I had some cool inspiration while studying for my religion class today, I thought I'd share it =).
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Faith is the principle of action in all intelligent beings. If you did not believe the light would turn on when you flipped the switch, you wouldn't flip the switch. Why? Because you didn't think it would do any good! The same is true with spiritual things. If you do not believe that praying is a way to communicate with God, or that it will make any difference - why bother praying? If you do believe that it will make a difference, however, of course you're going to pray. The same is true with any other spiritual principle. By this, you may gauge your level of faith in certain areas. Do you pray daily? If you do, it's because you believe it will make a difference in your life. Do you study the scriptures daily? If you do, you must believe that they are really worth reading. Do you attend church? If so, it must be because you believe that it will strengthen you spiritually, or that perhaps you will be able to strengthen someone else, or that blessings will come by being obedient to the Lord's commandments.
What, then, if you don't do these things? Perhaps this is a sign that your faith is weak. This is no reason to despair, however. It is merely a way to identify what you must do to increase your faith.
Alma taught that if you will "experiment upon [the word]", exercising only "a particle of faith", that your faith will begin to grow:
"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." (Alma 32:27)
This process is compared to planting a seed - a small and simple act, which may result in the growth of a strong and mighty tree.
If you find that your spiritual habits are lacking, plant a seed. Give it some water and sunshine, and a little time to begin to grow. The "evidence of things unseen" lies within that little seed. As you nurture it and it begins to grow, that evidence becomes visible - it is no longer unseen, but it is a sure thing.
"And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand." (Alma 32:34)
