Alma 32

As I blogged yesterday -

"...faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:21)

Hope is a sincere desire to believe and to discover truth. Hope is not trying to challenge or disprove truth. Therefore faith requires a sincere heart and real intent. Alma uses a great analogy of planting a seed of faith and then comparing that to the growth of a tree that bears fruit. From a seed to a fruit bearing tree requires -

"...your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you." (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:43)

A fruit bearing tree does not happen over night. It begins with -

"...that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed." (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:27 - 28)

Hoping the "word" or scriptures are true, you experiment or plan them. Alma then comments -

"...if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:28)

At this point you know it is a good seed for you have witnessed that it has began to grow. But are you receiving the fruits of the tree, obviouly not. And as most of us know that if we then -

"...nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof." (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:37 - 39)

This is a long and patient process. Again, it does not happen over night. And the day will come because of faith -

"...if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst." (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:41 - 42)

This is the plan the Lord has provided.