Be not afraid, only believe...

Here is a long excerpt from James Talmage's "Jesus the Christ" talking about just before the miracle performed for Jairus, a Synagogue Leader, who fell at Christ's feet and pled for Him to come to his house in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 8.  Christ went to Jairus' house, but...:

'"... On the way to the house an incident occurred to hinder progress.

"A sorely afflicted woman was healed, under circumstances of peculiar interest; this occurrence we shall consider presently.

"No intimation is given that Jairus showed impatience or displeasure over the delay; he had placed trust in the Master and awaited His time and pleasure; and while Christ was engaged in the matter of the suffering woman, messengers came from the ruler's house with the saddening word that the girl was dead. 

"We may infer that even these dread tidings of certainty failed to destroy the man's faith; he seems to have still looked to the Lord for help, and those who had brought the message asked, "Why troublest thou the Master any further—?"

"Jesus heard what was said, and sustained the man's sorely-taxed faith by the encouraging behest: "Be not afraid, only believe."'

I think that much discussion and books have been written sustaining a person's faith before a trying event takes place and after the trying matter, looking back on the incident, but...  here is a situation of faith that I believe we should pay special attention to: after beginning a trial, yet not having seen the end of that trial, there seems to be an extra-trying event or moment that could finish or end one's faith.  What can we do when we're already weakened by a blow to our faith and we get kicked-in-the-stomach or hit-over-the-head with an even more devastating news.

What are we supposed to learn from this humble, patient, and meek or teachable leader of a synagogue?  Has it ever happened to you that you start out strong in some undertaking and news comes that may unravel your faith?  Can you keep your eye single to God's glory and trust in your initial faith?  Elder Holland says, in a conference address in April of 2013 reminds us that Jesus told us in the 9th chapter of Mark that, "... all things are possible to him that believeth", and then promises us that our faith will be successful if we will trust and have faith in our own faith (integrity), because "sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith.

"It is not!

"So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account (in the 9th chapter of the Gospel according to Mark): "Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle."

So, dig-down deep...  Pull on those bootstraps if you need to, but stay strong and don't give-up!  If you have burning questions or even doubts that have caught fire, stay true and answers will come.

Finally, Elder Holland says, "you have more faith than you think you do because of what the Book of Mormon calls “the greatness of the evidences” (Helaman 5:50). “Ye shall know them by their fruits,” Jesus said (Matthew 7:16), and the fruit of living the gospel is evident in the lives of Latter-day Saints everywhere."

JPS