There is a difference
between receiving a testimony of truth and being truly converted. For instance,
the great Apostle Peter bore his witness to the Savior that he knew that Jesus
was the Son of God.
“[Jesus]
saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my
Father which is in heaven” (Matthew
16:15–17).
And yet later, in His injunction to Peter, the Lord gave
him and us a guide to become truly converted and to extend that conversion for
a lifetime. Jesus said it this way: “When thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren” (Luke
22:32).
Jesus taught Peter that there was still a great change
that must go beyond having a testimony to being able to think, feel, and act as
truly converted disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the
mighty change we all seek. Once we obtain it, we need that change to continue
until the end of our mortal probation (see Alma
5:13–14).
We know from our own experience and from observing others
that having a few great moments of spiritual power will not be enough. Peter
denied he knew the Savior even after he had received a witness by the Spirit
that Jesus was the Christ. The Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon had
direct testimony given to them that the Book of Mormon was the word of God, and
yet later they faltered in their ability to sustain Joseph Smith as the
Prophet of the Lord’s Church.
We
need a change in our hearts, as described in the book of Alma: “And they did
all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been
changed; that they had no more desire to do evil” (Alma 19:33;
see also Mosiah
5:2).
The Lord taught us that when we are truly converted to
His gospel, our hearts will be turned from selfish concerns and turned toward
service to lift others as they move upward to eternal life. To obtain that
conversion, we can pray and work in faith to become the new creature made
possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
We can start by praying for the faith to repent of
selfishness and for the gift of caring for others more than ourselves. We can
pray for the power to lay aside pride and envy.
Prayer will be the key as well for receiving the gift of
a love for the word of God and for the love of Christ (see Moroni
7:47–48). The two come together. As we read, ponder, and pray over the word
of God, we will come to love it. The Lord puts it in our hearts. As we feel
that love, we will begin to love the Lord more and more. With that will come
the love for others that we need in order to strengthen those whom God puts in
our path.
For instance, we can pray to recognize those the Lord
would have His missionaries teach. Full-time missionaries can pray in faith to
know by the Spirit what to teach and testify. They can pray in faith that the
Lord will let them feel His love for everyone they meet. The missionaries will
not bring everyone they meet to the waters of baptism and to the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
But they can have the Holy Ghost as a companion. Through their service and with
the help of the Holy Ghost, missionaries will then, in time, be changed in
their hearts.
That change will be renewed again and again as they and
we unselfishly continue over a lifetime to act in faith to strengthen others
with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Conversion will not be a single event or
something that will last for just one season of life but will be a continuing
process. Life can become brighter until the perfect day, when we will see the
Savior and find that we have become like Him. The Lord described the journey
this way: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and
continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and
brighter until the perfect day” (D&C
50:24).
I promise you that is possible for each of us.
Teaching from This Message
Elder David A.
Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles used the “parable of the
pickle” to teach that conversion is an ongoing process rather than a one-time
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” (“Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign,
May 2007, 19). Consider reviewing the parable of the pickle with those you
teach. What can each of us do to move forward steadily in the gradual process
of conversion that President Eyring and Elder Bednar both discuss?
Youth
My Change of Heart
By
Dante Bairado
The author lives in Fortaleza, Brazil.
When
I first learned about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I felt the
Spirit testify of its truthfulness. Through prayer, my testimony became even
more certain, and I decided to be baptized.
Soon after my baptism, people in my
ward began asking me how I felt about serving a mission. To be honest, I didn’t
know exactly what to say. The idea of leaving my family and school to serve a
mission seemed absurd.
Then one day I started thinking about my conversion. I
remembered the missionaries who had taught me, who had patiently answered my
questions and helped me understand the gospel. I realized that without their help,
I never would have discovered the true Church. As soon as I made that
realization, the desire to serve blossomed in my heart. I could feel the Spirit
telling me that I should serve a full-time mission.
I know that missionary work is the
work of our Heavenly Father and that we can help bring souls to the wonderful
knowledge of the restored gospel.
Children - Let Your Testimony Burn
Bright
Gaining
a testimony is like building a fire. Just as we have to add wood to keep a fire
burning, we must pray, repent, serve others, study the scriptures, and keep the
commandments to help our testimonies grow.
To learn more about how to build your testimony, read
each of the scriptures listed below. Color the part of the flame that matches
each scripture you read. The more scriptures you read, the brighter the
fire—and your testimony!
“Be Thou Converted”
cji
2/1/15
Each step we take is
a gain or a loss
entering into the new
and old together
learning and growing
to become more
yet learning more the
less we know
the less we know the
more to learn
having understood who
the Savior is
feeling the prompting
of the Spirit
then having a sure
knowledge gained
therefore testimony
securely beginning
more and more study
to perform today
yesterday’s work
fruitful if added upon
till one understands
full immersion
living a life of
consecration every wit
turning neither to
the left or the right
be thou converted
within your all
the commandment given
to each
entering the new and
old together
either as a gain or a
loss in each!
Copyright © 2015 – cji
