Converted is not a past participle

Sometimes scripture study can be depressing if you don't dig and think deeply enough. It happened to me recently while reading the book Alma in the Book of Mormon. Alma often talks about a people who repent of their past sins, are baptized, and then endure to the end. You often hear these three elements mentioned in Sunday school. Great, we have all experienced that as members. But what about not persevering and stumbling back after the initial conversion? Are you lost then? Sometimes it seems that way when it follows the Book of Mormon literally.

Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth and the correct interpretation can be achieved by a simple trick in your head while you read. Whenever it says “has repented,” replace it with “has begun his continued conversion.” After all, conversion and perseverance are one whole. It is not first converting and then persevering, no, it is persevering in converting. It is a process that begins and is symbolized by baptism. But the conversion process should not stop. You have to keep doing that again and again.

That is why it is so important to partake of the sacrament. It's easy to say that taking the sacrament helps us remember our baptismal vows, but I see it more broadly. It is also repeating baptism, provided you repent again and again. That conversion is actually a condition for being able to partake of the Lord's Supper worthily.

Elder Bednar already mentioned this in his speech “Converted to the Lord” from general conference in October 2012:

Conversion for most of us is an ongoing process, not a one-time event resulting from an impressive or spectacular experience. Line upon line and precept upon precept, our motives, thoughts, words, and actions are gradually and almost imperceptibly brought into conformity with the will of God. Conversion to the Lord requires both endurance and patience.

I think that the most beautiful lesson in particular is a wonderful lesson: conversion requires perseverance and patience. I have already experienced that too. Sometimes the hardest thing is to feel the forgiveness that comes with Christ's infinite atonement. We do know that we have the promise that when we turn to Him, the Father will forget our debts and our garments, though they were scarlet, will be washed white again. And yet we don't always feel that. Sometimes that is a sign that our conversion is not yet complete.

Repentance ideally leads to a change of heart so that we are no longer tempted to repeat the sin. But that doesn't just happen. Our hearts can be quite stubborn. Therefore, conversion is sometimes a process that takes time. Even so long as we repeat the same sin again, we feel even worse, even further from Christ. And then we have to persevere because sometimes we just need that pain to really bring about a change of heart.

At those moments we have to be very careful because that is when Satan strikes by whispering to you that you are the prodigal son, not worthy to return. “This time you have gone too far. This sin again, no, this is one time too many,” are words that the opponent has already spoken an infinite number of times. However, let me contrast this with the truth as expressed by Elder Holland:

But no matter how much you think you have fallen behind, how many opportunities you think you have missed, how many mistakes you think you have made, or how much you think you lack talent, or how far you think you are from home and family and God, I testify to you that you are not beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to crawl further into darkness than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement can shine.

Remember this when in your conversion process you think there is no point in persevering. There is always light at the end of the tunnel that points to Christ. Conversion is a process, not an event. Sometimes this is a short process, sometimes it takes more time. But it is never pointless. Take it step by step and be patient. