Jamison, millet, doubt

The Faith Decision Faith is a decision that triumphs over personal doubts and trials.

Mother Teresa had a secret that few knew about. This international heroine of kindness and service suffered from spiritual doubts.

It can be hard for us to recognize that our personal heroes also have moments of darkness. In many cases, their suffering might be one of the greatest reasons for their strength. Through their struggle they hold more tightly to their faith than to their doubts.

We will all find ourselves in our own Garden of Gethsemane at some point in our lives. Light vanishes when the Spirit withdraws and leaves us empty. Often these moments do not occur because of sin but because of doubts. We long for the comfort of the Spirit and the serenity it brings, but we find no solace.

Robert L. Millet, professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, explores the reality of the Spirit’s occasional absences and ways we can keep our faith during those tough times. “Faith is not only a feeling,” he writes, quoting Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “it is a decision.”

Great men and women, like Brother Millet and Mother Teresa, have struggled with darkness despite their efforts to dispel it. However, their decision to have faith allows them to endure their agonizing moments and serve people with new empathy and love.

Read Robert L. Millet’s full article, “Starving Our Doubts and Feeding Our faith,” here.

—Chelsea Jamison, Mormon Insights