Some think that spiritual witness comes from physical evidence and by seeing signs from heaven (see commentary at Jacob 7:13–17). Genuine faith, however, involves fervent hope and desire to know things that are not physically apparent, that are not visible but are nevertheless real and true. Korihor and many others have pursued the philosophy that seeing is believing, but in the realm of godly things and pure religion the opposite is true: believing is seeing. Revelation of truth comes to the faithful (those full of faith), not only to men—the priesthood holders—but also to women as well as little children, and signs do follow as a reward for faithfulness.
Men, women, and children of the covenant do not start from positions of knowledge. Rather, they begin with a desire to believe and hope that their efforts and works will yield fruit. In this regard, Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated: “We grow in faith; we go step by step from a lower degree to a higher degree. We add grace to grace until eventually we get to a state where we have perfected our faith, as far as at least the generality of righteous, mortal men can… . Don’t go out now and try to cast sycamine trees into the sea. Don’t go out and try to move mountains, but go out and start in a small degree to do the thing that you need to do in your life to get what you ought to have temporally and spiritually. ‘Faith without works is dead.’ (James 2:20). Work on the projects ahead, and when you have taken one step in the acquiring of faith, it will give you the assurance in your soul that you can go forward and take the next step, and by degrees your power or influence will increase until eventually, in this world or in the next, you will say to the Mt. Zerins in your life, ‘Be thou removed.’ You will say to whatever encumbers your course of eternal progress, ‘Depart,’ and it will be so.”8
In verse 27 Alma explained how to obtain faith. We must be willing to test and try the truth of spiritual things, to experiment, to begin with earnest desire—then we are in a position to learn and live the truth.
Elder John A. Widtsoe, a noted scientist and university administrator who later became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, stated: “The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ advises men to test its truths in human life. It approves distinctly of the experimental method. The Savior laid down the principle in a luminous statement: ‘My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.’ (John 7:16, 17) On another occasion He repeated the thought: ‘If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works.’ (John 10:37, 38) The words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good’ (1 Thessalonians 5:21), are of the same import. There is constant advice in the scriptures to let the effects of gospel living be evidence of its truth, as for example: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven’ (Matthew 5:16); or ‘Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.’ (1 Peter 2:12)
“Joseph Smith, the Prophet, recognized this method of testing truth. He read the words of James, ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him’ (James 1:5); and, believing in God, he went into the grove to test the reality of the promise there made. Thus came the great First Vision.”9