How Can A Man Be Born Again?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to John 2-4 and a lesson titled “Ye Must Be Born Again.” The lesson was introduced with the following information. 

At a marriage feast in Cana, Christ changed water into wine—an event John called the “beginning of miracles” (John 2:11). That’s true in more than one sense. While this was the first miracle Jesus performed publicly, it can also symbolize another miraculous beginning—the process of our hearts being transformed as we become ever more like our Savior. This miracle of a lifetime begins with the decision to follow Jesus Christ, to change and live a better life through Him. This miracle can be so life-changing that being “born again” is one of the best ways to describe it (John 3:7). But rebirth is just the beginning of the path of discipleship. Christ’s words to the Samaritan woman at the well remind us that if we continue on this path, eventually the gospel will become “a well of water” inside us, “springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

As usual, the scripture block taught numerous principles. The principle that I wish to discuss tonight is found in John 3:1-21: “I must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.” The material that I will share comes from the Come, Follow Me manuals for individuals/families and for Sunday School.

John 3 contains the story of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus quietly at night [i.e., he did not want to be seen] and said to 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” (verse 2). Jesus answered him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (verse 3).

Nicodemus wanted to know how a man could be born again. How could a grown man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again? (See verse 4.) Jesus explained, “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” (verses 5-6). Jesus continued His explanation about how a man could be born again and then gave the following message.

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Birth involves water, blood, and spirit, and being born again also involves water, blood, and Spirit. The water of being born again is being emerged in water during baptism. The blood is the blood of Jesus Christ through His Atonement. The Spirit is the Holy Ghost putting his confirming stamp on the reborn person.

Latter-day prophets and apostles have taught several principles concerning what it means to be born again. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 95).

Elder David A. Bednar taught: “Conversion … is mighty, not minor – a spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon ‘the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah’ (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changed – to be spiritually reborn” (“Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 20).

President Dallin H. Oaks taught: “We were born again when we entered into a covenant relationship with our Savior by being born of water and of the Spirit and by taking upon us the name of Jesus Christ. We can renew that rebirth each Sabbath when we partake of the sacrament. Latter-day Saints affirm that those who have been born again in this way are spiritually begotten sons and daughters of Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 5:7; 15:9-13; 27:25). Nevertheless, in order to realize the intended blessings of this born-again status, we must still keep our covenants and endure to the end” (“Have You Been Saved?,” Ensign, May 1998, 56).

John 7:45-52 tells us that Nicodemus later publicly defended Jesus, and Jon 19:38-40 tells us that he joined the believers at the Savior’s burial. These are sure signs that Nicodemus was in the process of being born again. 

The teachings of Jesus Christ teach us that individuals can change, and Nicodemus is an example of one person who was changed by following the gospel of Jesus Christ. The change begins when a person hears the gospel of Jesus Christ, repents of their sins, is baptized by immersion in water, and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost. It continues as the person grows in his capacity to believe in Jesus Christ and to follow Him. Part of the growth that comes from making covenants with God and receiving ordinances performed by authorized priesthood bearers.

Have You Been Born Again?

                I started two classes a couple of weeks ago - New Testament and critical writing. In my religion class

I read several chapters each week. The first week I read the chapters having to do with the Nativity Story, and the second week I read chapters having to do with Christ’s baptism and ministry. Each week’s assignments include one to read the assigned chapters and find three principles to apply to my life. I found one of my principles this week in the story of Nicodemus.

                John 3 tells us that Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees and a ruler among the Jews, came to see Jesus at night. He had seen or heard about the miracles performed by Jesus and wanted to know more. Jesus’ answer to Nicodemus is in verse 3: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

                Nicodemus was really confused at this point and asks, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (Verse 4).

                Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he must be born again spiritually. “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.” (Verses 5-6).

                You and I must be “born of water and of the Spirit” in order to enter the kingdom of God. This means that we must be baptized in water and then receive the Holy Ghost before we can enter the celestial kingdom or the place where Heavenly Father lives.

                Since I have already been baptized and received the Holy Ghost, I chose this principle to apply to my life: “I must be spiritually born of God and live righteously to enter the celestial kingdom and receive eternal life.”

