It is a joy to be here this afternoon, because it is always a joy to speak of the peaceable things of the kingdom,[1] to gather here in this remarkable center and share in spiritual witness of divine truths. I know that many of you have come having invested effort to study the scripture passages online. Others have come with a prayer in your heart and intent both to hear and to hearken (they are different) to the words the Holy Ghost will speak to your heart. My intent is to honor that preparation and allow the Holy Ghost to speak through my words the thing that you and I will need most. I pray that the Spirit will open our hearts to receive that message, which I am fully aware may not include my words. This university has been rightly labeled a disciple preparation center. Elder David A. Bednar assigned that designation when the ground was broken for this very building.[2] You and I are both here to practice becoming better disciples of Jesus Christ. We gather weekly at devotional so that we may incrementally and systematically add to our testimony and ability to learn of the Lord, to exercise faith in Him and His atonement. Most of us will need that strengthening influence sooner rather than later. It is therefore critical that we gather often to help strengthen one another. At the beginning of the semester, it is easy to imagine that our time of testing will come much later, when we have studied and prepared and become as competent as we can be after long exposure to the specified curriculum. You know as well as I that these are artificial constructs. God's eternal curriculum does not demand that we pass some summative assessment all at once. The purpose of this life is not to cram for a great cosmic final. Instead, prophets have declared that our progress through the journey of life is intentionally formative: line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.[3] That too, is why we are gathered here today, because we want to be a little better than we were yesterday.
I want to speak of an aspect of that process a little today. I will do so using the context of one opportunity that has become a formative experience in my life. It is not the most pivotal experience, but as I suggested, it has added here a little, there a little. It will serve as a suitable model for our inquiry today and may be of interest to you.
In 2012, after a series of auditions, I was selected to participate in the production of the Life Of Jesus Christ Bible Video Series produced by the Church. I played the role of Nicodemus and appeared in three short segments of that significant body of work. The longest of these segments illustrates the nighttime visit of Nicodemus to the Savior, which will provide the context for the majority of our discussion.
John records this intimate interview in chapter 3:
- There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
- The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
- Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
- Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
- That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
- Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
- The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
- Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?[4]
For some reason, now lost to time, Nicodemus came to the Savior at night. The biblical record seems to imply that Nicodemus came alone, and thus he had a rare occasion to speak face to face with the Lord. Many have speculated that because he was "of the Pharisees" and a "leader of the Jews" his visit involved great personal risk. Whether Nicodemus came of his own volition, or at the admonition of others, the Lord perceived this interaction as an opportunity to share some of the most profound and deeply personal details of his ministry with this man. Thankfully someone recorded it, because I feel a great privilege to have been involved in a portrayal of what I feel is the central theme of the New Testament. For in this scene Jesus teaches Nicodemus that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He taught that the son came into the world, not in condemnation of the world, but rather "that the world through him might be saved."
Important to our discussion, he taught Nicodemus that we must be born again if we wish to return to live with God. These marvelous teachings caused Nicodemus to wonder, "How can these things be?"
It's a great and potent question. One that each of us much honestly consider as we seek spiritual rebirth. Like most of you I have been blessed by the covenant of baptism. The birth by water is already in the past for you and for me. But the rebirth of spirit is an ongoing journey whose fruition surely lies somewhere in the future. Regarding spiritual rebirth, with Nicodemus, I honestly wonder, "How can these things be?"
As an actor, as I pondered over why Nicodemus visited the Savior at night, I thought that there were more possibilities dramatically if Nicodemus came with courage and with the potential for change, rather than as some speculate, so that he wouldn't be seen. So I decided to add a layer of courage. I mean courage distinguished from bravery. Sure there was great personal risk for Nicodemus, but there was substantial spiritual risk as well. Some of you may be aware of the etymology of the word "courage." It comes to English via French and has Latin roots. In its basic sense it reflects the "true story" of one's " heart." So courage isn't really about bravery so much as honesty. The scriptures use other terms to reflect this type of courage: "acting no hypocrisy," with "real intent,"[5] with "full purpose of heart,"[6] with "sincerity"[7]or "without guile."[8] The Savior introduced another aspect of this honest heart: He declared, "... And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 9:20). It is not only that we have honesty in our heart, but that heart must also be broken, supple, and receptive. It requires that we make not a physical, but a spiritual change. But how can these things be?
As humans we typically perceive change as a threat rather than an opportunity. All of us are carnal, or mortal, because of the fall of Adam and Eve. It is our human nature to be influenced by the passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather than by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Such a person can comprehend physical things but not spiritual things. Every person must be born again through the atonement of Jesus Christ in order to interrupt this natural tendency. For as King Benjamin taught, "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord" (Mosiah 3:19). King Benjamin adds his voice—We must be changed from one state to another, but "how can these things be?"
The journey to discovering the answer to the question, "how can these things be?" seems to begin with a broken heart and a contrite spirit: A state we might describe as spiritual vulnerability. Such vulnerability is necessarily difficult to accept. Most of us view vulnerability as an undesirable state. The natural man desires to control every aspect of his environment as much as possible. Indeed it is expressly against our human nature to seek out situations of vulnerability.
