Mosiah 5:1-5 "A Mighty Change of Heart"

5:1-5 - KB's sermon provided the opportunity for his people to examine themselves, their nature and decide if they want to step it up a bit. This concept of the "mighty change of heart" is very special to me because I've truly experienced this in my own life, and it's honestly been the miracle that keeps on giving, it's not done with me and I truly hope that it never is, but who I am now is a completely different person that I was and anyone who knew me before is shocked when we come in contact again. At my worst, I was hateful and bitter to every one and everything, anyone that was happy was an idiot and didn't know how great they had it, I swore a lot, drank a lot, was so rude to everyone, and I mean everyone, for no reason whatsoever, it was ridiculous, and so much more. Why did I act like that? Because I was wildly unhappy, why was I unhappy? Because I had lived in difficult in life and instead of growing closer to the Lord I believed the lies that satan told me, I believed that it was God's fault that my life was awful, he was the one who abandoned me, he was the one who didn't care about how much I suffered. Lies, all lies. So because I turned away from the Lord, I was under satan's influence, and it was terrible, talk about suffering. But turning point came when I went back to church, and it came slowly, one step at a time, as I kept more and more commandments, the evil was slowly purified from my heart, I had "no more disposition to de evil, but to do good continually." I remember the day that I realized that my heart had changed, it was in 2008 and most of my immediate family was over for Sunday dinner and my best friend from high school came to visit and she had made some off hand really dirty comment and I was mortified and blurted out "none of them are married yet!" And it wasn't funny to me like she had intended but honestly made me sick, and I'm not a prude, so when I saw that I was disgusted, that's when I knew that I had experienced a truly deep change of heart, and it's kept going until now, and it's been amazing. I've heard so many people say that "people can't change" but I deeply disagree with that, that's what the whole purpose of the gospel! The IM manual quotes Elder Robert D. Hales as teaching " Once we receive a witness of the Spirit, our testimony is strengthened through study, prayer, and living the gospel. Our growing testimony brings us increased faith in Jesus Christ and His plan of happiness. We are motivated to repent and obey the commandments, which, with a mighty change of heart, leads to our conversion. And our conversion brings divine forgiveness, healing, joy, and the desire to bear our witness to others.” A witness leads to a small seed of testimony, then when we grow that seed through prayer and keeping the commandments, then our little seeds grow stronger into true conversion. It is honestly a miracle, the happiness that I experience now compared to the misery that I have lived with for so many years, and I'm not the only person who this has ever happened to, there probably aren't as many as need it, but anyone who has ever had the "change of heart" will testify to the same experience. Like I said, even compared to that even in 2008, I'm still am now a completely different person than I was then, even from a year ago. In an April 2007 general conference address entitled "Ye Must Be Born Again" by Elder David A. Bednar taught " Please note that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minor—a spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” . As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changed—to be spiritually reborn... The spiritual rebirth described in this verse typically does not occur quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process—not a single event. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. This phase of the transformation process requires time, persistence, and patience." I like that he describes the change as a choice, knowing that we can't make the change on our own, but being willing to be changed, doing the things that need to be done so that we can fully incorporate the love and gospel and peace of Christ so fully into our hearts. It's important to know that this change is total and all inclusive, but that it is also a lifelong pursuit, we are not meant to attain perfection in this lifetime, but we are meant to attain peace, comfort, and joy as we strive to stay worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost and build a truly amazing personal relationship with Jesus Christ.