Finding Lost Keys

Reading:   Lectures on Faith: Lecture Fifth

The lectures on Faith were classes of instruction given "... On the Doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, originally delivered before a Class of the Elders, in Kirtland, Ohio."

This was the shortest of all the lectures but quite heavy in thought.  I wasn't sure how I was going to write about it and was thinking on the subject at work, then at home, and then, after an extremely frustrating evening at the church gym (my basketball skills have deteriorated exponentially in time with my age, weight and lack of practice), it came to me.  First, read the paragraph I selected - pay particular attention to the underlined portion...

LECTURE FIFTH (3)

3. From the foregoing account of the Godhead, which is given in His revelations, the saints have a sure foundation laid for the exercise of faith unto life and salvation, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ; by whose blood they have a forgiveness of sins, and also a sure reward laid up for them in heaven, even that of partaking of the fullness of the Father and the Son through the Spirit. As the Son partakes of the fullness of the Father through the Spirit, so the saints are, by the same Spirit, to be partakers of the same fullness, to enjoy the same glory; for as the Father and the Son are one, so, in like manner, the saints are to be one in them. Through the love of the Father, the mediation of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they are to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. 

Being one - partakers of the same fullness, enjoying the same glory, one.  So, here is the lesson I learned at the church gym.  I was frustrated, angry even, and was trying not to be too overtly irate considering my frustration was largely due to my own inabilities; still, I was fuming and we could not find the keys to the car...everyone was looking, we went through the van three or four times, walked the church hallways, scoured the gym, emptied pockets and trash, we even raked the snow from the vehicle to the church entrance.  We searched for 45 minutes and found nothing.

It's interesting because the entire time I was debating with myself about praying for guidance and just couldn't bring myself to ask for help because I was mad and wanted to stay mad, how ridiculous is that? Anyway, I did calm myself down because I realized the significance of my anger verses wanting to pray and ask for help.  Then I had to deal with my own faith, its crazy but having read the lectures on faith I have a new understanding of what faith is and just didn't fell like I had it.  I tried to reconcile this new found lack of faith and really struggled inside - felt overwhelmed with knowledge that I couldn't put into use in a simple exercise of finding keys.

Faith is the first principle of power.  God is the omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient object of faith and here I was doubting that He could help me find some keys.  I was unable to exercise the simplest portion of faith because I had searched everywhere and the keys were gone.  I thought through the things I had been studying and stripped myself down to the basics of faith so that I could look past my doubts and trust that He would indeed help.  My faith still wavered so I decided to involve everyone in a prayer so that maybe my faith could be amplified by the assistance of my wife and children.  Angela explained that she had already said several prayers so did Xander and Ellie but we all came together anyway, bowed our heads (7 souls including Ellie's boyfriend), folded our arms, and I offered up a prayer for assistance in finding the incredibly lost keys.

Yes, we are talking about keys, insignificant, ridiculous, not worth a millisecond of thought in the grand scheme of things, keys; I mean there are probably thousands of souls throughout the world praying just as we were and yet their prayers were about life...ours about keys.  No matter, we did it anyway and the point is that we began our search again, going over everything as we had already done several times only this time with faith, doing the work, and believing we would be directed.  We were, Angela found the keys in her coat pocket, the same pocket she had checked several times, a pocket I had even checked.  Again, no matter, we found them - The Lord lead us to them.  My shaky faith combined with the faith of the rest of our family, one faith, directed at one goal - success!

Reading about the power of faith made the smallness of finding keys seem a waste of great power - it is not!  It is just as important for us to pray about keys as it is to pray for the life of a loved one.  How can I gain the pure knowledge of God, become one with God, become one with my wife and kids, if I choose to exercise faith only on grand worthy endeavors?  I can't.

Finding keys are as important in building faith and oneness as parting the Red Sea.

~Kipling