{To truly see}

What does it really mean to have faith? It was pointed out in my institute class recently that the natural man's way from the beginning is to demand signs before they will believe. But that is not our Father in Heaven's way. That is not faith. That doesn't bring conversion, strength, and won't result in integrity to the faith we've already found. Trials of faith build true character. And until we humble ourselves enough to believe, we won't see the truth-things are as they really are, have been, and will be. Without that knowledge we can't become like our Heavenly Father. We can't know true joy.
Our last family vacation my sister and I decided to go on a sunday afternoon adventure. We went outside our resort in Jamaica, past all the bungalos beyond where most tourists usually went. Em and I climbed on the jagged rocks that followed the bay. Blue waves frothed with white foam and crashed against the armor of rock shielding the island. Occasionally the bright turquoise water calmed and revealed a glimpse of a beautiful world below.  We climbed in our sandals carefully on the coarse rock as close to the edge as we dared go. Em and I looked down and saw in the clear water a giant coral reef. Fish with bright yellow stripes darted through the cool, clear water. It was breathtaking.
Our view was beautiful, but there was so much of the world under the surface we didn't see. Our glimpse was just the beginning. Sometimes faith is that way. The deeper you dive into faith the more you can truly see, just like the ocean. Occasionally in life from our perspective things might seem murky. We might not be able to see past all the "white foam" to all that Heavenly Father yearns for us to see. But the test of life requires that we trust in God and take the leap, dive in to faith and receive the promised blessings. We might wonder if there's anything truly meaningful beneath the surface. But God has promised us glory and joy beyond our comprehension if we will only find that faith and stay true to it. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Cor 2:9)
The beauty of the gospel is that there is no limit to what you can learn. There is no end to the discoveries to be made. God longs to help us understand all we need and want to understand.  The gospel is beautifully simple and simply beautiful, yet it will take an eternity to entirely to know everything. There is no limit to its depths.  President Uchtdorf, a member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said this of faith and the purpose of mortality,

"God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord.....But the Savior’s grace can do much more for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in the celestial kingdom. It is life eternal in the presence of our Father in Heaven. It is the greatest gift of God.¹³ In the celestial kingdom, we receive “of his fulness, and of his glory.”¹⁴ Indeed, all that the Father hath shall be given unto us.¹⁵Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey. As you exercise a little faith and begin your walk as a peaceable follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, your heart will change.¹⁶ Your whole being will be filled with light.¹⁷God will help you become something greater than you ever thought possible. And you will discover that the gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed working in your life. It works." (It Works Wonderfully, Oct 2015 General Conference)

I know that as we have faith in the Lord and act on that faith He truly will change our hearts. We will feel more peace, joy, and become like Him. One day when we see His face and understand the magnitude of all He's done for us we will be filled with eternal gratitude for His patience. We will rejoice if we chose to have faith.