The "How-To" on Changing your Heart- Chadd Johnson

In the Book of Mormon a "Change of Heart" is often talked about. Prophets from King Benjamin to Helaman discuss the subject as the effect that bringing Christ into your life has, a change of heart. Readers know all this, but often they overlook what this means. Having your heart changed creates a chain reaction that eventually leads to an entirely changes person. A change of heart is more than the heart.

In Alma 5:7, Alma Jr. is preaching to the people and reminding them of what their parents went through, "Behold, he change their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them." This scripture is explaining what a change of heart feels like. It is being set free from whatever is holding you back. Quiting smoking, overcoming temptation, breaking bad habits, and baptism are all times in which your heart changes. Interestingly the word for 'heart' in Greek is 'Kardia.' While it means heart is also means "thoughts or feelings." A change of heart is therefore a change of your thoughts or feelings to align them with God's. We should be having 'thought' changes everyday of our lives until we are perfectly aligned with God.

How do we know when we have received a change of heart. Later, in the same chapter, verses 14-15 he continues his talk on a change of heart. He asks them if they have been born again, which is synonymous with a change of heart. In verse 15 he gives the blueprint to know if this has happened, "Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?" When we have gained a change of heart we will have greater faith in the atonement and Resurrection.

In my own personal life I have experienced this change. The change did not come to me in a flash of lightening, or in one singular moment. My heart has been changed in steps. I have changed, as it says in Mosiah 27:25, "from (my) carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness." The key, for me, to obtain this was to pray, study, and have faith. If you want to have a change of heart I plead with you to go to your Father in Heaven in prayer and ask him. Then read and study his words written in the scriptures. The people in Mosiah 5:2 received this "mighty change" when they listened to the prophet, so it stands to reason that the same thing will happen to others if they do the same.

A Change of Heart is when your thoughts or feelings are altered. We get this through prayer, study, and faith. I tell you that this is true. We can get a change of heart from following the teachings of Christ and prophets. He leads and guides the church today through his servant the prophet. I challenge any of you readers that wants to grow closer to God, to pray and read the Book of Mormon. It works. It has and still does work in my life.

Works Cited:

Alma 5:7

Alma 5:14

Alma 5:15

Mosiah 27: 25

Mosiah 5:2

LDS Scripture Concordance Greek Dictionary "Heart"

Picture from LDS.org