The Mighty Change

9 And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.
10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?
11 Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?
12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.
14 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 5:9-14)

Alma 5 is a much-loved passage of scripture. Alma asks many questions in his words to the church of his time that we can ask ourselves today and get something of a measure of where we are on our strait and narrow path back to our Heavenly Father.

Our church meetings and our General Conferences (and other conferences) teach us all the things we need to do in order to experience this mighty change of heart--we just have to do them. We have to put these things, such as prayer and scripture reading for two examples, into action.

Some things are hard for us and some are fairly easy. We are all on different timelines in our spiritual growth, and we all have different gifts from our Father in Heaven with which to work. Our job is to persist and be diligent. And to be charitable to ourselves and others along the way. Charitable and patient.

I really like that phrase "mighty change of heart." It gives me hope that I will be able to keep improving and that it is possible to change.