One day when I was about 20 years old, I remember sitting on my mom and dads bed. I was talking to my dad about life & I was really worried about practically everything--feeling really overwhelmed and just down and out.(you know the feeling?) As I was crying to him and wishing he could solve my problems, he said something I won't ever forget--

"You have no faith."

 At first I thought, woooooooooah, wait a second....of course I do--but then I started thinking what it really means to have faith--and if I had faith--I wasn't living it. It reminds me of a story in the Book of Mormon*. The Tree of Life is shown to the Prophet Lehi in a dream or vision-- Lehi recounted the tree as "a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy." the fruit representing the Love of God & the Atonement--something we all want to feel.

How did they get to that tree of life?

     How do WE feel God's love and the Atonement in our own lives?

Lehi went on describing how there was a rod of iron (word of God) that led to the tree. Those who held on to the word of God are lead to happiness-true happiness, not temporary. Well how does this have to do with having faith? (you are probably wondering). 

  1 Nephi 8: 24 says,  "...I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward... CLINGING to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree."  Faith is not seeing, touching, or holding the rod--its CLINGING to it. When we have faith, we cling to God's word--we have hope in good things to come--and when we keep on keeping on we find love at the end. I know my dad taught me a really valuable lesson that day; I had lost grip of the rod--it was now time to press forward and CLING to the rod. God is there. I know when I read His words, I feel His love--and I remember dont let go.