In his great sermon on faith, the Book of Mormon prophet Alma counseled the Zoramites that 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."

He then makes an interesting observation that many of us take for granted or have forgotten: "God is merciful unto all who believe on his name ... he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them to confound the wise and the learned" (Alma 32:21-23).

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Faith is not a theological platitude. It is a fact of life. Faith can become the very wellspring of purposeful living. There is no more compelling motivation to worthwhile endeavor than the knowledge that we are children of God, the Creator of the universe, our all-wise Heavenly Father! God expects us to do something with our lives, and He will give us help when help is sought" (Teaching of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 195).

Often it is difficult for adults to take seriously the counsel from children. We tend to forget how important listening to them can be. Yet the scriptures and the lives of the prophets, demonstrate that the Lord speaks to many — regardless of age or sex.

Samuel, hearing his name called during the night, had to press Eli several times before Eli realized Samuel was being called by the Lord. He advised the young man to answer: "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth" (see 1 Samuel 3:4-10).

Perhaps there is no greater faith demonstrated than in the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her unique relationship to her Son. After finding the 12-year-old Jesus among the religious scholars in the temple "both hearing them, and asking them questions" the worried Mary and Joseph confronted him. Mary says: "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." And Jesus replies, "wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"

Then comes a verse that speaks volumes about children and parents, especially Mary: "And he went down with them ... And was subject unto them; but his mother kept all those sayings in her heart" (Luke 1:43-51).

The story of Nephi in the Book of Mormon is also a story of a young man learning of spiritual things and growing in the gospel. Nephi was not just a young man and later a prophet, but the progenitor of righteous people on the American continent. Few took the boy Joseph Smith seriously, even though he told of a wonderful vision and his understanding of gospel principles proved far beyond his years. As we study the lives of the prophets, one can see that even in their youth, the modern-day prophets who have followed Joseph Smith found at an early age to trust in the Lord, to put Him ahead of themselves and to let Him guide their decisions.

President Hinckley has said, "When I discuss faith, I do not mean it in an abstract sense. I mean it as a living, vital force with recognition of God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we accept this basic premise, there will come an acceptance of their teachings and an obedience which will bring peace and joy in this life and exaltation in the life to come" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 196).

And the Savior reminds us: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17).

Many exercise faith in their lives to strengthen the lives of others, to bless those in need of comfort and to move the work along.

May we so exercise our faith in behalf of those who still doubt, and may our faith be reflected in our works.