There are several points to the FISH philosophy but the main one is simply to have fun at work and as you do, customers will see that and have fun too, making the experience more beneficial to everyone involved.
The video talks about the importance of attitude and sends a pretty clear message that attitude is an individual’s choice. Shortly after seeing this video for the first time a new office mate moved in (a LCDR) and he had a desk sign that indeed said “ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE”. This wasn't a new concept to me but it was nice to see the sign and have the daily reminder.
Over the years, especially the last three or so, I’ve had many reasons and opportunities to study the subject of faith. We’re taught in the scriptures that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen but what does that really mean?
The church has gone to great lengths and devoted quit a bit to developing and maintaining technology resources for us to use in learning about and teaching about the gospel and I’m a big advocate for members to use those resources so in looking for information on the different meanings of what faith really is, I went to the Mormon.org site on the internet where there is a place for individuals to submit comments that are reviewed in Salt Lake before being posted for all to see. Here are a few of the comments
Don said
“Faith is taking action because of a hope in something"
Kempe quotes Elder Howard of the Seventy and says
“It's another word for commitment. When assessing one's own faithfulness, it may be easier to ask, "How committed are you?"
Cory says
Cory says
“The simplest way to define faith, I think, is this: Faith is trust. Faith is so difficult to have. It’s extremely hard to trust in something I cannot see, hear, or sometimes even feel. But it works! Faith is a power, a power that brings miracles and joy into one's life. The more I strengthen my Faith, the closer I feel to God and his Son. I begin to understand more, and to feel enlightened. I believe Faith is an eternal principle, and that we came to Earth to learn by it. It's how we come to know God and the laws he has set for the Universe. It is a tool for teaching, learning, and developing.”
Finally Aaron says
Finally Aaron says
“Faith to me is like knowing the sun will rise the next day. Faith to me is hope. In Alma 32:28 we learn that Faith is like a little seed. And the Articles of Faith clearly state that "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: FIRST, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."
This next story is loosely based on a true one but may or may not be totally accurate.
Once there was a little boy named Sam. Sam had loving parents and three brothers. Sam really loved his parents and looked up to them, especially his Father, Sam listened to everything his father taught him and tried very hard to do everything that his father asked him to do. One day his father called the family together and told them that they had to move, not to just another neighborhood but all the way to the other side of the world and to a completely unknown area. The trip would require a very difficult journey through the wilderness, also an unknown. Sam’s father told them that none of them would quite know what to expect just that everything would work out.
At first even Sam’s mother questioned the decision, but it wasn’t too long before she said that she would support her husband. Two of Sam’s brothers, the two eldest, didn’t understand the reason for the move and were very opposed to leaving the security of their home, while his younger brother was also very supportive and didn’t question the decision at all. Sam didn’t know what to think because it seemed that his family was divided, his two oldest brothers were very vocal about their opposition to the move, but after thinking about how he had always listened to his father and tried to be obedient, Sam quickly expressed his support to his father’s decision to move. Sam did this partly because he trusted his father and believed that he'd never ask Sam to do something unless he really believed that it was for the best. The family moved and Sam and his younger brother, the one that was supportive from the start, had some great experiences including learning first hand why their father wanted the family to move in the first place. They even started to know and see and understand some of the special things that their father saw including learning more about Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Sam’s habit of listening and learning from his earthly father helped him develop faith in him and acting on that faith gave him an opportunity to learn more about his Heavenly Father.
The gospel principles manual asks some questions about faith
This next story is loosely based on a true one but may or may not be totally accurate.
Once there was a little boy named Sam. Sam had loving parents and three brothers. Sam really loved his parents and looked up to them, especially his Father, Sam listened to everything his father taught him and tried very hard to do everything that his father asked him to do. One day his father called the family together and told them that they had to move, not to just another neighborhood but all the way to the other side of the world and to a completely unknown area. The trip would require a very difficult journey through the wilderness, also an unknown. Sam’s father told them that none of them would quite know what to expect just that everything would work out.
At first even Sam’s mother questioned the decision, but it wasn’t too long before she said that she would support her husband. Two of Sam’s brothers, the two eldest, didn’t understand the reason for the move and were very opposed to leaving the security of their home, while his younger brother was also very supportive and didn’t question the decision at all. Sam didn’t know what to think because it seemed that his family was divided, his two oldest brothers were very vocal about their opposition to the move, but after thinking about how he had always listened to his father and tried to be obedient, Sam quickly expressed his support to his father’s decision to move. Sam did this partly because he trusted his father and believed that he'd never ask Sam to do something unless he really believed that it was for the best. The family moved and Sam and his younger brother, the one that was supportive from the start, had some great experiences including learning first hand why their father wanted the family to move in the first place. They even started to know and see and understand some of the special things that their father saw including learning more about Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Sam’s habit of listening and learning from his earthly father helped him develop faith in him and acting on that faith gave him an opportunity to learn more about his Heavenly Father.
The gospel principles manual asks some questions about faith
Would we study and learn if we did not believe we could obtain wisdom and knowledge?
Would we work each day if we did not have hope that by doing so we could accomplish something?
Would a farmer plant if he did not expect to harvest?
Then the manual points out that each day we act upon things we hope for, when we cannot see the end result, and that THIS is faith.
In the book of Hebrews in the bible we read the story of Noah and how he built an ark and saved his family from the floods. It was by faith that he did this great thing but he had to BUILD the ark before he was able to see the positive results.
Would we work each day if we did not have hope that by doing so we could accomplish something?
