“Walking in Newness of Life Through Conversion”
Despite the recent storms, we can sense that spring is coming. Days are longer, buds are popping out on branches, flowers are pushing out of our sometimes muddy ground and there is beginning to feel a sense of hope and excitement as we emerge from our lethargic inactivity of winter and embrace the added light and warmth that comes with this time of year.
Even more powerful than the changes in our yards can be the ‘newness of life’ that the apostle Paul spoke of as we become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our spiritual winter can give way to spring when we commit ourselves to righteousness. Paul said “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life…Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord…Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness…For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:4, 11, 18, 23)
We sing of this renewal in one of our hymns:
Hymn 234
Jesus, mighty King in Zion,
Thou alone our guide shalt be;
Thy commission we rely on,
We will follow none but thee.
As an emblem of thy passion,
And thy victory o'er the grave,
We, who know the great salvation,
Are baptized beneath the wave.
Fearless of the world's despising,
We the ancient path pursue;
Buried with our Lord, and rising
To a life divinely new.
As we look outside with anticipation to plant our gardens, clean our yards and shake off the numbing side effects of winter, let us look inward and distance ourselves from our own spiritual winter which keeps us from basking in the added spiritual light and warmth that our Father in Heaven shares with those who are truly converted.
True conversion brings with it a newness of life that lasts beyond one season. Just like the living water that Christ offered the woman of Samaria, our true conversion can be a “well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
What is true conversion? How do we know if we are truly converted? The word “repentance” in German is ‘Umkehr’, which literally means; ‘to turn around’. That word carries with it a very visual meaning as we turn ourselves and go in a new direction. Elder Richard G. Scott declared, “Converted implies not merely mental acceptance of Jesus and his teachings but also a motivating faith in Him and His gospel. A faith which works a transformation, an actual change in one’s understanding of life’s meaning and in his allegiance to God in interest, in thought, and in conduct. In one who is wholly converted, desire for things contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually died. And substituted therefore is a love of God, with a fixed and controlling determination to keep his commandments.” (Full Conversion Brings Happiness, April 2002 General Conference)
A month or two ago in Sunday School we studied the parable of the sower. What is the state of our spiritual soil? Are we ready to receive the seed and nurture the plant until it can bear fruit? Or is our spiritual soil, stony, thorny, dry and compacted. Do we allow birds to come eat the seeds before they can sprout, do we allow weeds to spring up and choke out the plants that will bear the fruit of our conversion?
If you say in your minds “it’s too difficult, I can’t change or there are too many weeds”, you doubt the power of the atonement and its redeeming qualities. If you feel that repentance or change is out of reach then you don’t understand the love and mercy of our Father in Heaven who sent His son to carry your burdens, atone for your sins and lift you to a higher station. Alma said “yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27) A sincere desire to change can be a starting point for us when we feel that change itself is beyond our grasp.
In the Book of Mormon, the converted Lamanites were “brought to the knowledge of the truth… and [were] led to believe the holy scriptures, yea the prophecies of the holy prophets…which leadeth them to faith on the Lord and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them- Therefore, as many have come to this… are firm and steadfast in the faith.” (Helemen 15:7-8) We too, can cultivate a desire until it blossoms and bears the fruit of being firm and steadfast; as Paul said to the Ephesians, “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine”. (Ephesians 4:14)
Our Savior has told us “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Revelation 3:20-21) The requirement is on our part to open the door, and invite him in. And only when we do so, sincerely and with real intent will the promised conversion come. The atonement will not supersede the gift of agency. It is up to us to search, ponder, pray, desire, invite, repent and “become the new creature where old things are passed away and all things are become new.” (2 Cor 5:17) When we do this, we will be like King Benjamin’s people who said, “because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to good continually. (Mosiah 5:2)
Elder Scott taught: “Stated simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and responding to it. …You will be lead to repent of errors resulting from wrong things done or right things not done. As a consequence, your capacity to consistently obey will be strengthened. This cycle of faith, repentance and consistent obedience will lead you to greater conversion with its attendant blessings.” (Full Conversion Brings Happiness, April 2002 General Conference)
I find Elder Scott’s phrase consistent obedience noteworthy. That consistency provides us with greater strength and conviction resulting in greater conversion. Just as faith precedes the miracle, conviction precedes conversion.
Brothers and sisters, we are approaching Easter with the warmth of spring and the reminder of the risen Lord and His empty tomb. This reminder witnesses to us of the power we have in Him to overcome our shortcomings. No, we could never do it alone and if we try, we will quickly learn our inadequacies. We must yoke ourselves to the Lord “for [His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light”. We have the opportunity daily to recommit ourselves and prepare our spiritual soil so that it will receive the seeds of conversion and when we nurture that plant through consistent obedience, our conversion will bear the fruit of peace and joy in this life and salvation in the life to come.
I share with you my testimony of the Savior and his desire and ability to carry us through the difficulties of life if we but open the door and invite him in. He knows us better than we know ourselves and knows how to heal us.
