Mosiah 26:22-24
"For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.
For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a placea t my right hand.
For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth and shall have a place eternally at my right hand."
For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth and shall have a place eternally at my right hand."
So, I have been pondering today about the various stages of conversion to the gospel, and I think I have a grasp on my thoughts now. I look at people in the church, and really, in any religion, and I see various types of people, categorically if you will.
Some seem to be doing all the right things when they're at church and around their church buds, but then you see them out late at night hanging around (and talking differently) with other crowds of kids, and it makes you wonder. Some people openly say they are searching for religion, but don't seem to be making any outward strides to finding a relationship with God. Some people seem to be making very concerted efforts towards righteousness, but always seem to get side tracked and are always making up ground. Some people do mostly a great job of living their religion, and only have a few slip ups here and there. And then there are those people that don't even think about religion, they just go about their day helping people out, constantly smiling, and always seem to love life.
Now, obviously I missed a few descriptions of people, but you get my drift. What is it about people, when it comes to religion and righteousness, that makes us all so different? What goes on in our hearts and minds that differentiates us from the next person? Well, I have come up with the 3 levels of conversion to attempt to illustrate a point.
1) Going through the motions.
This stage of conversion is the first sign of an effort towards righteousness. We figure out what it is that we SHOULD be doing, and even though our psyche may not agree, we do it anyways. Doing so often conflicts with what we may think to be the correct course of action given a decision, but we put aside our instincts in order to get in the habit of doing what we feel we should be doing.
Many people are in this stage of conversion, and often times those people appear to be hypocrites, while that may not be a correct judgment at all. They realize things that should be different in their lives, whether or not their heart is in alignment with this school of thought or not. And in coming to that realization they force themselves to do things they otherwise would not do. This is a hard thing to do constantly, and therefore they find themselves not "going through the motions" some times, and when someone witnesses this, it often times creates the perception of someone who is confused and lost.
However, we all must start at this stage, because the things of righteousness simply do not come naturally. We are naturally selfish beings, so being selfless is often times a foreign concept. We naturally are prideful and want glory, therefore being humble is quite often a task for us when we are first introduced to the topic (some people find out about humility whilst still a young child, others don't see its benefits until much later in their life, we all go through our own experiences and trials). However, it is what it is, and we all spend varying amounts of time in this stage.
2) Obeying because it is "what is right."
At first glance, this seems exactly the same as stage number one, but there is a bit of a difference. In stage number one you are mentally converted to what is the correct course of action or behavior. Here, your heart becomes more closely aligned to righteousness. You choose a faith that makes sense to you, one that you believe is correct, and you begin living according to that faith.
Now that your heart is aligned with the aforementioned religion, it becomes easier to follow in righteousness because you now believe it is the right thing to do, as opposed to just knowing it. This is where you become a more faithful person, you appear to do all the right things, and are honestly a very religious person.
This is where most people, that have chosen a religion, and attend every week (or as often as possible) fall. They fulfill their church callings faithfully, they read the scriptures daily, they do everything that they believe is righteous and holy. These are good people through and through that seem to only have a few faults, but hey, don't we all?
3) True conversion.
This is, I believe, where we should all be striving to end up.
In stage 1, our minds were converted.
In stage 2, our hearts were converted.
Here in stage 3, finally our soul, our every moral fiber, is converted.
I have described this, to a point, in previous blogs, but I want to go into further detail this time. When I talk about converting your soul, you no longer worry about what the "rule set" of your respective religion is. This is where you begin living the standards of the church because the principles of your religion are the same principles in which YOU believe, no just because your church says they are correct. You don't fully reach this stage of conversion until you don't have to think about your actions based on what is "right", but rather you naturally "choose the right" with out having to consciously think about it.
This is where you begin living the gospel in your every action, word, and even thought. Again, not because you are trying to strive towards the model of behavior defined by your church, but because every fiber of your being strives towards it simply because that is what it is programmed to do.
