What is Faith?

So yeah, I haven't updated in a long time... I mean a long time... Sorry about that; I wish I had a good excuse but... yeah.

Anyway a while back someone posted a comment on my entry entitled "Heeding the Voice of the Prophets".  Their comment addressed "faith", through the use of an extended metaphor about driving.  While I feel his or her point was a little jumbled in the mix, the part about faith hit me hard.  He or she stated,

When you drive your car on city streets, you have "faith" that others will obey the laws, be vigilent and kind. Without this "faith" you would not dare to drive. 

When you see someone injured or killed on the highway, your faith is "challenged." You realize the connection between what preserves you in faith is your own imagination or construct of the world.

People are always saying "I have faith in God and faith in religion and I want everyone to have the feeling of peace I have in religion," but this missionary zeal is just the dissimination of opiates, just as telling yourself everyone will obey traffic laws enables the feeling of security while driving.

This is where I think we must define faith. Paul stated "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).  We see faith is an "assurance", it is a confirmation, it is a truth.  I believe the "faith" defined by Paul and the "faith" that is talked about in the quote above are very different.  I believe "hope" not "faith" might be a better word.

I, personally, hope others will obey the law, be vigilant, and kind.  I hope for a safe journey.  That is all I can really do, because what the author wrote above is absolutely correct I cannot control what other drivers do or what ultimately happens.  And this is the key distinction between hope and faith.  In faith, I know, "Faith is the assurance".  Hope is simply a desire.  Hope is an aspect of faith, as Paul stated, but I also believe the two are very distinct.  

When trying to see if something is true one must first have a hope of its validity, a confirmation of its validity, and finally knowledge of its validity may be obtained.  The basic "Scientific Method" if you will.  Well the same is true for the Gospel.  Whether it be a question of "Am I doing what is right?", "Is this the correct church?" "Is there a god?" or even a tiny prayer, one must first have a hope that what they are asking will be answered, will be true, or will come to pass.  Once this "hope" is established, one must recieve a confirmation that this hope is true.  I had a hope, or a desire, to know if the Book of Mormon was true, so I prayed and recieved a confirmation through the Holy Ghost; this confirmation then lead me to know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I believe it is only through this confirmation of the Holy Ghost may we obtain true faith.  (By confirmation, I am not saying every answer will be yes, it can easily be no, or not even be able to be answered in simple "yes or no", "true or false" terms).  Through the Holy Ghost we establish faith.  This faith is as true as any fact or truth established by empirical evidence.  

Now as for the last part of the quote.  I do indeed "want everyone to have the feeling of peace [love, happiness, knowledge, assurance, etc (my additions)] I have in religion."  Now I do have faith that if one truly looks at the Church of Jesus Christ, and genuinely and wholeheartedly ask God if it is indeed the true church of Christ he or she will recieve confirmation from the Holy Ghost that it is.  Again the key of obtaining true faith is through the confirmation of the Holy Ghost, but this process is indiviual.  My faith cannot act in place of someone else's.  Faith must be found on one's own, only through personal confirmation.  I can bear my testimony all day but it will not give one faith, it may strengthen one's faith, but to obtain faith first hope must be wrought, then confirmation of its truth, and ultimately the assurance of faith will be given.