Come Unto Christ Reading Assignment No. 9 Through the Process of Spiritual Rebirth

Come Unto Christ Reading Assignment No. 9 Through the Process of Spiritual Rebirth Introduction The fall of Adam brought upon mankind, indeed upon the whole earth, including plant and animal (2 Ne. 2:22) a drastic change. It s affect upon mankind is what concerns us in this course. All of these changes were necessary for our progress. First, Adam and Eve could now have children. And their children could have children. All this made it possible for our Heavenly Parents children to advance to the second estate. However, the transgression of Adam and Eve brought negative consequences upon themselves and their posterity. Alma taught that because of their transgression in the Garden of Eden, our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will (Al. 42:7) as well as the will of the devil (D&C 29:40). Because of Adam s transgression, the Lord said, thy children are conceived in sin. Children do not inherit sin from their parents but the capacity to sin is inherited. Further, the fallen world they are born into is sinful world where Satan has captured the hearts of many (Moses 5:13). Therefore, continued the Lord, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts (Moses 6:55). By committing sin that is, personal or individual sins (D&C 138:19)--they suffered a another spiritual death while in this life. became fallen man (Al. 42:6; D&C 20:20). In this state they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good (Moses 6:55). Heavenly Father knowing this would be the state of His children in the mortal world provided a means of escape. It would come through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, and Heir: Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus Christ is one of the chief purposes of the Book of Mormon. For example, the Prophet Abinadi declared: For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil. Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state. (Mosiah 16:3-4) Similarly, Aaron taught the importance of Christ s atonement:: And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name. And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king. (Al. 22:13-14) The Book of Mormon ends with an invitation to all mankind. Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. (Moro. 10:32-33). The salvation of mankind, as well as the earth and all life found thereon, depends entirely upon Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father. Our only hope is found in Moroni s plea: Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him (Moro. 10:32). This reading assignment focuses on the process of spiritual rebirth through Jesus Christ as demonstrated in the lives of Adam and Eve. Key Concepts and Teachings Adam and Eve A Pattern of Righteous Living Ezra Taft Benson (1899-19940 President From this inspired record we see that Adam and Eve provided us with an ideal example of a covenant marriage relationship. They labored together; they had children

together; they prayed together; and they taught their children the gospel-together. This is the pattern God would have all righteous men and women imitate. (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 534) Results of Transgression Endlessly Lost and Fallen in a Spiritually Dead State The immediate consequence of transgressing the commandment of God in partaking of the forbidden fruit was being driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth (2 Ne. 2:19; Moses 4:31; D&C 29:40-41; Al. 42:2). This brought Adam and Eve into a state of spiritual death and everlasting spiritual death: Read D&C 29:41 Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918) President But I want to speak a word or two in relation to another death, which is a more terrible death than that of the body. When Adam, our first parent, partook of the forbidden fruit, transgressed the law of God, and became subject unto Satan [D&C 29:40], he was banished from the presence of God and was thrust out into outer spiritual darkness. This was the first death. Yet living, he was dead dead to God, dead to light and truth, dead spiritually; cast out from the presence of God. (Gospel Doctrine, oomp. John A. Widtsoe [1986], p.432) Spiritual death means to be forever shut out of the presence of Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Ghost forever. As such, they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls (Mosiah 3:25). Heavenly Father Foresaw the Fallen Condition of Man and the Need for their Redemption The condition of Adam and Eve and their children after the fall was foreseen by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: The great Jehovah contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth, pertaining to the plan of salvation, before it rolled into existence... the past, the present, and the future were and are, with Him, one eternal now; He knew of the fall of Adam, the iniquities of the antediluvians [those who lived before the Great Flood], of the depth of iniquity that would be connected with the human family, their weakness and strength, their power and glory, apostasies, their crimes, their righteousness and iniquity; He comprehended the fall of man, and his redemption; He knew the plan of salvation and pointed it out; He was acquainted with the situation of all nations and with their destiny; He ordered all things according to the counsel of His own will; He knows the situation of both the living and the dead, and has made ample provision for their redemption, according to their several circumstances, and the laws of the kingdom of God, whether in this world, or in the world to come. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 406-7; emphasis added) A Probationary State; A Time to Prepare For that Endless State It was essential that the eternal consequences of both Adam s fall upon mankind as well as each person s individual fall be postponed so that an atonement could be made and men given an opportunity mankind to be taught the gospel and repent. D&C 29:42 But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. Alma 12:24, 26, 28-30 24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.... 26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.... 28 And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them; 29 Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory. 30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works. Come Unto Christ Sometime after Adam and Eve were driven into the lone and dreary world, they called upon God. What would it take for them to come back into God s presence? They were given an answer

