him in the aspects
externals, giving the desire to visit or unite with him. Through the power of faith the
a member of the Church can ask for the Spirit to touch the heart of the non-member
so that he has a desire to investigate the gospel.
In each of these examples, it is easy to see the role of faith as a principle.
of motivation and as a principle of power to request the powers of heaven. In the
In the future, you must strive to analyze the role of faith in your endeavors. You must
make a conscious effort to analyze the role of the faith that motivates you to act and

10
the cases where the situation requires faith as a principle of power. By doing this,
he will be much more aware of the power of faith in his life.
In summary, we must constantly ask the Lord to help us achieve
our just wishes and then ensure that faith accompanies our
good deeds, allowing the Lord to bless us in this way.
When reading this book for the first time, answer this question by writing it down.
response on a sheet of paper:
Regarding the fulfillment of just desires, what governs them?
powers of heaven?
If possible, discuss the response with another reader of this book.

FAITH, KEY TO EXCELLENCE.

Throughout your life, you will be required to do many things that you may not be able to do with certainty.
degree of excellence, without the help of the Lord. There will be many of the things that he does to
diary that could do much better if I knew how to request the help of the powers of
sky. To be able to reach its maximum potential, it must learn to have faith that the
Sir will help you achieve your goals and hopes, which you will not be able to achieve without the
help from the Lord. The practice of this kind of faith follows a very specific process.
what one must learn and master.

RECTITUDE, A PREREQUISITE FOR FAITH.

Unless your life is in harmony with the basic doctrines of the gospel (e.g.,
purity of thoughts and actions, just motives, obedience, and dedication) not
he will be able to exercise the faith that will give him access to the powers of heaven. (See Mormon 1:13-)
The Lord has stipulated that "the powers of heaven... cannot be governed nor
handled but according to the principles of justice." (DyC 121:36) When one
keep the commandments, (pay a fair tithe, study the gospel, serve
conscientiously his duties in the Church, he refrains from bad conversations) one
You can use the powers of heaven to bless your life.
I, the Lord, am obligated when you do what I say; but when you do not
You do what I tell you, you have no promise.
Bruce R. McConkie tells us that, "Faith is a gift granted by God in
reward for our personal righteousness. It is always given when there is righteousness; and
The more obeying the laws of God, the greater the faith granted.4For
consequently, only those people who obey the principles of truth that come from
Sir, you can exercise your faith as a source of power.
If you can answer the following questions affirmatively, you may be
sure that your life is in sufficiently harmony with the principles of
gospel as a way to exercise your faith as a principle of power.
If you have transgressed the law of chastity, have you been absolved by the
due authority of the priesthood?
2. Do you strive to fulfill your obligations in the Church?
attending sacramental and priesthood meetings?
11
 3. Do you support the President of the Church as a Prophet, Seer and
Revealing, recognizing that no other man on earth possesses all the
keys of the priesthood?
4. Do you support local leaders and the general authorities of the Church?
5. Does he pay a fair tithe?
6. Are you completely honest in your dealings with your peers?
7. Do you observe the Word of Wisdom?
8. Do you strive to comply with the accepted rules and doctrines of the
Church?
9. Do you read the scriptures regularly?
10. Do you refrain from conversations that could offend the Lord?
11. If you have done something that has harmed the Church or that has required
Has the remorse due been clarified with the appropriate authority?
Regarding his personal dignity, he must realize how serious it is to lie to
a representative of the Lord or not living according to what he has promised. The
Sir does not tolerate the distortion of facts when we interview one of his
chosen representatives. President Kimball has warned us that: "Those who
The authorities of the Church lie; they forget or overlook an important rule.
And it is true that the Lord has established: that when He calls men to positions
important in their kingdom, and the mantle of authority has been placed upon them, the
lying to them is equivalent to lying to the Lord; a half-truth to his officials is
like a half-truth to the Lord. The Lord will not let them mock Him. If the
the reader feels that they need more clarification regarding the confession, read the book of
President Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness.
The first time you read this book, ask yourself this question:
Who can exercise their faith as a principle of power?
If possible, discuss the response with someone who has read this book.

THE JUST WISHES AND FAITH.

The Lord has promised that He will grant men according to their desires.
I know that (the Lord) grants to men according to what they desire. (Alma 29:4)
Verily, verily I say unto you, that it shall be granted to you according to what comes from me
desires. (D&C 11:8)
Desire is more than a hope; it is the motivating conviction that makes
a person acts. The following passages from a speech by Elder Bruce R. McConkie
to certain new mission presidents, they provide us with a greater understanding of the
relationship between desire and faith:

Baptizing is a matter of attitude, desire, and feeling. We want that

our brothers convert to the Church, and we never tell them to a
missionary: "Don't baptize unless..." We always say: "You can
baptize; there are really good people in the world; and this is the way to
achieve it." We give it an intelligent and affirmative approach and teach you how to
It is done; and we motivate it. Then, the Lord does the rest and the missionaries

12
 they find people who join the Church. "If you can believe, to the one who believes
Everything is possible for him.
We have to ask the Lord to help us; we have to seek converts;
we have to wish for baptisms; we have to know that we receive according to
our wishes, and if we desire such and such a thing, and we have faith in the Lord, it
we are going to achieve.

We are not getting the results we should be. We are not

having the number of baptisms that, in my opinion, the Lord expects from
us. To a certain extent, we are going around in circles without making progress...
Perhaps what is wrong is that we have not wished with faith, and with everything
our heart, bring souls to the kingdom, Perhaps we have not convinced ourselves to
we ourselves that it is possible to convert and that we will indeed convert to
many to the Church.
Now, with complete honesty, whether we convert many people or few
depends largely on our way of thinking.
We see an example of what Elder Bruce R. McConkie says in the works.
missionary of Alma. In the eighth year of the reign of the judges, Alma was the judge
superior as well as the high priest (the president) of the Church. The Church began to
to fail in their progress because the members began to become proud, and to have
the desire to obtain wealth and the vain things of the world. In an effort to
correct the situation, Alma appointed another person to be the superior judge over the
people so that he could dedicate himself exclusively to the ministry.
Alma's strong desire to see people join the Church becomes evident.
when the people of Ammonihah reject his message. When Alma tried to preach to the
the people of Ammonihah, the people did not listen to him because Satan had dominion over them
hearts. But Alma still desired to see them baptized. She prayed that they would prepare the
path for him to baptize them. The book says that, "he struggled a lot in
spirit, urging God in fervent prayer to pour out His Spirit upon the
a town that was in the city; and also to grant them baptism to
repentance." (Alma 8:10)
According to Alma's desire, the Lord then prepared the way for baptism.
of a prominent and wealthy man, Amulek, with his wife, his children, and his relatives.
(Alma 10:11)
After his conversion, Amulek allied himself with Alma in the work, resulting in
many people of Ammonihah "...began to repent and to search the
"writings." (Alma 14:1) Amulek continued to assist in the work for some more years "...
The establishment of the Church became widespread throughout the area, in the whole region.
neighboring, among all the people of the Nephites." (Alma 16:15)
From the narration of Alma's missionary work, it is obvious that Amulek played a role.
very important in the establishment of the Church in that region. It seems that success
the ending that Alma had upon seeing thousands of people baptized would never have occurred if not
I would have wished to baptize the people of Ammoniah with all my heart, even though all
they had rejected his message at first.
Later, when Alma undertook another mission, this time among the Zoramites, he prayed again.
time to succeed.

13
 Oh Lord, comfort my soul and grant me success... Oh Lord,
grant us that we may achieve success in bringing them back to you in Christ!
Alma 31:32,34
Once again, Alma convinced the Lord that he was willing to pay anything.
price in order to succeed.
Oh Lord, give me the strength to bear my weaknesses... Oh
Lord, grant me strength, so that I may endure these with patience.
afflictions that will come upon me. (Alma 31:30-31)
And once again the Lord granted him success in his endeavors according to his wishes.
We see this same model in the missionary work of Ammon, son of Mosiah. The
the desire of Ammon resulted in the conversion of a very influential man (the King
Lamoni). The path opened and thousands were baptized. It is important to realize
that Ammon was not successful in his missionary efforts until his desires led him
they motivated to be patient and to endure in their afflictions. Ammon had experienced
many trials. I had suffered a lot, both in body and mind,
hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Just like Alma, Ammon also had "... much tribulation"
in the spirit." (Alma 17:5)
In other words, Ammon had to convince the Lord that he wanted to baptize
the Lamanites and that he was willing to pay any price in order to succeed; and
then '... the Lord had granted them according to their prayers.' (Alma 25:17)
The missionaries of our time will have much more success in their work if
they heed the advice of Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
Perhaps the bad thing is that we haven't wished to carry souls to the kingdom, with faith,
with all our heart. Perhaps we have not decided in our mind that
We can convert and we will indeed convert many to the Church.
If the missionaries cultivate a sincere desire to baptize, and convince the Lord that
They are willing to pay any price, such as working hard, etc., the Lord
He will grant their wishes and they will be instruments for the baptism of many people.
What Elder McConkie said concerning desires and their role in the work.
missionary applies to all just desires. If your desires are not being fulfilled,
he lacks exercising his faith with all his heart; and therefore, the Lord cannot
help you achieve your fair wishes. Remember, you will receive according to your fair wishes. As
Elder McConkie has said: "If we desire this and that, and have faith in the Lord, it
We will achieve it. If you set the goal of achieving a certain desire but it turns out that you do not
has the initiative to move towards that goal, must come to the conclusion that its
The goal is not a true desire. If I really desired it, I would have the motivation.
suitable for acting. Many people, without thinking, say they would give anything
if they could play the piano well. But, in reality, they would never pay the price of
practice daily, for years, to perfect oneself.
If you truly desire something, you will have the motivation needed to reach your goal.
On the contrary, if the goal is not a sincere desire, you will not be willing to pay the
required price to achieve it.
Attitudes and desires are the result of what we think. When one
the person does not decide to use their free time to control their thoughts,
let your thoughts control your desires. If we don't make a great effort
to control and channel our thoughts, our desires and attitudes will be
mostly influenced by the adversary, by other people, or by music, cinema,
14
television, radio, newspaper, etc. So you can choose between control
deliberate of our way of thinking or the influence of external forces that
they will dictate our desires and thoughts.
We are responsible for our thoughts. Therefore, as
Individuals, we are responsible for our desires and attitudes, because the
thoughts govern inner desires. According to our desires and attitudes
we are ambitious or lazy, interesting or boring, loyal or disobedient,
worthy of trust or unworthy of it, successful or failed. And, frankly, the
The fulfillment of many good wishes largely depends on our state.
mental. Therefore, it is important that we learn to control the mind and that it
let's focus on just desires.
The first time you read this book, answer these questions on a sheet of
paper
What is a wish?
According to Elder Bruce R. McConkie, what must missionaries do to have
success in converting people to the Church?
Explain how the absence of desire and faith can result in failure in everything.
the aspects of life.
If possible, discuss your answer with another reader of this book.

15
 3. THE PRINCIPLES THAT GOVERN FAITH
I. CHOICE OF JUST WISHES

In order to invoke the powers of heaven, you must decide systematically.

How do you want the Lord to help you? It is impossible to have faith in the powers of heaven.
without having a specific end in mind. The most serious problem that many members of
the Church has regarding faith as a source of power, is that they do not decide
specifically how they want the Lord to help them. For example, unless
that he systematically made the decision to help someone join the Church,
The probability that it will be an instrument in that person's conversion is remote.
Behold, I tell you that whoever believes in Christ, without doubting anything, whatever they ask
to the Father in the name of Christ, it will be granted to you; and this promise is for
all, even to the ends of the earth. (Mormon 9:21)
In your relationship with the Lord, the need to ask for specific blessings is a
Essential requirement. Dedication alone is not enough. One must ask for blessings.
Therefore, if you ask me, you shall receive; if you call, it shall be opened to you.
11:5)
This same promise is repeated at least a hundred times throughout the scriptures;
however, one cannot benefit from it unless one is willing to
ask the Lord, in faith, to help you achieve your desires.
I promise you that the Spirit is much more willing to help you than
you are willing to be helped.
If we obtained blessings solely due to our dedication, we would forget the
hand of the Lord in the blessings we receive. It is for this reason that the Lord has
It is stipulated that we must ask for blessings in order to receive them.
You have the responsibility to ensure that your fair wishes are well.
directed. The Lord has said:
Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore, ask with faith.
Play with these things; do not ask for what you should not. (DyC 8:10)
Whatever you ask the Father in my name will be given to you, if it is for
your good; and if you ask for something that is not convenient for you, it will turn to your
condemnation. (DyC 88:64-65)
And now, if God, who has created you, upon whom you depend for your lives and
for all that you have and are, He grants you whatever just thing you ask for with faith,
believing that you will receive, oh how you should have imparted to one another your
Good things! (Mosiah 4:21)
And because you have done this so tirelessly, behold, I will bless you to
always, and I will make you powerful in word and deed, in faith and in works; yes, to the
degree that all things will be done to you according to your word, because you do not
you will ask for something contrary to my will. (Helaman 10:5)
...that you should do nothing in the Lord without first praying to the Father in the
in the name of Christ, so that he may consecrate your action, so that your
work for the benefit of your souls. (2 Nephi 32:9)

16
 Pure motives are the prerequisite to be able to invoke the powers of
heaven. If you have vain desires, the Lord will not support you in your effort to achieve them.
goals, excel in life, or receive blessings. (See Galatians 5:26) Without
embargo, one must realize that one can have the fixed view of glorifying God and
still wishing to excel in sports, their education, their vocation, etc. To have the
a fixed view of glorifying God means having a general orientation centered on
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This orientation influences behavior and attitude of
each person. Generally, one can measure how pure their
reasons for the diligence with which he/she performs his/her various responsibilities in the
Church.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things
will be added. (Matthew 6:33)
If their motives are pure, they will be worthy of receiving the necessary inspiration to
determine which desires should be fostered.
He who asks in the Spirit asks according to the will of God; therefore, it is
done according to what is requested. (DyC 46:30)
The Lord has warned us to seek his support and inspiration in all
our efforts. (DyC 46:31; Moses 5:8) You can be sure that if you have the
A fixed view in glorifying God will be inspired by the selection of just desires. (3 Nephi)
19:24; DyC 50:29-30)
It is your responsibility to ensure that your wishes are fair. The Lord does not dictate.
the desires we must foster.

