Believe, Wish, Love

Faith, Hope, and Charity are mentioned together frequently. What do they mean though? Believe, Wish, Love.

Faith is belief. Belief in a god, belief in an afterlife, belief in a testimony, belief in truth. Not knowing something but believing in it like you do know it.

Hope is a wish. A wish that there is someone out there watching out for us, a wish for a better life, a wish that we will live with our families forever after we die.

Charity is love. It's the pure love of God- our Heavenly Parents and of Jesus Christ- our older spiritual brother. It's their love that we feel in our soul. It's their love that we pass on to others. It's the most important and lasts forever. God will never stop loving us.

It seems like hope should come before faith. We hope for something, wish for it. Then we learn to believe in it, to have faith. Sometimes it's easier to have hope than faith, to think, 'I really wish it was true, but I don't know if I can take the chance of believing it.'

Fear and doubt like to creep in, trying to cancel out faith and belief. They bring thoughts of questioning, of what if, of why me, why this, why not this, why now, why not now?

 Dieter Uchtdorf said, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs." Why are you having those doubts? Is there a person or activity in your life that's having a negative influence on you? What feels right and true to you? Your beliefs or your doubts?

Start with hope- wish for the truth with all your heart, wish that you could find peace in your soul. Have faith- believe that the truth is out there and that you will find it, believe it like you know it. Lastly charity- open yourself to love, the love of a supreme being who wants the best for you, the love of family and friends, the love of yourself.

"... charity never faileth." Love never fails. Even if you can't believe in an idea, a person, or a religion, believe in love, pure love. Loving others and being loved is the basis for a good relationship. Love is truth and will lead to more truth.

Faith, hope, charity- believe, wish, love.