Hello good sisters and brothers,
It has been a couple of months since I have personally sent you a greeting or a message. I hope that you are found happy, healthy, and faithful. Our consistent desire to love one another, to truly seek to do that which the Savior did is what drives forward. We are not meeting together as a whole ward but, I believe it is possible to serve together as a whole ward. Over the past four summers, we have read the Book of Mormon together. I feel that these Book of Mormon summers have solidified testimonies, planted some seeds in fertile ground and brought families closer together. Thank you for allowing me to do all those things in my family. This year we have been studying the Book of Mormon together. I have not felt that I should ask everyone to read the Book of Mormon again this summer. I believe that would distract from our Sabbath and weekly study and discussions. However, as I mentioned, I believe that we can serve together as a ward. Through studying the Book of Mormon each summer, we, together, have changed lives. Pondering how, when we must remain apart, to draw the ward together and how, when we cannot have a temple activity, to challenge all of us to do the work of salvation has filled my morning thoughts. As I was preparing to write this message, I came across an icon on my desktop.
This is it! This is how we can change lives. Anyone can do indexing, young, old, tech savvy, basic computer user. It is possible to do it together as a family. I believe that we should do indexing. I, therefore, challenge all members of the Riverdale 7th ward to set a goal of indexing at least one document within the next thirty days. I promise you that even if you only index one name, you will feel the spirit of the Lord in your life, you will feel his love for you and you will feel of the eternal nature of our beings. Your faith will increase, and your testimony will increase.
We will learn about faith this week in our “Come Follow Me” lesson. Faith is first. There is nothing without faith. Without faith, there is no priesthood. The priesthood operates solely within the framework and household of faith. There is no prophet or apostles or temples or eternal life without faith. It is interesting that faith requires knowledge. This can seem counterintuitive but, the early leaders of the church were taught that a knowledge of God and his true characteristics and attributes was necessary to “exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.” (Lectures on Faith) Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote,
“Faith is the child of knowledge. It is reserved for those only who first have knowledge; there neither is nor can be any faith until there is knowledge. No one can have faith in a God of whom he knows nothing. Faith is founded on truth; it is the offspring of truth; it can never exist alone and apart from the truth.”
It is our duty, our responsibility, then, to seek out truth. As we gain revealed truth, we gain faith. We remember that truth does not come from man. Truth comes from our Father in Heaven. Truth leads us to show compassion for those around us. Truth teaches us to be humble, to be kind, to lift rather than mock. The Savior was this example. The Son of God, certainly aware of his power and knowledge; never using that knowledge to make himself look wise, or informed or important.
The Savior was teaching in a synagogue and the people were astonished; He was only the carpenter. The person who lived there and his family lived there. Their knowledge, their search for truth and their faith was lacking. They knew the person, Jesus, but, they did not know that he was the source of truth. The Savior could not give someone faith or truth without that person choosing to be enlightened or to have a miracle in their life. “And he could there do no mighty work…” (Mark 6:5)
I encourage everyone to spend this week thinking about faith, what it is, what it is not and how your knowledge affects your faith. Because the Savior is among us, we must seek truth and have faith, so the He can “do mighty work” among us.
The Lord loves you.
You may be suffering; you may be lonely, or you may be anxious. I know that your Heavenly Father loves you. Be safe in that knowledge. It does not matter where you are, what you have or have not done, it only matters that you exercise the knowledge within you. In the deepest recesses of your hearts, you know. Your knowledge may be small but, use that knowledge to exercise faith and you will find the peace that truth, real truth, the kind of truth that makes you and everyone around feel joyful, brings.
May our Father in Heaven’s richest blessings be yours,
Bishop Knight
Riverdale 7th Ward 