How do we obtain the mighty change of heart so that the Sabbath becomes a delight?
I want this list of signs that we have experienced a mighty change of heart.
Lord, I give you everything. I have nothing left to give you. …
Lord, I give you my heart. I have nothing left to give you.
At the beginning of the week, Brother Espinoza came to my house and asked to speak with me. He didn’t say anything about what he had seen on Sunday, nor did he ask me why I had missed my meeting.
He just handed me a manual and said, “I would like you to teach the priesthood class on Sunday. I have marked the lesson for you. It is not so difficult. I want you to read it, and I will come by in two days to help you with the preparation for the lesson.” Having said this, he handed me the manual and left.…
It was the first time I would teach a lesson, but Brother Espinoza was there by my side, and that was the day of a mighty change of heart for me.
From that moment on, I began to keep the Sabbath day holy, and over time, in the words of President Russell M. Nelson, the Sabbath day has become a delight.
That was an effective intervention. Brother Espinoza redirected him and supported him through the redirection. That isn’t guaranteed to work in every single case (sometimes it would result in a single Sunday of attendance) and it might take multiple interventions before something sparked a lasting change.
How do we obtain that mighty change of heart? It is initiated and eventually occurs 1) when we study the scriptures to obtain the knowledge that will strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, which will create a desire to change; 2) when we cultivate that desire through prayer and fasting; 3) when we act, according to the word studied or received, and we make a covenant to surrender our hearts to Him
- Study the scriptures
- Obtain knowledge
- Strengthen faith in Christ
- Create desire
- Cultivate desire to change
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Act
- Make a covenant to surrender our hearts
How do we know that our heart is changing? When we want to please God in all things. When we treat others with love, respect, and consideration. When we see that the attributes of Christ are becoming part of our character. When we feel the guidance of the Holy Spirit more constantly. When we keep a commandment that has been difficult for us to obey and then continue to live it. When we listen carefully to our leaders’ advice and cheerfully decide to follow it, have we not experienced a mighty change of heart?
That’s a good point. A mighty change of heart is not always simply something that happens to us—sometimes it is something we consciously choose.
How do we maintain the mighty change? When we partake of the sacrament weekly and renew the covenant to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. When we turn our lives toward the temple. Regular temple attendance will help us maintain a new and renewed heart as we participate in the ordinances. When we love and serve our neighbors by ministering activities and missionary work.
If we do not maintain the change it will eventually fade no matter how mighty it was.
- Partake of the sacrament weekly and renew the covenant to take upon us the name of Christ.Turn our lives toward the temple.o
- ve and serve our neighbors
This change of heart is not an event; it takes faith, repentance, and constant spiritual work to happen. It begins when we desire to submit our will to the Lord, and it materializes when we enter into and keep covenants with Him.
That individual action has a positive effect both on us and on the people around us.
Not only does it require maintenance but the complete mighty change is a composite of many smaller mighty changes—line upon line, precept upon precept “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (See Ephesians 4:13-15)
Today is the day to decide to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. “Lord, I give You my heart; I have nothing more to give You.”
Leave a Reply