THE PERCEPTION OF PRESIDENT KIMBALL REGARDING THE

GOALS.

Formulating worthy and specific wishes occupies a very important place in

our life. President Spencer W. Kimball, speaking about goals, says:
We believe in the need to set goals. We live by goals.
In athletics, we always have goals. When we go to school, we have the goal
to receive us and obtain a diploma. Our entire existence is based on goals.
We must have goals to progress, encouraging ourselves through records.
that we maintain... like a swimmer, an athlete, or a runner...
Progressing is easier if the time it takes is measured, checked, and
measure the progress made.
Having goals is good. Acting toward a non-immediate end elevates our
lifts to a higher plane and prompts our best efforts.
We must set goals that truly make us strive to achieve them.
[10]
It is most convenient that... quietly, and with determination, you set
serious personal goals through which... you seek to improve yourselves,
selecting certain goals that... you are going to achieve within a certain
time period. Although... you may go in the right direction if... you go... with
little impetus... you will have very little influence.[11]
The first time you read this book:
17
 Summarize President Kimball's thoughts regarding goals.
If possible, discuss your thoughts with another reader of this book.
Every time you read this book, ask yourself:
"Am I constantly setting goals?" If not, make up your mind to do it.

GUIDELINES FOR SETTING YOUR GOALS.

Many of your goals (wishes) will stem from the expectations associated with your
work, your education, and your calling in the Church, etc. However, it is
It is important to have goals (wishes) that you have selected yourself:
For behold, it is not fitting that I command in all things; for the
he who is compelled in everything is a negligent and unwise servant; therefore, not
receives any award.
I certainly say that men must be eagerly engaged in
a good cause, and to do many things of their own will and to achieve a lot
justice
Because the power is within them, and in this, they become their own agents. And
as long as men do good, they will in no way lose their
reward.
But he who does nothing until he is commanded, and receives an order
with a doubtful heart, and he fulfills it lazily, is already condemned. (DyC 58:26-
29)
As a general rule, it is much better to have a few goals that are appropriate to the situation.
that trying to achieve several at once. One must be wise in determining the goals in the
what wants to focus, considering his own temperament, his ability,
etc.
His goals (wishes), of course, must be realistic; goals that are not
currently fulfilling, or things that require some mental effort; because of
If it is not like that, you will not have to use your faith as a principle of power. It must be given.
It may not be easy to fulfill the desire; but one must keep faith that it will.
make a continuous effort, the Lord will prepare the way for you to achieve your
Just wishes. The success you have in achieving your goal will be in direct proportion to your faith.
and their efforts and not their circumstances. (See 1 Nephi 3:7)
Throughout his life, he should follow President Kimball's admonition to set
goals for oneself. You should choose goals for each facet of your life and not just goals
related to the Church and its callings. He has been given the right to invoke
the powers of heaven to fulfill any just wish, whether emotional, social,
professional or educational. Remember that the power of faith has 'power, dominion, and
authority over all things" and learn to approach everything you wish to achieve
taking into account the power of faith. If allowed, the Lord will be eager and
ready to help you achieve your rightful desires.

18
 THE ROLE OF FAITH IN ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS.

When setting goals, you must realize that there are two types: 1) Goals that
they can be achieved as a result of the faith that drives him to act. These are goals whose
achievement, through your determination and resolution, you can visualize in advance.
For example: getting up every morning at 6:00, stopping criticizing others, studying
the writings a certain number of hours per week, etc) 2) Goals that you have not achieved
manage to visualize ("I don't see how to achieve it") and that require the invocation of the
powers of the Lord to be realized. They are goals that cannot be achieved without the
help from the Lord; goals that require me to invoke the powers of heaven for their
realization (For example: being an instrument in someone's conversion, receiving
opportunities that allow them to earn more per month, etc)
When setting goals that you cannot achieve without the Lord's help, you must remember
constantly to oneself the process of faith that is required to invoke the
powers of heaven. It would be frustrating if I set a goal that required the help of heaven.
but he will cease to exercise the faith necessary that would allow his Heavenly Father to
opportunity to help you achieve it. It is extremely important that you are aware
the role of faith as a principle of power to achieve certain goals. The type of faith
What motivates you to have determination will help you achieve some of your goals.
but faith as a principle of power is the key to achieving many others.

LEARN TO COMMIT.

It is important to remember that a desire cannot be considered a goal until

that one is willing to commit and resolves to do everything possible to
achieve it. Don't confuse the things you only think you can achieve with the ones you have
determined to achieve.
Many goals will require only a personal resolution, a commitment.
with oneself. In other cases, you will have to engage with other people.
(community leaders, teachers, etc.); and in some cases, he/she must be willing to
to commit to the Lord to do whatever is necessary to become
deserving of heavenly powers (for example: reading the scriptures periodically, going
to the temple more often, to fast with more dedication, to overcome certain weaknesses,
etc). You have to strive to develop an absolute faith in what the Lord
He promised, "I, the Lord, am obligated when you do what I say;" (D&C 82:10).

GOALS (DESIRES) SHOULD BE THE MEANS, NOT THE END.

Regarding goals in general, you should consider them as a necessary step.

to achieve an end and not as the end in itself. For example, going to the mission is a goal.
for many members of the Church, but if while being on a mission one is not willing
Without setting specific goals, one does not have much success in the task.
It is the same with marriage in the temple, going to the temple to get married is
just the beginning of everything that constitutes a successful marriage. In general,
it is the same with goals. The mere fact that a goal has been achieved never means
to say that one has already 'arrived.'
19
 No matter how many goals one achieves in this life, one must always look to the future.
future, setting new goals. Unless the viewpoint is adopted that the
goals are a step to achieve an end and not an end in themselves, discouragement is experienced every
once a greater goal is achieved. The realization of goals should be a process
progressive, and not the culmination of a final effort. It should always be followed by the
effort to achieve other goals. Consider the following example of goals and
fines
Jorge entered the Faculty of Dentistry a year after getting married to
Maria. Her main goal was to finish her degree. During the second year of
university problems started to arise between them. However, the
young people decided to persevere until the end, anticipating that everything would change at
to finish Jorge's education. After he graduated, he and his wife
they discovered that they still had problems and that their dream that the situation
it will change when that stage is overcome, it had not been done. Finally, his
the situation continued to worsen to the point that they ended up divorcing.
The cited example shows us how achieving the goal of graduating had a
negative effect, because they considered the goal as an end in itself and not as a
step toward the true end, which was to be happy as a marriage. The next
Example shows us a goal as a step to achieve an end.
Juan and Irma López got married in the last year of their university studies.
Juan. Upon graduating, Juan accepted a position in a business. After a couple of
Years later, Juan decided that it would be better for his profession to return to university.
and enter graduate school to obtain a degree. After
talking about what this change would mean in terms of the sacrifice that
they would have to do as a result of a reduced salary, etc., she supported him
in their decision.
Therefore, Juan returned to university the following year to
obtain the most advanced title. Obviously, they had to do some
difficult adjustments in their lifestyle to survive on the little salary
that he received while being at the university. But both learned to solve
problems during that time period. They realized that in those two
years of studies brought them closer to each other than in the three years
previous. Years later, they remembered those years in graduate school
as the time in their lives when they had enjoyed their marriage the most.
In the process of achieving a goal, this young couple gained other benefits.
through their efforts, because the goal was seen as a step to achieve the end and
not as an end in itself.

HOW TO SEARCH FOR THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.

Your ability to achieve goals (fair desires) will generally increase if

first seek the gifts of the spirit. The gifts of the spirit are within your reach, for
help you reach your maximum potential. The Lord expects you to seek
specifically the gifts of the spirit through faith.
...diligently seek the best gifts. (D&C 46:8)

20
 Behold, you have a gift, or you will have a gift, if you desire it from me with faith, with a
sincere heart, believing in the power of Jesus Christ, or in my power that you
speak; (DyC 11:10)
And I would like to urge you, my beloved brethren, to keep in mind that
Every good gift comes from Christ.
And I would like to exhort you, my beloved brothers, to remember that he is the
same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts I have spoken of,
what is spiritual will never be suppressed, as long as the world exists,
but because of the unbelief of the children of men. (Moroni 10:18-19)
Throughout life, one must constantly remind oneself that the gifts
the Spirit is given 'to men... to benefit them.' (Moroni 10:8)
The gifts of the spirit are within your reach to help you in all aspects of
life, if you seek it. For example, there will be many occasions when you are required
work many hours at your job or in your church callings. You have
right to the gift of the spirit that can result in a literal renewal of their
body. The Lord has promised that if one exercises faith and asks Him, he will not feel fatigued.
"their mind, or darkened, nor their body, members or joints." (DyC 84:80)
Although the gift of the Holy Spirit is communicated to a person when they are
confirm, she still has the responsibility to pray and seek this gift; it does not come
automatically. (3 Nephi 19:9-14) In the course of our lives, we must seek the
specific gifts associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit (e.g.: the power of
Remember well, being a reliable witness of the divinity of Christ, etc.
Members of the Church who have callings as teachers must seek
first with desire the gifts of the spirit that help you be more effective. (Moroni
10:7-10)
And the Spirit will be given to you by the prayer of faith; and if you do not receive the Spirit, not
you will teach.
Above all, missionaries must seek the gift of the Spirit that will give them power.
to convince people that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in
the earth.

THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT.

A gift that every member of the Church of Jesus Christ should seek is the power of
discern. As a member of the Church, you have been given the basic gifts of
discernment - the Light of Christ and the Gift of the Holy Spirit. (Moroni 7:12-18; D&C)
63:41
You are endowed with the ability to discern between good and evil, to know
if a person is worthy (DyC 101:95; Malachi 3:18; 3 Nephi 24:18), just to know
when the Spirit of God is manifesting (DC 46:23; 1 Corinthians 12:10). If it
wants and seeks it, if you strive to cultivate the spirit of discernment, you will be
endowed with even greater powers to discern. If he succeeds in cultivating this
more subtle discernment, "the thoughts and intentions of the heart" of the
people will be revealed to them (D&C 33:1; Hebrews 4:12).

21
 Do you not know that you need the Spirit of the Almighty to look within?
of a man and discern what is in his heart, while he smiles at you and the
Do words flow from him as smoothly as oil?[12]
The revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, the spirit of truth, will detect it.
Everything... They will lead to the Lord, the source of light where the door will be opened and the
illuminated mind so that we can see, know, and understand things such as
son.
I rejoice in the privilege of meeting with the Saints, listening to them.
talk and enjoy the spirit that emanates from them and surrounds them. Such an atmosphere
it makes me understand the true position of those who are striving to
serve the Lord. It is not necessary to hear him speak to be able to know his
Feelings. And isn't it your experience too, that when you find yourselves
with people on the streets, in your homes, in your office, or in the
workshops, there is a certain aura that accompanies them and communicates more than what the
words can?... This knowledge is obtained through that invisible spirit that
accompanies intelligent beings and reflects the environment in which
they like to live.
The power of discernment is often evident in the scriptures.
(See Mosiah 13:6,7,11; Alma 7:17,19,20; 18:16,18; 11:23-25; 12:3; Acts 5:1-10;
8:23; 3 Nephi 17:2,8; 28:6)
In their relationships with other people, their ability to know what to do and
It will increase if you can discern your thoughts and feelings. Also
we have the right to determine when people are wicked or
malicious. The gift of discernment is at your disposal to help you in everything
his responsibilities. However, it is his responsibility to seek through prayer
greater understanding and discernment of the gift of discernment. You must ask for this gift.
tell the Lord what you want him for, and explain what you will do with the gift when
you obtain it. After you receive and cultivate the gift of discernment, your
spiritual abilities will expand and you will be able to function with inspiration in
all aspects of his life.

THE GREATEST OF ALL.

The nature of the gifts of the spirit seems to be virtually limitless. Faith
it is a gift of the spirit. The nature of the gifts of the spirit seems to have its origin
in specific needs, and it would not serve any purpose to try to make a list of
the same. However, the gift of the spirit "... which is greater than all," is the
charity. (Moroni 7:46) We have been admonished to seek this gift with all our
energy of our heart. (Moroni 7:48) Moroni admonished us to
we would cling to charity. (Moroni 7:46) He also taught us that in the final analysis,
If a man has no charity, he is nothing. (Moroni 7:46) The person who cultivates the
charity has certain characteristics: it is suffering; it is benevolent; it does not have
envy; does not get conceited; serves the interests of others; is not easily irritated; does not
think of the bad; rejoice in the truth; endure the illnesses and
afflictions, etc. of this mortal life; believes all the truths associated with the
gospel of Jesus Christ; has hope in the promises of the holy scriptures;
he supports everything without wavering in his commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ.

