Faith and Doubt

Faith is a funny thing. It is a belief in a thing without proof of it. It is, as Alma says, "hope for things which are not seen, which are true" (Alma 32:21). I think a lot of prove get faith wrong, in the sense that faith is not perfect. It is not knowledge- the two are in fact entirely different.

One of my favorite scriptures is in Ether 3:19. This is right after the brother of Jared has seen the Lord. It says, and this is my favorite part, that "he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting."

The part that really hits me is the part about "faith no longer." Faith does not exist in the presence of concrete knowledge. It is transformed into something else. This means that doubt must be inherent in faith. There must always be that portion of my mind that asks "what if I'm wrong?" That is what makes it faith. 

I am not sure that anyone on the world today, excepting perhaps prophets and apostles, could have a concrete knowledge of the existence of God. Yet I also believe that the portion of a person that doubts can be made smaller and smaller until it is very nearly nonexistent. Yet, the point is that it is still there. It can catch us unawares at the worst of times.

Faith is necessary to agency, as well. If we all knew that He existed, if we had seen Him, what would be left to choose? Of course we'd follow the right path, because we'd know for certain it was right. Doubt is necessary to agency. When a person knows something is true, they are not at all likely to act in a way contrary to that knowledge. If it is overcast, a person will often wear warmer clothes or carry an umbrella because they know that overcast often means rain. This is not to say we as people never act against our knowledge, because we do, but it is less likely, and I believe that knowledge like that could change or destroy our agency.

This means that a certain amount of doubt is necessary to God's plan for us. Doubt allows for a much richer experience. It opens our minds, it encourages discovery and learning. It engenders strength in opposition. It takes great strength to take a path that you sometimes doubt, and stay firm in the face of persecution, of other convincing views. Doubt is a great thing, as long as it does not take over. As long as it doesn't stop us from acting. Doubt is great when it is a catalyst for action in search of truth.