When you are truly converted to the gospel of Christ, your every thought is turned towards the betterment of those around you. You fulfill your church callings because you honestly believe that is the best way you can show your appreciation for the love that Christ gives you, because that is the best way you can reach out to your fellow brethren. You read the scriptures daily because you honestly can't get enough of them. They come alive and jump off of the pages to you. You listen to the prophets and apostles with anxious ears so that you can get to know them better and understand their spirit. You don't even notice 'things of the world' any more because you're so caught up in the spiritual aspect of life and righteousness, that you are no longer enticed by the cheap alternatives Satan gives you.
You may have been doing all of these things already, but there is a new meaning and purpose to them. You are no longer having to remind yourself to get things done pertaining to righteousness, they simply become second nature.
There is a scripture I like that illustrates this vast difference:
We are all natural men, we can thank Adam for that, though it's nothing we should be ashamed of. It is part of our test, in order to be rewarded for living a Christ-like life, don't we have to change something about us? What would there be to reward if we were born with the ability to lead a perfect life without difficulty? In the New Testament, Christ often references "rewards in heaven." What are we deserving of if we don't have to overcome something? That obstacle we must overcome is the natural man.
So you might ask, what is the natural man? King Benjamin clearly defines that here, by defining the opposite. He describes things that the natural man isn't: submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and willing to submit to his father. Can you honestly say that as a human being, with carnal instincts that you are humble? have patience? loving towards EVERYONE? meek? I sure can't.
So now how do we overcome the natural man? King Benjamin also explains this. By yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, understanding and accepting the atonment of Christ (for, you have to understand it to be able to accept it), and by becoming as a little child (see: the previous paragraph).
Well, what are the enticings of the Holy Spirit?
He testifies of Jesus Christ and of Truth. Which Truth can only be understood to be the correct way to live our life.
Moroni 7:32
"And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men."
Moroni 10:5
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
Those are quite the enticings! The enticings of faith in Christ, as well as our sacred covenants, and oh wait, the truth of all things! Sounds like someone I should definitely give heed to. We have scriptural evidence here that the Holy Spirit speaks to both our mind and our heart, which equates to our soul. The Holy Spirit really is behind everything we do, he is our constant companion and friend. He, along with the Father and the Son, want the best for us, and is willing to aid us in whatever thing we set out to achieve in righteousness.
Let's let him into our hearts and start living the gospel because it comes naturally, not because we know or feel that it is right! I can honestly say that it has begun feeling natural to me. I'm not perfect by any means, but it is the greatest feeling in the world. :)
Some seem to be doing all the right things when they're at church and around their church buds, but then you see them out late at night hanging around (and talking differently) with other crowds of kids, and it makes you wonder. Some people openly say they are searching for religion, but don't seem to be making any outward strides to finding a relationship with God. Some people seem to be making very concerted efforts towards righteousness, but always seem to get side tracked and are always making up ground. Some people do mostly a great job of living their religion, and only have a few slip ups here and there. And then there are those people that don't even think about religion, they just go about their day helping people out, constantly smiling, and always seem to love life.
Now, obviously I missed a few descriptions of people, but you get my drift. What is it about people, when it comes to religion and righteousness, that makes us all so different? What goes on in our hearts and minds that differentiates us from the next person? Well, I have come up with the 3 levels of conversion to attempt to illustrate a point.
1) Going through the motions.
This stage of conversion is the first sign of an effort towards righteousness. We figure out what it is that we SHOULD be doing, and even though our psyche may not agree, we do it anyways. Doing so often conflicts with what we may think to be the correct course of action given a decision, but we put aside our instincts in order to get in the habit of doing what we feel we should be doing.
Many people are in this stage of conversion, and often times those people appear to be hypocrites, while that may not be a correct judgment at all. They realize things that should be different in their lives, whether or not their heart is in alignment with this school of thought or not. And in coming to that realization they force themselves to do things they otherwise would not do. This is a hard thing to do constantly, and therefore they find themselves not "going through the motions" some times, and when someone witnesses this, it often times creates the perception of someone who is confused and lost.
However, we all must start at this stage, because the things of righteousness simply do not come naturally. We are naturally selfish beings, so being selfless is often times a foreign concept. We naturally are prideful and want glory, therefore being humble is quite often a task for us when we are first introduced to the topic (some people find out about humility whilst still a young child, others don't see its benefits until much later in their life, we all go through our own experiences and trials). However, it is what it is, and we all spend varying amounts of time in this stage.
