Instituting Faith

On Fridays the senior sister missionaries are able to take a break from our duties and attend an Institute class taught by one of the area presidency's wives, Karen Pratt. (Last week when she and her husband had to make a last-minute trip, I was the substitute, but it went smoothly and was O.K.) We have been discussing recent General Conference addresses, which Sister Pratt has grouped by subject. The latest talks, by President Eyring and Elders Scott and Edgley, centered on faith. Faith is such a seemingly basic concept, but Sister Pratt had us stop and examine what faith is, before going on to these talks, and I found it most enlightening. 
We all know that faith is the first principle of the gospel, so we usually just rattle off the other three: repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, but being the first, it is foundational for a reason. Faith must be centered on our Savior, Jesus Christ, in order for it to lead us to salvation. In fact, it is our trust and confidence--our faith--in the Savior which motivates us to obey Him. It is our accepting His Atonement, and applying it in our lives, which helps us not only want to repent, but to avoid sin. As our faith increases by study, prayer, service, and obedience, we can actually feel it working in our lives. I acknowledge that it is faith that has helped me feel peace in my heart, because I do have confidence in Jesus Christ. His love is real. We can each have that assurance, which is what makes His gospel so vital.