A baseball player steps up to the plate and hits a long fly ball. The crowd comes to its feet in anticipation. The outfielder runs back to the wall and leaps and… Was it a home run? Was it an out? The outcome is very much in doubt until everyone sees whether the ball is in the outfielder’s glove.
On the other hand, there are occasions when the batter hits the ball so high and so hard that everyone knows that it’s going over the fence. The crowd cheers immediately! This type of hit is known in baseball as a “no doubter.”
Doubt is defined as a feeling of uncertainty. The more uncertainty, the more doubt. Any amount of uncertainty, even a very small amount, means that some doubt exists. The only way to have “no doubt” is to have absolute certainty — 100 percent certainty.
When it comes to believing in God, the goal is to have no doubt. When it comes to believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the goal is to have no doubt. We need to exercise faith at times to keep the doubts from creeping in, but, as believers, we should be living our lives and making our decisions in life based on the certainty that God is who He says He is and that His promises can be relied upon — with no doubt.
When we pray, we should have no doubt that God is hearing the prayer and that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Jesus said, “If ye have faith, and doubt not … all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:21-22). Of course, we understand that we should pray for that “which is right” (3 Nephi 18:20) and that we must consider the will of God in our prayers. However, the key point here is to recognize that our prayers have the potential to move mountains, but any doubt we have will remove that potential.
In Alma 56, the 2,000 young men known as stripling soldiers prepare for battle against the Lamanites. It is stated that “they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them” (verse 47). Their “no doubt” attitude is on display as they speak to Helaman who is to lead them into the battle, assuring him that “our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth” (verse 46).
Not only do these young men believe that God is with them; they take action based on that belief that puts their lives in jeopardy. Sure enough, the battle results in victory, and not a single one of the 2,000 stripling solders is killed. They were 100 percent certain God would be with them — they had no doubt — and He delivered them.
Let’s not be the person who believes in God but lives life like He doesn’t exist. God is alive. He loves us. He wants a relationship with us. He hears our prayers, and He is with us always. Have no doubt!
This article has undergone ministry review and approval.
Definitely what I needed to read today! I often doubt the decisions I make even though I pray about them. Thank you for always providing an insight to the scriptures!