Read Moses 5:1-11 President Wilford Woodruff (1807-98) spoke of this event in these words: The very first principle was faith in the Messiah; this was the first principle ever taught to man. When Adam, after being driven from the garden of Eden, went to Adam-ondi-Ahman to offer sacrifice, the angel of the Lord asked him why he did so. Adam replied that he did not know, but the Lord had commanded him to do it. He was then told that the blood of bulls and goats, of rams and lambs should be spilt upon the altar as a type of the great and last sacrifice which should be offered up for the sins of the world. The first principle, then, ever taught to Father Adam was faith in the Messiah, who was to come in the meridian of time to lay down his life for the redemption of man. The second principle was repentance. And what is repentance? The forsaking of sin. The man who repents, if he be a swearer, swears no more; or a thief, steals no more; he turns away from all former sins and commits them no more. It is not repentance to say, I repent today, and then steal tomorrow; that is the repentance of the world, which is displeasing in the sight of God. Repentance is the second principle. (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel G. Homer Durham [1946], 18) President Harold B. Lee (1899-1973) explained that the sacrifice Adam made has the same meaning to us today when we partake of the sacrament: By the partaking of the sacrament you are participating in one of the most sacred ordinances of the Church. It has a similar significance to us today that the sacrifice of burnt offerings, given to Adam, had to the Saints before the advent of the Savior upon the earth. When the sacrifice of burnt offerings was first given it was for the purpose of reminding Adam of the great atoning sacrifice of the Son of God that should transpire in the meridian of time, by which Adam and his posterity might be loosed from the bonds of death and if they were faithful to the gospel plan might partake of eternal life with our Heavenly Father in His kingdom. With the sacrifice of Jesus, by which He, "the just," suffered for "the unjust," the sacrifice of burnt offerings, as it had been observed up to that time, was fulfilled (3 Nephi 9:19-20). In its place He instituted at the time of the Last Supper, before His crucifixion, the holy sacrament, by which the meaning of His great atoning sacrifice would be had in everlasting remembrance. (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee [1996], 209). Because of the Atonement We Can Learn from our Mortal Experience Without Forever Being Condemned By It Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy I have come to feel that the life of Christ is the story of giving the Atonement. The story of Adam and Eve is the story of receiving the Atonement, amid the sometimes-formidable oppositions of mortality. Adam and Eve were the first people to receive the Atonement of Jesus Christ.... Because of the Atonement, we can learn from our experiences without being condemned by them. ( The Temple and the Natural Order of Marriage, Ensign, Sep. 2015, pp. 41-42) The Gospel of Jesus Christ Given to Adam Robert D. Hales (1932-2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: His gospel was first established on the earth beginning with Adam and has been taught in every dispensation through such prophets as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others. Each of these prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the world. Those prophecies have been fulfilled. The Savior did establish His Church. He called His Apostles and established His priesthood. Most importantly, He laid down His life and took it up that all will rise again, thus carrying out the atoning sacrifice. ( Preparations for the Restoration and the Second Coming: "My Hand Shall Be over Thee", Ensign, Nov. 2005, 88-89) Ye Must be Born Again Some 900 years after the fall of Adam, the began a gospel dispensation with the Prophet Enoch. He lived in an age of great wickedness (Moses 6:15; 7:4-9. As he traveled among the people of his day he cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works of wickedness. All men were offended because of him. Indeed, it was said of him: there is a strange thing in the land; a wild man hath come among us (Moses 6:37-38). Yet his teachings were the same as we have been given in our dispensation through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence. And he said unto them: Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe. Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God. (Moses 6:47-49) He rehearsed from their scriptures, which they called a book of remembrance what Adam had been taught. Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying: That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the

world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; This is the same teaching given by the Savior himself. To Nicodemus, the Lord said:: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:3-5) Alma the Younger who had rejected Jesus Christ (Mosiah 27:30) and was seeking to destroy the church of God (Al. 36:6), went through the process of spiritual rebirth by which he could see the truth of the teachings of the father s he had rejected. He declared the importance of all attaining a spiritual rebirth: And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off. Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. (Mosiah 27:25-28) What is Spiritual Rebirth? What does spiritual rebirth mean? Enoch rehearsed to his people what spiritual rebirth is when he told of Adam s reception of the two ordinances necessary for rebirth to happen: baptism by water and reception of the Holy Ghost. He said: And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water. And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and became *quickened in the inner man. (Moses 6:64-65) [*The word quicken is defined in the Noah Webster s 1828 An American Dictionary of the English Language as To become alive. ] In other words, Adam was able to come back in the presence of God through God the Holy Ghost. The ordinance of laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. President Harold B. Lee, said of Moses 6:65: Now there is a definition of what it means to be born again. It means to be quickened in the inner man. (Stand Ye In Holy Places [1974], 54) Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offers these thoughts: It was Jesus who stated that entry into the kingdom of God requires that one be born again-born of water and of the Spirit (see John 3:3-5). His teaching about a physical and a spiritual baptism helps us understand that both our own action and the intervention of divine power are needed for this transformative rebirth-for the change from natural man to saint (see Mosiah 3:19). Paul described being born again with this simple expression: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17). ( Born Again, Ensign, May, 2008, 77; emphasis added) What is the Process of Spiritual Rebirth Attained? As Nicodemus learned, to acquire spiritual rebirth, one must receive both ordinances of baptism by water and then the laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost (John 3:3-5). The following attest to this truth: Joseph Smith (1805-44) President Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [1976], 162) Marion G. Romney (1897-1988) First Presidency One is born again by actually receiving and experiencing the light and power inherent in the gift of the Holy Ghost. ( The Light of Christ, Ensign, May 1977, 44.) The process of spiritual rebirth is taught throughout the Book of Mormon. There are many stories of spiritual rebirth found within those wonderful pages. The following is speaks of what is taught about this process: D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Consider two examples from the Book of Mormon. About a century before the birth of Christ, King Benjamin taught his people of the Savior's advent and Atonement. The Spirit of the Lord wrought such a mighty change in