2) Obeying because it is "what is right."
At first glance, this seems exactly the same as stage number one, but there is a bit of a difference. In stage number one you are mentally converted to what is the correct course of action or behavior. Here, your heart becomes more closely aligned to righteousness. You choose a faith that makes sense to you, one that you believe is correct, and you begin living according to that faith.
Now that your heart is aligned with the aforementioned religion, it becomes easier to follow in righteousness because you now believe it is the right thing to do, as opposed to just knowing it. This is where you become a more faithful person, you appear to do all the right things, and are honestly a very religious person.
This is where most people, that have chosen a religion, and attend every week (or as often as possible) fall. They fulfill their church callings faithfully, they read the scriptures daily, they do everything that they believe is righteous and holy. These are good people through and through that seem to only have a few faults, but hey, don't we all?
3) True conversion.
This is, I believe, where we should all be striving to end up.
In stage 1, our minds were converted.
In stage 2, our hearts were converted.
Here in stage 3, finally our soul, our every moral fiber, is converted.
I have described this, to a point, in previous blogs, but I want to go into further detail this time. When I talk about converting your soul, you no longer worry about what the "rule set" of your respective religion is. This is where you begin living the standards of the church because the principles of your religion are the same principles in which YOU believe, no just because your church says they are correct. You don't fully reach this stage of conversion until you don't have to think about your actions based on what is "right", but rather you naturally "choose the right" with out having to consciously think about it.
This is where you begin living the gospel in your every action, word, and even thought. Again, not because you are trying to strive towards the model of behavior defined by your church, but because every fiber of your being strives towards it simply because that is what it is programmed to do.
When you are truly converted to the gospel of Christ, your every thought is turned towards the betterment of those around you. You fulfill your church callings because you honestly believe that is the best way you can show your appreciation for the love that Christ gives you, because that is the best way you can reach out to your fellow brethren. You read the scriptures daily because you honestly can't get enough of them. They come alive and jump off of the pages to you. You listen to the prophets and apostles with anxious ears so that you can get to know them better and understand their spirit. You don't even notice 'things of the world' any more because you're so caught up in the spiritual aspect of life and righteousness, that you are no longer enticed by the cheap alternatives Satan gives you.
You may have been doing all of these things already, but there is a new meaning and purpose to them. You are no longer having to remind yourself to get things done pertaining to righteousness, they simply become second nature.
There is a scripture I like that illustrates this vast difference:
Let's break that scripture down a just a little bit.
Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
We are all natural men, we can thank Adam for that, though it's nothing we should be ashamed of. It is part of our test, in order to be rewarded for living a Christ-like life, don't we have to change something about us? What would there be to reward if we were born with the ability to lead a perfect life without difficulty? In the New Testament, Christ often references "rewards in heaven." What are we deserving of if we don't have to overcome something? That obstacle we must overcome is the natural man.
So you might ask, what is the natural man? King Benjamin clearly defines that here, by defining the opposite. He describes things that the natural man isn't: submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and willing to submit to his father. Can you honestly say that as a human being, with carnal instincts that you are humble? have patience? loving towards EVERYONE? meek? I sure can't.
So now how do we overcome the natural man? King Benjamin also explains this. By yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, understanding and accepting the atonment of Christ (for, you have to understand it to be able to accept it), and by becoming as a little child (see: the previous paragraph).
Well, what are the enticings of the Holy Spirit?
He testifies of Jesus Christ and of Truth. Which Truth can only be understood to be the correct way to live our life.
Moroni 7:32
"And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men."
Moroni 10:5
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
Those are quite the enticings! The enticings of faith in Christ, as well as our sacred covenants, and oh wait, the truth of all things! Sounds like someone I should definitely give heed to. We have scriptural evidence here that the Holy Spirit speaks to both our mind and our heart, which equates to our soul. The Holy Spirit really is behind everything we do, he is our constant companion and friend. He, along with the Father and the Son, want the best for us, and is willing to aid us in whatever thing we set out to achieve in righteousness.
Let's let him into our hearts and start living the gospel because it comes naturally, not because we know or feel that it is right! I can honestly say that it has begun feeling natural to me. I'm not perfect by any means, but it is the greatest feeling in the world. :)
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