Born Again

Born Again

BORN AGAIN - BECOMING ALIVE TO THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT

Only a spiritually oriented and adept people can establish and maintain a Zion Society or Environment. Those who do not receive the fullness of the Gospel and are not attuned to the Guidance of the Holy Spirit could never make the changes within themselves necessary to raise to a Zion level, nor would they possess the knowledge and wisdom from God necessary to carry out what God expects of a Zion people.
Underlying this fact, however, is an even more basic one, which is, that only those individuals who have experienced a "nature-altering" change, often referred to as being "Born Again", possess the spiritual foundation upon which a consistent response to the Holy Spirit's guidance is even made possible.
The Spirit's workings cannot be understood by those who have not been born again because the born again process is the process of becoming alive to the things of the Spirit.

Elder Orson Pratt expresses this truth in these unique words:
"…we succeed, now and then, in bringing some to a higher state; they are born of God…being filled with that superior power (the Holy Ghost) that exists in that celestial world where we formerly resided.
Journal of Discourses 21:202, 203
Those who are born of the Spirit live as to spirituality, spirituality being in-tune with the Spirit of the Lord. Being born again is a condition in which one is sensitive and alive to the things of the Spirit.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE "BORN AGAIN"
If, as the Prophets have explained, it is necessary for one to be "Born Again' in order to become alive to the Holy Spirit's workings, it is obviously necessary to understand what it means to be "Born Again".
To be "Born Again" means to go through a Spiritual Rebirth, a Transformation: to be changed inwardly so that one becomes a new creature, who sins not, and is alive to Spiritual things.

THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:1-5

Christ called for an entire revolution of Nicodemus's "inner man". His manner of thinking, feeling, and acting with reference to spiritual things would have to undergo a fundamental and permanent change. Being born again means to be quickened in the inner man.

The scriptures record the following occurrence at the time of the baptism of Adam:
And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became quickened in the inner man.
Moses 6:65

Alma spoke of this rebirth, transformation, or change:
"…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

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren 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?
Alma 5:14-15

This great change in the hearts of men converts them from carnality to
spirituality. When we have undergone this mighty change, it is as though we
have become a new person, thus the change is likened to a new birth. To
experience this change, we must forsake sin, sometimes deep and offensive sin,
as well as mild and often times unrecognizable sin, and through applying the
blood of Christ in your lives, become clean. You have no more disposition to
return to your old ways. You are in reality a new person. This is what is
meant by a change of heart. Concerning this great change, those who had been
born of God after hearing King Benjamin's address stated that they had:
"No more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually?" Mosiah 5:2

And from the Bible we learn: "Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin; for his (Christ's) seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin,
because he is Born of god. John 3:9

Further, being born of God is a spiritual rebirth; a birth through which one
comes back into harmony with, and is sensitive to the things of the Spirit.
Could we not define what it means to be "Born Again" as : To
go through a spiritual rebirth, a transformation to be changed inwardly so that
one becomes a new creature, who sins not, and is alive to Spiritual things.

"VARIOUS TERMS ARE USED TO DESCRIBE BEING "BORN AGAIN" Some are
confused in their studies of this subject by the numerous descriptive terms used
to explain the "Born Again" experience. Listed below are the more prominent
ones, noting that they all refer to the same "nature-altering" spiritual
experience, which we hereafter will designate by the term "Born of God."

BORN OF GOD.........................................Mosiah 27:25 Alma 5:14

BORN AGAIN................................Alma 7:14

SPIRITUALLY BORN AGAIN (Spiritually begotten)....Mosiah 5:7; Alma 5:14

BORN OF THE SPIRIT.....................John 3:5, Mosiah 25:24

A MIGHTY CHANGE.............................Mosiah 5:2, Alma 5;11-13

CHANGE OF HEART..............................Alma 5:7; 5:11-14;19:33 Mosiah 5:2

NEW CREATURE........................Mosiah 27:26, 2 Cor 5:17

PUT ON THE NEW MAN (New Person)........Colossians 3:9, 10; Ephesians 4:24

NEWNESS OF LIFE......................................................Romans 6:4

QUICKENED IN THE INNER MAN........................................Moses 6:65

BAPTISM OF WITH FIRE................................................................3 Nephi 9:19

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST.......................................3 Nephi 9:19

BEING "BORN OF GOD' DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY COME THROUGH THE ORDINANCES.
Besides having the necessaary ordinances, one must be spiritually born again to gain exaltation and eternal life. Alma, in the Book of Mormon, is recorded to have asked:

"And now behold my brethren of the Church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"
Alma 5:14

BECOMING "TRULY HUMBLE" IS A PREREQUISITE TO BECOMING BORN OF GOD (and redeeming Zion). That becoming what the scriptures term "truly humble" is a prerequisite to obtaining the "Born of God" state, is made evident by what happened to King Benjamin's people.

AND now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the
words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast
his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth,
for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. And they had viewed themselves in
their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried
aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of
Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be
purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and
earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.
Mosiah 4:1-2

AND now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people,
he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words
which he had spoken unto them. And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea,
we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of
their surety and truth, 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 do good continually. Mosiah
5:1-2

The scriptures also use the term "depths of humility" to describe the degree of
humility necessary to obtain this "born of God" condition and be Saints and
followers of God and Christ:
And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they
that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom,
and their riches--yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast
these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in
the depths of humility, he will not open unto them. But the things of the wise
and the prudent shall be hid from them forever--yea, that happiness which is
prepared for the saints. 2 Nephi 9:42-43
Yea, and many did preach with exceedingly great power and authority, unto the
bringing down many of them into the depths of humility, to be the humble
followers of God and the Lamb. Helaman 6:5

And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye
shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are
they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility
and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost,
and shall receive a remission of their sins. 3 Nephi 12:2

Perhaps the classic example of one who obtained this humility before being Born
of God is found in the life of the Apostle Peter. Fully recognizing that for
all of Peter's professed devotion, he had not yet been Born Again, the Lord said
to Him at the last supper:

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that
he may sift [you] as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto
him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he
said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Luke 22:31

Later that same night, after Christ had been taken away to be questioned by the
high priest, Peter met his test:

Then took they him, and led [him], and brought him into the high priest's house.
And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of
the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain
maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said,
This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And
Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another
confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with him: for he
is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And
immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked
upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him,
Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept
bitterly. Luke 22:54-62

Peter was brought face to face with who and what he really was; in this state
of "true humility" he was at last a candidate to become Born of God. Now let us
consider the Peter we find after the Born of God change had taken place. The
scriptures record:

And when they had brought them, they set [them] before the council: and the high
priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straightly command you that ye should not
teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine,
and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the [other]
apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Acts 5:27-29

And to him they agreed:

and when they had called the apostles, and beaten [them], they commanded that
they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed
from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they
ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Acts 5:40-42