25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
Last week, I studied about the Fall of Man and its effects upon us. I pondered the ways that we can benefit from an understanding of the Fall, including:
- Being more humble and recognizing our need for the Savior.
- Being more patient with ourselves and with others.
- Overriding our natural thoughts and feelings, where those are not in harmony with God’s will.
- Remembering to use wisely the limited time we have in this state of probation and preparation.
I now want to turn my attention to a related Book of Mormon message: that our hearts can and must be transformed, that we can be “changed from [our] carnal and fallen state to a state of righteousness.” After Alma the Younger was called to repentance by an angel, he was unconscious for two days and two nights, during which time his father and the priests fasted and prayed for him. When he regained his strength, he testified that he had been born again. Then, he testified that everyone must be born again in order to “inherit the kingdom of God.”
As President Thomas S. Monson has taught, the Savior is capable of changing us:
As President Thomas S. Monson has taught, the Savior is capable of changing us:
The passage of time has not altered the capacity of the Redeemer to change men’s lives—our lives and the lives of those with whom we labor. As He said to the dead Lazarus, so He says today: “Come forth.” Come forth from the despair of doubt. Come forth from the sorrow of sin. Come forth from the death of disbelief. Come forth to a newness of life. Come forth.
This week, I will study the transforming power of the Atonement in our lives. I’ll consider how the Savior can change us and what we need to do to access that power and be “born again.”