Ponderize Oct 18-24 Alma 13:12

12. Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were may, exceedingly great may, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

After a High Councilman spoke in church today, I decided I needed to further ponder the topic he spoke about and find a scripture to correlate. Bro. Keyes shared the story of Christ telling Nicodemus that "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." John 3:3
He shared that many people in the world experience this change to become a disciple or follower of Christ and can "see" his kingdom, desire to be there and strive for it.
Christ then says, "Except a man be born of water & of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." John 3:5
The properly authorized priesthood covenant and ordinance of baptism & reception of the Holy Ghost is the key to the entrance of the Kingdom of Heaven. We must be baptized and given the 'gift' of the Holy Ghost to be able to 'enter' into the Kingdom of Heaven, not just 'see' it.
This was a very thought provoking idea for me. I had not seen these scriptures in this way before. So I began to study about what being born of the Spirit consisted of and why it's so important.

Here is a quote from Elder Bednar that I loved…

"We are commanded and instructed to so live that our fallen nature is changed through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. President Marion G. Romney taught that baptism of fire by the Holy Ghost "converts [us] from carnality to spirituality. It cleanses, heals, and purifies the soul….Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance and water baptism are all preliminary and prerequisite to it, but [the baptism of fire] is the consummation. To receive [this baptism of fire] is to have one's garments washed in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ."           Romney 1977-quoted by David A Bednar Oct 2007

This talk by Elder Bednar is a fabulous talk to study. It's on my to-do list!

Another quote I found in the Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual:

"To be 'born again' is to be quickened by the Spirit and receive a change of heart.."

• it begins at baptism and is complete when we receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost
• it is a continual process 

It seems that we usually think of sanctification in tandem with justification. That is a term I have not fully understood. So I also did some reading up on it.
Some quotes/ideas from the Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual:

"Justification is being forgiven by the Lord and set upon the path of righteousness."

• being born again justifies us - puts us on path to sanctification
• comes through faith in Christ and individual righteousness
• all pertinent ordinances must be entered into in righteousness & be justified and sealed by Holy Spirit of Promise.  

To help me understand justification a bit better I like to think of it like this: It's like being 'in line' with God's laws (which constitute justice) and His will. Like words on a page are left, center or right justified and are lined up a certain way, Justification puts us 'in line' and on the path to sanctification.

Sanctification is defined as : 'a state of saintliness and purity'-Doctrines of the Gospel Student manual

• we are commanded to become sanctified (D&C 43;9,11,16; 88:68; 133:4; 39;18
• is to become holy and without sin
• to obtain eternal life in the presence of God, one must be sanctified
• attainable because of the Atonement, ONLY IF we OBEY His commandments
• Comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Alma 13:12, 3 Nephi 27:20, 1 Peter 1:2)

Another quote I liked:

"Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, by which he who is justified is enabled to keep the commandments of God and grow in holiness."      Hyrum M. Smith, Janne M. Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary 1975-quoted by Elder Loren C. Dunn in June 1995 Ensign

So from all this I gathered that we must be 'born again' and become justified or set on the correct path. As we obey and live righteously we become sanctified through the companionship and guidance of the Holy Ghost(born of the Spirit, by fire), and we, through a continual process, become pure and clean and holy.
To be truly converted I have to experience that change in my heart…a mighty change that creates in me an abhorrence of sin, no more disposition to do evil.
Where am I today?…
What is my disposition to do evil?…
Do I abhor sin?….
Baptism by fire(Spirit) is more than just a cleansing by the Holy Spirit. It is a change, the making of a new person, an impetus to ACT, to convert or change… from carnal to spiritual.

I'm sure this is just scratching the surface, but isn't it fabulous that we can continue to learn and gain new insight, wisdom and understanding?