Is the Gospel Getting Through?
There's a Difference Between Knowing the Gospel and Being Changed by It
Have you ever sat through an entire class and realized afterward that you couldn't remember much of what the teacher said?
You were there.
You heard the words.
Maybe you even took notes.
But somehow, very little of it actually stayed with you.
Or maybe you've been reading something on your phone while someone was talking to you.
You nodded.
You said, “Yeah.”
You might have even answered a question.
But if they asked you to repeat what they just said, you'd be in trouble.
The information was coming in.
You just weren't really paying attention to it.
Something similar can happen with the gospel.
You can attend church every Sunday.
Read scriptures.
Say prayers.
Take the sacrament.
Go to the temple.
And become so familiar with all of it that you stop noticing what those experiences are supposed to be doing inside you.
That's something Jeremiah wanted his people to understand.
God made a remarkable promise to Israel:
“I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”
—Jeremiah 31:33
Think about those words.
God could have said He would give His people more commandments.
More scriptures.
More prophets.
More reminders.
But His promise focused on something deeper.
He wanted His words to become part of who they were.
There's a difference between knowing what God says and allowing what God says to change the way you live.
And perhaps an even greater difference between knowing about God and actually coming to know Him.
Consider two groups of people from the Book of Mormon.
The first group was King Noah's priests.
These men were religious leaders. They knew the law of Moses well enough to teach it to others.
But when Abinadi confronted them, he asked a question they probably didn't appreciate:
“If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it?”
—Mosiah 12:29
Then he identified the deeper problem:
“Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding.”
—Mosiah 12:27
And later:
“They are not written in your hearts.”
—Mosiah 13:11
Does that phrase sound familiar?
It's almost exactly what God promised through Jeremiah.
The priests had plenty of religious information.
They could discuss the commandments.
They could explain the law.
They could probably tell you what other people were doing wrong.
But they weren't allowing God's commandments to change them.
They knew the gospel.
But they weren't living as people who truly knew God.
Now compare them with another group.
King Benjamin had just delivered a powerful sermon about Jesus Christ, the Atonement, repentance, and covenant discipleship.
Afterward, he asked his people whether they believed his words.
Their response was remarkable:
“We know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts.”
—Mosiah 5:2
And what was the result?
They said they had “no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”
Something had happened inside them.
They didn't merely learn more facts about God.
Through the Holy Ghost, their desires began to change.
Things they once wanted were losing their attraction.
Things that once seemed like obligations were becoming things they genuinely wanted to do.
That's a powerful difference.
The gospel is meant to change us, not just inform us.
Now, think about your own life.
When you go to church, what happens inside you?
When you read the scriptures, do you ever allow something you read to change your thinking?
When you take the sacrament, do you think about the Savior and what His sacrifice means for you?
When someone corrects you, do you become defensive, or do you sometimes stop and wonder whether God might be helping you see something you need to change?
You don't need to have an extraordinary spiritual experience every time you participate in something religious.
Some days you'll be tired.
Some prayers will feel ordinary.
Some scripture studies will be difficult.
And that's okay.
But over time, the question is worth asking:
Are these experiences helping me become more like Jesus Christ?
I sometimes think about the difference between going through the motions and allowing the motions to go through us.
You can go through the temple.
But is the temple going through you?
You can go through the scriptures.
But are the scriptures getting through to you?
You can participate in the sacrament every week.
But is the sacrament helping you remember Jesus Christ and draw closer to Him?
Those are worth considering.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught that the gospel is ultimately concerned with what we become, not merely a list of religious activities we complete.
And that brings us back to Jeremiah.
The Lord didn't simply want His people to carry His law around with them.
He wanted it written in their hearts.
But how does that happen?
King Benjamin's people gave us the answer.
“The Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent” had worked the change in them (Mosiah 5:2).
It was the Lord's power.
And notice what they wanted to do next.
They desired to enter into a covenant with God and obey His commandments (Mosiah 5:5).
Their experience with the Spirit drew them toward a deeper covenant relationship with Him.
That's one reason our covenants matter so much.
And it's one reason we return to the sacrament every week.
We promise to remember Jesus Christ and keep His commandments, and we receive the promise that we may always have His Spirit to be with us (Moroni 4:3).
The Holy Ghost can gradually change what we love.
How we think.
How we treat people.
What we want.
Who we're becoming.
And sometimes that change is almost impossible to recognize until we look back and realize we're no longer quite the same person we once were.
There's a wonderful statement from President Ezra Taft Benson:
“When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed.”
That's the beautiful promise of Jeremiah 31.
Jesus Christ can do more than help you behave differently.
He can help you become different.
And that kind of change begins in the heart.
Scripture
“I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”
—Jeremiah 31:33
“Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding.”
—Mosiah 12:27
“They are not written in your hearts.”
—Mosiah 13:11
“The Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent… has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts.”
—Mosiah 5:2
“Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?”
—Alma 5:14
Reflection
What's the difference between knowing about Jesus Christ and really coming to know Him?
Are there any gospel habits in your life that have become so routine that you've stopped thinking about their purpose?
When have you felt the Holy Ghost change the way you felt about something?
How can you tell when your heart is becoming more like the Savior's?
Is there anything you know is right but haven't yet allowed to change your behavior?
If someone could see your private choices and desires, what would those things tell them about what's written in your heart?
Today's Challenge
Alma once asked his people a series of questions designed to help them examine their spiritual lives.
One of those questions was:
“Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?”
—Alma 5:14
A little later he asked:
“Can ye feel so now?”
—Alma 5:26
Today, read Alma 5:14–26.
Imagine you're having a personal interview with yourself.
Choose three questions that make you stop and think.
Write them down.
Then take a few minutes to answer them honestly.
You don't need to share your answers with anyone.
Just you and the Lord.
Consider making time to revisit those questions each Sunday.
And this week, as you participate in prayer, scripture study, or the sacrament, try asking:
“Heavenly Father, what are You trying to change in my heart through this experience?”
Then give Him room to answer.
Christ-Centered Thought
One of the greatest miracles Jesus Christ performs is something you cannot always see.
He changes human hearts.
Think about Peter.
The man who once denied knowing Jesus Christ would eventually stand before others and testify boldly of His Resurrection (Luke 22:54–62; Acts 2:14–36).
Think about Alma the Younger.
The young man who once fought against the Church became someone who devoted his life to bringing others to Christ (Mosiah 27:8–32; Alma 36:17–24).
Think about King Benjamin's people.
Through the Spirit, they experienced new desires and made a covenant to follow God.
The Savior didn't simply give these people better information.
He helped them become new people.
And He can do the same with you.
Maybe there's something in your heart that needs changing.
A habit.
An attitude.
A resentment.
A desire.
Something you've been reluctant to surrender.
You don't have to manufacture an entirely new heart by yourself.
Come to Jesus Christ.
Let His words reach you.
Seek His Spirit.
Keep turning toward Him through your covenants.
And remember His promise:
“I will… write it in their hearts.”
The gospel is meant to change you.
And through Jesus Christ, it can.
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