Faith, Hope, and Charity

Although the biblical triad of faith, hope, and charity is, strictly speaking, a New Testament construct, David Calabro has suggested that in the context of ancient covenants, faith was understood “as faithfulness (an expression of loyalty), hope as expectation for deliverance by the protecting suzerain, and charity as the stipulation of love for the suzerain (like a son to a father) as required in ancient vassal treaties.”

Calabro also compares Proverbs 8—with its preexistent and coeval personification of Wisdom, by whose power God created the world—to the mention of the framing of the world by faith in Hebrews 11:3, to the reification of hope as a representation of the glorified Christ in Hebrews 6:18–20, and to the personified description of eternally enduring charity in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 and Moroni 7:44–46. The significance of this comparison with Proverbs 8 is enhanced in remembering that Wisdom—like faith, hope, and charity (as argued in the present chapter)—was associated anciently with knowledge of the mysteries received in the temple.

In addition, Joseph Neyrey has observed that in the Hebrew Bible, “love” and “faith” were already linked “in terms of hesed and ‘emet, that is, ‘steadfast kindness’ in a covenant relationship.” One might also note in this connection the biblical symbolism of the three divine throne attributes of truth (‘emet), righteousness (tsedaqah), and uprightness (yashar) that enabled individuals to pass through veiled gates to stand in the Lord’s presence within His temple throne room.

salm 15 lists ten qualifications—including, significantly, the three previously mentioned divine attributes of truth, righteousness, and uprightness—for those who would “abide in [the] tabernacle.” Similar lists of commandments were displayed outside ancient temples. Second-temple Judaism, like later Christianity, produced long lists of virtues and vices that are related to a greater or lesser extent with temple themes and the idea of heavenly ascent.

Within the New Testament, faith, hope/patience, and charity/love are mentioned together in fifteen passages, but appear only four times in that order. Twelve of these instances are within writings traditionally attributed to Paul, two are found in 1 and 2 Peter, and one is within the book of Revelation. Within the Book of Mormon, faith, hope, and charity are mentioned together by Nephi, Alma, Mormon, and Moroni in eight places, and in the Doctrine and Covenants they are referenced six additional times. Significantly, within modern scripture the themes of faith, hope, and charity are discussed in the same specific order for every instance but one.