                I wrote the following on the discussion board for my “Teaching Principles” assignment: “We come into this world in purity and innocence as newborn babes. We inherit physical and mental traits from our earthly parents, and we are dependent upon them. We take the family name, and we become like our parents as we follow their examples. We may even look a lot like them.

                “In order to enter the kingdom of God, we must begin a new life and take the name of Jesus Christ. He becomes the father of our spiritual lives and helps us to become pure, innocent, humble, and full of love. He gives us His teachings and His example to follow as we become like our Heavenly Father and worthy to enter the Celestial Kingdom. As we become more like Him, we will take His image in our countenances.

                “As I consider this principle I cannot help but think of Alma and his teachings in Alma 5 about receiving and maintaining “a mighty change” of heart (v. 12). I know that I have received a mighty change of heart, but I wonder if I am always “blameless” and sufficiently humble and loving. How do I retain the mighty change in my heart, have Christ’s image in my countenance, and stay worthy to enter the kingdom of God?”

                In response to my question I received some wonderful suggestions. Some of them are as follow: “I think it is a constantly striving to always have Christ in our countenance and really want to have the spirit with us.”

                “I don’t think being born of God is as quick as it sounds. It is a process that could take years. Through daily striving and changing we are born of God. There are a few examples of people who seemed to be born again after a miraculous experience such as Alma the younger and Saul and Lamoni the Lamanite king. For a few people it is one moment when they knew they were converted but I think for most of us it is a gradual change of heart.”

                “I believe Christ’s image is in your countenance after you have had that change of heart. Even after we have these spiritually evolving experiences, Christ’s grace continues to carry us through the mistakes and weaknesses we all fall to. Sin is open rebellion toward God, but weakness is a gift from God. God forgives weakness, and helps us to become strong.”

                I found the responses from my classmates to be very enlightening in answering my question: How do I retain the mighty change in my heart, have Christ’s image in my countenance, and stay worthy to enter the kingdom of God?” I must first desire to stay worthy to enter God’s presence. Then I must stay humble and make it a day-to- day way of life. Then I discovered a General Conference talk on this very subject that added more depth.

                In his April 2007 General Conference address, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles uses cucumbers and pickles as an object lesson. “A pickle is a cucumber that has been transformed according to a specific recipe and series of steps.” He describes the process of transforming cucumbers into pickles with this summary: “To summarize, a cucumber becomes a pickle as it is prepared and cleaned, immersed in and saturated with salt brine, and sealed in a sterilized container. This procedure requires time and cannot be hurried, and none of the essential steps can be ignored or avoided.”

                Elder Bednar uses the rest of his address to explain that we too must be prepared by learning the gospel of Jesus Christ, being cleansed by the ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood, and becoming born again by being immersed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He quoted Mosiah 5:7: “Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.”

                Elder Bednar continues, “The spiritual rebirth described in this verse typically does not occur quickly or at once; it is an ongoing process – not a single event. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become align with the will of God. This phase of the transformation process requires time, persistence, and patience…

                “We begin the process of being born again through exercising faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, and being baptized by immersion for the remission of sins by one having priesthood authority….

                “And after we come out of the waters of baptism, our souls need to be continuously immersed in and saturated with the truth and the light of the Savior’s gospel. Sporadic and shallow dipping in the doctrine of Christ and partial participation in His restored Church cannot produce the spiritual transformation that enables us to walk in a newness of life. Rather, fidelity to covenants, constancy of commitment, and offering our whole soul unto God are required if we are to receive the blessings of eternity….

                “The Holy Spirit of Promise is the ratifying power of the Holy Ghost. When sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, an ordinance, vow, or covenant is binding on earth and in heaven. (See Doctrine and Covenants 132:7.) Receiving this `stamp of approval’ from the Holy Ghost is the result of faithfulness, integrity, and steadfastness in honoring gospel covenants….” (See Bednar, “Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign, May 2007.) 

                What do you think? Do you understand a little more the process of being born again? We may not like being compared to pickles, but we should be able to see how the same process helps us to change. We all must be prepared, cleansed, immersed in water, and sealed by the Holy Ghost.

