In Alma's messages to Helaman and to Shiblon, he makes a striking assertion: His knowledge of the gospel is only possible because of his conversion. He had to change in order to understand: To HelamanTo Shiblon"If I had not been born of God I should …
In Alma's messages to Helaman and to Shiblon, he makes a striking assertion: His knowledge of the gospel is only possible because of his conversion. He had to change in order to understand:
To Helaman
To Shiblon
"If I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself" (Alma 36:5).
"If I had not been born of God I should not have known these things. But behold, the Lord in his great mercy sent his angel" (Alma 38:7).
In his words to Helaman, Alma further extends this principle to other people:
Because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.
This is a specific kind of knowing. It's not book learning. It's not the sort of knowledge you can gain from a Google search. It's even more than experiential learning. It's what we might call transformational learning—knowledge acquired through personal change.
We all recognize that our perception is limited. We don't see and hear everything even in our immediate surroundings. Our awareness is constrained by our ability to perceive. So it's wonderful to know that God can not only give us knowledge but can also change our nature and elevate our consciousness, rendering us more capable of understanding what He wants to teach us.
Today, I will let God change me. I will remember that my education in life is not merely a matter of acquiring knowledge. It is a matter of becoming a person who is capable of understanding sublime spiritual truths.
No comments:
Post a Comment