Conversion

Mr. Arsenault was my high school algebra teacher.  He was also Retired Special Forces, although he was nothing like they are portrayed in movies.  He was average height, gentle, and soft spoken.  What I remember most about him was his patience.  He would shake his head at me in my confusion and say, "Conversion, conversion, conversion.  It makes life better."  This simple reminder helped me see the first steps to any problem I was faced with, and once I could get started, I could find the answer.  I have often thought of Mr. Arsenault and wondered if he knew just how true his words really were.

Readings for this week included an address by Dallin H. Oaks from the October 2000 General Conference titled “The Challenge to Become.”  In this address, Oaks discusses what it means to truly be converted.  He explains conversion as being more than the ability to simply testify of eternal truths, but it is becoming the person these truths make us into.

We are not simply adding up our good choices against our poor ones and hoping the good side has the best score.  We are changing our inner self to be more, to be exalted, to be eternal.  He taught two ways we can know if we are progressing with our conversion to an eternal self by noting two specific areas.  One is if we are losing our desire to do evil, and the other is if we can see ourselves as He sees us.  We become this way through “a steady succession of covenants, ordinances and actions and an accumulation of righteous choices and continuing repentance.”   It is following these steps and practicing them until they become perfect in us that brings our heart to an attitude similar to Heavenly Father and similar to our Savior.  His example has shown us the way and as we change or convert our natural selves to be like Him, true conversion takes place within our hearts.