Is existence built-in again (becoming spiritually begotten equally a child of God through the baptism of fire and the baptism of the Holy Ghost) anresultor is it aprocess?

The "Deadening & Ephemeral" Born Again Process

From the pulpit, "born once again" (if ever mentioned) has been likened unto the gradual settling of grit on a windowsill over time or the imperceptible appearance of dew upon the forenoon grass. Leaders take even described it using "the parable of the pickle". Such analogies and related teachings have led many to believe that condign truly converted (born once more) is a relatively unremarkable procedure that occurs gradually over a long flow of fourth dimension. As a outcome, many members of the church spend their entire lives submitting to the "pickling process" of perfection, expending tremendous effort keeping the commandments, magnifying their callings, and honoring their stewardships.

David A. Bednar likens the born again process to a slow and imperceptible change, like a pickle soaking in brine.

Yet, despite all these noble efforts, too few seem to experience a profound enough transformation to ever emerge from the "salt brine" as anything but cucumbers. Also few seem to be truly born again. Too few seem to feel the "signs [that] shall follow them that believe." (come across also Mark sixteen:17, ane Corintians 12:1-12, Jacob 4:v-vii, Mormon nine:nineteen-24, Moroni vii:34-37, Moroni 10:eight-18, Ether 4:eighteen, Ether 12:12-41, D&C 46:xi-13, D&C 58:64, D&C 84:65, D&C 124:98).

Why might this exist? Perhaps many of us do non properly sympathise the nature of the Lord'southward processes and events embodied within the simplicity of the doctrine of Christ. Also, peradventure too many of us believe that the examples of mighty miracles and miraculous conversions in scripture are remarkable cases, and are for boggling people, only not for us.

The Built-in Once more Upshot- Perceptible & Memorable

Carefully considering the scriptural examples of people being "born once again" volition yield few to no examples of people being "built-in again" with a "mighty change of heart" via a slow and ephemeral process. Rather, the scriptures repeatedly show that the "born once more" feel is a very noticeable event that invariably links to the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. According to the scriptures, this marvelous blessing is available to anyone who relies lonely on the "merits of Christ" (ii Nephi 31:19, Moroni six:4) and enters the "strait gate" (2 Nephi 31:18, Jacob 6:eleven, 3 Nephi 27:33). It is available "unto all those who diligently seek him" (1 Nephi 10:17) and is not meant for merely the prophets or boggling people.

Becoming born again is a charismatic feel and is accompanied by slap-up manifestations of God'south power including (but not limited to): mighty deliverances, a remission of sins, miracles, visions, heavenly visitations, voices, prophecies, tongues, miraculous healings, fire from heaven, etc. Every bit such, the event marks a full transformation and conversion of the recipient.

Alma 5:7
7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep slumber, and they awoke unto God

Alma 19:33
33 …and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame affair – that their hearts had been inverse; that they had no more than desire to practise evil.

Those who experience this upshot are a certain way before, but then they are completely transformed thereafter.

A "Mighty Alter" Cannot Be a Tiresome & Ephemeral Alter

This mighty modify non merely had the power to convert wicked people into condign righteous, but information technology also worked a miraculous modify upon people that were already righteous. As the Lord said to the "more righteous" Nephites who had barely escaped great devastation and who were before long to go truly converted:

3 Nephi 9:thirteen
xiii O all ye that are spared because ye were more than righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and apologize of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

Information technology'south worth noting that many of these people were already baptized members of the church building (the record of their baptism is in 3 Nephi vii:26). Fifty-fifty though they were "more righteous", and baptized, they had not yet received the promised upshot of true conversion. They had non withal received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and been "born of God."  Fortunately, their true conversion occurs a few chapters later, and then the ability of God makes itself manifest in their lives. Their hearts experienced a mighty change, and they became "new creatures in Christ."

Just Isn't There a Process In Existence Born Over again?

Of course there is a process. But, let u.s. be very articulate that the process must culminate in a mighty spiritual consequence.

Mosiah 27:25-26
25 …Curiosity not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be built-in once again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen land, to a state of righteousness, existence redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus

they become new creatures

; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Moses 6:59
59 …And inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I accept made, and then became of grit a living soul, even then ye must be born once again into the kingdom of heaven, of h2o, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by claret, even the blood of mine Only Begotten…

Considering Child Birth

In the in a higher place passage, the Lord likens existence "born again" to our natural birth into the world. Let us then use this (natural nativity) as a parable to describe the spiritual rebirth. Each infant is born into this world following a series of processes and events. Commencement, there is theevent that happens at the fourth dimension of conception, when a seed implants itself into a fertile egg to miraculously yield an embryo. Then begins the approximate nine month longprocesswhere all fetal evolution is 100% dependent on the uterine environment provided past the mother. Organs, bones, muscles, physical traits, and senses grow steadily, yet slowly and imperceptibly, over time. Once sufficient maturation of the fetus has taken place, it is at present ready for the culminatingevent – the miraculous nativity of a new infant.

At present, considering this parable, does the fact that pregnancy involves a longer-than-desired process somehow diminish the fact that the culminating event is the actual nativity of a baby? Of grade non! Plain, the entire purpose of the process of pregnancy is to bring almost the culminating event of the birth of a child. And then it is with the spiritual rebirth Christ offers us – in that location are both born once more processes and events that are admittedly necessary. As newly conceived spiritual embryos, nosotros need to realize that we are 100% dependent on Jesus Christ if we are to have any hope of being spiritually reborn.

