In Whom and What Do We Trust?

In the world today there are many voices. Each one tells us to trust them and what they offer. But how can we really know whom to trust? If we learn whom we can trust, then we can also trust what they have to offer.

The definition of trust is: “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” Trust is not something easily obtained and we must work to gain someone’s trust.

In Whom Do We Trust?

In order to trust in something, we must trust the person responsible. In this case, we must trust in Jesus Christ. How can we know that Christ is trustworthy? That may seem like a silly question, but let’s review His words from the New Testament to answer this question.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). One way to test if someone is trustworthy is to put their words to the test. Christ has always invited people to try out His words.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him” (John 14:6-7).

“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:16-17).

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16-20).

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).

These are just a few of Christ’s words inviting us to put Him to the test to see if we can trust Him. In my life, I have had several opportunities to put these words to the test. Each time, they have not failed me and I have gained trust in Christ.

Trusting in Christ is a process. We go through the trials and challenges of life where that trust is put to the test. However, once we have gained that trust, we can rely on Christ to be there. Our trust in Him grows every day and allows us to not worry about His role in our lives.

In What Do We Trust?

In order to answer this question, we must understand what the Doctrine of Christ is. In “Trusting the Doctrine of Christ“, Elder Evan A. Schmutz points us to the 31^st chapter of Second Nephi. Some of the highlights in this chapter are:

• Christ is obedient to the Father in obeying the commandments – verse 7
• Christ sets the example for us to follow in order to pass through the narrow gate and stay on the strait path – verse 9
• Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost are essential to return to the presence of God – verse 13
• After accepting Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, if we deny what we have been given it would be better to not have been born – verse 14
• Enduring to the end allows us to be saved – verse 15
• The gate we enter by is repentance and baptism and then a remission of sins by fire through the Holy Ghost – verse 17
• Entering the path is not enough, we must continue with unshaken faith in Christ, relying completely on Him as the one who is our Savior – verse 19
• “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” – verse 20

This is then the doctrine of Christ. Looking at it, we see that we can trust it when we have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Or in other words, when we trust in Him, we trust that His doctrine will lead us back to God’s presence.

What Does Trusting the Doctrine of Christ Look Like?

In my life, there are specific examples where I have trusted the doctrine of Christ. Traversing the path of breaking addiction, doubts about the Church, trials over job loss, children, marriage, illness, etcetera have all tested my trust in His doctrine. I have found that those tests are easier to manage when I stay firm in my trust in Him and His doctrine.

However, trusting the doctrine of Christ should also happen in “good times”. We are happier when we trust in the doctrine and participate in the doctrine through what we sometimes call the “Primary Answers“.

Trusting the doctrine of Christ means that we keep it in the forefront of our minds no matter what our situation. We look at everything through that lens and keep our focus fixed on the ultimate goal of returning to live with God and Christ

Where Do We Start?

Elder Schmutz states, “If we are to accept President Nelson’s invitation to have the doctrine of Christ rooted in the marrow of our bones, we must deepen our conversion to the Lord by study, prayer, faithful living, and continual repentance. We must invite the Holy Ghost to engrave the doctrine of Christ in the ‘fleshy tables of [our] heart[s]’ as deeply and as permanently as it was engraved by Nephi upon the plates of gold.”

For someone who has not yet been baptized in the church, the starting point is faith in Jesus Christ, a willingness to repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is where everyone who wants to get on the path starts.

But what about those of us who have already been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost? What can we do to increase our trust in Christ and His doctrine?

One of the ways I measure where I am is to take an inventory of my life. I start with what I am doing. For instance, every weekday morning I take between five and 20 minutes to read the Come Follow Me chapters for the week.

Next, I ask myself, what can I start doing to increase my trust? One of the things I’m considering right now is starting a second major category in this blog to discuss the Come Follow Me lesson. I haven’t committed to doing that yet, but it’s sitting there in my mind as something that will benefit my trust.

The final step in this process is to see if there are things that I can give up in order to spend more time focusing on Christ and His doctrine. Recently, I have found that giving up some time on my phone has helped me have more time to focus on the gospel.

Lastly, I want to mention the importance of drawing on past experiences to get through current trials. When a trial comes upon us, we can review the past and remember how trusting in Christ and His doctrine helped us in previous trials. I am reminded of the Lord’s words to Oliver Cowdery found in Doctrine and Covenants 6:22-24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness?”

Those witnesses from God in the past can help us in the present. We remember the trust we had that He would answer and can acknowledge that He did answer. That in turn allows us to have confidence that He will aid us in our current situation.

Conclusion

Knowing in whom and what we can trust is important to living a happy life. As we examine our lives, we can find areas where we can increase our trust in Christ and His doctrine. We should take the time to look at our lives and find ways to continually strengthen our trust in Him and His doctrine. Finally, we can always come back to the primary answers and our previous experiences to help us keep trusting in Christ.

Tips for Teaching

When teaching trust in Christ and His doctrine, you may want to consider:

1. Define trust. Ask the participants who they trust and why. Ask how they know they can trust Christ.
2. Discuss the doctrine of Christ as found in 2 Nephi 31. Ask the participants how knowing the doctrine of Christ can help them develop trust in it.
3. Discuss a time when you trusted in Christ and His doctrine to help you through a trial. How were you strengthened because of your trust? Ask the participants if they would like to share an example.