Recall Adam's comment in the Garden of Eden: "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."(Gen. 3:10) Nakedness is used repeatedly in the scriptures as a symbol of vulnerability. In recognizing their nakedness, Adam and Eve simultaneously acknowledged their spiritual vulnerability: their need for help. It is perfectly natural to be afraid of vulnerability. One of the most common nightmares involves us showing up to a public event without any clothes on. Right? So our subconscious brain is worried about this too. And yet the scriptures reveal that this is a critical state for us to arrive at. Like Adam and Eve, we must acknowledge our naked vulnerability before God: our need for the Atonement in our lives.[9] The opposite of spiritual vulnerability is spiritual numbness. The natural man resists the embarrassing emotional toll of repenting of his sins and receiving grace; it seems like weakness or foolishness[10] to him. He attempts to numb his soul from debilitating embarrassment, shame and the suffering of wrongful doing by retreating from the light of the gospel. But human beings can't numb emotions selectively. Retreating from the sorrows of weakness and hardship functions like a general anesthetic; when we try to anesthetize one emotion we end up dulling them all. This is one tragic outcome from covering our sins.[11] We may temporarily rid ourselves of discomfort, but we also become jaded and numb to our worth, love, gratitude and belonging. The natural man feels that perhaps he must be fully converted before he can embrace a truth, make a covenant or serve someone. He may feel that it is hypocritical to practice a principle that he does not fully understand or cannot fully live yet. He fears judgment or ridicule or rejection when expressing shortcomings and faults. This why the natural man is an enemy to God, because he is reluctant to repent and spends time being only casually rather than anxiously engaged in his spiritual rebirth. The scriptures are filled with numerous examples of individuals who felt the same way, and they may not be whom you expect.
- In her vulnerability, Mary worried about the "low estate of [a] handmaiden" (Luke 1:48) when the angel told her of her divine role as the earthly mother of Jesus.
- Enoch feared the wrath of the people as he was called to preach, noting, "[I] am but a lad, and all the people hate me" (Moses 6:31).
- The Prophet Joseph confessed that after his first vision, he "fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature...offensive in the sight of God" (JSH 1:28).
Just like these individuals, we may fear that spiritual vulnerability will expose our inadequacy, or expose us to fear and contempt, pain and worry. But in a divine paradox, spiritual vulnerability is actually the seed of joy, of creativity, of connectivity with others, of forgiveness and belonging and of divine worth and love. These feelings come as enticings of the Holy Spirit. The enticings of the Holy Spirit must have been convincing for Mary. In spite of her insecurities, Mary humbly offered, "behold the handmaid of the Lord," and later acknowledged that, "henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name."
The enticement of the Holy Ghost gave Enoch confidence to declare God's will to the people. Instead of hating him, they flocked to hear him.
And the Holy Spirit surely comforted young Joseph's spirit when he received the assurance that, "God had a work for [him] to do". In each of these situations, the humble overcame the fear of spiritual vulnerability yielded to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. The outcome of their spiritual vulnerability was not scorn or judgment, for as Nicodemus learned, "God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world." Spiritual vulnerability is not weakness but rather connects us with the Atonement of Christ that "the world through him might be saved." The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life.Spiritual vulnerability is at the very root of our ability to yield to the "enticings of the Holy Spirit." This puts us well on our way to a spiritual rebirth. Like Nicodemus, there are great personal risks for you and me when we fully commit to a spiritual rebirth. And there are great spiritual fruits in store when you and I put off the natural man and yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.[12] As the savior taught, that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is sprit....
There are distinct fruits of spiritual vulnerability. These may include:
- Increased gratitude
- Confidence[13] that leads to whole-hearted obedience and service
- Increased desire to willfully repent
- Increased empathy and charity for others.
- An increased wonder in the Atonement of Christ.
How can these things be in your life and mine? I will suggest a few things we could do today to increase our spiritual vulnerability.
1. Commune with God with real intent.
We need regular communion with God by studying his word and communicating in prayer. We need to go often to the house of the lord to worship and ponder his word. We can serve him and his children through missionary work and temple and family history work and other acts of honest service and compassion. The more frequent our communication with Him, and importantly His communication with us, the more apt we are to perceive and to receive his will. The reason these "Sunday School answers" are so critical to our souls is simply because they allow us to feel the Holy Spirit and tap into the refining grace of the Atonement. As Alma taught, these experiences will cause our, "souls [to] expand." (Alma 5:9) When we pray with real intent, we acknowledge that we are not only desirous of an answer to the prayer, but also willing to act on the received answer. This requires that we follow the Savior's perfect example and in spiritual vulnerability learn to relinquish our own will that His might be done.[14]
We also commune with Him by regularly partaking of the sacrament to refresh our baptismal and other covenants and allow them to refresh us. If you have not felt the sweet refreshment of the sacrament recently, may I suggest this simple effort to increase your spiritual vulnerability during that ordinance? As you listen to the priesthood brother utter the prayer this Sunday, in your mind try substituting the third person pronouns "they" and "them" with first person pronouns "I" and "me" and "my." Your heartfelt prayer may sound something like this: "O God, the Eternal Father, [I] ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to [my soul] [as I] drink of it, that [I] may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for [me]; that [I] may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that [I] do always remember him, that [I] may have his Spirit to be with [me]."[15] Such a heartfelt prayer might make you more susceptible to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. Let this and other ordinances lead you to spiritual rebirth.