Born Again Process- The Means to An Terminate

Yet this seems to be a common bespeak of confusion nigh the doctrine of Christ. We are very good at acknowledging that we are in some sort of a process. Nonetheless, nosotros tend to lose sight of the culminating event and we "look beyond the mark" (Jacob 4:fourteen-16, Alma 33:nineteen-23). Focusing almost entirely on the process, as if the process itself were the end-goal, we then become like hamsters on a wheel – incessantly running simply never moving anywhere meaningful. To make matters worse, the resulting lack of spiritual progression and then becomes a mechanism nosotros use to further rationalize away the lack of God's power in our lives. We reassure ourselves by thinking that the miraculous experiences nosotros read about in the scriptures are the exceptions to the rule, and that un-miraculous experiences with God are somehow more desirable.

Perhaps some other point of confusion may besides come from assertive that the upshot has already transpired in our lives, when in fact information technology has not. A common misconception is that ane receives the Souvenir of the Holy Ghost by virtue of baptism and confirmation into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This tradition seems to put the cart before the horse. Most of united states of america are not "born again" when baptized and confirmed. Rather, this usually marks the start of our personalized journeying of coming to the Lord.

The Relationship Between Procedure & Event

This "process," the i most members of the Church (and almost of Christianity) appear to exist in, is that of needing to larn to establish the seed of Christ deep within our hearts (Alma 32-33), to exercise faith unto true repentance, to seek revelation and to follow his words to united states of america with exactness "even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19, two Nephi 32:three), and to humble ourselves "even to the grit" (Alma 34:38) until we accept fully submitted to Him every bit "a little child" (3 Nephi nine:22) with "broken hearts and contrite spirits" (2 Nephi 2:7, 3 Nephi 9:20).

These are the necessary prerequisites, "and unto none else can the ends of the constabulary be answered" (2 Nephi two:7). Once nosotros become gear up, God promises that nosotros will exist truly born of God and be converted to Christ with a mighty modify of middle and the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.

Sometimes, like in the case of Alma the Younger or Male monarch Lamoni, this is a very quick procedure. Other times, equally in the case of Male monarch Benjamin'due south people, this comes as a issue of a long procedure. Regardless of how long it takes, we should seek after and want this effect above all else in our lives (3 Nephi 19:ix, Moroni 7:48). Then, one time we get "spiritually begotten… children of Christ" (Mosiah 5:seven), an entirely new process begins!

A flowchart that better describes the author's understanding of the different built-in again "processes" and "events" involved in the Doctrine of Christ.

When Tin can We Expect The Event?

Regardless of how long the process takes, simply one simple thing appears to be required. Full submission to Christ.

Though simple, this is far from easy – hence the process. Our unabridged hearts must be on the altar, fully broken and our spirits contrite. We must truly "go as little children" before the Lord. We must truly "humble [ourselves] even in the depths of humility; and "cry mightily to God" (2 Nephi 9:42, Mosiah 4:11, Mosiah 21:14) "with total purpose of middle, interim no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent" (2 Nephi 31:13), "relying alone upon the merits of Christ" and with "unshaken faith in him" (ii Nephi 31:xix, Moroni 6:four).

The cardinal words here are:

"depths of humility"
"weep mightily"
"full purpose of heart"
"no hypocrisy" 		"real intent"
"relying alone"
"unshaken organized religion in him"

Parable of the Pharisee & The Publican

Consider the Parable of the Pharisee and the publican (revenue enhancement collector):

Luke xviii:10-14
10 Two men went upwardly into the temple to pray; the ane a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the calendar week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift upwards and then much every bit his eyes unto heaven, just smote upon his chest, maxim, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this human went down to his business firm justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abandoned; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Are nosotros as the Pharisee, trusting in our own worthiness and works, endlessly seeking God's approving through having good church standing, magnifying our offices, and checking off boxes? Or are we equally the lowly publican, constantly humbling ourselves to the grit (regardless of how adept nosotros are) and relying alone on the claim of Christ? Information technology turns out that this simple requirement of full submission to Christ is much more difficult than any checklist we could ever conceive of. Peradventure, for that very reason, "narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that observe it" (3 Nephi fourteen:14, Matthew vii:15).

Who is in the right? A reflection on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector | Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation
Jesus's "Parable of the Pharisee & The Publican" as described in Luke eighteen

Complete Submission to Christ

God requires complete submission to Christ, and to Christ alone. We must come to run into ourselves as "unprofitable servants" (Mosiah 2:21, Luke 17:10) and "consider [ourselves] fools before God" (2 Nephi ix:42), while "relying wholly upon the merits of him who is might to salvage" (ii Nephi 31:xix, Moroni 6:iv). One must be willing to sacrifice all other competing objects of amore, attending, and worship. We must take no surrogates nor substitutes, and must put all our preconceived notions on the altar (ii Nephi 9:41-43).

iii Nephi 9:20
20 And ye shall offer for a cede unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken center and a contrite spirit, him will I cognominate with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

The scriptures clearly describe that this event (and information technology is an consequence) occurs only when nosotros accept gone through the process (and this usually is a process) of truly submitting to the Lord as footling children, with broken hearts and contrite spirits. Let u.s.a. believe the Lord'south promise that this mighty modify can and will occur in our lives if we come to Him. This is the gate through which all truthful followers of Jesus must laissez passer!