Faith, Hope, and Charity — Survival Skills, Not Just Nice Ideas

If I am to be honest, life without faith, hope, and charity would be pretty meaningless. It would basically turn everything into work, school, responsibilities, and running on autopilot, but without any purpose behind it. Faith has given me direction, hope has given me something to hold on to when the going gets tough, and charity has given me a new perspective on mankind. Without those, I think I'd get more cynical, more self-centered, and probably more stressed as I try to control everything myself.

One thing I've realized through this course is that these Christlike attributes don't just appear automatically — you have to choose them. We have to "study it out" and then act (D&C 9:8–9). For me, this entails slowing down my prayers, exercising patience with people even when it is not convenient, and making choices that increase my faith when I can't see a way out of a situation. Charity is especially something I choose to work on by slowing down and choosing to care about people rather than staying busy.

One experience with the Book of Mormon that will always stick with me from this course is to see how in everything it always brings it back to Jesus Christ. There were times I would read to "just get my reading done" but when I actually took my time I started seeing how often it outright testifies of Him. It made it a bit more personal and not just a historical record for me. It also helped strengthen my relationship with Heavenly Father because I began to see the extent of His involvement in our lives.

The Book of Mormon leads people to Jesus Christ because that is its literary function. They all talk about Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and what we should do to follow Him. Nor does it just invite, it demands change — faith, repentance, and action. When I am actually reading it consistently, I think differently, act differently, and deal with hardships differently. It refreshes my mind and changes my thoughts towards better things.

The biggest lesson for me is that faith, hope, and charity are not just "nice ideas" but survival skills. They are what keep you sane when everything goes wrong. The Book of Mormon is one of the main ways God helps us maintain those attributes and stay connected to Christ.