Awakened to the Remembrance of My Duty~Jessie Harmer

All of us at some point in our lives experience a change of heart. Most of us were baptized at the age of 8, and yes, that was an important step but were we truly converted? I believe that it takes years for that real conversion to take place. That requires a change of heart. Several people in the Book of Mormon that we have been reading about recently have done just that.

Alma the Younger was brought up with the gospel in his life. Nevertheless he was a "wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many people to do after the manner of his iniquities" (1). This man was the son of Alma, the great prophet, and he was hindering the the prosperity of the church! It makes you wonder what made him turn away from what he had been taught his whole life. It reminds me of the scripture in Jacob 6. "Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you? (2)" We know that denying the Holy Ghost is, next to murder, an unpardonable sin. Thus, Alma required a heavenly intervention. An angel appeared unto him and asked Alma why he persecuted the church. He explains that the Lord has heard the prayers of the people and of his father, in Alma's behalf. The angel tells him to go his way and to "seek to destroy the church no more". The angel departs and Alma is left struck dumb and weak, that he cannot move. After 2 days, he receives his strength again and tells the people gathered around him, "I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit" (3). This was a MAJOR change of heart. Alma the Younger completely changes his life and goes about teaching the true word of God to all that will hear. Thus we see how powerful a change of heart can be.
I have not had such a dramatic experience as Alma the Younger but I have had several times in my life when I have had to humble myself and have a change of heart. All of my experiences seem small in comparison, and yet they were really hard times in my life. My best friend all through middle school and high school was first at everything. She took all the AP classes, got the highest A, was Head girl and every kind of president you can imagine. She was homecoming queen and Prom Queen our senior year. She got the dates with cute boys, got attention, and everyone in the school knew her. She received scholarships everywhere and had a steady job because her family owned a Mail&Copy business in town. It was so hard for me to sit by as the best friend, as she took the spotlight. This sounds so selfish but it really hurt. It took me all the way until halfway through my senior year to change my heart. I had been full of jealousy and hurt pride for years and never told my friend about it. One day we were talking after school and I just poured my heart out to her. She was my best friend and hey, it was her job to listen. ;) After my rant and blubbering, she looked at me in surprise. She said that she had always looked up to me and wished she could be more like me. She wished she could be tall and graceful (She is 5'2 and I'm 6'0. We were quite the pair..) like I was and she was so proud that I was going to BYU and living my dream as a dance major. She said she loved when I bore my testimony and the light that I carried with me, as an example of Christ. She continued on telling me all these things she loved about me and even showed me some journal entries that she had written a while back. It made me realize that it doesn't matter how many times I am nominated prom queen or how many scholarships I get that determine my worth. That night in prayer I just poured out my gratitude to my heavenly father for sending me such an amazing friend and for the revelation he had given me, that I was His daughter and of infinite worth. That was a needed change in my life and I had kept it inside for too long. I finally felt free from my silly "second best" thoughts I'd had for so long. Change of heart is something we all experience and when we do, we are filled with our Father's love for us.

It is hard for me to always remember that change of heart I had. At times I see people who I admire so much that I forget that my Father loves me just as much. Elder Eyring said, "To keep the blessing of that change in our hearts will require determination, effort, and faith. King Benjamin taught at least some of what that will require. He said that to retain a remission of our sins from day to day we must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and help people spiritually and temporally. He warned that we must guard against even the feelings of contention entering into our hearts. He made it clear that the mighty change which comes through the Atonement working in us can diminish if we are not on guard against sin. (4)" When I think about the Atonement, all of my selfish thoughts go away. I know that the price my Savior paid was more than I can imagine and much larger than my problems. Yet even though the Atonement is so much grander and I am small in this world, my Father still remembers me and my little problems. I also remember that I may be the answer to some one's prayer and I need to go out and serve. When you serve others, its hard to think about your own problems as you get caught away in the spirit of giving. We must remember that change of heart we had and diligently work to keep on the right path.

The church around 87 B.C. was struggling. The people went through cycles of being strong members of the church to being prideful and forgetting their God. After the Nephites have conquered the Amlicites with casualties on both sides, the people were "awakened to a remembrance of their duty" (5). I love that saying. We all have a duty to God and we often forget that. We were sent here for a purpose- to share this wonderful gospel and help to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". After this awakening many were baptized and became members of the church of God. Only four versus later Alma says, "The people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world" (6). Alma tries to persuade the people of their wrongdoings by speaking of their fathers. The Lord changed their hearts and "awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God" (7). He also speaks of Alma after hearing Abinadi speak of the gospel. By his faith, there was a mighty change in his heart. He continued to preach those teachings to their fathers and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and "they humbled themselves". He explains all this to the people, hoping that they might be awakened to the remembrance of their duty and have a change of heart.

The big question is "Have ye spiritually been born of God? (8)" Have we experienced that change of heart? We must continually try to strengthen our testimonies and serve others, to really become converted to this wonderful gospel. Only by the soft whisperings of the Spirit can we receive that confirmation and we have to be able to hear it when it comes. It is my prayer that we will all be awakened to the remembrance of our duty to our Heavenly Father. We need to remember who we are, whose we are, and why we are here. Our hearts need to be fully invested in that duty. I know that this church is true. I know that we are led by a prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson. I know that the scriptures are the word of God and that if we read them, we can experience that change of heart. They bring me such peace when I am troubled, as does personal prayer. I know that prayer works. I know my Father is listening and that if I ask with a sincere heart, He will answer me. I love this gospel and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Mosiah 27:8-9
2. Jacob 6:8
3. Mosiah 27:24
4. Eyring,Henry B. "As a Child". Ensign, May 2006, 14–17
5. Alma 4:3
6. Alma 4:8
7. Alma 5:7
8. Alma 5:14