Being Born Again

                This week in my studies of the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I read again the story of Alma and his friends.  As some of you probably know, Alma was the son of the High Priest of the church, who was also named Alma.  At least four of his friends were the sons of King Mosiah who was also a prophet; their names are Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni.

                Alma, the son of Alma, became very wicked and idolatrous; he had the gift of language and spoke many flattering words to the people.  He was instrumental in leading many of the people into iniquity.  He and his friends went about “secretly” in their attempt to destroy the church and to lead the people away from obedience to the commandments of God.  (See Mosiah 27:8-10.)  We can only imagine the pain and heartache this caused Alma, the father.  He was doing his best to teach his son and the people to keep the commandments, but his son was fighting against him. 

                Alma and the sons of Mosiah were out doing their evil work when “the angel of the Lord appeared unto them.”  His voice was as “thunder” and shook the earth; Alma and his friends fell to the earth in astonishment and could not understand the words of the angel.  The angel spoke again and said:

                “… Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutes thou the church of God?  For the Lord hath said:  `This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people” (verses 11-13).  The angel continued, “Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightiest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.”  (See verse 14.)

                This statement told the young men why the angel had come.  He came in answer to the prayers of Alma – a father praying for his son and a prophet praying for his people.  The angel also came in answer to the prayers of the people for relief from the gang of hoodlums that was persecuting them.  In other words, the angel came to answer prayers, not to prove anything to anyone.

                The angel continued, “… can you dispute the power of God?  For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth?  And can you not also behold me before you?  And I am sent from God.

                “Now I say unto thee:  Go … thy way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off.”  (See verses 15-16.)

                The angel left, and Alma and his friends fell to the earth with “astonishment.”  They knew they had seen an angel; they had heard him speak to them with a “voice of thunder” that “shook the earth."  They also “knew that there was nothing save the power of God that could shake the earth and cause it to tremble as though it would part asunder.”  (See verse 17-18.)

                All the young men fell to the earth with astonishment, but most of them recovered enough to go home.  Alma however “became dumb, that he could not open his mouth, yea, and he became weak, even that he could not move his hands; therefore he was taken by those that were with him, and carried helpless, even until he was laid before his father.”  (See verse 19.)

                Alma’s friends told his father what had happened – and his father rejoiced!  Alma recognized that his son had experienced the power of God and called the priests together to fast and pray for his son.  Alma, the younger, awoke after two days and two nights and began to teach the people.  He told them, “… I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.”  (See verses 20-24.)

                Alma and the sons of Mosiah traveled around the country, trying to repair all the damage they had caused and to teach the people what they had learned. (See verse 32.)  Alma later became the High Priest, and the sons of King Mosiah gave up their rights to the throne and went on a mission to the Lamanites that lasted for fourteen years, converting thousands of Lamanites to the truth of the gospel.

                This story tells us that Alma and his friends repented of their sins and were “born again.”  They changed from wickedness to righteousness.  Instead of persecuting the righteous, they went about doing good and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This story is a favorite among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It played an important role in my life when I sought the truth.

                President Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994) gave us this reminder:  “We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope.  Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible.  The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant, as it were….  Such astonishing examples of the power to change even those steeped in sin give confidence that the Atonement can reach even those deepest in despair.

                “But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples.  Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule.  For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible.  Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life.  They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment….”  (See “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, October 1989, 5.) 

                Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave more meaning for being born again.  “The question of whether a person has been saved is sometimes phrased in terms of whether that person has been `born again.’  Being `born again’ is a familiar reference in the Bible and the Book of Mormon….  As we understand   these scriptures, our answer to whether we have been born again is clearly `yes.’  We were born again when we entered into a covenant relationship with our Savior by being born of water and of the Spirit and by taking upon us the name of Jesus Christ.  We can renew that rebirth each Sabbath when we partake of the sacrament.”  (See “Have You Been Saved,” Ensign, May 1998, 56.) 

                I have been born again.  I have been born of water and of the Spirit.  My heart has changed.  I have no more desire to do evil but to do good for the remainder of my days.  I renew my rebirth every Sunday by partaking of the sacrament of the Lord along with millions of other members of the Church.  Have you been born again?