June 26-July 2

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This week we read about the Resurrection of the Lord. It’s such a big miracle, there were so many witnesses, and yet, this story also includes a lot of doubt. In Mark 16, the women are commanded to go tell the disciples that Christ has risen, but the apostles felt that their testimonies were “idle tales” (Luke 24). We all know the story of Thomas and how he struggled to accept that Christ was risen until he saw Him with his own eyes. And then there is also this verse:

Matthew 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

We receive more detail in Luke 24. Jesus comes and stands in the midst of them. He wishes them peace.

Luke 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

So much doubt, even when they had witnessed so much. Even before some of these disciples had seen Christ risen, they had seen plenty of miracles performed by Christ. However, they still chose to doubt. This is not a pronouncement of judgment; we all have growth that still needs to occur. Rather, I point out that they chose to doubt because they did make a choice. For what is doubt, but faith in a different story? These different people may have doubted that Christ had risen, but in doing so, they were choosing to believe that there had to be another explanation. I point out their choice to doubt so that we can more easily recognize our own choices when it comes to faith and doubt.

So how do we believe? I think it’s worth exploring the idea of how to nurture belief because it can ease so much stress and sorrow. If the disciples had believed the women, they could have rejoiced that much faster. If Thomas had believed, he could have been saved from fear of disappointment. If we can find a way to believe, we will find that the Lord has taken care of everything and our happiness is much safer than we ever imagined.

To not let tragedy overwhelm us

Thomas was one who doubted. What can we learn from his story? Some of his dearest friends came and told him that they had seen the Lord.

John 20:25…But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

When I read this story, my mind is actually drawn towards the idea that Thomas couldn’t bring himself to believe because he was afraid. I guess I can’t say for sure, but the devastation that Thomas had likely felt upon the death of the Savior probably still haunted him. Was he too afraid to get his hopes up? I imagine a conversation where his fellow apostles are pleading, “Thomas, it’s really true. He’s alive again,” only to be met with the response, “I’m sorry. I can’t believe it until I see it myself.”

There are many reasons people choose doubt, and sometimes this reason is tragedy. They have experienced something extremely painful, and it’s hurt them to the extent that they close their hearts off to that kind of pain again. They likely don’t even realize they’re doing it. They see wisdom in doubt until it’s been proven that believing is worth it. The potential cost of hope feels too high. 

Hope can have a high price depending on what we’re choosing to hope for. If you’re hoping for a trial to disappear or a specific miracle to drop into your lap, then disappointment may very well be around the corner. It may not; sometimes the Lord answers prayers exactly how we want, but we can’t guarantee that the Lord won’t choose another path according to His wisdom. Though there are plenty of hopes that can lead to disappointment, there are other hopes we can hold that will never let us down. 

Ether 12:4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

Belief and hope and faith are much more manageable and doable concepts when we place them in the right things. When we believe in God, pure and simple and unadulterated belief in God, we can most surely hope that there is a better world promised to us. When we place constraints on God, specific requests that He cannot bring Himself to give because He knows better, we are only restraining our own happiness. 

Thomas had specific constraints for what he believed in. Perhaps he had often comforted himself that there was no way the chief priests would ever be able to catch Christ. Perhaps he had pushed himself to believe that Christ would stay exactly where they were in their mortal lives forever. Can you imagine if God had simply given Thomas what he wanted? It would have been disastrous. We needed Christ to die! On a much smaller scale, the Lord makes decisions regarding our lives that are necessary for our own, personal Plans of Salvation. He can’t simply give us what we want no matter how much we believe it. We have to change ourselves to believe and hope in Him no matter where He leads us. It is in this way that we can better face the inevitable tragedies of mortal life and keep our belief in His love, power, and wisdom.

They heard Him

When you read through the chapters this week, take note of how often people didn’t believe they were seeing Christ until they heard Christ teaching. It actually happens frequently. People are shocked until He tells them not to be afraid or until they specifically remember His previous words. For some reason, an explanation worked when their own eyes failed to understand. 

Perhaps that is because the Spirit doesn’t often work through our eyes. Somehow, the impression the Spirit can leave through words (whether felt or heard or remembered) can have a powerful effect in comparison to simply seeing. 

So to nurture belief, we go where the Spirit can follow.

The women were the first witnesses of the Savior’s resurrection. I believe this is because they were the first ones to place themselves where they could witness such a miracle. They went to the tomb. We place ourselves where the Spirit can talk to us. The older I get, the more I realize that this “place” is a state of mind more than an actual position. The Spirit can reach us in the darkest, most pitiful spots in hell if our state of mind is a clean place for him to dwell. Even if you find yourself in an evil place, you don’t have to let that evil in. I will loudly declare that it is infinitely easier to feel the Spirit in a peaceful physical location, but I still emphasize that it doesn’t matter how peaceful your environment is if your mind won’t invite the Spirit.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be experiencing turmoil. It doesn’t mean perpetual positivity or a blind eye to confusion. Rather, I believe it is a simple willingness to listen and believe. There was a time when I found myself with some inner turmoil. Luckily, I was in a place where the Spirit was mightily encouraged and so despite the turmoil, I made space. In that space, I found the Savior sitting next to me. He didn’t say anything or fix anything. I just felt Him there. The turmoil continued, but it felt different experiencing it with the Savior. That belief remained intact. And though that same turmoil still plagues me sometimes, I still find belief. 

Christ used the scriptures

In a slightly similar way, Christ also used the scriptures to provide explanations frequently when He was showing Himself after His resurrection. Though they are very similar to His direct words, the scriptures are different enough that I decided to highlight them separately. 

The scriptures are obviously another place that can be used as a tool to hone the Spirit. I think of Thor. He had his hammer, but the hammer wasn’t the source of the power. It simply helped him learn how to use the power. The scriptures are like this. They help us learn how to use the power of the Spirit. And beyond just inviting the Spirit, the scriptures can be very useful in the fact that they explain what’s happening. During these chapters, the Savior called upon scripture more than once to explain what they were seeing. After hearing the explanation, everyone was like, “Oh yeah…that checks out.”

Perhaps that is because life is the ultimate Montessori school. Montessori school is the kind of school where you get to make choices and learn lessons through exploration. However, Montessori schools are more successful with adequate support in place. Kids may learn some things from mere exploration, just as many people learn basic concepts about leading happy lives simply by living long enough. However, having sufficient explanations for what you’re observing propels that learning into new heights. You grasp what you’re observing much faster. You’re able to find adjacent true principles, and you’re often able to tie those principles to other life situations much faster. 

I’m grateful for the Savior who left us tools for belief. I’m grateful for the path of belief I found myself on, and I’m grateful I’ve traveled along far enough that belief starts feeling less like belief and much more like a surety (at least on my best days). I’m grateful that I was led along this path even though I stumbled through most of it, not even realizing I was being led along. I’m