"Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing. One life is all we have, and we live as we believe in living it, and then it’s gone. But to surrender what you are, and live without belief—that's more terrible than dying—more terrible than dying young."
These spirited lines of Joan of Arc from Anderson's play Joan of Lorraine catch a theme lately running through my mind. Living without belief is, I suppose, pragmatically and philosophically impossible. At worst would be belief in unbelief. Yet of all the many beliefs in the world today, of the many confusing trumpets, few are the beliefs that are saving, rare are the trumpets sounding a clear call. Life at its best, existence in its fullest sense calls for well-integrated growing beliefs built on premises that are true. The only faith that moves mountains is true faith, vibrant and ever growing. Indeed, the Book of Mormon’s definition of faith precludes false faith (see Alma 32:21).
The faith that is the first principle of the gospel is a particular type of faith: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we can safely center our belief. We cannot afford to say as one man said to us a few nights ago as we explained about the gospel of Jesus Christ, "I never get mixed up in personalities." A very original answer, I had to admit, but a dangerous philosophy in the eternal aspect of things.
The traditions of men shape so many beliefs. Environment, custom, tradition, apathy hand us our precious beliefs and wrap us in darkness and ignorance.
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