Born Again

But instead of humility, the Lord often encounters pride in His children.
Pride, the opposite of humility, has cost us much. Think of what pride has cost
us in the past and what it now costs us in our own lives, our families and the
Church. It was essentially the sin of pride that kept us from establishing
Zion in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Pride is the great stumbling
block to Zion. We must conquer pride. The antidote for pride is humility.
Humility does not mean weakness. It does not mean timidity; it does not mean
fear. A man can be humble and courageous. In fact the truly humble are the
most courageous of all. Humility is the recognition of
our dependence upon a higher power, a constant need for the Lord's support in
our lives in order to accomplish His work. It is part of the
work of our Holy Order to bring about the distressing circumstances which can
cause us to forsake our pride and become truly humble. Yet, we are told there
is an easier and more effective way. Consider Alma's experience with the
Zoramites:

And now when Alma heard this, he turned him about, his face immediately towards
him, and he beheld with great joy; for he beheld that their afflictions had
truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word.
Alma 32:6

Then he explained to them:

And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were
blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble
themselves because of the word?
Alma 32:14

It is our choice whether we are compelled to be humble or whether we humble
ourselves.

TO BE "BORN OF GOD" THERE MUST BE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE (decision) TO FOLLOW
CHRIST. Besides being humble, there is another
requirement essential to all who would be "Born of God"--they must make a
conscious choice to follow Christ! Believing in Christ is not enough; the
devils also believe that Jesus is the Christ, but they choose to follow Lucifer.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe,
and tremble. James 2:19

And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus,
[thou] Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
Mark 5:7

Each of us must not only decide what we think about Christ, but whether or not
we are really willing to walk with Him, because the costs of discipleship are
real and even harsh in some respects. Throughout the ages prophets have
exhorted their people to make a choice.

I, Moroni, would commend you to seek this Jesus. Ether 12:41

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will
serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side
of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me
and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two
opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And
the people answered him not a word.
1 Kings 18:21

When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed. This mighty change
is brought only by faith in Jesus Christ and through the operations of the
Spirit upon us. We can change human nature--our own--if we surrender it to
Christ.

AND THEN THE CHANGE BEGINS:

HOW THE "BORN OF GOD" CHANGE TAKES PLACE IS NOT EXPLAINABLE. While
it may be presumed that the Holy Spirit of God rests down upon an individual
causing the "Born of God" change to take place, how that change takes place
is not explainable.

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. That which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Ê John 3:5-8

LOSS OF THE "BORN OF GOD" CHANGE Though the "born of God"
change may take place in a person's inner being, it is no indication that such a
change will remain. It can be lost. Through sinfulness or slothfulness, one
may lose the Spirit and fall from grace. The Spirit will not dwell in unholy
tabernacles.

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? 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? Alma 5:14-15

Everyone who aligns their lives with the prescribed conditions is born again.
As Alma sought to express this great truth on his recreant brethren at
Zarahemla, he sought also to teach them that being born again does not guarantee
one a pure heart and clean hands at the final judgment. He said to them:

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 ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could
ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have
been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white
through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
Alma 5:26-27

HOW TO MAINTAIN THE "BORN OF GOD" CHANGE.

SEEK FOR CONTINUING KNOWLEDGE AND GUIDANCE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Once an individual has become changed or "alive to spiritual things", and
knowing that such "aliveness" can be lost, the principle question becomes, how
does one maintain this "Born of God" Change? According to
the scriptures, there appears to be two directives:

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word,
[then] are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free. John 8:31-32

The truths that can free us from our sins, guilt, false concepts, erroneous
understanding, and unproductive habits and behavior are to be had only through
the Holy Spirit. The central core of the Father's plan of salvation is that to
obtain these truths and the peace, happiness, security and freedom these truths
bring to the righteous adherents, we must draw upon a source of knowledge that
lies above and beyond the ordinary learning processes. Indeed, in all aspects
of our lives we need guidance and knowledge from the sure source.

But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name,
and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye
can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive,
patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having
a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your
hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.
Alma 13:28

"If we continue to encourage the Holy Spirit, it will be in us a spirit of life,
light, intelligence and truth, in fact, a spirit of springing up into eternal
life." John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 7:318

"By partaking of the spirit of God it will be within us as a well of water
springing up to eternal lives. Daniel H. Wells, Journal of Discourses 12:75

Indeed, Jesus Himself said: Jesus answered and said unto
her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I
shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life. John 4:13-14

But whosoever drinketh of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life. John 4:16
But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my
kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto
everlasting life. D&C 63:23

We must obtain a continuing supply of this water which Jesus said would be in us
a well of water spring up into everlasting life if we are to resist evil and
retain the blessing of being born again. Unless we so live before God so as to
have the light of revelation constantly before our eyes, the powers of darkness
will prevail over us.

SEEK TO BE CAPTAINED (directed) BY CHRIST To maintain the
"Born of God" change or condition, we need not only to seek for continuing
knowledge and guidance through the Holy Spirit, but we need to progress one step
further and seek to be captained by Christ. The state of being
"captained by Christ" is attained when one seeks to have Christ direct the
affairs of his life. In other words, to be totally directed by Christ. When we
become Captained by Christ, we will be asking, as Paul did:

And he (Saul) fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul,
why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I
am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the
pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to
do? And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be
told thee what thou must do. Acts 9:4-6

"The ancients used to look to the Lord for instruction in everything. In all
their movements they looked to the Lord for counsel" Charles W.
Penrose, J of D 25:336

Indeed, if we were keeping the commandments we should look to Christ in all
things.

But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally;.....
D&C 46:7

Of course, the medium by which we will be directed by Christ in "all things"
is, according to Scripture, the Holy Spirit.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25

But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that
which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all
holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your
salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be
seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for
some are of men, and others of devils. D&C 46:7