22
 How many of you... seek these gifts that God has promised
to give us? How many of you, when you kneel before your Father
Do you ask in family or private prayer for these gifts to be given to you?
How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for you to
manifest through these powers and gifts? Or do you go day after day from here to
to wherever the wind takes you, without any feeling about the matter, without
exercising no faith; happy to have been baptized and to be members of
the Church, resting and thinking that your salvation is already by it
secured?
God is the same, both today and yesterday... (He) is willing to grant
these gifts to his children. I know that God is willing to heal the sick, to
to grant you the gift of discerning spirits, the gift of wisdom, of
knowledge and prophecy, and other gifts that you may need.
If any of us is imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift.
what will make us perfect. Do I have imperfections myself? I am full of them.
What is my duty? To pray to God to give me the gifts that correct these.
imperfections. If I am always angry, it is my duty to ask for the gift of
charity, which is suffering and kind. Am I an envious person? It is my duty
request for the gift of charity, which has no envy for anything. And so with all.
the gifts of the Gospel. They are for this purpose. No one should say, 'Oh, I
I'm not to blame; I am this way." Such a person does not justify themselves for the reason that God
He has promised to give us the strength to correct these things, and to give us the gifts.
that will make them disappear.
The gifts of the spirit will be yours: 1) if you acquire understanding and comprehension.
of the gifts of the Spirit, 2) if he desires them, 3) if he asks the Lord to give them to him, and 4) if
fulfills the laws that govern the powers of heaven.
The man who has no gift has no faith; and he is deceiving himself.
even if he believes he has it.[16]
The first time you read this book, answer this question on a piece of paper:
What should be their attitude concerning the specific gifts and blessings?
what has been received or experienced?
If possible, discuss your answer with another reader of this book.
Every time you read this book, ask yourself these questions:
What are some of the specific gifts and blessings that I have received or
experienced recently?
Am I constantly seeking the gifts of the spirit?
Have I sought and received the gift of discernment?

II. PRESENTATION OF OUR CASE TO THE LORD.

After you have decided how you want the Lord to help you, your
The next step is to present your case. Pray to the Lord. Explain to Him the reason for this desire.
but even more importantly, explain in great detail why you want such a desire to be
fulfill. Throughout history we see that the Lord responds to the requests of the
mortal man if he appeals to Him with faith and if he is presented with a good reason

23
based on the blessing they seek. In a literal sense, you need
learn to reason with the Lord. A good example can be found in chapter 11 of
Helaman:
And it came to pass that when Nephi saw that the people had repented, and they...
had humiliated and dressed in sackcloth, once again to the Lord, saying:
Oh Lord, here is a people that repents; and has exterminated among
they the band of Gadiantón, so it has disappeared; and have hidden their
secret planes on the earth!
And now, oh Lord, turn away your wrath from them because of their humility, and
calm your anger with the destruction of those wicked men that you have already
cut down!
Oh Lord, turn away your anger, yes, burning anger, and make this hunger cease in
this land!
Oh Lord, hear me and grant that it may be done according to my words, and send
rain upon the face of the earth so that it may produce its fruit, and its grain in the
grain season!
Oh Lord, you heard my words when I said: Let there be hunger, so that
Cease the destruction by the sword! And I know that in this prayer you will also listen
my words, because you said that. If this people repents, I will forgive them.
Yes, oh Lord!, you see that they have repented because of hunger and plague.
and the destruction that has befallen them.
And now, oh Lord, will you not turn away your anger and try again if they want
serve you? And if so, oh Lord, can you bless them according to your
words that you have spoken! (Helaman 11:9-16)
In studying the life of the prophet Joseph Smith, one realizes that he never received
no new doctrine, etc., but until he strove and went to the Lord in prayer to
ask for further clarification on some points. (Read the preface of sections 76 and
132 of Doctrine and Covenants) Do your best to have faith in the promise of the
prophet Alma:
Consult the Lord in all your actions, and he will guide you for good.
37:37
When seeking the powers of heaven to help fulfill a just desire,
You must advocate your case before the Lord daily until it is fulfilled.
In your relationship with your Heavenly Father, one must ask in order to receive.
Generally, church members make vague requests (e.g.: please
bless me, please help me). One must decide to ask for blessings more
specific, expressing more clearly the desires one has. When praying with
regularity and making more specific sentences increases the likelihood that the
sentences become fervent and sustained by faith. Unfortunately, the
the majority of people don't ask the Lord for anything unless they are going through
a crisis. You will find that your relationship with the Lord will be much better if you seek
your constant help for the fulfillment of their just desires instead of just
to ask for help when facing a crisis. Obviously, if you seek and experience
the help of the Lord daily, when faced with a crisis, your ability to
invoking the powers of heaven will be greater. When one is not faced with a situation
It is difficult for man to forget his dependence on the Lord.

24
 And because of their great wickedness and their boasting of their own power, they were
abandoned to their own strength; so that they did not prosper, but rather the
little sheets afflicted them, and wounded them, and threw before them until the
the Nephites had lost possession of almost all their lands. (Helaman 4:13)
And so we can see how false and inconstant the heart of the children of the
men; yes, we can see that the Lord in His great and infinite goodness blesses
and makes prosper those who put their trust in him. (Helaman 12:1)
They were slow to listen to the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the
Sir, your God is slow to hear your prayers and to answer them on the day of
his anguish. In peaceful days, they valued my advice slightly, but in the
In the day of their anguish, for their need, they draw near to me. (D&C 101:7-8)
The chosen ones of God are those who do not lose their dependence on God even when
do not find themselves in moments of adversity. You must strive to do your
daily prayers fervently, even if there are no urgent problems. Their
sentences will be powerful and persuasive sentences, because a powerful sentence is
a sentence that is heard and answered. If their sentences are not being
answered, perhaps this is because they do not pray with the power of faith and because they do not
present your case before the Lord with sufficient fervor.
A critical issue when one is striving to ask the Lord for help is
the ability to recognize one's own weaknesses. When you manage to get closer
to the Lord, he will clearly perceive their weaknesses. "If men come to me, I will
I will show his weakness.
Sir, it is to bless you and assist you, you will have the sufficient motivation to strive.
to overcome their weaknesses. If the Lord sees that a person is dedicating themselves more to
keeping the commandments, is willing to be more generous with her contribution to
Kingdom of God, etc, He is ready to respond to you.
Our relationship with God is governed by laws. God is never capricious.
(inconsistent, illogical) in his willingness to bless us (see Mormon 9:9).
He will always bless us according to our faith and righteousness (see D&C 130:20-21)
132:5).
If God's dealings with men were not completely consistent, God would leave
to be God (see Mormon 9:19).
In his effort to seek the Lord's help to achieve righteous desires, one
It cannot rely solely on silent sentences.
And also, I command you to pray vocally as well as in your heart...(D&C
19:28
When you encounter a situation that makes you doubt your ability to
fulfill your desire, ask the Lord for help to maintain your attitude of faith.
The first time you read this book, answer the following question on a piece of paper:
How should you present your case before your Heavenly Father?
If possible, discuss your answer with another reader of this book.

III. MENTAL EFFORT.

The very process of thought is the key to exercising faith. In other words,
What you think about today, tomorrow, or next month will shape your attitude and
25
it will determine what you achieve during your life. Thoughts influence life more
than anything else.
How could it be possible for a person to become what they are not?
Thinking? There is no thought at all, if one persists in it, that no matter how much
small though it may be, it does not take effect. The "divinity that shapes our
purposes" are certainly found in us.
In order to exercise faith, once a just desire has been chosen through the
sentence (e.g.: increase your purchasing power, engage a child in their class of
Elementary, etc.), one should begin to worry about one's desire. Faith can be measured.
mostly due to the amount of time spent thinking about a fair desire. Yes
his mind is not concerned with what he is trying to achieve, it is not a desire.
Do not confuse the type of anxious worry with the worry involved in
exercising faith. When your mind is more willing to think about the consequences
negatives of the facts over which you assume to have little control, that is mere
worry. On the contrary, if your mind meditates on the consequences
possibilities of various courses of action that you are going to largely control, you
is exercising faith.
The mind is like a field: one harvests what they plant in it, if they water it and ...
cultivate. You must learn to follow the following admonition of the Lord:
Lift up all thoughts toward me; do not doubt; do not fear. (D&C 6:36)
Scientific research has demonstrated that most people
They use their mind in constructive thoughts only ten percent of the time.
time, on average. Consequently, the amount of faith that these exercise
personas is extremely limited.
We have been commanded not to doubt:
Do not doubt, but be believers... (Mormon 9:27)
... where there is doubt and uncertainty, there is no faith, nor can there be.
doubt and faith do not coexist in the same person at the same time; so that the
people whose minds are filled with doubts and fears cannot trust
without hesitation; and where there is no firm trust, faith is weak.
Thinking negatively requires no effort at all; however, maintaining a
The mental state of a believer requires continuous effort over a good period of time.
In the process of faith, thoughts produce an effect as literal as that of
physical exercise. Your thoughts, more than anything else, will be the factor
determinant of what I achieve in this life.

CONTROL YOUR MIND.

Exercising faith in the powers of heaven is a fairly simple process, but it requires
a continuous mental effort.
When a man acts by faith, he works with mental effort instead of
physical effort.
Mental effort involves the following steps: 1) training to be
aware of thoughts, 2) learn to scrutinize one's own thoughts
to determine whether faith increases or decreases, and 3) if a thought reduces it
26
Faith, replace it with a thought based on faith. For example, you can
reflect on the goodness of the Lord, on His desire to bless His children, or in the
numerous promises in the scriptures that say that if we ask in faith, He will us
He will bless. If you learn to exert enough mental effort, you will be able to cultivate faith.
necessary to deserve the power and strength that comes through faith in favor of the
justice.
In order to exert oneself mentally, one must have power and control over their
own mind. One should not be easily distracted or focus their mind on anything that
do not agree with the purpose or goal of the desired blessing. For
For example, when you are asking the Lord for a blessing, do you find that you are
thinking about your chores or other daily worries? The next time that
Now meditate, try to control your mind enough so that you do not get distracted.
during their attempt to communicate with the Lord. Consider how offensive it would be
that a person I am speaking to will continue reading a book. Likewise,
Our behavior is offensive to the Lord if we let our minds wander elsewhere.
things while we are talking to her. Until she learns to discipline her mind and to
to control it completely, her ability to exercise her faith will be extremely
limited. The full power of the mind is only given when it is focused and
aims towards a specific end.
... if your eye (the eye of the mind) is good, your whole body will be full of
light. (Matthew 6:22)
If you let your mind wander into trivialities and worldly worries,
you will limit your ability to invoke the powers of heaven and your mind will stop
be a power source.
You will discover, however, that when trying to control and focus your mind, the devil
it will present you with distractions. When you control your mind and do not allow it to
distract, you will be able to exercise faith without limits and use the powers of heaven through your
fe.
The greatest mystery that man has learned is how to control the
human mind, and how to submit each of the faculties and powers of the
the same as Jesus Christ; this is the greatest mystery we have to learn
while we dwell in this clay tabernacle.
You need to constantly remember that the mind is literally the key that opens
the doors of the powers of heaven. We must learn to control the mind.
... (the mind) is the agent of the Omnipotent clothed with this tabernacle
mortal, and we must learn to discipline it, to focus it, and not to allow it to
the devil interferes with her and confuses her, nor diverts her from the great objective that
we have in sight...
If we could control our mind, we could control our
children, our family, and the Kingdom of God, and to make everything go well, a lot
more easily than we can now.
One needs to be able to control their mind so that it does not get distracted in the
other facts and concerns surrounding her, and concentrate it with all her strength on the
problem that you are trying to solve in particular, or in the blessing that is
searching.
If a person disciplines their mind to be in harmony with the spirit
and completely focuses on his actions and the principles of faith that he
27
 they will grant the power of God, how great will be their ease of obtaining
knowledge... [22]
In our current society, music has become an 'opium' for the mind.
listening to high-quality music is commendable. If music is used as a
escape, this can become harmful. If a person spends hours observing
sports but does not do physical exercises, their body will suffer. The same happens with
the mind. If we allow our mind to engage in things that do not require
no effort, like listening to popular music, both the mind and the spirit
they will suffer.

THE EYE OF FAITH.

One of the best ways to challenge yourself mentally is to create an image.

mental of what is being sought and bring it to mind repeatedly. In a
literal sense, our desired ends need to be created spiritually in the
brain before they can be visualized. Through the process of faith, you can
visualize what you can achieve with the Lord's help in the form of a vision. See with
the eye of the mind is to see with the 'eye of faith.' (Alma 5:15; Ether 12:19)
One can train oneself mentally by asking questions and thinking about them.
various answers, exploring the various solutions to a problem and thinking with
Be careful of the consequences of each alternative. Also, the mental review is a
Good exercise. The mind is capable of rehearsing anything it tries to achieve, such
how to take an exam, run a race, give a speech, or write a
composition. This entire process can be facilitated if you learn to dedicate certain
daily periods for meditation.

WEIGH IT IN YOUR HEART.

