They Become New Creatures

In his talk several years ago in general conference about The Book of Mormon, President Nelson listed some of the important teachings found therein. He said, “it teaches what it really means to be born again.” The phrase itself is actually used in the text only by Alma, the son of Alma. After he repented of his wicked ways, he recounted, “I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. 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; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 27:24-26). The change in him was dramatic; he went from an enemy of the Church, trying to tear it down, to devoting his life to building it up and bringing people unto Christ. He said to the people of Zarahemla, “I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again. Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion” (Alma 5:49-50). He similarly invited the people of Gideon, “Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness” (Alma 7:14). And so, from these verses we can see that the essence of being born again is to change our very natures to become like God. To be born again is to truly repent, to turn from our sins and from our carnal state to a state of righteousness. It is to have our sins washed from us through the power of the Lamb of God who is mighty to cleanse us from our unrighteousness.

                A couple of days ago, in an effort to help our five-year-old respond better to instructions from his parents, we made him a sticker chart. We told him that every time he answered affirmatively to something we asked him to do which he normally wouldn’t want to do (e.g., come to scriptures, clean up your toys, get ready for bed, etc.), he would get a sticker on his chart. He was told that if he got 10 stickers, he could get ice cream. He got the sticker chart in the evening while I was gone, and he got right to it earning his reward. After I got home an hour or so later, he proudly told me how he had already earned 9 stickers. A few minutes later I was in the kitchen and he came over to me eagerly and insisted, “Tell me to put away the blankets!” I was confused by the request and so he repeated it for me without explanation. I finally complied, saying to him, “Put away the blankets.” He answered, “Okay!” And he ran away joyfully to put a sticker on his chart, jumping over the blankets on his way to apply the last sticker. With the prize already earned, yesterday I could no longer get him to agree to follow my instructions, and so I realized the change had not quite stuck yet. I thought of that in contemplating what it means to be “born again”—his single day showing obedience didn’t quite provide the change of heart we ultimately want to see in him despite being a good first step. To be born again requires much more than changing our actions for a day or two; we need to have our hearts changed. We want to follow the process that King Benjamin taught us and turn ourselves from the natural man and woman to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ: “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19). I am grateful for the Book of Mormon which teaches us what we need to become in order to overcome our sins and one day return to the Father in His kingdom. President Nelson summarized, “The full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. Period.” As we read and study it, seeking diligently to apply its teachings through our own repentance, we will have the power of Jesus Christ to change our very natures and be born again.