“Because of Thy Faith in Christ”

Ed J. Pinegar, Richard J. Allen

“How is it done?” is a question natural and appropriate for all who have experienced blessed relief from the crushing burden of sin. The voice of the Savior provides the simple answer: “Because of thy faith in Christ.” Of this event, President Ezra Taft Benson has said, “Enos was spiritually healed. Through his mighty supplications to God, he experienced what the faithful of any dispensation can experience, do experience, and must experience if they are to see God and be filled with His Spirit. We should become acquainted with Enos and the entire Book of Mormon, the greatest book in the world—a new witness for Christ” (Come unto Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983], 93).

President Spencer W. Kimball had similar thoughts on the subject of prayer:

If you have not, I sincerely hope that the time will soon come when, as others before you have, you will struggle in the spirit and cry mightily and covenant sincerely, so that the voice of the Lord God will come into your mind, as it did to Enos, saying:
… thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
Because of thy faith in Christ …
I will grant unto thee according to thy desires… . (Enos 5, 8, 12.)
For this is the ultimate object of all prayer, to bring men closer to God, to give them a new birth, to make them heirs of his kingdom. (Faith Precedes the Miracle [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1972], 211)

Enos, concerned for the welfare of his own soul, prays mightily for forgiveness. His guilt is swept away through faith in Jesus Christ. From this we see that a gateway can be opened for each of us: The Lord has provided a way for us to repent. We are to come forward with a broken heart and contrite spirit, confessing and forsaking our sins (see Alma 34:15–17).

Commentaries and Insights on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1

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