Episode 39: Lasting Change, Our Gift to God
Download full transcript here.
The “mighty change” experienced by the people of King Benjamin was their acceptance of the Law of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and their willingness to demonstrate their acceptance by repenting of their sins and entering into a covenant by being baptized and taking upon them the Name of Jesus Christ.
We renew the covenants we made at baptism every week when we partake of the Sacrament. In this sense, this mighty change is still occurring within each of us.
“True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God," (Bednar, 2012)
“Knowing the gospel is true is the essence of testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel.” (Bednar, 2012)
Repentance is so much bigger than turning away from our sins.
“To repent fully is to convert completely to the Lord, Jesus Christ and to His holy work.” (Nelson, 2007) When we choose to change, we are submitting our will to the Lord’s. Our will--our agency--is the only thing that is uniquely ours to give Him.
Our testimony is a gift from God to us. Repentance and full conversion is our gift to God.
Repentance is about daily turning our focus back to God. It means recommitting ourselves to God--and deepening that commitment by putting off the natural man and yielding to the Spirit. And that means doing what Sister Craven said--changing our thoughts, our habits, the direction of our lives, and our hearts.
Alma asks a compelling question -- “Can ye feel so now?”
But what do we do when the answer to this question is “no,” or “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure?”
If asking means prayer, and seeking means searching and studying the scriptures, then what does knocking mean? And what is opened up to us when we knock?
We "knock" when we honor our covenants, when we repent daily and strive to align ourselves with the attributes of Christ. We “knock” when we attend the temple, when we stand in holy places and make holy the places where we stand. We knock when we lose ourselves in the service of others and strive to put off the natural man. We knock by partaking of the Sacrament each week. “Knocking” is holding fast to the iron rod.
What is opened to us as a result? Everything. We are blessed with spiritual gifts, strength to endure, increased light and expanded understanding. We partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life freely. And we gain eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7)
Do One Thing
The phrase, “You haven’t changed a bit!” is meant to be a compliment. But is it? We are not here to remain “the same” as we were. Everything about God’s plan involves change.
Pretend you are about to attend a class reunion. What will your friends say about you? Make a mental list of how you have changed, how those changes are manifesting in your spiritual growth, and how you are “keeping the change.”
To listen to this episode on Spotify, iTunes, or another podcast platform, click here.
Resources
"Converted Unto the Lord" David A. Bednar
"Repentance & Conversion" Russell M. Nelson
"Keep the Change" Becky Craven
Follow me on IG: @melinda.r.morgan
Follow me on Facebook: @Edified: Insights for LDS Women