Being Born of God

In his youth, Alma the Younger was converted in a much more dramatic than almost any I've ever heard. Upon his emotional repentance, he declares that he is "born of God." In fact, he uses that phrase four times in his account of his conversion in Alma 36, again in Alma 38, and Mosiah wrote about Alma being born of God in Mosiah 27.

If you are unfamiliar with Alma's story, here is a very brief summary (or you can click on the first hyperlink above for a sweet video clip on it!): Alma had at one time gone "about secretly... to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God" (Mosiah 27:10). Yet when he was made aware of the consequences of his action, he went through "inexpressible horror" (Alma 36:14), until he remembered his Savior and felt "joy as exceeding as was [his] pain" (Alma 36:20).

Now in the LDS Church, the phrase "born of God" is much less frequent than in many other Christian faiths, but clearly no less important based on its repetitions in Alma's account. Remember, four times he used the phrase in one chapter when teaching his son about becoming converted and forgiven.

So, what does it mean?

Alma defines it very well by asking us in Alma 5:14-16:

"Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith? ... I say unto you, can you imagine yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?"

How about that!? Being born of God means we can literally imagine ourselves facing our Creator comfortably, knowing that we will be welcome into His kingdom. Imagine the peace that Alma must have felt because of his conversion!

But now here is the real kicker: Alma, like I said, used the phrase "born of God" four times in Alma 36. But, only two of these actually referred to himself.

After he had felt a peace that he described, saying, "there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy," he immediately wanted to help other people be born of God. In verse 24, he says he "labored without ceasing... that they might also be born of God." In verse 26, he celebrates that "many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted."

See, when we are born of God, when we truly know that we are on the path to living again with our Heavenly Father, there is nothing we would rather do than help others feel our same joy.

President Howard W. Hunter echoed this, saying, "Any time we experience
the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the
welfare of others. . . . A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share
the gospel with others."

So, let us all work to become as converted as Alma, that we may feel that joy and excitement, and that we can continue building up the Kingdom of God!