2. Be fully present.
We cannot serve others, as God would have us do,[16] unless we allow them into our hearts and have compassion on them. It is difficult to be fully vulnerable and susceptible to the Holy Ghost if we are not fully present in the current moment. There is something we can do. We can cultivate the desire to set aside distractions while we seek His influence. Plan specific time in your day to commune fully with Heavenly Father, free from electronic or social distraction. Try to be fully present in class and in conversation with family and friends. Constantly glancing at your screen will disconnect the subtle feelings of compassion and respect for others. Speeding through the day on autopilot will earn you only oblivion to the needs of those around you.
Furthermore, when we rush through our worship, we leave no time to measure its impact on us. We may find ourselves in that woeful state that Elder Wilford W. Anderson described in General Conference where we "learn the dance steps without learning to hear and to feel the beautiful music of the gospel."[17] Be fully present in the current moment, and you will be surprised at how full moments can be.
3. Have courage to be imperfect.
Let go of a need to present yourself as who you think you should be, and focus on who you really are trying to become. Having courage to be imperfect means that it's okay to ask for help. We embrace vulnerability when we graciously accept our imperfection and weakness and receive help from neighbors and friends, from family members and ward members, and from the Lord's authorized servants. Whether they bring us cupcakes or invitations to repent, we can welcome them with a broken, receptive heart and a contrite spirit. Vulnerability embraces the inevitability of imperfection.
Until we own our weaknesses, they can never become strengths. Have compassion to treat yourself and others with kindness and worth. Honestly do what you can and rely consistently on the merits of Jesus. Remember, His grace is sufficient for all who will humble themselves. Elder Bruce C Hafen wrote,
"Mercy and repentance are rehabilitative, not retributive. The Savior asks us to repent not just to repay him for paying our debt to justice, but also to induce us to undergo the personal development that will purify our very nature. The "natural man" will remain an enemy to God forever—even after paying for his own sins—unless he also "becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord." (Mosiah 3:19.)[18]
Spiritual vulnerability prompts us to repent willfully and often. Because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite in its scope, reach and compassion,[19] we can cast aside any doubt that the depth of our sin or the breadth of our separation from God makes it impossible to return to Him. We can return; we can be forgiven. We can recapture the joy and hope lost through willful or unintentional disobedience or negligence. How can these things be? By yielding to the "enticings of the Holy Spirit" and becoming "a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord." As Moroni wrote, "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him...his grace [is] sufficient for you" (Moroni 10:32). We must confess that we are imperfect and that we will accept His divine help so that we may become a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord."
The Lord taught early Latter-day Saints in D&C 97:
"Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.
For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit" (D&C 97:8, 9).
That sounds like a delightful rebirth to me. And it reemphasizes the important tenet that Jesus taught to Nicodemus, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. There is much personal work that you and I must do to answer Nicodemus' question, "How can these things be?" We will do so incrementally, line upon line. We can begin today. Each of us can ask Heavenly Father today for strength to become more spiritually vulnerable. We can ask how He would have each of us be reborn for this day. Pray with real intent and I promise he will answer that prayer.
The truths expressed in that short interview in Jerusalem 2000 years ago are still true. God still "so love[s] the world" He loves you and he loves me, because he is our Father. He wants us to return to Him so much "that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." May we find the path to spiritual rebirth and vulnerability through Him that we may obtain this promise, I earnestly pray in the name of him who died that we might be born again, even Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] D&C 39:6, also 42:61
[2] David A. Bednar. "The Spirit and Purposes of Gathering," 31 Oct 2006 -BYU-Idaho Devotional.http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2006_10_31_Bednar.htm
[3] Isaiah 28:10
[4] John 3
[5] 2 Nephi 31:13 e.g
[6] Mosiah 7:33
[7] Ephesians 6:24 e.g
[8] D&C 121:42
[9] Moses 5:10-12
[10] 1 Corinthians 2:14
[11] D&C 121:37
[12] Galatians 5:22, e.g.
[13] D&C121:45-46
[14] Matthew 26:39-42, e.g.
[15] D&C 20:77,79, also Moroni 4, 5
[16] Mosiah 2:17
[17] https://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2015/04/the-music-of-the-gospel?lang=eng&clang=eng
[18] Bruce C. Hafen. "Beauty for Ashes: The Atonement of Jesus Christ," Ensign. April, 1990
[19] Alma 7:11-13, see also Ted R. Callister. The Infinite Atonement. 2000