We gave talks Sunday in Sacrament meeting. This was my talk.
Good Morning! My name is Courtney Lee. My husband, Jason,
our daughter, Elinor, and I have been in the ward since the beginning of
December. We come from Arizona, where the temperatures last month were in
the 80’s and are in the 90's already. Last month, during the snow and cold I missed it, but not so much right now!
As introduction, Jason and I met just over five years ago at
a Christmas concert. A mutual friend introduced us, and despite my awkwardness,
he thought I was cute. His favorite part of the story is when, as he puts it, I
denied him a hug. Within a few days he got my number and asked me out at the
beginning of January. We have been together almost every day since. We married
July 7, 2010, and added our daughter Elinor to our little family at the end of
August last year. Jason is an engineer for Boeing, and I taught 2nd
grade for three years, but now I stay home and take care of Elinor.
We were assigned to speak on the topic “a mighty change of
heart.” One of my favorite things to do when I prepare a talk or lesson is to look up
what the words mean. These are the definitions I found.
Mighty is an adjective, which in our topic is describing our
change. Mighty means “possessing great
and impressive power or strength, especially on account of size”. The second
definition I found said it means extremely.
Change, in this context, is a noun that means “the act or
instance of making or becoming different.”
We all know that a heart is a body part. However, I found
the second definition a little more applicable to our topic. Another meaning
for heart is “the center or innermost part of something.”
So putting all of the information we just learned together,
“a mighty change of heart” is an extreme act of making our innermost selves
different.
But wait… I know I haven’t had one extreme event or thing
happen to change my whole life and convert me instantly. And then I thought
back to the first definition that I read for mighty. “Possessing great and
impressive power or strength, ESPECIALLY ON ACCOUNT OF SIZE.” It’s taking into
account small, but powerful things. So rewording the statement in even clearer
terms, “a mighty change of heart” means that out of a small but powerful thing
(like a seed or act of faith) comes us making our innermost selves different.
That can happen in an instant, like those grand stories we read in the
scriptures about people’s conversion, or it can be a gradual process that takes
a lifetime.
We know the stories where people had the sudden change or
big event that converted them. Moses, Alma the younger, the people who listened
to King Benjamin, or Joseph Smith are all examples of that. I personally know
that my story isn’t like that at all. I was born and raised in the church. I
have never had what I would call a lightning bolt moment. None of my
experiences I feel have been large enough to change me suddenly to align myself
perfectly with Heavenly Father’s will for me.
At our last Relief Society activity, our conversion was one
thing that we were asked to share in small groups. That night I recognized that
I don’t have just one, or even a few really memorable conversion stories. Not
one instant stands out in my mind as a time when I just knew I was not where I
should be and wanted to change.
As I prepared for this talk, I used the gospel library to
search for the phrase “a mighty change of heart.” This scripture caught my
attention as I thought about my own conversion.
Helaman 15:7-8 says, “And behold, ye do know of yourselves,
for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge
of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their
fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the
holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and
unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto
them-“
“(8) Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of
yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing wherewith they
have been made free.”
That scripture says nothing about the people (they are
talking about the Lamanites) having large experiences like Alma. It says they
are “brought to the knowledge of the truth” and that the scriptures and
prophecies by the prophets have led “them to faith on the Lord, and unto
repentance.” I don’t know about you, but it takes me a long time to read
scriptures and the words of the prophets, especially so that I am able to
understand what they and the Holy Ghost want me to learn.
What I have learned about is that whoever you are, it
doesn’t matter exactly what experience you’ve had to get your conversion, it
just matters that you are being converted to the Lord. Are we making our
innermost part of ourselves different and better? Are we aligning our will with
Heavenly Father’s? As the scriptures say, do we no longer desire to do evil?
In October 2014, Jean A. Stevens of the General Primary
Presidency said just two sentences that really struck me concerning this mighty
change. She said, “Each covenant is made one by one. Every mighty change of heart
matters to the Lord.” We are accountable for ourselves to God, and every time
we change to move closer to Him, he is pleased with us.
Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, 13, 15
“(10) Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of
God;”
“(13) And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!”
“(15) And if it so be that you should labor all your days in
crying repentance unto this people and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how
great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!”
Yes, as I was taught in seminary, those scriptures tell us
to do missionary work. By doing that, we will be very happy when we help bring
souls to Christ. But before we can help others come to Christ, we must go to
Him first. We have to be converted ourselves. Looking at those verses another
way, we could also say that we work hard all of our lives to live the gospel.
Could we say that we ourselves are that one soul that we bring to Christ? Could
we be the one soul that we have great joy about in the Celestial Kingdom?
I’m not saying that we should only focus on ourselves. The
Lord has stated that we are to be selfless. The scriptures clearly state in the
next verse, 16, that if we’re happy with one soul, think how happy and joyful
we’ll be when we bring many souls! But we have to be converted.
Somewhere in my past church education, someone told of two
people climbing a mountain. There are parts when it gets difficult and they
have to help each other. Think about it. Put yourself on that mountain. We can compare
it to life. You’re going along with someone, perhaps a friend or a spouse, and
something hard comes up. I’m not going to list examples because there are too
many, but when you come to a hard part in climbing a mountain, the person who
makes it to the next ledge first can better help the person behind them. It’s
easier to pull someone up than try to push them above your own head. That’s a
truth physically as well as spiritually. You can’t help someone get to Christ
as well as you can unless you are already there, or on your way there.
Once we are converted, we can more easily help other people
come to Christ. That mighty change of heart that we have, where we want to be
better and choose to be better is our conversion. The scriptures are full of
examples of both people who have grand conversion stories as well as those who
have longer, more gradual conversions.
My own mighty change of heart is different from my husband’s
and different from yours. My daughter’s conversion will be different from mine
and different from her friends. It doesn’t matter how grand it appears
outwardly. Some people see angels or hear God speak. Other people will just get
quiet confirmation that they’re already doing what they’re supposed to be doing
and to just keep enduring. It doesn’t matter whether your initial conversion
happens in an instant or takes a lifetime. Conversion is a process, not an end
result.
All the Lord wants and asks of us is to be converted to Him
and his gospel.
TESTIMONY, Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