The dictionary says that 'ponder' means 'to measure in the mind, to reflect,'
"to review mentally, to meditate." Moroni used the term this way at the end of his annals.
Behold, I would like to exhort you that when you read these things... that it
meditate (ponder) in your hearts. (Moroni 10:3, italicized text of
author)
To ponder, in my way of seeing it," says President Romney, "is a way
of prayer.[23]These periods of meditation must be dedicated exclusively to
the prayer (during which one reasons with the Lord) or to mental effort
focused on their rightful desires.
Obviously, when one is praying, one is in a position to focus their mind
exclusively in their affairs and in their relationship with the Lord. However, for
to be able to exercise an even greater faith, one needs to learn to focus the mind on
fair wishes on those numerous occasions when one is not required to deal
Mentally nothing in particular. This can happen while getting ready to go out for the
tomorrow, while eating or driving, or when going to bed. Most people
they have formed bad mental habits. They make no effort to control or
direct your thoughts during these moments of the day.

28
 People who make no effort to control their thoughts
they tend to dwell on insignificant thoughts (e.g.: resentment, offenses,
jealousy, anxieties, conflicts, contempt, pity) or let their mind wander without
course.
People who have learned to discipline their minds to the point of being able to
focusing on a problem for long periods of time is what leads to
ideas and significant discoveries. This is evident in the lives of the prophets, of
the leaders of the Church, and of great inventors, such as Sir Isaac Newton and
Albert Einstein. Newton, for example, concentrated all his mental energy for many
years in the field of mathematical and mechanical problems, until finally
he arrived at the discovery of a new form of geometry. Uniting all his energies
intellectuals, and referring to a specific topic or problem, managed to control their
mind and was able to discover much more. It's the same with any other person. The Elder
Boyd K. Packer said the following:
I have a friend who bought a business. Shortly after, he suffered
catastrophic setbacks that led him to the conclusion that there was no
viable exit for him. Finally, the situation reached the point where he could not
at least sleep, so for a while he adjusted to the practice of getting up at
the three in the morning to go to his office. There, with pencil and paper in
I was meditating and praying and then I would write down every idea that came to my mind.
as a solution or contribution to the solution of your problem.
It wasn't long before I had several options, and little
then she chose the one that suited her best. But the solution to her problem was not
the only positive thing he extracted from the experience. While reviewing his notes, he realized
it accounts that I possessed countless resources that I had never noticed before. The
the result was that he gained more independence and success than he ever would have.
won't have been if it weren't for the complications he had to endure.
This experience has a lesson: one or two years later, he was called to
to lead a mission. His business was so solvent and was so well established that
When he returned from his mission, he did not return to him. Now he has another person who does it for him.
administers which allows him to devote almost all his time to serving his neighbor.

Serve God with all your mind.

In striving to achieve your goals (desires), constantly remind yourself that if

You exercise the necessary faith, the Lord will help you achieve them. Learn to think
positively for a long period of time can be difficult because it must be
develop new habits, and new habits are not easily formed. If you lose
spending time thinking about imaginary obstacles, the desire to achieve your goals will not be the
strong enough to motivate you to be persistent.
When one focuses their thoughts on achieving their rightful desires, they are serving.
to the Lord with all your heart, strength, and mind. (See D&C 4:2) Often, in our
attempt to serve the Lord with all our strength (time and energy), we do not reach
serve it with all our heart (emotion and feelings), strength (self-control), and
mind (intelligence and ability to reason). You will find that your ability to
achieving your fair desires will increase if you learn to control your mind and to focus your
mental energies.
29
 If you are constantly addressing the Lord to help you with your various
just wishes, fulfilling the Lord's admonition of "let your
"Thoughts turn to the Lord" (Alma 37:36)
What you think leads you to faith or diminishes your ability to exercise it.
His thoughts regarding faith cannot be neutral. If his thoughts
they are not productive or uplifting, he has the responsibility to replace them with others
that they are. The Lord has warned "that if you do not take care of yourselves, and
Your thoughts... you must perish." (Mosiah 4:30) It will be increased to you.
initiative to control your thoughts if you constantly remember the commandment of
refrain from idleness. (Alma 38:12; D&C 42:42, 60:13, 75:3, 29, 88:124) this
idle thoughts also apply to those that the Lord has commanded that
let us discard.
The power of faith through thought can be latent or apparent.
concentrated or diluted, used or unused. His ability to invoke this power
it will increase with effort; the more you strive to control your thoughts,
greater will be your ability to focus your mind.
The first time you read this book, answer the following question on a piece of paper:
How does one mentally exert themselves?
If possible, discuss your response with another reader of this book.
Every time you read this book, ask yourself the following question:
To what extent are my thoughts focused on achieving my rightful desires and
Until what degree do I let worries, doubts, and fears occupy my mind?

ALTER YOUR THOUGHTS.

Some people tend to attribute their lack of ability to circumstances.

achieve their just desires. By understanding the nature of faith, you will realize
that one can change their circumstances by altering their attitude and exercising faith.
Man is literally what he thinks, since his character is the sum
total of all their thoughts.
The thought that occupies your mind at this moment is
contributing, almost imperceptibly, despite how infinitesimal it may be, to the
formation of your soul... even fleeting and idle thoughts leave
his footprint.[26]
I will know how you are if you tell me what you think when you don't have to think about it.
nothing.[27]
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)
If you radically change your thoughts, you will be amazed at how quickly you
they transform the material conditions of their life. Their thoughts dictate their
circumstances because thoughts govern habits, and these dictate the
circumstances. All actions, both spontaneous and premeditated, are the
product of our thoughts.
One exercises their free will both with thoughts and with actions.
Of all the creatures on earth, only man can change the model of his
30
thoughts and become the architect of their destiny. Unfortunately,
Many members of the Church do not make an effort to discipline their thoughts.
They make some effort to avoid vulgar and obscene thoughts, but they do not
they strive to control and direct their thoughts. When a person is walking
If you try, we say that 'she has not found herself.' This phrase is not correct.
One does not find oneself. One creates oneself.
Each one of us is the architect of our own destiny; and
truly unfortunate is he who tries to shape himself without the
inspiration from God, without realizing that one grows from within and not from
outside.
In the final judgment, our thoughts and the intentions of our heart
they will be known. (DyC 88:109) President Kimball has said that since our
thoughts and our intentions will be revealed, it means that also
they are registering.
The actions and thoughts of men must be written in the
Sky... We certainly don't stretch our imagination much these days.
modern with believing that our thoughts will also be recorded
by some means that today is known only to superior beings!
The Lord has said that we will be judged according to our thoughts:
...our thoughts will also condemn us;...(Alma 12:14)
It is unsettling to realize that every thought will be recorded and will be a
critical factor in the final judgment.
Some people do not realize the influence of thoughts on the
life, and consequently do not make much effort to control their thoughts. A
every person will lack direction and meaning in life unless they are able to
clearly define in your mind what you want to achieve in life and train it
so as to focus it on her rightful desires.
The first time you read this book, ask yourself this question:
How can I change my circumstances?
If possible, discuss it with another reader of this book.
Every time I read this book:
If you feel controlled by your circumstances, decide to exercise the necessary faith.
to change your circumstances.

IV. CONTINUOUS EFFORT.

You will begin to feel the power of faith when, for a few consecutive weeks, you
has managed to maintain the necessary mental discipline for a correct life. Must
resolve to work hard to have faith in their ability to invoke the powers
from heaven; will never experience the power of faith to a great extent unless it is
willing to maintain their efforts continuously as time goes by.
Let this principle be tested by making the necessary effort even if
beginning may be difficult.
For example, if your desire is to cultivate the gift of discernment, try the process.
to cultivate this gift by following the steps prescribed in this book for several weeks
consecutive.
31
 Once you manage to successfully use your faith as a principle of power to achieve
a just wish, repeat the process with another just wish, and so on with another, and another.
Once one has truly converted to faith as a principle of power, one
it will realize that there is practically no limit to what can be achieved
when one is able to invoke the powers of heaven for their own benefit.
If you work constantly using faith as a source of power, you will find that the
the process becomes easier to the point of becoming almost spontaneous. Its main desire must
to control his mind so that he thinks about what he truly wants to think about. For
to achieve this, one needs to become aware of their thoughts and learn to
scrutinize them, and finally, replace doubts and fears with just desires
(predetermined metas). By learning to control and direct your way of thinking, you will be able to
use the powers of heaven to help you in every aspect of your life.
The first time you read this book, answer the following questions:
Generally, how long should one focus on a desire just before
begin to feel the power of faith as a principle of power?
How does one convert to faith as a principle of power?
In what aspects of life can faith be used as a principle of power?
If possible, discuss your answers with another reader of this book.
Every time you read this book, ask yourself the following questions:
Am I truly converted to the principle of faith?
Can I invoke the powers of heaven for my own benefit?

32
 4. HIS FAITH WILL BE TESTED.

Although the Lord will help him achieve his righteous desires, he needs to take
precautions, because your faith will be tested. Generally, your faith will be tested under two
conditions: when you start to come to our Heavenly Father, seeking
fervently your help to achieve the goals you have, and when you have desires
that require a greater intervention from the powers of heaven.
From the beginning, the model that the Lord has followed in granting blessings has
1) the Lord allows the person to be tested and, 2) once the person is
humiliate and give proof of his faith by persevering and remaining faithful, his just desires will
they are granted.
It was not until after Adam had demonstrated his determination to be faithful.
to the commandments of the Lord that the Spirit was poured out in abundance.
(Moses 5:4-12) We see the same pattern in the lives of the prophets of the Old
Testaments such as Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. It is interesting to note that neither
Even Christ was exempt from this. (Read Matthew 4:11; Mosiah 3:7; Alma 7:11-12)
To see if the person seeking a special blessing from the Lord will remain
faithful in the face of opposition, a period of testing of their faith is necessary. If a person
understand that their faith will be tested, they will have greater determination to move forward
in moments of opposition. Basically, the test of faith serves for four
functions: 1) determines if the goal being sought is truly a desire; 2)
check if the person is devoted to the Lord; 3) it is a means of purging the
a person to remain clean, pure, and without stain - literally free from blood
and the sins of the world; and 4) it humbles him, and helps him realize that he cannot
depend on the 'arm of the flesh.' (See 2 Nephi 4:34; 28:31; Helaman 4:13; D&C
By learning to persevere in your faith trials, you will become a
new creature in Christ, and the Spirit of the Lord will cleanse and renew your body. (Alma
5:14-15,19; D&C 84:33) This is the process of rebirth and sanctification.
It is extremely important to realize that the testing of faith is a part
necessary in the process of sanctification through which the spirit of God us
purify.
... and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver,
so that they may offer the Lord an offering in righteousness. (3 Nephi 24:3; see)
also DyC 128:24)
Therefore, they must be punished and tested, just like Abraham, to whom
He sent to offer his only son. Because all those who do not want to endure the
punishment, before they deny me, they cannot be sanctified. (D&C 101:4-5; see
also 136:31)
Nevertheless, they fasted and prayed frequently, and they became more and more
strong in their humility, and more and more firm in the faith of Christ, until they are filled with it
souls of joy and consolation; yes, even to the purification and sanctification of their
hearts, sanctification that comes from giving the heart to God. (Helaman 3:35)
The exams play a very important role in this process because, when
bearing them and in suffering afflictions we are, in a very literal sense, purged and
cleaned. When one endures opposition by serving the Lord to the fullest of their
ability - no matter how limited it is - the grace of the Lord is sufficient to

33
intervene in his favor; one has the promise that one can become 'perfect in
Christ." (Lea Moroni 10:32-33) It is through such a process that one can come to be
worthy of the Spirit of the Lord despite the limitations of the flesh.
The first time you read this book, answer the following question:
Why does the Lord allow our faith to be tested?
If possible, discuss it with another reader of this book.

HIS OWN TEST OF FAITH.

The nature of a person's test of faith is based on their own

temperament and aptitude; what would test one person's faith would not test another's.
The Lord will probe your soul, will take hold of you and will tear away the fibers of the
heart, and if you can't endure it you will not deserve an inheritance in the kingdom
God's celestial.
The test of your faith will lead you to understand that you cannot succeed if you rely on
with 'the arm of the flesh'. By itself, one is extremely limited in their
ability to achieve fair desires. However, when one humbles oneself, giving oneself
He admits that he cannot succeed without the help of the Lord, submitting to his Father.
Celestial, and longing fervently, then the Lord comes to one. Each man
can endure the test of your faith, whatever it may be, if you are faithful and obedient despite the
opposition, inconvenience, discomfort, or pain.
The Lord expects one to be "patient in affliction" and not to complain about their
problems. (DyC 31:9) For example, when speaking with others, emphasize the
positive aspects of the circumstances of their life. The ability to cope
Enduring with patience is a great virtue that will bring you maturity, stability, and strength.
spiritual.
And the Lord said to them: Go among the Lamanites, your brothers, and
establish my word; however, you will be patient in troubles and afflictions,
so that you can give them good examples in me,... (Alma 17:11)
If you are thrown into the pit or in the hands of murderers, and you are condemned to
death; if you are thrown into the abyss; if the fierce waves conspire against you; if the
hurricane winds become your enemy; if the skies darken and everyone
elements combine to obstruct the way; and above all, if the doors
the very gates of hell open wide to swallow you, understand, my son,
that all these things will serve you as experience, and will be for your good. The Son
Has man submitted to all of them. Are you greater than he? (DyC 122:7-8)
... but we also glory in tribulations knowing that the
tribulation produces patience; and patience, experience; and experience,
hope. (Romans 5:3-4)
And when Ammon saw them, he was very sad, for behold, they were found
naked and had extremely excoriated skin from being tied up with
strong cords; and they had also suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of
afflictions; however, they were patient in all their sufferings. (Soul
20:29
For truly I say to you, blessed is the one who keeps my
commandments, whether in life or in death; and he who is faithful in tribulation
34
 will have a greater reward in the kingdom of heaven. For now, you cannot see
with your natural eyes the design of your God concerning things
that will come later, and the glory that will follow after much
tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Therefore,
the day will come when you will be crowned with great glory; the hour is not yet, but
it is near. (DyC 58:2-4)
If he stays close to the Spirit, he will not be overwhelmed by the trials of his faith.
We are confident that, with the Spirit as a companion, we can resolve
any difficulty.
Spirituality drives one to conquer difficulties and to acquire
more and more strength.
The first time you read this book, answer the following question:
How will your faith be tested?
Have you reacted faithfully when confronted by trials and tribulations?
If possible, discuss it with another reader of this book.

EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO HAVE PERSEVERED IN THEIR TRIALS.

One of the best examples of faith trials can be found in the Book of Alma,
where it speaks of the missionary work of the sons of Mosiah. These men were
responsible for the conversion of a large part of the Lamanite population despite
that the Lamanites were described as a 'hardcore and fierce savage people'
(Alma 17:14), and it seemed that they would not be receptive to the message of the gospel. The key
for the great conversion of the Lamanites was the Spirit of the Lord that accompanied
the sons of Mosiah in their labors. Even in the limited account we have of their work
missionary, it is evident that his faith was put to the test.
... because they had gone through many hardships; they suffered a lot, both...
both physically and mentally, just like hunger, thirst, fatigue and also a lot
tribulation in the spirit.
... and they fasted and prayed a lot so that the Lord would grant that a
a portion of His Spirit may accompany them and be with them, so that
they could be an instrument in the hands of God to lead their brethren,
the Lamanites, if it were possible, to the knowledge of the truth,...
And the Lord also said to them: Go among the Lamanites, your brothers, and
establish my word; however, you shall be patient in tribulations and afflictions,
so that you can give them good examples in me; and I will make you instruments in my
hands, for the salvation of many souls. (Alma 17:5,9,11)
The following quote gives us a good synopsis of his entire experience:
And this is the account of Ammón and his brothers, their journeys in the land of
Nephi, his sufferings on the earth, his sorrows and his afflictions, his
unfathomable joy... (Alma 28:8)
In other words, although they suffered a lot, in the end they experienced joy and
immense satisfaction in their work due to having endured their tests of faith.

35
 THE EXPERIENCE OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.

One of the most successful missionaries in the history of the Church was Wilford.
Woodruff. You may already know about the many successful experiences he had.
in his missionary work. However, many people do not realize that he
he also experienced great difficulties during his mission, and that his faith was
greatly tested before it started to succeed. The following quote from
Wilford Woodruff's diary will help you understand a bit about the trials of faith that he
happened.
We didn't like going to houses to ask for food, so we gathered corn and
we ate them raw, and we slept on the bare floor. We had walked all
the day without a bite and we were hungry and we were tired. Neither the minister nor his
They gave us something to eat, but they didn't even let us stay the night in their house.
because we were Mormons; and the only option we had was to follow twelve
miles more along the river coast to a trading post of the Osage Indians
whose owner was a Frenchman named Jereu; but the wicked minister who did not us
had given not even a piece of bread, he had lied to us about the way, and we
sent him through the swamp, and we splashed through the mud and the water up to the
kneeling until ten at night trying to follow the winding path
river. Then we left the swamp and entered the prairie where we
we lay on the grass for the rest of the night.
These are just a few of the entries from Wilford Woodruff's diary, but
they indicate the tremendous hustle and bustle that had to be endured during the first months of one of
his missions. Five months passed before he and his partner had a
baptism. An interesting note is that his companion finally got discouraged and became
he returned to his home leaving Wilford Woodruff alone in the mission field for a
time. Shortly after, Wilford Woodruff began to have great success.
President Kimball was a classic example of the man who has gone through several
tests of faith. Throughout his life, he endured many trials (facial paralysis,
chronic tonsillitis, evil spirits, boils, throat cancer, operation of
heart).

MAINTAINING FAITH DESPITE OPPOSITION.

Fortunately, there are many things one can do when their faith is tested.
approve
1. Reflect on the following words of President Kimball:
On some occasions I have mentioned the need to have certain reserves.
in our life in order to provide for our needs. I have said, 'Some
Deposits are for reserving water, others food, as we do in our
well-being program and how Joseph did it in Egypt during the seven years of
abundance.' There must also be reserves of knowledge to satisfy the
future needs; reserves of courage to overcome the torrents of fear that
they bring uncertainty to our lives; reserves of strength that help us to
to cope with the frequent burdens of work and illnesses; reserves of
kindness; reserves of vigor; reserves of faith.

36
 Yes, especially reserves of faith, so that when the world oppresses us,
let us remain steadfast and strong. When the temptations of the decadent world
I must add, increasingly permissive and wicked) that surrounds us steals our
energies, exhaust our spiritual vitality, and try to bring us down, we will need
a reserve of faith that can guide teenagers and young people through the
moments of boredom, difficulties, and terror; through disappointments;
the disappointments; and the years of adversity, deprivation, confusion, and frustration.
2. Read and reflect on the following scriptures:
...because I know that those who put their trust in God will be supported in
his tribulations, and his sorrows and afflictions,... (Alma 36:3)
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls; for my yoke
my burden is easy and light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
3. When you feel the need for help in moments of disappointment and disillusionment
spiritual, read chapters 17-26 of Alma over and over again. If you read them with an attitude of
prayer will receive inspiration, and will receive the necessary strength to endure the
tests of faith.
4. Learn the following phrase by heart:
After many tribulations come the blessings.
5. Collect your favorite scriptures and quotes and read them when your faith is tested.
Alma 26:23-35; 2 Corinthians 1:4-7
Read this book once more.
7. Read the following scriptures: D&C 98:3; 68:6; 24:8; 31:9; 101:4-5; 88:63;
122:7-8; 58: 2-4; Moisés 5:4-12; Alma 26:27; 31:30-31,38; 7:11-12; 36:3; 17: 14;
17:5,9,11; 28:8; 20:29; Mosíah 3:7; 23:21; Mateo 1:11; 11:28-30; Hebreos 5:8;
Acts 5:38-42
10:32-33.

WARNING.

Whoever it may be, even if they pray constantly in their attempt to choose desires
just, sometimes it will happen that you will begin to exercise faith in a desire not approved by
our Heavenly Father. When this is the case, you will experience a stupor of
thought and will find it almost impossible to focus on their desires. When this happens,
he must stop striving to have faith regarding this desire and must pray it
more possible to determine why such desire is not appropriate.
In their effort to exercise faith, it is their responsibility to ensure that they do not
confuse lack of personal merit, desire, or discipline, or a test, with this
mental stupor that we have just described. If you are in harmony with the Spirit, you will be able to
clearly discern between a test of faith and the stupor of thought that occurs
when, for one reason or another, a desire is inappropriate.
With this understanding, you can always be sure that your desires are
righteous. You must keep this precaution in mind because, by persevering, it is possible to achieve.
wishes that, according to the wisdom of the Lord, are not the best for one. The
Lord, respect our free will to choose the desires we want to see fulfilled.
37
 SUMMARY.

The following is a summary of the understanding, ideas, procedures, etc.

required to invoke the powers of heaven in order to bless your life:
Have a clear understanding of faith as a principle of power.
2. Understand that the powers of heaven are governed by our faith
individual.
Live a just life.
4. Select fair goals (wishes) through prayer.
5. Specify your goals (wishes) by writing them down.
6. Specify when you will reach your goals (wishes).
7. Present your case to the Lord telling Him what effort or sacrifice you are willing to make.
to do in order to reach their goal (desire).
8. Think about your goal (desire) constantly.
Put all your will into thinking positively about the potential you have.
to achieve his goal (desire) with the help of the Lord.
10. Constantly remind yourself that the additional power and strength that
They come from God and are available to you based on your individual faith.
11. Remember that the Lord longs to grant you your just desires as long as
you qualify to receive them.
Make your goal a matter of continuous prayer.
Pray that the Lord increases his ability to exercise greater faith as
principle of power.
14. When faced with a situation that makes you doubt your ability
to achieve your goal (wishes), learn to offer a mental prayer to ask for it
help the Lord. And then have faith that He will help you, remembering that if He
Lack of faith is denying the Lord the opportunity to assist him.
15. Reflect repeatedly on the promise made by the Savior: 'Ask and it will be given to you.'
It will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

16. Recognize in advance that your faith will most likely be tested.
17. Make sure you are doing everything in your power to
achieve their rightful goals (wishes).

38
 5. GUIDE TO INCREASE YOUR FAITH.
DETERMINE AN ACTION PLAN.

After you have chosen, through your prayers, a just wish, to

it will be helpful for him to jot down his action plan. Generally, his action plan
will include the following points:

YOUR DESIRE.

Express your desire (goal) clearly. It should include the time period in the
which hopes to achieve its desire (e.g.: this week, to find a family to be baptized)
this month)

HIS RESOLUTIONS.

Write everything you will do to achieve this particular goal. What you can do.
so that their rightful wishes are fulfilled (e.g.: knocking on doors for at least three hours at the
Day, obey the rules of the mission, practice several ways to do first.
contacts with my colleague every morning, etc.).

THE HELP YOU WILL NEED FROM THE LORD.

The specific blessings you desire to receive, which will require the
invocation of the powers of heaven (e.g.: touch the hearts of the members of the
family and prepare them to receive the message of restoration, guide them to the house of
such family, etc.)

HIS COMMITMENT.

A list of things you are willing to do in order to qualify for receiving

the help of the Lord. His promises must be made under inspiration and must be
commitments that demonstrate their merit, their dedication, and the intensity of their desire
to receive the help of the Lord (e.g.: not harbor negative feelings towards my
partner, but I will express my love to him daily; I will read the scriptures
daily, etc.).

EXAMPLE.

Brother Guerrero was called as the Master of the Deacons. With prayer,
he chose the goals for his class: to present the lessons in a way that each member
of the class moved by the Spirit and that each one would receive the knowledge

39
and the insight that will help them in their personal life. The following was their plan of
action
My wish:
1. Teach my lessons in a way that each member of the class is
moved by the Spirit and to receive knowledge and ideas that help him
in their personal life.
My resolutions:
Study each lesson for two hours on Sundays and for thirty minutes.
the other days.
2. Meditate for fifteen minutes every day concerning the members of the
class and its needs.
3. Study the scriptures for thirty minutes a day.
4. Get to know each student personally.
5. Request the opinion of each student individually.
Help that I will need from the Lord:
1. That it reveals the needs and abilities of my students.
2. To inspire me regarding the presentation of each lesson so that it is
interesting and respond to the specific needs of my students.
3. That helps my students understand the truths I present to them.
4. May the Holy Spirit manifest in each lesson.
5. May my nerves calm down.
My commitments:
Fasting for my desire at least once a month.
Express my love towards others much more.
It is important that the Lord guides you in setting your action plan. As you approach the
Lord in prayer, He will enhance your understanding of what you need to do to achieve
his desire (e.g.: Brother Warrior brought his action plan to the Lord and asked for more
address. It was then that he realized he was too critical of one
from his colleagues in the business. Therefore, he added another commitment: that of not
look for defects in your partner) When the Lord guides you in formulating the plan
action that will lead you to fulfill your just desires, you will develop a
absolute faith that divine blessings always obey the laws about the
which those blessings are based on (See D&C 130:20).
The first time you read this book, answer the following question on a piece of paper:
How can specifying your action plan help you in your efforts to
exercising faith as a principle of power?
If possible, discuss your answer with another reader of this book.

EVALUATE YOUR FAITH.

A basic process of setting goals is to keep an accurate record of our

actions in favor of them. To accurately assess our behavior with
Regarding our goals, three steps need to be followed: 1) write down the goals, 2)

40
periodically evaluate our behavior regarding our goals, 3) correct
our goals with inspiration.
Step No. 1: Write the goals. Goals should always be written in terms of
what one hopes to achieve. In addition, one must specify when one intends to reach a
specifically, unless it is something I do daily, like reading the
writing for half an hour a day. The place to put the list of goals is
personal preference. Some people find it convenient to write them on cards that they carry
in the pocket. Others write them down and display them in more prominent places. You
you must choose the method that suits you best.
We must have goals to progress, encouraged by the records that
we maintain.
Step No. 2: Periodically evaluate your behavior regarding your goals. The value
goals are lost unless one follows President Kimball's advice to
measure and regularly check the progress made towards the goals that
have you noticed. One must review their progress daily:
Example:
Every morning, Sister Sánchez writes down what she aims to achieve.
during the day. Each night, before going to bed, he evaluates his progress from the day. The
Sundays, he thinks about his goals from the previous week, and plans for the week.
next. At the beginning of his mission, he had set the goal of reading twenty
pages of the Book of Mormon daily. At the end of their first month in the
mission field, it became apparent to him that with the time required to learn
the memory talks, their goal was unattainable. He then told his leader
from the district that from then on changed its goal to ten pages a day,
three times a week.
One is accountable in many ways. For example, in your prayers, you must
accountable to the Lord by reviewing his progress. Obviously, he must be accountable
mentally and in writing. In some cases, they will report to those who have
authority over you.
When action is evaluated, it improves. When it is assessed and surrendered.
accounts, the pace of progress accelerates.
Step No. 3: Correct your goals with inspiration. In some cases, you will find that the
the goals they have set are too modest. For example, at the beginning of their
mission, a missionary had set the goal of learning 10 concepts from the talks
daily, which was a well-founded goal. However, after a few
In two or three weeks, by increasing their level of dedication, this goal was achieved.
inadequate, given her greater ability to learn. Likewise, the goal of a
Baptizing one person per month could be realistic for the first ones.
months of his mission. However, the same goal may not be a challenge for him,
relationship with its capacity, at the end of its mission. As a general rule it is understood that
The ability to act increases over time.
Unfortunately, some people are quite aware when starting a
new labor just like a calling in the neighborhood. But once they get to put themselves at
current of the routines of that particular calling, lose the momentum that
they initially had.

