Our Gift to Christ

Our Gift to Christ:  A Mighty Change of Heart

As we are in the midst of this Christmas season I wanted to reflect on our Savior's birth and life and what it means to follow Him.  I'd like to share some of my study this week from Alma in The Book of Mormon.  Alma was a prophet in Ancient America who gave up his position of authority in the judgment seat to preach and be able to be among his people.  He first goes to Zarahemla and they have strayed from the teachings of the prophets about Christ.  He begins by telling them who he is and asking them to remember their deliverance from bondage of the wicked King Noah who taxed them heavily and persecuted those who believed in Christ’s coming.  This is about 83 BC so they have faith that he will come from the words of the Lord to the prophets. 

Alma 5:3 “I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon.

 4 And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God.

 5 And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also.

 6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?”

Alma wants them to remember their deliverance by God.  He testifies and pleads with them to repent.  He says that the Lord, “changed their hearts, awakened them out of a deep sleep and they awoke unto God.” (vs. 7)

Then he reminds the people of his father’s conversion from the words of the prophet Abinadi, “Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them? And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.” (vs 11-12)

So he speaks of his father’s change of heart and reminds his people that their fathers heard and listened to the prophet and, “a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.” (vs. 13) 

Then he asks the members of the church, “have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?  Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?” (vs 14-15)

He then asks some poignant questions that make you search your soul if you visualize yourself as whom he is talking to.  “I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?”

As I thought about these I was grateful for the power of the Atonement that cleanses us completely when we repent and forsake any sin.  The Atonement covers so much more such as our grief, sorrow and pain, but these verses are asking if we are clean and pure and ready to meet God.  We can be if we apply the Atonement of Christ where He gives us hope and a new life.  Just as Alma said, we are born again spiritually when we give up sin and turn from our old ways and become new.  We can’t lie to God.  He knows us perfectly.  He knows our hearts and our thoughts and our desires.  This is how he can love us perfectly in spite of our actions.  He sees our potential and knows who we were before we came to earth.  He wants us to see this as well.  Do we ask Him who we were?  Who we are?  Who we can become?  Try this in your prayers tonight.  Make time to listen.  The answer will come.  He is waiting to bless us.  He will help us and send comfort and peace and encouragement.  He loves you and me. 

Alma goes on in his preaching to ask, “ And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”

Have you felt His love?  Have you perhaps felt that there was more or something else you needed to do?  Ask Him.  If it seems as though it’s been a while since you felt His love He has never left.  He is still there waiting for your return. 

Do you see a pattern here?  As I read I began to think of how I have felt this change in my heart. A mighty change of heart starts with the desire to be better.  If we want to feel to sing the song of redeeming love it starts now.  I know He loves me.  I have felt His love and forgiveness as I turn to Him. 

Alma says, “…the Lord God hath spoken it!  Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.  Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely...”

So this invitation is open to all. His arms of mercy are extended towards us.  He again pleads for us to Come unto Him. 

Alma then says, “I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd,” and, “whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.” (vs. 38-40)

So Christ is our good shepherd.  He loves and calls us to Him.  Whatever is good is from God.  We know who to follow and how. 

Alma bears testimony that what he’s said is true and tells them how he knows, “And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.

 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.” (vs. 45-48)

So if we want to know the truth for ourselves we need to fast, pray and listen for the spirit.  It takes work.  It takes commitment and it takes love to follow our Savior.  As we reflect on his birth the next few weeks let’s also ponder what we can do to know His truth and be like Him. Let’s make our gift to our Savior our own mighty change of heart.