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"Born of God," Alma 36:17-23

Alma 36:17-23

The first thing that catches my attention is the contrast between before and after; the bitter and the sweet; the despair verses the hope. Moments earlier, in the gall of bitterness, Alma says:
Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds. (vs. 15)
Then as evidence of  this mighty change of heart, he says:
Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there. (vs. 22)
One moment there is such fear and torment at the thought of being brought into the presence of God. In the next, Alma has a longing to be there singing praises to God.

The natural question that follows is: What caused Alma to change internally? (It wasn't seeing an angel.) What about the act of having faith in Jesus Christ causes one's soul to go from being racked and tormented and then to change and feel such joy and peace and freedom from past transgression?

How does one go from disbelief to belief? What internal workings of the soul have to change or are exercised so as to allow faith in Christ --deep faith in the Son of God-- to enter into us and change our very nature? How does this happen?

I've gone to the Topical Guide entry for Conversion, Convert to contemplate these questions further. (See also Psalms 19:7, Isaiah 6:10, and Matthew 13:14-15)


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