41
 Every man is a diary in which he writes a story while trying
write another. His moment of greatest humility comes when he compares the
two.
When one reaches the point of continuously achieving the rightful desires that
They require help from the Lord, faith is being used as a principle of power. It can
measure your faith by the number of predetermined just wishes you achieve in a certain
time period.
When one begins to strive to exercise faith, one must measure their success in terms of
progress as well as achievement. For example, if a missionary is able to learn 8
concepts of the talks updated, but having set the goal of learning 12
only learns 10 concepts on his first day, this missionary should already perceive
the power of faith and recognizing it as such.
The first time you read this book, answer the following question on a piece of paper:
How can faith be measured?
If possible, discuss it with another reader of this book.
Every time you read this book, ask yourself:
How many preset wishes did I achieve last year? And in the last 30 days?

Express your gratitude.

As you begin to experience the power of faith in your daily life, it is important that
express your gratitude to your Heavenly Father.
Ingratitude is a more contemptible crime than revenge.[37]
... and you must give thanks to God in the Spirit for any blessing with
that you may be blessed. (D&C 46:32)
You will give thanks to the Lord your God in all things. (D&C 59:7)
There are two things that can be done to train oneself to understand and maintain.
daily the true spirit of gratitude. First, get used to meditating and
to reflect on their many blessings, on the mercy of God, etc.; but
more specifically, consider the things you have been able to achieve with the help of the
Sir. Second, make the effort to recognize the manifestations of the powers
from the sky during the day.
And in nothing does man offend God, nor is His anger kindled against anyone,
but those who do not confess their hand in all things and do not obey their
commandments. (D&C 59:21)
You should get used to discerning and recognizing the powers of heaven. Seek
constantly the examples where you have received inspiration. Every time that
see the powers of heaven become evident in any aspect of your life,
specifically express gratitude to the Lord for the many ways in which He has
helped during the day.
You should try to do this during the day, but more importantly, at the end of each
day, take a moment to reflect and identify specific cases where the
heavenly powers have manifested in some way. Also, try to look and
critically to see what he has done or said that has distracted him from his faith, and what

42
has said or done that has helped him maintain a faith in his desires
Just. Resolve to do it regularly.
If you constantly take the time to meditate and reflect on your
blessings and to express specific gratitude to the Lord, his ability to feel
the Spirit will increase. As you draw closer to the Spirit, you will notice that your receptivity
the inspiration will be refined more and more.
A person can benefit from the first impression of
spirit of revelation. For example, when you feel that pure intelligence
flows within you, it may suddenly awaken a current in you
of ideas; so that by attending to it, you will see that they are fulfilled on the same day or
shortly after; (that is) the things that the Spirit of God will be verified.
disclosed to your minds; and thus, by knowing and understanding the Spirit of God,
you will be able to grow in the principle of revelation until you become
perfect in Christ Jesus.
As you begin to realize the manifestations of the Spirit, your ability
to use faith as a principle of power will increase.

NOTE YOUR EXPERIENCES.

Throughout his life, having experiences with faith as a source of power,

write them down and make them a significant part of your personal history. When noting them
experiences that promote faith, do not forget to describe in detail both the
process that has followed in exercising their faith, as well as the result of that faith. With
too frequently, when writing their experiences with faith, writers only
they talk about the blessings they achieved through faith, and not about the efforts, the prayers,
etc., which required them to receive such blessings.

43
 6. DEVELOP A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
OF FAITH.
EXAMINE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH.

The following statements by Joseph Smith were cited in the first chapter.
from this book. Analyze them now from the perspective of this book. If possible,
discuss them with someone who is reading this book.
... just as faith is the driving force behind all action in matters
temporary, so it is in spiritual matters; ...
... faith is not only the beginning of action, but also of
power,...
3. "Faith, then, is the first great principle that has power, dominion, and
authority over all things.
Upon understanding the power that is at your disposal through faith, you will see
who can invoke the powers of heaven to help him in all his relationships and
in all their efforts, and not only in their responsibilities in the Church. Both
in his profession as in his calling in the Church, he must seek help through
of the powers of heaven. This is one of the great lessons of the Book of Mormon: if
We seek the Lord's help with faith, He will help us in all our matters.
It is important for you to realize that the Lord's desire to help you, if you...
has enough faith, does not limit itself to activities related to the Church.
Through faith, one can enhance their attributes, their talents, and their relationships.
interpersonal skills (e.g.: their musical abilities, their reasoning ability, of
understand what they read, relate to other people, etc.
An intelligent being, in the image of God, possesses every organ, attribute, sense,
sympathy, affection, will, wisdom, love, power, and the gift that
God himself possesses. But... these attributes are found in an embryonic state and are
They must develop gradually... The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts to everyone.
these organs or attributes. Revitalizes all intellectual faculties, increases,
amplifies, expands, and purifies all natural passions and affections, and the
adapt through the gift of wisdom for its legitimate use. Inspire,
develops, cultivates, and matures all the delicate sympathies, joy, tastes,
related feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue,
benevolence, kindness, tenderness, meekness, and charity. Develops the beauty of
person, shape, and features. Keep health, vigor, spirit and the
social feelings. Develops and invigorates all physical faculties and
intellectuals of man.
Many of the things we desire in this life can be achieved greatly.
part thanks to the faith that motivates us to commit and work towards achieving them (for
e.g.: improve our physical condition by doing six kilometers of aerobics
weekly, improve our relationship with our children by spending more time with them
they). But, in many cases, our wishes will not be fulfilled unless
let's learn to use the powers of heaven.

44
 LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THE ROLE OF FAITH.

By reading the following examples, identify the actions that are motivated by the
faith, and the ways in which the powers of heaven manifest as a result of faith
What is considered a principle of power.

EXAMPLE NO. 1.

A missionary assigned to a mining region near the town of Akron, Ohio,

the United States, reported that a woman asked them in the middle of winter, during a
strong snowfall, which they would immediately name. The missionaries did not have access to
a baptismal font so that it was necessary for her to be baptized in a little stream that
I was passing through the land of one of the members. It was February and it was very cold.
The missionary said that when he put his foot in the icy water, the pain reached him to the
heart and for a moment feared that he was going to come out of the water. He also began to fear
that the lady could not withstand the icy cold. She prayed in her heart for the water
it will warm up. He said that the water changed immediately, because he stopped feeling cold, and the
The lady did not complain about the cold water either.

EXAMPLE No. 2.

Natividad Sánchez participated in many of the extracurricular activities of

the high school. She was a cheerleader at the sports games, she belonged to
debate team, and every once in a while went out on a date. Upon graduating from high school
he/she started attending a university that was attended by a large number of members of the
Church. There he found that it was very easy for him to make friends but that the
they invited her out very rarely. When she went on a date, the boy who had invited her
I wouldn't invite her again. Although she was very sociable and generally went out with
members of the Church, she could never be herself. Finally, she turned to her Father
Heavenly and began to pray fervently so that he could act with more
naturalness when going out with a boy and it could make him feel good too
in her company. Within a few weeks, she already felt more at ease, she could be herself
same when I was dating someone, and I could already have an interesting conversation.
The boys started inviting her over and over again, and within a year she began to
to go out with the boy she married.

EXAMPLE NO. 3.

In the middle of the month, the president of the mission asked two missionaries.
how many baptisms they would have by the end of the month. The missionaries had planned to baptize
two young couples next week so they replied that they would have
four baptisms. However, two days later the circumstances dictated that the
baptisms of the two couples will be postponed until the next month. As the
missionaries had committed to having four baptisms, they decided to attend their
Heavenly Father and ask Him to prepare the way for them to be baptized.
45
four people for the end of the month. They then focused their efforts on this desire.
especially working even harder than before. The last week of the month is
baptized one of the couples whom they had been teaching for several
weeks, and another couple who had not expected to be baptized when they got engaged.
with the president, it was also baptized.

EXAMPLE NO. 4.

After several weeks of searching and praying, a young man decided that the
the graduate program of a certain university was the program that most
it suited him. However, he was already two months late in submitting his
enrollment and turned to his Heavenly Father in his prayers. He prayed that he would be guided.
walk in such a way that I would be accepted in that race despite having passed
from the registration date. After having communicated with the authorities
university students prayed again for the Lord to touch the hearts of those who
they had to consider their admission request so that they would receive a good
printing of the background that had been presented to them and made the exception of
accept your request even though it was late.
He also prayed to be inspired when choosing the background that
they would accompany their request, and so that they could say the most correct things in their calls
and correspondence to the revenue committee. The desire to be accepted by that
university in particular became the main focus of the prayers of this
young man who dedicated several days to fasting; all in order to ask for help from his
Heavenly Father in this matter. After three weeks, he was informed that there had been
has been accepted into the university.

EXAMPLE Nº 5.

A man who had six sons contracted rheumatic fever and was hospitalized in the
hospital. When the guidance teachers visited him, he asked them to give him a
blessing of health so that he would recover from his illness. He explained to them that he did not have
more preparation and that the only work he could do was manual labor and that
therefore it was essential that he could regain his health and strength in order to
be able to return to their manual tasks and continue supporting their family. The teachers
advisors gave their blessing.
When the guidance teachers returned the next week, they learned about
that the brother's diagnosis was still the same. His heart had weakened.
seriously and the doctors had declared that he would not be able to return to his
physical tasks. Seeing that the blessing had not been fulfilled, the senior companion
he was perplexed. In private, he addressed Heavenly Father in prayer wishing to know
why the blessing had not been fulfilled. He received in his mind the revelation that
He was too concerned with the other demands of his life, his education,
work, etc., and that for the blessing to be fulfilled, I would have to make that
I wish for the focus of your daily prayers and your other moments of
day.
He returned to the hospital and anointed and blessed the sick brother again with the
power of the priesthood, determined to make his desire to see his brother healed be fulfilled
46
became a very specific concern and an integral part of their
sentences. When he returned to the hospital a week later, his brother informed him
that in his last exam the heart showed no damage as a result of the
illness and everything indicated that he would fully recover his health and could be
able to support his family.

EXAMPLE No. 6.

A young couple had two children. The eldest, who was five years old, began to
to have serious behavioral problems. He was previously an outgoing child,
enthusiastic and cheerful, but now he appeared gloomy, withdrawn, and introverted.
father was studying psychology so he immediately started to consult with
his books in order to face his son's problems. Since he couldn't find
without a satisfactory answer, he decided to ask his teachers for advice.
Finally, the young father turned to his Heavenly Father in prayer and, in fasting,
prayers fervently that he would be inspired regarding his problem. He received in his
he lied about the revelation that his son had the right to be recognized as the eldest.
he immediately realized that it had always been his practice to include his two
children in all their hobbies. When I bought something for one child, I always
I was buying the same from the other.

Following his inspiration, he began to specifically identify what he could do.

to highlight the eldest son as the elder brother and to clearly establish that
there were certain things he deserved to do for being older, such as having a certain type of
different clothes, etc. Their behavioral problem started to diminish immediately.

EXAMPLE NO. 7.

Shortly after our Branch became a Ward, ... I was called to be

his bishop. At a stake meeting, one of the bishops recounted how, during the
the previous week, he had dedicated an hour a day to prayer. So moving was
his spirit, so magnificent his experience, that my soul longed for the same kind of joy.
I promised myself that the next day I would surprise myself on my knees by a
prayer time, for me, my family, my neighborhood, and my job. But the next day was
Sunday, and the diocesan meeting started at 6:00 in the morning. To be at
I would have to wake up at 4:00. My determination faded in sleep.
and fled to the corner of unfulfilled promises.
With my determination renewed by a satisfying Sunday, I put the
alarm clock for Monday morning. Upon feeling it, I sat up, put my feet on the
floor, and I tried to get up. Suddenly, and with great force, the mattress grabbed me by
the shoulders and wrapped me tightly with their warmth and softness. I fought bravely.
about five or six seconds before succumbing to his invitation. Then I realized that I had been
defeated and I fell asleep...
(Later) I thought, 'How can I be a bishop of a neighborhood if the members pray
more fervently than I? How can I be your spiritual guide?
The next morning I went to a grove near home and poured out my heart there.
I meditated with the Lord. Almost an hour passed. The results were very satisfactory.

47
While I prayed, spoke, and listened, a calm spirit and an inner fire invaded.
my whole being, and my soul was filled with joy. There were no heavenly messengers, nor lights,
I heard voices, but at that hour I felt elevated to a new spiritual level, and I knew
that I would never be satisfied with a lesser effort in my prayers.
In the long run, I acquired the habit of retreating to the chapel every morning and there,
with a couple of chapters from the scriptures to stimulate my thoughts for meditation
seriously, I found myself reflecting on the things of the Spirit until I felt that
I was ready to talk to my Father. Gradually, almost without realizing it,
I experienced the process of revelation described by Joseph Smith, as I
pure intelligence strokes entered my mind. Ideas for the neighborhood, solutions
about family problems, new concepts for my seminar and institute classes,
and a deep personal strength emerged profusely, daily, from these
sentences. I soon discovered that I needed a pen and a notebook to
writing down the ideas as they came to me. These notes were valuable in the
reorganization of the auxiliary organizations in our neighborhood. I extended
call after call to people who already knew about them before they were
calls.
My family members also benefited because the husband and
father of the home, a holder of the priesthood, gave them greater direction and advice
inspired. The feelings of love and peace increased, and we enjoyed anew
spiritual strength. As I taught more and more with the Spirit, my classes of
seminars and institutes became more lively and interesting. The writings
they began to reveal themselves to me like never before and in fact I was able to understand for the first time

some of the writings of Isaiah that Jesus had told the Nephites were so
valuable. (See 3 Nephi 23:1-5).

