III Nephi 28:7-9) When, on an occasion, Jesus asked His Twelve Nephite Disciples: “What is it that ye desire of me, after I am gone to the Father?” all but three gave answer. “And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto Him the thing which they desired.” “And He said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, My beloved, who was with Me in My ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of Me.”
They were promised that they should not die, but that, at the second coming of the Lord, their bodies would be “changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality,” they were never to feel pain, nor worldly sorrow; they were to have the privilege of beholding the dealings of God with the children of men in the successive following dispensations “even until all things shall be fulfilled.”
Moroni’s purpose in referring to the incidents above mentioned is to impress upon the mind of the reader of his earnest warning that faith is the contributing cause of all action. Faith urges exertion of strength or faculties to bring an issue to full success, or in other words, faith makes real the things we cannot see.
All these things were consummated because of faith. They were not accidents. What sometimes seems to us as being accidental is really not so. The accidents of man are the inspirations of God, and the incidents of this life are the leadings and the guidings of Him Who made it.
Another incident of note in further examining this particular theme is found in Alma’s instructions to his son, Helaman: "And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore, they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day. Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey. (Alma 37:38-41)
We have already quoted Paul, and he further explains that “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made of things which do appear”; for, no matter what scientists may assert, the beginning of things, origins, being outside our sphere of experience or observation can be known only through faith. Only through faith do we comprehend that the universe of which we are part is the Divine idea which received form in the material creation. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and many others are mentioned as examples of what mortals can accomplish, if they have the power that comes from faith in God.
It is important to remember that faith means not only the conviction of the mind, but also that which is believed, the Gospel, the creed, which, in the mind of the Apostle, is a long step in advance of the Mosaic Law. (See Galatians 3, it is not maintained that a Christian is without works of righteousness, but that it is the Gospel and not the Law of Moses that has saved him, and made him capable of living a righteous life.
“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.” (II Nephi 27:23)