Faith of Our Father

This is from my Relief Society lesson on Sunday. It was taken from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk, "Faith of Our Father." All the quotes are from him, unless otherwise noted.

"I marvel at the different backgrounds of members of the Church. You come from all walks of life—all cultures, languages, political circumstances, and religious traditions. This multiplicity of life experiences has caused me to reflect on the message of one of our hymns, 'Faith of Our Fathers.'”

For many people, this brings to mind their pioneer heritage. Rom's family has pioneer stock on both sides. I think about the Hansen family, newly converted in Denmark in the 1860s, obeying the prophet's call to come to Zion. They sold all that they had, boarded the boat, and began the trek to Utah. Along the way, one by one, they lost each of their four children, including the newborn baby born on the trail. I hope that I could have the faith to sacrifice everything for the sake of what I believed.

For others, this brings to mind a heritage of another faith. I love Mom's description of her father that she shared on Father's Day. "My father never had the opportunity of hearing the gospel message. He died at the age of 42. But the legacy he left was passed on to my husband, and then to my sons and sons-in-law. He loved his children. He loved his wife. He was honest in his dealings. He shunned filth in its every form. He served others. His family was his first priority. My life has been greatly blessed because I am the wife, daughter, and mother of great fathers."

"We honor and respect sincere souls from all religions, no matter where or when they lived, who have loved God, even without having the fullness of the gospel. We lift our voices in gratitude for their selflessness and courage. We embrace them as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father."

So, what then is the "faith of our fathers?" Is it the religion we are born into?

"But what of the faith of the ancient ones before them? What of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are they not our fathers? Are we not of the house of Israel? What of Noah and Enoch and our first parents, Adam and Eve?

"What of the Savior and those disciples who followed Him?

"The faith of our Father in Heaven has been consistent since the beginning of time, even from before the foundation of this world.

"As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, 'we believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.' And 'we believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.' We believe in the great plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, whereby God’s children may experience mortality and return to the presence of the Father—a merciful plan established from before the foundation of this earth.

"This is the plan and the faith of our Father!"

The faith of our Father embraces everything that blesses us in this life and brings us back home to Him. So, in reading through this talk, I finally came to the realization that this is in actuality a missionary lesson! And maybe, it can help people understand the purpose behind our missionary activities.

"Our Heavenly Father loves His children. He hears the prayers of the humble and sincere of every nation, tongue, and people. He grants light to those who seek and honor Him and are willing to obey His commandments. We joyously proclaim that the faith of our Father is on the earth today.

"We invite everyone on this beautiful planet to taste of His doctrine and see if it is not sweet and good and precious. We ask those of sincere heart to learn of this doctrine and ask their Father in Heaven if it is not true. And by doing so, all can discover, embrace, and walk in the true faith of their Father, which faith will make them whole.

"That is our message to the world."