What a week!! It has been such a crazy week. The baptism was amazing!! It is such a miracle that Rita, Liv, and Luiza finally got there!! The Lord worked an incredible change in them. They have come such a long way.
The day before they were baptized, one of their super close friends that actually moved here with them started sending them all sorts of stuff about why they shouldn't get baptized. He went as far as saying that Rita's dead mom would come out of her grave and haunt them. It was pretty bad. Thankfully, we had warned them that something like this always happens. I was honestly surprised that it had taken so long. They showed us the text conversation, and they just kept on testifying to their friend about the gospel and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It was awesome. They are so solid. One of them just finished studying the entire Gospel Principles manual by herself. We gave it to her like 3 weeks ago!
The baptism itself was pretty good. It definitely did not go as planned. We were planning on a nice, short, and really spiritual baptism. It somehow ended up being over 2 hours!! It was way too long, but they still loved it. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The brother that was helping us with the zoom couldn't get it set up for the first 30 minutes, then we started, and the speakers talked for way longer than they were supposed to. The talks were also very interesting to say the least. The first involved teddy bears, and the second was a sermon on some deeper points of doctrine. The topics were supposed to be baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. After the speakers, we got back to the font and the water had leaked out considerably, which made it a lot harder to baptize them. I had baptized Rita 3 times, and Elder Beardall had to baptize Luiza 2 times. Then, they tripped a breaker in the church while they were drying their hair. They took 45 minutes to dry their hair!! It turned out to be quite the ordeal. It was definitely not what we had planned on happening. I am just glad that the Spirit was still there and that they enjoyed it. It was definitely an amazing experience. It was super cool for Elder Schelin, Elder Beardall, and I to all get to baptize one of them and then confirm another. I am honestly still kind of in shock that these baptisms happened after 7 months of teaching them.
After the baptisms, we went over to their house and had dinner with them. It was so awesome. I think that they have been ready for this for a while now. They are excited to begin this journey.
It was super cool for Elder Bremer to get to watch the baptism. He found this family at the very beginning of his mission. I think seeing them get baptized 7 months after he went home was really validating for him. It was fun to see him watching the baptism from the TV screen. We were companions for just 2 weeks during my first transfer in Seattle.
We made the weirdest contacts ever this week. One guy that we found used to be a Wall Street broker. He got tired of that, moved to India, and found God. He dove into the Bible in India and became a missionary. He believes in an energy and not in religion or a specific God. he has been travelling the World since that time, including 3 years in Brasil. It was a really interesting contact.
We also had an interesting lesson with Cowboy Dave. He is this super cool 70 year old cowboy that has literally done everything in his life. During the lesson, he went off on a huge tangent about how he is immune to Covid because his blood is radioactive due to nuclear fallout in the town he grew up in New Mexico. It was pretty crazy.
We did, however, meet this really cool college age kid. His name is Brandon. We knocked on his door, and he let us right in. It was literally straight out of Preach my Gospel. At the end, he was just like, "how can I learn more?" It was super cool.
We did an exchange with the Willows Elders. I went with Elder Merrill. He is a brand new missionary from Illinois. He is super good already. It was awesome to be with him and give him advice on how to adjust to being a missionary.
I gave a talk in the Totem Lake Ward sacrament meeting this week. I'll attach a copy of my talk below. I spoke on being born again.
I love representing the Savior in Brasil and Washington, I love the Gospel and Atonement of Christ, I love my family, and I love my Redeemer. I am ready and excited to work harder, learn more, and love better this week!
Love,
Elder Warren Matthew Dudley
Today, I will be speaking on being born again as the children of Christ
What does being born again mean
Usually, we associate this phrase with baptism. While baptism is an essential part of being born again and is quite literally symbolic of death and rebirth, baptism is only a part of being born again.
In Gospel Topics, "born again" is listed as being synonymous with conversion. Elder Marion G Romney also defined spiritual rebirth as conversion
According to the Covenants - Elder Marion G Romney, October 1975 General Conference - "conversion is “a spiritual and moral change attending a change of belief with conviction.” As used in the scriptures,........ conversion may be accomplished in stages, (however) one is not really converted in the full sense of the term unless and until he is at heart a new person. Born again is the scriptural term."
When we think about being born again as a true conversion rather than the singular event of baptism, it becomes so much more than a one time act of devotion. It is, instead, a lifetime of dedicated following of the Savior and the entirety of His gospel. Elder Christofferson stated: "Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality." - Born Again - Elder Christofferson, April 2008
So, with this definition of being born again in mind, I want to focus on how we can become truly converted to the Savior.
The process of conversion and spiritual rebirth is facilitated through Jesus Christ's gospel. It is only by continuously and consistently following and repeating the simple steps of the Savior's gospel that we may be truly converted unto Him. Only as we access His atoning power through the Gospel will we become His children and become like him.
Doctrine and Covenants 39:
4 But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons (and daughters); and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons (and daughters).
5 And verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my gospel receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my gospel receiveth not me.
6 And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom.
Alma 7:14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.