the people that they had "no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2). Because of their faith in Christ, they said, "We are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments... all the remainder of our days" (Mosiah 5:5; emphasis added). The king responded, "Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name" (Mosiah 5:7; see also D&C 76:24). The case of Alma is also instructive. As he and his companions went about seeking to destroy the Church of Christ, they were rebuked by an angel. There followed for Alma three days and nights that he described as being "racked with eternal torment.... Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell" (Alma 36:12-13). Finally, after "repenting nigh unto death" (Mosiah 27:28), as he put it, there came to his mind the sweet message of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Alma pled, "O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death" (Alma 36:18). Forgiveness came to him, and he stood and publicly confessed: "I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; "And thus they become new creatures" (Mosiah 27:24-26). As we reflect on these examples and other scriptures, it becomes clear that 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 (see Mosiah 4:2-3). When this true faith takes root in a person, it inevitably leads to repentance. Amulek taught that the Savior's sacrifice would "bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance" (Alma 34:15; emphasis added). To be complete, however, repentance requires a covenant of obedience. This is the covenant expressed by Benjamin's people "to do [God's] will, and to be obedient to his commandments" (Mosiah 5:5). This is the covenant witnessed by baptism in water (see Mosiah 18:10) sometimes referred to in the scriptures as the "baptism of repentance" or "baptism unto repentance," inasmuch as it is the culminating step, the capstone of our repentance (see, for example, Acts 19:4; Alma 7:14; 9:27; D&C 107:20). Then, as promised, the Lord baptizes us "with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 9:20). Nephi phrased it this way: "For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 31:17). Having thus relied "upon the merits of him who is mighty to save" (2 Nephi 31:19), we are "quickened in the inner man" (Moses 6:65) and, if not yet fully born again, then certainly well into the path of spiritual rebirth. Now the Lord cautions us to take heed since "there is a possibility that man may fall from grace" (D&C 20:32), even those who are sanctified (see vv. 32-34). As Nephi counseled: "Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20). You may ask, Why doesn't this mighty change happen more quickly with me? You should remember that the remarkable examples of King Benjamin's people, Alma, and some others in scripture are just that-remarkable and not typical. For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. 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. At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy. I know Jesus Christ as the living, resurrected Son of God. "[I] know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true; "And [I] know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength" (D&C 20:30-31; see also Moroni 10:32-33). ( Born Again, Ensign, 2008 77-78) Adam and Eve are Made Heirs Again through Temple Ordinances The process of spiritual rebirth is the beginning of growing spiritually to become gods and goddesses. Further ordinances are necessary. Through the first

principles and ordinances of the Gospel, Adam gained access to the Atonement by which he overcame his fallen condition through spiritual rebirth. Adam also began the process of becoming as Heavenly Father. This required further access to the Atonement which would come through the higher ordinances of the priesthood received in the House of the Lord a temple. Read Moses 6:67-68 Verse 67 states that Adam was after the order of him who was without beginning of days. This statement does not mean Adam now received the priesthood authority. He was given than in the creation. What this means is that now Adam had received his temple ordinances. Of these verses, President Ezra Taft Benson (1889-1994) said: When our Heavenly Father placed Adam and Eve on this earth, He did so with the purpose in mind of teaching them how to regain His presence. Our Father promised a Savior to redeem them from their fallen condition. He gave to them the plan of salvation and told them to teach their children faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. Further, Adam and his posterity were commanded by God to be baptized, to receive the Holy Ghost, and to enter into the order of the Son of God. To enter into the order of the Son of God is the equivalent today of entering into the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is only received in the house of the Lord. Because Adam and Eve had complied with these requirements, God said to them, "Thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity." (Moses 6:67) (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 170; emphasis added). The account of Adam receiving all the ordinances of the gospel spiritual rebirth and temple ordinances ends with a most intriguing statement. The Lord said to Adam: Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen. (Moses 6:68) Adam had now become an heir, with Jesus Christ, to Heavenly Father. The last statement is clear: Adam and Eve are examples of righteousness as stated at the beginning of this reading assignment.