President Joseph Fielding Smith said that our Savior Jesus Christ is the central figure of the plan of salvation. This plan is built upon the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.1
True faith encourages us to do God's will
True faith helps us move forward to carry out constructive, uplifting, positive and highly beneficial actions as if we had full knowledge. In other words, it is as if we knew everything.
Faith does not mean that we should depend on God without doing anything else. On the contrary, we should trust Him and His Son, pray with great faith, and with complete determination act as soon as we have finished praying.
If we pray for protection, we do everything possible to follow the relevant safety rules, avoid danger and beg for inspiration to have the ability to be alert at all times.
If we pray for good health, we do everything possible to obey the laws of health and do whatever it takes to be healthy and have vigor. If we are affected in health, we pray for divine help to recover and then we follow all the medical indications, as if being healthy again depended on it.
In the Book of Mormon, in Alma 32:21 it says: “And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore, if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”
Having faith in Christ to accept Him as my Savior
2 Nephi 25:29. “And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.”
Having faith to accept His will
1 Nephi 3:7 “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
Having faith in Jesus Christ to know that through His Atonement my sins can be forgiven
Enos 1:4-5 “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.”
Having such faith in Jesus Christ that I can get answers to my prayers
Mosiah 27:14 “And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.”
Having great faith in Jesus Christ to witness miracles
Moroni 7:33 “And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.”
Having faith in Jesus Christ to achieve eternal life
Moroni 7:41 “And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.”
And finally, having faith to know the truth, based on receiving confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon
Moroni 10: 4-5 “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost;
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
Just as faith has closed the mouths of lions, opened roads through rivers and seas, ended droughts, and given protection before floods; so in our lives can true faith in Jesus Christ heal the sick and help us resist temptation and overcome harmful habits. Through faith we can repent and change our way of life.
If we are to say that we have faith, it must resonate intensely through our works.
1 Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Chapter 3: The Plan of Salvation