"In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something…… The gospel challenges us to be “converted,” which requires us to do and to become." -The Challenge to Become, President Oaks, October 200 General Conference
1 The first step of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is what fuels and motivates everything else. Faith leads to every other part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Moroni 7:33, 37 33
And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me…..for it is by faith that miracles are wrought;
Elder Christofferson said: "spiritual rebirth originates with faith in Jesus Christ, by whose grace we are changed. More specifically, it is faith in Christ as the Atoning One, the Redeemer, who can cleanse from sin and make holy" - Born Again - Elder Christofferson, April 2008
One thing we can do to grow our faith is by hearing the word of God.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
"The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken. It means “to listen with the intent to obey.” To hearken means to “hear Him”—to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel" - President Nelson, April 2020, Hear Him
Alma 31:5
And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
As we hear the word of God, and as we do our best to hearken and obey it, our faith will grow and our conversion will be deepened
2 Repentance is the second essential part of the gospel. Repentance is sincere and enduring change. In the quote I read a few minutes ago, Elder Maxwell identified conversion as “a spiritual and moral change attending a change of belief with conviction.” This step in particular is key to a true conversion to the Savior. Daily repentance and striving to become more like the Savior is the essence of conversion. The Savior told us that we should be perfect, even as He is (3 Nephi 12:48). We cannot ever hope to accomplish that on our own. Fortunately for us, the Savior made it possible for us to be perfected.
Moroni 10:32
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and love God with all your might, ind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if ny the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
Thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His merciful intercession on our behalf, repentance and change is possible. This repetitive and daily change is and leads to lasting conversion and eventual perfection.
3 Nephi 9
13 …….. will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
One thing we can do to daily repent is by coming to the Lord with a humble heart and asking Him, "Lord, what lack I yet?" If we come to Him with real intent to change, He will not only show us what we need to change, but how we can change. He will aid us in the repentance process as we strive to become more like Him. As we come to Him with humility through sincere prayer, we will repent and our conversion will deepen.
3 In Preach my Gospel and the church in general, we identify the final steps of the gospel as baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Enduring to the end is a combination of repeating the first two steps, faith and repentance, and then continuing on the covenant path by participating in other essential saving ordinances. For the sake of my talk, instead of focusing on each of these three steps, I am going to group them into one category, that being ordinances of the gospel.
Joseph Smith taught; "Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances.” - Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Chapter 7
Joseph Smith is teaching us that as we continually make and keep covenants with God through sacred ordinances, we will be born again through the Spirit. One of the greatest roles of the Holy Ghost is to sanctify. As we live worthily of the presence and company of the Holy Ghost, we can be constantly sanctified by Him. We covenant in baptism to keep the Lord's commandments, and he in turn covenants that He will bless us with His Spirit.
We are blessed that every week we are given the chance to participate in the sacrament, repent and renew our covenants so that we can continue to have the presence of the Holy Ghost and continue the conversion process.
The ordinances of baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and partaking of the sacrament are not the only ordinances that aid us in our conversion process. Each sacred saving ordinance gives us more access to the atoning power of Jesus Christ and helps us become more converted to Him.
Doctrine and Covenants 84
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
Elder Bednar taught: "Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son do not intend for us to experience such a feeling of spiritual renewal, refreshment, and restoration just once in our lives. The blessings of obtaining and always retaining a remission of our sins through gospel ordinances help us understand that baptism is a point of departure in our mortal spiritual journey; it is not a destination we should yearn to revisit over and over again. The ordinances of baptism by immersion, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament are not isolated and discrete events; rather, they are elements in an interrelated and additive pattern of redemptive progress." - Always retain a remission of your sins - Elder Bednar, General Conference April 2016 -
If we do our best to make sure the sacred ordinances of the gospel do not become routine habits, we can experience spiritual renewal and rebirth each time we partake of the Sacrament or get to participate in an ordinance of the gospel. If we focus on our covenants every day and "always remember Him", our conversion will deepen each and every day rather than just the time that we get to participate in ordinances.
What are the results of being born again?
True conversion brings true happiness
4 Nephi 1
2 And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.
15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.
Our very nature is changed
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.
Our focus turns outward
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
We look unto Christ with every thought
DC 6:36
Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not
"everything you think about all day, everything you say all day, and
everything you do all day is nothing more than a reflection of the depth of your conversion to Jesus Christ." - Elder Klebingat, Which is your offering?
We become like Christ
Moroni 7:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.
This is why many of the instances in the scriptures it links spiritual rebirth with becoming the children of Christ - because we will become like Him as our conversion deepens and as we follow the gospel of Jess Christ.
Alma 5:14 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?
Photo 1 - Our zone’s prize for knocking the most doors in the mission
Photo 2 - Out tracting
Photo 3 - The Kirkland ZLC, left to right: Elder Dudley, Elder Ludgate, Elder Justesen, Elder Beardall, Elder Streadbeck, Elder Reeve
Photo 4 - We heart attacked Rosi’s door. She has been going through some trials lately
Photo 5 - The baptism!! Left to right: Elder Schelin, Elder Beardall, Elder Dudley, Liv, Rita, Luiza
Photo 6 - Elder Justesen, Elder Brammer, and Elder Kelly at the baptism
Photo 7 - Elder Diago and Elder Ludgate at the baptism
Photo 8 - Elder Buhler at the baptism
Photo 9 - Elder Schelin, Elder Beardall and I at the baptism
Photo 10-12 More pictures at the baptism!!
