Training Faith: How to Turn Fear into Fuel for the Work

Sometimes, we look at the people we admire—the strong missionaries, the seasoned returned missionaries, or even the dedicated district leader—and it seems like they just *have* faith. It looks effortless. Like they woke up one morning and were suddenly immune to worry or fear.

We often think that overcoming a deep-seated fear, or even tackling the anxieties that come with missionary discussions, is a massive, singular event. But if you’ve been in the field, or if you’ve spent time in the MTC, you know that the Spirit rarely whispers answers in a booming voice. More often, He guides us through the small, mundane, repetitive moments.

The truth is, faith isn't a switch; it's a muscle. And like any muscle, it has to be trained. It’s a process of showing up, even when we feel shaky, and choosing to trust Him anyway. This concept—that faith is built step by step—is one of the most profound truths we can take with us into our discipleship.

The Power of the Small Steps

In a recent conversation, we heard a powerful reminder that faith doesn't require us to wait for the grand, dramatic moment. It asks us to engage with the ordinary. When we are scared—whether it’s the fear of what others think, or the worry about a specific relationship—the temptation is to look at the mountain of the problem. But the Lord always directs our gaze to the next foothold.

“We don’t have to conquer the entire mountain today. We just have to take the next step, and trust Him for the one after that.”

This principle applies directly to our daily lives as Latter-day Saints. If we wait until we feel 100% certain, or until we have the perfect answer for every question an investigator might ask, we will be paralyzed. We have to take the first step—the small, imperfect step—and let the Spirit guide the rest.

Applying the Principle: A Disciple Challenge

The counsel we received was beautiful: don't wait for God to solve the big problem; involve Him in the small, concrete details. The speaker who shared her experience with the scripture, Proverbs 27, taught us that the scripture wasn't just a nice thought—it was a daily practice. She wrote it down, spoke it out loud, and revisited it precisely when the fear of what others thought crept in.

This is our assignment today, my dear disciple: Identify one small, nagging worry—maybe it's about your schedule, a minor disagreement with a family member, or even just a feeling of inadequacy. Instead of letting that worry spiral into an overwhelming anxiety, commit to treating it like a scripture study. Write down the worry. Then, write down one small action you can take, and write down a specific scripture or covenant promise to meditate on right before you take that action.

This is how we train faith. We don't wait for the feeling of certainty; we *create* certainty through consistent, small acts of discipleship. We are Internet missionaries, and that means our ministry doesn't stop when we leave the temple. It happens in the quiet moments, the study sessions, and the daily decisions.

Keep Training

If you want to dig deeper into the practical application of the Spirit, I highly recommend checking out the Iron Rod library. They have some fantastic resources on building resilience and understanding the covenants that make us feel secure in the Lord. If you're looking for a group setting to practice this, make sure to check out HolyPlaces for a Book Club or Bible Study Group. Those are perfect places to share these processes with other disciples.

Remember, we are called to be disciples *everywhere* and *all the time*. Let's commit today to taking that next small step, trusting that the Lord is with us, one day at a time.