I’m intrigued by the concept of having an eye of faith. I think that it interests me so much because it has been hard for me to develop, yet I know that in many facets of our lives, visualizing ourselves accomplishing our goals will help us to see them through.

Can you imagine yourself reaching your goal – whether it is losing weight, getting a certain job, writing a novel, winning a golf tournament – do you see yourself obtaining that which you are working for? Chances are, if you can’t visualize it, then you won’t be able to accomplish it.

This concept holds true for obtaining eternal life. The Lord asks us to develop an eye of faith. Doing so will help us to achieve our ultimate goal of eternal life.

So – here’s the scripture chain.

Matthew 6:22 – Look to God

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” – Matthew 6:22
Notice, especially, the footnotes for the word “single”:
1. This is a Greek Idiom for healthy, sincere, without guile.
2. JST explains that the phrase “to the glory of God” should proceed included.

This scripture teaches us what we should be envisioning with our eye of faith: our eye needs to be single – to the glory of God, then our whole body will be full of light. This is the vision we must see with our eye of faith. Then we will be blessed.

The Lord doesn’t ask us to imagine ourselves keeping the commandments. He doesn’t ask us to imagine ourselves getting some kind of calling or even making a covenant. He tells us to envision His glory. It is the glory of God that will fill our souls with light and enable us to achieve our goal. Of course we need to keep the commandments and make covenants, but that should not be the focus of our eye of faith.

This makes sense to me. Sometimes, I forget to think of the glory of God. I forget about His power and mercy. I forget about His love and grace. Instead, I begin to focus too much on my flaws, then I get overwhelmed by the idea of perfection. I become discouraged and distracted. If we focus, instead, on the glory of the Lord, then our beings will be filled with light and hope. He will help us overcome our natural weakness and flaws. We will be able to see through to the time when our eye of faith is realized.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:68 – Be Sanctified

“Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.” – Doctrine and Covenants 88:68

Here we learn that in order to have our minds become single to God, then we need to sanctify ourselves. To be sanctified means to be made pure. This happens as we repent, are cleansed in the waters of baptism, and continually work to keep the commandments and renew our covenants. As we keep our eye on God and work to become more like Him by being sanctified, then there will be a time when we do see him.

If we think of this scripture on very practical terms – as far as having an eye of faith concerning other goals – then I think that we apply this scripture to mean that we need to do what it takes to achieve our goal. If the goal is to run a marathon, for example, we can’t simply imagine ourselves crossing the finish line. We must also “sanctify” ourselves, by waking up early, running, eating right, signing up for the marathon, and logging in the miles. As we do this, not only are we are better able to keep our eyes on the ultimate prize: of crossing the finish line, but we will actually do it, too!

Acts 7:55-56 – Look Steadfastly

“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” – Acts 7:55-56

This scripture is part of the account of Saint Stephen. Notice the phrase in the quoted verses, “[he] looked up steadfastly into heaven.” Stephen was steadfast in his vision. I have a feeling that Stephen spent his entire life looking to Heaven. He didn’t happen to finally have an eye of faith at the end of His life. Stephen had looked to heaven, steadfastly, for a long time and eventually saw – literally – what he had seen with his spiritual eyes for so long.

Not only do we have to look, and be sanctified, but we have to be steadfast. We have to maintain an eye of faith even when the vision we have seems completely impossible.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:38 – Seek the Lord

“And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.” – Doctrine and Covenants 101:38

Here we learn that sometimes we’ll have to seek the face of the Lord, and we may even need to be patient.

I forget this so much. It isn’t that the Lord’s face is hard to find, but it can be when I’m not being spiritually tuned into Him. When I really think about it, the Face of the Lord can be seen in everything around me. Have I ever mentioned how beautiful it is where I live?

This is where I live!

A few nights ago, I was busy in my house, getting ready for dinner, etc, when I happened to notice the sunset. Sunsets in Arizona are pretty much amazing. I decided to turn off the stove for a minute so I could go outside and enjoy the winds, the oncoming monsoon, and the amazing sunset.

I realized how often I go without taking much notice of the world around me – because I’m so focused on what is happening before my eyes. I don’t always seek the beauty of the world around me. I don’t always seek the face of the Lord in His creations and my blessings. So often, my little pathetic life is getting in the way of the bigger picture I need to have.

We may know that we need to have an eye of faith and look to the Glory of God, but there are times when this “vision” isn’t so apparent. We may need to seek His glory. Often, seeking Him isn’t so difficult – it is just a matter of turning down the distractions. No matter how you do it, we need to seek. If we do, we will find Him.

Alma 36:22, 28 – Reaching our Goal

“Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever,…” – Alma 36:22, 28

In this final scripture, Alma (the younger) is teaching his son shortly before His departure from mortality. He relates the experience of his conversion to his son, Helaman. He had endured the pains of his own sins, then he felt the joy of repentance. After repenting, Alma caught a glimpse – of God sitting on his throne, the beauty of the angels praising and singing. Alma longed to be there.

This vision became the picture Alma saw in his eye of faith.

We can study Alma’s life after his conversion. He spent his time devoted to the Lord. He was sanctified through keeping the commandments and making and keeping covenants. He was steadfast and didn’t waver once he had covenanted with God. He sought the Lord diligently and with patience through prayer and fasting. Because of Alma’s eye of faith, he was, eventually, able to know that he would be able to go where his soul longed to be.

How do you keep an eye of faith? How has having an eye of faith helped you to get through trials and difficulties in life? What are your favorite scriptures that teach us about having an eye of faith?

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