Question
Dear Gramps,
I liked what you had to say to another querrent about faith vs. destiny and how he should go about pursuing a girl righteously, in faith, with God. You too believe that with faith anything is possible. My question now is whether a woman like me should continue to have faith that she will marry a particular man…how do you know it is God’s will? If you have doubts, it could just mean you lack faith. It could also mean you are not in-sync with what God wants. How do I know whether God has planted this dream in my heart or whether it’s not what He wants for me? God is the only one who can tell me whether my dream is one to continue to have faith in. I don’t want to beg for proof and be like doubting Thomas–I want to believe even in times of darkness so to speak. Can you help me gramps? I also feel that being a woman makes it hard to boldly go after a man…I feel like once I have shown an interest it is up to the man to reciprocate/pursue me. So my faith leaves we waiting with positive, hopeful expectations. Thank you,
Patricia
Answer
Dear Patricia,
Remember, according to Alma, faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things (Alma 32:21).If we have a particular desire, want or need it would be proper to pray to the Father to grant us what is in our hearts, but with this caveat–as in the Lord’s prayer–thy will be done. We won’t KNOW the plan of the Father until it comes to pass, since faith is the hope of the future, and knowledge is the mental awareness of personal experience.. And whatever comes to pass, among those who love the Lord and who keep His commandments is the will of the Lord, which we must be ready to accept. So, we hope for that which we want to come to pass, and we accept what happens as God’s will, living each day with the confidence that we are encompassed in the Father’s love, and whatever comes to pass will be part of the plan that has been designed for our personal growth, development and welfare–what we would perceive as both good and bad. With this understanding, in prayer appealing for that which we want, which is righteous, and accepting with gratitude and thanksgiving all that occurs in our lives, that the Lord’s purposes are being fulfilled. We can then live each day with confidence, not worrying whether a particular desire will or will not come to pass, but moving, according to the righteous desires of our hearts. Let us not try to bend the Father’s will to ours, but try to bend our will to that of the Father.
Gramps