Would a farmer plant if he did not expect to harvest?
Then the manual points out that each day we act upon things we hope for, when we cannot see the end result, and that THIS is faith.
In the book of Hebrews in the bible we read the story of Noah and how he built an ark and saved his family from the floods. It was by faith that he did this great thing but he had to BUILD the ark before he was able to see the positive results.
There is a story in the January 2015 Friend of a girl that had a lesson about faith in her primary class. The class was shown a mustard seed and read a scripture in Mathew that says “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed … nothing shall be impossible unto you”
the girl said to herself "well I certainly have that much faith!!
The girl went to school the next day with her new knowledge about faith. At one point during the day the math teacher told the class to open their books so that they could prepare for a quiz the next day. The girl was confident that she didn’t need to study because she had faith that she would always do well in school. The next day she met her friend at the bus stop who mentioned how late that she had stayed up the previous night studying for the quiz and the girl said that she did not do any homework or study. When she got her test score back later in the day she was confused, it was an F. She had failed.
Still depressed and confused she sat down at the dinner table that evening when her dad sat down next to her and asked what was wrong. The girl told the whole story and I’ll quote the rest
"Then Dad taught me how faith really works. I learned that it’s not enough just to believe in something. I have to act too. That means I still have to do my part.
I went to bed that night with my pathetic math test on the floor next to me. I looked down at the big, fat, red F on top of the page. Dad was right. Expecting to do well without doing any work is like trying to grow a mustard plant without even planting the seed in the ground.
After that day, whenever there was a test, I still had faith. But this time I had faith that Heavenly Father could help me work hard and study and do my very best.
With this kind of faith, nothing really is impossible!"
My personal study of faith ties in with what was shown in the FISH video and my co-workers desk sign. Just like attitude, faith is a choice. Our attitude is also something that people around us notice before we do. Perhaps to some extent faith is as well. Christ, Alma, and Nephi possibly others told followers on occasion that they had not seen such great faith in either Israel or among the Nephites. In a general conference talk from last October, Elder Neil Anderson of the quorum of the twelve, says “ Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible”
Let’s look back at Cory’s comment on Mormon.org where he say “The simplest way to define faith, I think, is this: Faith is trust.”
Is it possible that all those places in the scriptures and even statements by current prophets and general authorities saying that we should have “trust in God” are meaning that we should have faith in God?
One of our hymns reminds us that “God loved us so he sent his son”. Jesus Christ is our savior and Redeemer. He came to earth to experience mortality, set the ultimate example, and to atone for us so that we can return to our Father in Heaven. To take advantage of the atonement, all that is asked is that we have faith in Him. That’s all we need in order to receive His grace. But as we know having faith is not just about believing.
Sam trusted his father and his faith developed by learning and obeying him. Similarly our faith in Christ develops from learning about and obeying Him.
Like the girl with the math test learned, our faith should be in Heavenly Father helping us do our best. Doing our best in studying, praying and doing the things we are asked to do.
(I bore my testimony of the church and closed in the name of Jesus Christ)
the girl said to herself "well I certainly have that much faith!!
The girl went to school the next day with her new knowledge about faith. At one point during the day the math teacher told the class to open their books so that they could prepare for a quiz the next day. The girl was confident that she didn’t need to study because she had faith that she would always do well in school. The next day she met her friend at the bus stop who mentioned how late that she had stayed up the previous night studying for the quiz and the girl said that she did not do any homework or study. When she got her test score back later in the day she was confused, it was an F. She had failed.
Still depressed and confused she sat down at the dinner table that evening when her dad sat down next to her and asked what was wrong. The girl told the whole story and I’ll quote the rest
"Then Dad taught me how faith really works. I learned that it’s not enough just to believe in something. I have to act too. That means I still have to do my part.
I went to bed that night with my pathetic math test on the floor next to me. I looked down at the big, fat, red F on top of the page. Dad was right. Expecting to do well without doing any work is like trying to grow a mustard plant without even planting the seed in the ground.
After that day, whenever there was a test, I still had faith. But this time I had faith that Heavenly Father could help me work hard and study and do my very best.
With this kind of faith, nothing really is impossible!"
My personal study of faith ties in with what was shown in the FISH video and my co-workers desk sign. Just like attitude, faith is a choice. Our attitude is also something that people around us notice before we do. Perhaps to some extent faith is as well. Christ, Alma, and Nephi possibly others told followers on occasion that they had not seen such great faith in either Israel or among the Nephites. In a general conference talk from last October, Elder Neil Anderson of the quorum of the twelve, says “ Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible”
Let’s look back at Cory’s comment on Mormon.org where he say “The simplest way to define faith, I think, is this: Faith is trust.”
Is it possible that all those places in the scriptures and even statements by current prophets and general authorities saying that we should have “trust in God” are meaning that we should have faith in God?
One of our hymns reminds us that “God loved us so he sent his son”. Jesus Christ is our savior and Redeemer. He came to earth to experience mortality, set the ultimate example, and to atone for us so that we can return to our Father in Heaven. To take advantage of the atonement, all that is asked is that we have faith in Him. That’s all we need in order to receive His grace. But as we know having faith is not just about believing.
Sam trusted his father and his faith developed by learning and obeying him. Similarly our faith in Christ develops from learning about and obeying Him.
Like the girl with the math test learned, our faith should be in Heavenly Father helping us do our best. Doing our best in studying, praying and doing the things we are asked to do.
(I bore my testimony of the church and closed in the name of Jesus Christ)
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