What is Faith?

Elder David A. Bednar said,

“The Apostle Paul defined faith as ‘the substance of things hoped for, [and] the evidence of things not seen’ (Hebrews 11:1). Alma declared that faith is not a perfect knowledge; rather, if we have faith, we ‘hope for things which are not seen, [but] are true’(Alma 32:21). Additionally, we learn in the Lectures on Faith that faith is ‘the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness’ and that it is also ‘the principle of action in all intelligent beings’ [Lectures on Faith (1985), 1].

“These teachings of Paul and of Alma and from the Lectures on Faith highlight three basic elements of faith: (1) faith as the assurance of things hoped for which are true, (2) faith as the evidence of things not seen, and (3) faith as the principle of action in all intelligent beings. I describe these three components of faith in the Savior as simultaneously facing the future, looking to the past, and initiating action in the present.”

Going back to Hebrews 11, we see that Paul gives us examples of people that had lived before him and that demonstrated great faith.

ENOCH

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony,    that he pleased God." (verse 5)

NOAH

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,  prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (verse 9)

ABRAHAM

 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son," (verse 17)

MOSES

 "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." (verse 29)

In the video below, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin talks about what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 ("Shall He Find Faith on the Earth?," Ensign, Nov. 2002, 82.)

Video's Transcript:

Faith, on the other hand, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith has eyes that penetrate the darkness, seeing into the light beyond.

Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Too often today, we do not rely on faith as much as on our own ability to reason and solve problems. If we become ill, modern medicine can work healing miracles. We can travel great distances in a short time. We have at our fingertips information 500 years ago would have made the poorest man a prince.

The just shall live by faith, we're told in holy writ. I ask again, what is faith? Faith exists when absolute confidence in that which we cannot see combines with the action that is in absolute conformity to the will of our Heavenly Father. Without all three-- first, absolute confidence, second, action, and third, absolute conformity-- without these three, all we have is a counterfeit, a weak and watered-down faith.