I believe, even though I don’t understand or know everything. I look at it like a big puzzle. The more I learn about God and His ways, the more pieces are added and start fitting together. The pieces I have are individually beautiful and intricate. But there are also some pieces missing to my view. Some may say, “Too many missing pieces, doesn’t make sense.” However, these gaps can be filled in with faith… and therefore, I can see a whole picture, and it is grand. Some of these gaps may or may not fill in as I continue searching and learning, but the holes don’t bother me. Viewing that whole picture helps me find purpose in my life, and gives me perspective to get through rough times.

I often answer the question of what I believe, so this is really fun to think about and answer the why. Here goes…

*Feeling and Reason*

There is a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of scripture unique to Latter-Day Saints) that has helped me understand how I can know if something is true and right- it says that I will 1. feel it in my heart and 2. it will make sense in my mind. Heart and mind- feeling and reason. Let me expound on how these two principles intertwine to help me know.

I love the Book of Mormon. When I read it, I feel something good. Each time I pray and ask God about it’s validity, again, I get this great feeling. Though “just a feeling”- it is as real and tangible to me as the feeling of love I have for my niece. It is a real thing to me.

Last night while reading from the Book of Mormon, I learned something new about life. And I knew that the principle that I had learned was Truth, with a capital T. It was like working on a math problem, finally understanding the mathematical law, and knowing that that law would stand in any situation and wasn’t going to change with time. Truth. Reason. It made sense to me, and is helping me figure out what to do in a particular situation in my life right now.

This same structure of feeling and reason can be applied in each of the things that I believe: that Joseph Smith really was inspired of God, that God wants to speak to the world now and does it through a prophet who is alive today, that Jesus really is the Savior of all people.

*Doing It*

There is an observable difference in my life at times when I am fully living what the scriptures teach. God has a pretty high standard for us to live up to, but there are great promises attached to us doing them. The Bible promises that by living the teachings, we will be able to know if anything is of God, or if it is created by man.

Simple example: One of the 10 commandments is to “Keep the Sabbath Day holy.” In our current day, this has been specified to mean that we are to do things differently on this day, to set aside normal activities and work and recreation, and focus on God. It was especially difficult to live this while a college student- to put aside homework and my job and many other activities for a whole day every week. But I found that as I did, I was able to accomplish in 6 days what others did in 7, with time to spare to do things I enjoyed. Doesn’t seem logical, but I’ve experienced it. I now cherish that commandment and know it is from God.

*Change*

I believe because I have been able to change through the encouragement of a living Savior, One who literally is alive today and working in my life. Jesus died, but then overcame death! I have bad habits and personality flaws and tendencies to things that are wrong, that I cannot overcome on my own. I have tried to go it alone, and make these changes independently—with little success. But when I turn to Him, there is a new power there, His experience gained in suffering for me gives Him the power to help me change. And that is something that I know could only come from a living Savior.

All of these truths meld together in a most exquisite way within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. So many “pieces of the puzzle” are here because of additional scripture to complement the Bible, and a living prophet giving us current messages from God. And the missing pieces? We get to let faith hold their place for now. I see the picture. And I believe it- not because I am blind, but because I can see.