EXAMPLE Nº 8.

The pressures of my job as sales manager in a construction company

They can sometimes be very sharp. He had been a member of the Church for almost six months.
One morning, within the span of five minutes, I was faced with two problems.
First, one of the sellers refused to meet with the other sellers in a
Lunch provided by the company. I felt it a lot because we were a very
united.
Distressed, I was sitting in my office contemplating the problem when
the head of the company came in to remind me that we had about half a million
dollars invested in new houses that we hadn't sold for a year. I wanted that
make an effort to sell them, that a miracle be made if necessary.
As soon as he left, burdened by the two problems, I took my coat and
I walked towards the car. I went to one of those houses, opened it, entered, and closed the door.
I climbed the stairs and in the empty room I knelt down to pray. At that moment, something happened.
rare. Before I could think of the words I wanted to say to my Heavenly Father,
in a beautiful and clear light, within my closed eyes, it seemed that I saw the
seller with whom I had the problem, to accept the challenge of selling all these
houses; he also agreed that he would not be allowed to sell the easier houses
until they were sold. He would have the freedom to organize his own

48
campaign, advertising, and their own time. They would be rewarded with a commission rate.
higher.
In two months, those houses that the previous seller had not been able to
sold, were sold by the seller who had the problem. After having
successfully responded to a great challenge was another man, and the boss was
delighted.
I thank the Lord for blessing me with that brief experience in
that room and has shown me the wonders of its paths. Since
So I have known that He listens to our prayers and guides us in the eternal plan.
what he has for his children.[42]

EXAMPLE Nº 9.

During his summer vacation of his third year of high school, a young man accepted
employment in a place frequented by tourists. Upon arriving at work, his supervisor
He called his office and mentioned some problems he was having with the other young people.
employees, issues related especially to sex and drinks
alcoholic. He expressed his hopes that the young man would avoid having problems.
similar. The young man left the office with his head down. He had never been far from home.
and had always lived in a Mormon town. Worried about staying away from
those sins, he turned to his Heavenly Father and asked for help. During the summer,
the young man felt that his prayers were answered in many ways. He realized
that I could explain my reasons for not smoking or drinking without having to justify myself, and
that the other boys understood him. On many occasions he was able to avoid evil thanks to
to the power of discernment. For example, one night he danced with a girl who caught his attention.
very nice. However, she had the clear impression that she should not accept her
invitation to go to another party with her. Later he found out that she only
she wanted to seduce him, as Potiphar's wife tried to do with Joseph (Genesis 39:7-
On another occasion, he had the strong impression that he should avoid any relationship with
Sure young man. The following week, said young man was arrested for his activities.
homosexuals.

EXAMPLE NO. 10.

On my first visit to the legendary village of Sauniatu, beloved town of

President McKay, my wife and I met with a large group of children. Later
to give our message to these shy and beautiful children, I suggested to the teacher
Samoan that we finished the meeting. When he announced the final anthem, I felt that
suddenly an urgent need to greet personally each one of the 247
children. But there wasn't enough time to enjoy this privilege, so he didn't
I paid attention to my impression. Before the last sentence was spoken, I felt another.
I had the feeling of shaking hands with each child. This time I conveyed my wish.
to the teacher, who responded with a wide and beautiful Samoan smile. He spoke to
the children in Samoan and their radiant faces showed their approval.
The teacher then communicated to me the reason for his joy and that of the children. He said:
When we learned that President McKay had assigned a member of the
Council of the Twelve who would visit us in Samoa, so far from Salt Lake, I told them
49
the children who each prayed sincerely and fervently and with faith as in the stories
from the Bible in ancient times, that the apostle who visited our small village
de Sauniatu, because of their faith, would feel that he should greet them by shaking their hands.
Each one. We couldn't hold back the tears as each of these children and
so precious girls came to us and whispered a sweet talofa lava. The gift of faith is
had made it evident.

EXAMPLE NO. 11.

To conclude, I would like to share an experience that was told to me two days later.
of the death of that great prophet of God, Elder Matthew Cowley. A
brother who had been president of the Cowley Brother district in New
Zelandia about thirty-five or forty years ago when it had been
working with the Māori people. He had only been at the mission for two months and
half when a missionary conference was organized. In one of the sessions, the one about the
Tomorrow, Brother Cowley had the opportunity to speak. According to the story that I
they told, spoke for fifteen or twenty minutes in the Maori language with a fluency that
It still amazed the elderly.
After this meeting, the district president and Brother Cowley were going
walking towards a Maori house to eat between sessions when the president
The district asked him: 'How did you do it?' Brother Cowley replied: 'Do what?'
How did you master the Maori language in such a short time? A young man from
seventeen years!
Brother Cowley replied: 'When I came here, I didn't know a word of
Maori, but I decided that I was going to learn twenty new words a day, and I did.
But, when I tried to connect them, I was not successful.' At this moment they were passing by.
near a cornfield and Brother Cowley said: 'Do you see that cornfield? I went in there and spoke to it.
to the Lord, but I had fasted before. That night I tried to speak again but I couldn't.
I fasted again the next day, and I went to the
to talk again with the Lord. That night I tried again and had results a
a little better. I fasted again on the third day and returned to the cornfield and spoke again with
the Lord. I told him that I believed his Church and kingdom had been established upon the
land; that men had the authority to proclaim the fullness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, who was about the salvation and exaltation of the children of our
Heavenly Father. I told you that I had been called with this same authority to
fulfill a mission, but if this was not the mission where I should serve, let me know
I wanted to let you know because I wanted to serve where I could do the greatest good.
That was the spirit of Brother Cowley. He continued: 'The next morning, when we
We kneel to say the family prayer in the Maori home, the head of the family
he asked me to offer the prayer. I tried to speak in English but I couldn't. When
I tried to do it in Māori, the words started to flow from my mouth and I understood that
God had answered my prayer, and it was here where I had to serve.' A
seventeen-year-old boy!

50
 EXAMPLE No. 12.

A boy had a dog that he loved very much. When the dog started to
aging reached the point of barely being able to walk and began to lose sight.
the dog could only eat bites that had been cooked and cut into
little pieces. Finally, she reached the point of not eating much, and it was evident that she was going to
to die. The child's father finally decided that it would be better for the dog to take him to the
forest and kill him with a shot. The boy understood that his father was not bad, that his
the intentions were that the dog would not suffer anymore. The father had made an effort to
help the child understand that it would be better for the dog to be killed. The father
he had explained that it had been very difficult for him to arrive at that decision because he
he also loved the dog, and the dog had become one more member of the family. He
he explained to the child that some time ago he had realized what it would be
better, but I had been delaying it. Trying to be as understandable as
could, the boy asked for one more chance to help the dog eat so that
recover some of his strength. The father agreed.
The boy was trying hard to prepare special food for his dog and was still trying.
feed it in the mouth with his hands. But, despite his efforts, the dog did not
he could eat. The boy put the dog in his cart and took it here and there to his
favorite places. But he was too sick to show any interest.
in those things that had previously made both of them so happy. At the end of the second
the child began to realize that his efforts were in vain, but he could not even
thinking of your dog, mortally wounded by a bullet, bleeding and writhing as
agonized.
It was at this moment that the boy decided to turn to his Heavenly Father for help.
He went to his room, knelt beside the bed, and began to pray to his Father.
Heavenly. The request was simple. The prayer was for his Heavenly Father to let the
old dog died so that it would not be necessary for his father to kill him. He
He explained to his Heavenly Father why the dog had to die, and he explained the case.
telling him that he thought it would be better for the dog to have a death
The boy was realistic and explained to him that his dog was not necessarily a dog.
very special, but it truly meant a lot to him. He acknowledged his shortcomings:
he had bitten the milkman twice, but he explained that the dog was very obedient,
and that before he got sick he could do many tricks like picking up sticks and
balls when the child threw them. He continued explaining to his Heavenly Father that the
the old dog could no longer do the things they had both enjoyed
before and that the dog had reached the point where it could hardly even walk.
The child concluded his prayer by saying that if his Heavenly Father allowed his dog
he would always be grateful if he died a natural death.
Upon leaving his room, the boy encountered his father. He was coming to tell him that no longer...
It would be necessary to shoot her dog, who had just died.

EXAMPLE NO. 13.

On the third day of October in the year eighteen hundred and eighteen, I was in my
room meditating on the Scriptures,

51
 and reflecting on the great expiatory sacrifice that the Son of God made to
redeem the world;
3. and the great and wonderful love manifested by the Father and the Son in the coming
from the Redeemer to the world,

4. in order that humanity might be saved through the atonement of

Christ and obedience to the principles of the gospel.
5. While I was busy with this, my thoughts turned to the writings of
Apostle Peter to the saints of the early Church scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia and other parts of Asia, where the gospel had been preached after
the crucifixion of the Lord.
I opened the Bible and read the third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of
Pedro, and upon reading I felt extremely impressed, more than in any other
occasion, for the following passages:
7. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the
unjust, to bring us to God, being truly dead in the flesh, but made alive.
in spirit;
in which he also went and preached to the imprisoned spirits,
9. "those who once disobeyed, when patience was waiting for them
of God in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which few people,
that is, eight were saved through water" (1 Peter 3:18-20).
10. "For this reason the gospel has also been preached to the dead, so that
that they be judged in the flesh according to men, but live in the spirit according to God
Peter 4:6
11. While I was meditating on these things that are written, the eyes of
my understanding, and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the
dead, both small and large.
And there was gathered in one place an innumerable company of spirits
of the just who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in the
meat
13. and those who had offered a sacrifice resembling the great sacrifice of
Son of God, and they had suffered tribulations in the name of their Redeemer.
14. All of these had departed from earthly life, steadfast in the hope of a
glorious resurrection through the grace of God the Father and of His Only Begotten Son,
Jesus Christ.
15. I saw that they were filled with joy and happiness, and they were rejoicing precisely because
the day of his release was approaching.
They were gathered waiting for the advent of the Son of God into the world of
the spirits to declare their redemption from the bonds of death.
17. His inert dust was to be restored to its perfect form, every bone, and the
tendons and the flesh upon them; the spirit and the body were to be reunited forever.
to be separated, so that they could receive a fullness of joy.
18. While this countless multitude waited and talked, rejoicing in
the time of their release from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared and
he declared freedom to the captives who had been faithful;

52
 19. And there he preached to them the eternal gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the
redemption of the human race from the fall, and from individual sins, with the
condition that they repented.
20. But the wicked were neither seen nor heard among the unrighteous and the unrepentant
that had been desecrated while they were in the flesh;
21. nor did the rebels see his presence or behold his face
they rejected the testimonies and admonitions of the ancient prophets.
22. Darkness prevailed where they were; but among the righteous there was
peace
23. and the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and they bowed down,
they recognized the Son of God as their Redeemer and Liberator from death and from the
chains of hell.
24. Their faces shone, and the brightness of the presence of the Lord rested.
about them, and sang praises to his holy name.
I was amazed because I understood that the Savior had spent about three years
from his ministry among the Jews and those of the house of Israel, trying to teach them the
eternal gospel and call them to repentance,
26. And yet, despite his powerful works and miracles and proclamation of
the truth with great power and authority, few were the ones who heard his voice, and they
They rejoiced in his presence, and received salvation from his hands.
27. But his ministry among those who had died was limited to the brief time that
it elapsed between the crucifixion and his resurrection,
28. and I was struck by the words of Peter, where he said that the Son
God preached to the imprisoned spirits who were once
disobedient, when once I awaited God's patience in the days of Noah, and
how was it possible for him to preach to those spirits and carry out the necessary work among them
in such a short time.
29. And in my admiration, my eyes were opened and my understanding was enlivened,
and I perceived that the Lord was not present among the wicked or the disobedient who
they had rejected the truth, to instruct them;
30. but behold, he organized his forces and appointed messengers from among the righteous,
invested with power and authority, and he commissioned them to go and carry the light
from the gospel to those who were in darkness, that is, to all the spirits of the
men; and thus the gospel was preached to the dead;
31. And the chosen messengers went out to declare the acceptable day of the Lord, and to
proclaim freedom to the captives who were imprisoned; yes, to all those who
they were willing to repent of their sins and receive the gospel.
Thus the gospel was preached to those who had died in their sins, without the
knowledge of the truth, or in transgression for having rejected the prophets.
33. They were taught faith in God, repentance of sin, the
vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit by the
laying on of hands
34. and all the other principles of the gospel that they needed to know, to
end of enabling them to be judged in the flesh according to men, but
they lived in spirit according to God.

