Getting Your Feet Wet

I looked up some origins and definitions for this phrase on the Internet.  These are a few of the best:

get your feet wet  (mainly American) to experience something for the first time, especially something that involves taking a risk

 If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.

When someone says “get your feet wet” it basically means to get familiar with something by starting out with something simple. It’s used in a lot of different contexts – for instance, when someone is starting a new job and their boss gives them a simple assignment, the boss may say “You can get your feet wet with this assignment.”

The phrase “get your feet wet” was originated by the fact that when people are learning to swim, the very first thing they have to do is “get their feet wet” by stepping into the pool.

to start a new activity or job.

getting ones feet wet = testing the waters

It's an old saying - one that people over 50 would use.

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I think the phrase comes from the Bible.

Joshua 3

 ¹And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
 ²And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
 ³And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
 ⁴Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
 ⁵And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.  

Here's the first sign that this phrase has to do with faith.  Joshua told the people a miracle was coming.  He even says when.  He doesn't say he will do it but that the Lord will do it.  He tells them to get ready.   

   ⁶And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
 ⁷And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
   ⁸And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

Then the Lord says okay, I'm going to show everyone you are my new prophet-- but it's going to take a lot of faith on their part.  They are going to have to trust me 'cause it's going to be scary.  They will have to GET THEIR FEET WET.   

 ⁹And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
 ¹⁰And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
 ¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
 ¹²Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
 ¹³And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.  

There's the condition.  If you do this...that will happen.  God loves conditions.  Love and resurrection are really the only things He gives us unconditionally.  

 ¹⁴And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
 ¹⁵And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 

I think this is really significant because not only are they walking into the big flowing river but it's running so high at this time that it's overflowing the banks.  

 ¹⁶That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
 ¹⁷And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

They did it.  Even though they were probably afraid.  I know faith and fear supposedly don't coexist, but  I think faith is kinda like bravery--it's doing what you are supposed to whether you are afraid or not.

I've always remembered  Elder Packer's story of faith.  He was told by another apostle that faith meant taking a few steps out of the light and into the darkness and knowing that the light would follow.  Now I can add to that this story of stepping into deep flowing waters and knowing they will dry up--

and only my feet would be wet.