53
 35. So he was made known among the dead, both small and great,
both to the unjust and to the faithful, that redemption had been achieved through
of the sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross.
36. This is how it was made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his
permanence in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful
spirits of the prophets who had testified of Him in the flesh,
37. so that they could bring the message of redemption to all the dead, to
They could not go personally due to his rebellion and transgression, to
that they too could hear his words through the ministry of their
servants.
38. Among the great and powerful who were gathered in this congregation
of the righteous, were our father Adam, the Ancient of Days and father of all,
39. and our glorious mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters who had
lived through the ages and adored the true and living God.
40. Abel, the first martyr, was there, and his brother Seth, one of the mighty,
whose likeness was the very image of his father Adam.
41. Noah, who had warned about the flood; Shem, the great high priest
priest; Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great legislator
from Israel;
42. And Isaiah, who prophesied that the Redeemer was anointed to heal the
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of
the prison to the inmates, was also there.[45]

Writings About Faith.

The first time you read this book, read Alma 32:26-29 and, if possible, discuss it.
meaning of writing with another person who is reading this book. Discuss
Then the following adaptation of Alma 32:26-29:
Well, as I said about faith, that it was not perfect knowledge, so
it is with your just desires. You cannot, at first, know of your
ability to carry them out to perfection, just as faith is not a
perfect knowledge. But behold, if you awaken and stir your...
faculties to test your ability to achieve those desires with my
help, and you exercise a bit of faith, yes, even if it is no more than a wish that
let this desire work in you, yes, until somehow
you believe that you can accommodate in the contemplation of your rightful desires.
Let's compare this desire to a seed. Now, if you allow it to be
a seed planted in your heart, behold if it is a true seed or
good seed, and you do not cast it out due to your unbelief, resisting the
Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to germinate in your heart; and to the
to perceive this feeling of growth, you will start to say within yourselves,
Yes, I can do it, or I am starting to have confidence in my ability to achieve it.
Because I am starting to see how it is attainable. Here, wouldn't this increase it?
Your faith? I tell you yes.

54
 The first time you read this book, read Ether 12:6 and, if possible, discuss it.
meaning of writing with another person who is reading this book. Then read and
discuss the following adaptation of Ether [Link]
Faith is the things that are hoped for (just desires) and not seen (you cannot see)
how your wishes will come true based on your own ability and
circumstance); therefore, do not contend because you do not see, because you do not receive
no testimony (the Lord's assurance that He will open the way for you to
your wishes come true) but only after the test of your faith (the
exercise of faith over a long period of time.
Every time you read this book, read the following scriptures aloud and discuss them.
with another reader of this book.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Doctrine and Covenants 11:10, 14, 17

Doctrine and Covenants 18:19
Doctrine and Covenants 26:2
And now, behold, I say unto you, that you have been refashioned, and you have been called to build up my church. And now, behold, you have been given the power to cast out devils.

Doctrine and Covenants 44:2

DyC 60:7 Ether 12
Doctrine and Covenants 66:8
The moment we are not in harmony with our own spirit and our own mind, we will not be in harmony with God.

John 15:1-8
Also, every time you read this book, read many of the episodes from the Book of
Mormon. Analyze the role of faith in each of them. Above all, pay close attention to
the various powers of heaven that manifest themselves in different circumstances in
that the powers of heaven help human beings.
1 Nephi sees a vision wherein he is called by God. He speaks concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the fate of his people. He is directed to leave Jerusalem and take his family into the wilderness. Nephi recounts the challenges faced by his father and the divine support that is given to them as they embark on their journey.

And now, I, Nephi, did not give heed to the words of my father, but I went forth and did according to the word of the Lord. And I did wonder at the many works of the Lord, and why he had been so good to me. And it came to pass that I thought I had decisions to make on my own, but my father had been surely led by the Spirit, even unto righteousness. And this was even so, for he had been admonished not only to seek out the blessings of the Lord, but to keep his commandments forever.

1 Nephi 3:2-31
1 Nephi 7:1-22
And it came to pass after I had experienced the great visions of the love of God that I had a great desire to know the things that my father had seen. And I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, and I was carried away in the Spirit; and that which I saw was great and marvelous. And it came to pass that I saw a great vision; and I saw the heavens opened, and I saw angels flying, and they came down to me and called me. And I saw a bright light coming down from heaven, and it came and rested upon me; and I fell to the ground. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the glory of the Lord; and I beheld that He was in the midst of His people, and His people were rejoicing. And there was a great light, and the brightness of that light was greater than the sun as it was shining in the world.

1 Nephi 16:18-31
1 Nephi 17:7-55, 18:1-3 4 Nephi 29-33
1 Nephi 18:9-22
And now, behold, I, Jacob, saw that I must be a preacher of the word of God; but I was greatly troubled, for the goodness of God had been made known unto me, and I did not desire that any of them should perish; and although I was not all that I ought to be, I saw that I would not be able to accomplish anything without the power of God working in me. And it came to pass that I met a man, who had great wealth and who believed in Jesus Christ, and I began to preach unto him. But he was not willing to listen. He mocked and reviled me; nevertheless, I continued to testify unto him. And it came to pass that he became angry with me and expelled me from his house; and it was at that time that my heart was heavy and I prayed for the power to give me strength in all things. And I saw the fulfillment of the things which I had testified. And the Lord did not leave me comfortless; but according to my faith and my works, he did comfort me. And I continued to preach with power and authority unto the people, and they began to listen and turn their hearts to God.

Moroni 8:10-11
And there shall be great tribulation among the children of men, and there shall be no more light; and the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.

Mosiah 7:1-33, 22:1-16 Ether 1-3

Mosiah 23:25-39, 24:1-25 Ether 6:1-17
Mosiah 27:1-37
Alma 2:1-36
Alma 14:1-29
Alma 15:1-12

55
 Alma 16:1-8
Alma 17-36 Helaman 4:1-26
Alma 43:4-54,44:1-20 Helamán 5:1-51
...
And now it came to pass that I, Helaman, did start for the land of Zarahemla, that I might be able to save the people; and I began to be very desirous to gain some land, that I might be able to bring men unto Christ. And it came to pass, when I had returned to the land of Zarahemla, that I did search among the records, and did check mine own heart; and behold, I was not able to discover the reason why I could not find my way. Nevertheless, I found the record and did search to behold if there had been that which had gone before that I might be able to help. And it came to pass that I found among the records, behold, that Amalickiah had joined himself unto the Lamanites; and thus he was able to take upon him the power of the government in the land of Zoram. And it was accounted of him to be one who had the blood of the Nephites. And it came to pass that he did many things that were exceedingly wicked, and he did seek to overthrow the Nephites. And it came to pass that as he did this, behold, he had many followers, even so much so that he did obtain to himself a great army. And now behold, he did retreat for a time; nevertheless, he did not stop his plot until he had overthrown the government. Now it came to pass that I did see my brethren fall under the power of one who was exceedingly wicked, and I did fear for my life; nevertheless, I did trust in the Lord. And it came to pass that after much hardship and great tribulation, I was finally able to save my people. And I did command my people to rise up against the evil one and let him feel the power of the Lord. And now after all these things, behold, I did see the works of the Lord among my people, for they did begin to rise up and cast off the chains of their enemies. And it came to pass that I did lead them unto the land of promise, where they did dwell in peace and safety, and many did come to the gospel of Christ and were saved.

Finally, when reading the scriptures in general, I looked for the cases in which the powers
from heaven manifest as a result of people's faith.

REVIEW SYSTEMATICALLY.

Frequently evaluate your ability to set and achieve goals (fair desires)
asking themselves the following questions:
1. I constantly follow President Kimball's admonition to set
goals?
2. By setting goals that cannot be achieved without the help of the Lord, do I
constantly aware of the role of faith to utilize the powers of
sky?
3. Do I take the following points into account when setting my goals?
a. Are my goals realistic?
b. Do I focus on few goals at a time instead of many?
c. Do they seem challenging to me?
d. When setting my goals, do I ask others for advice on what would be most
Is it practical to wait under the circumstances?
Do I set short-term and also long-term goals?
Are my goals based on the will of God and pure motives?
4. Am I willing to promise my Heavenly Father that I will carry a
fairer life?
5. When setting my goals: Do I weigh my priorities wisely?
6. In order to avoid discouraging myself, should I stay in touch with the
spirit of my Heavenly Father?
7. Do I record the progress of efforts accurately and consistently?
they will lead me to my goal, a. writing my goals, b. comparing
I regularly review my actions against the goals I have set for myself.
goals with inspiration?
8. Do I use my goals as a means instead of an end? (When achieving my
goals, do I have a desire to work even more diligently?
9. Do I consistently make an effort to focus my thoughts on
my goals?
10. Do I mentally strive persistently regarding
my goals (fair desires)?
11. Have I been able to persevere through my trials of faith?
Given the nature of this book's subject, it will not be possible for you to understand everything.
your concepts the first time I read it. If you decide to incorporate them into your life
56
powers that come through faith, must commit to reading this book at least
once a week for eight consecutive weeks; and from then on, once a
Every time I read this book again, I must read the indicated scriptures and
answer the questions.

57
 THE AUTHOR

Grant Von Harrison is originally from Cedar City, Utah. He graduated in 1962 from the
Brigham Young University; in 1965 he completed his Bachelor's degree at the University of
Adams (Adams State College), and in 1969 he completed his PhD in Science.
Pedagogical at the University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.).
For seven years, Dr. Harrison served as a professor in the system.
Educational of the Church. He also worked as an associate and consultant in the
Educational Development Institute and was a human factors analyst in the
Development Corporation of Systems.
Since he was appointed as a professor at Brigham Young University in 1969, he has
developed numerous teaching programs. He is the author of the book Tool For
Missionaries (Aid for Missionaries) and the author and creator of the structured model
for tutors, the basis of the literacy programs that the Church uses in
Latin America; has also designed and written several educational materials for
non-professional teachers, for the teaching of reading, mathematics, and languages
foreigners.
Dr. Harrison is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
the Last Days. Much of the service that he has provided to the Church has been in the work
missionary, as a full-time missionary and as mission president in three
opportunities. He was the Director of Education at the Lake Salado Mission Home and
also President of the Rama at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.
He has been a teacher of the Missionary Preparation class at Brigham Young University.
Young and in his neighborhood. He currently serves as a Counselor of the Quorum of
Teachers in their neighborhood of Orem, Utah.

Bruce R. McConkie, "Why the Lord Ordained Prayer," Ensign, January 1976, p. 9
italic text by the author.
Ezra Taft Benson, "Jesus Christ, Gifts and Expectations," The New Era, May 1975,
p.20.
José Smith, Lectures on Faith (S.L.C.: N. B. Lundwall), pages 8 and 10, italicized text of
author.
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (S.L.C.: Bookcraft, 1966), p. 264, text
italics in the original.
Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (S.L.C.: Bookcraft, 1969), p. 183.
Bruce R. McConkie, Mission Presidents' Meeting, June 21, 1975, pages 1-4.
[7]Bruce R. McConkie, cited work.
Bruce R. McConkie, cited work.
S. Dilwmnorth Young, speech given at the Mission House, June 1975.
Spencer W Kimball, Regional Representatives Seminar, April 3, 1975.
Spencer W. Kimball, 'Boys Need Heroes Close By,' Ensign, May 1976, p. 46.
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 3:225.
Same, 13:336
58
 [14] same, 8:57.
[15] George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star, April 16, 1894, p. 260; cited in
Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, 1977-78, pages 153-154.
José Smith, Teachings of Prophet José Smith, (S.L.C.: Deseret Book, 1976), p.
330.
Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pages 104-105, italics in the
original.
José Smith, Lectures on Faith, cited edition, pages 59-60.
[19] José Smith, cited work, p. 61, author's italics.
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 1:46-47.
Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, 7:153.
[22] Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 7:155-156.
Magnifying One's Calling in the Priesthood
pages 90-91.
[24]Boyd K. Packer, Teach Diligently, (S.L.C.: Deseret Book, 1975), p. 212.
Spencer W Kimball f-C Miracle of Forgiveness, cited work p 111.
David O. McKay, quoted in 'True End of Life', The Instructor, January 1964, p. 2.
[27] David O. McKay, True to the Faith, (S.L.C. Bookcraft, 1965), p. 270.
[28] David U. McKay, "True End of Life," The Instructor, January 1964, p. 1.
Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, op. cit., pp. 107 and 109.
José Smith, cited by President Harold B. Lee in Ensign, January 1973, p. 62,
italicized text of the author.
[31] David O. McKay, "True End of Life", The Instructor, January, 1964, p. 2.
[32]Matthias E Cowley, Wildford Woodruff, (S.L.C.: Bookcraft, 1964), pp. 47-48.
[33] Spencer W Kimbali, "The Foundations of Righteousness," Ensign, November 1977
page 5.
Spencer W Kimball, Regional Representatives Seminar, April 3, 1975.
Thomas S. Monson.
Hugh B. Brown.
William G. Jordan, cited by Heber J. Grant, An Elder's Journal, April 15, 1906.
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, op. cit., p. 179.
José Smith, Lectures on Faith, op. cit. pp. 8 and 10.
40Parley P. Pratt, cited by James E. Talmage in A Study of the Articles of Faith,
(S.L.C.: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1964), p. 487.
Richard D. Anthony, 'I Was a Bishop before I Really Learned to Pray,' Ensign, January
1976, pages 52-53.
[42] Roy B. Webb, "Businessman's Prayer in an Upper Room," Ensign, January 1976, pp.
50-51.
Thomas S. Monson, Conference Report, October 1966, pages 9-10; see also
God's Gifts to Polynesia's People
[44]John Longden, Conference Report, April 1955, p. 59; see also 'Prayer Makes
the Difference," The Improvement Era, June 1955, pp. 412-413.

59
 Doctrines and Covenants, Joseph E. Smith - Vision of the Redemption of the Dead
Section 138:1-42.

60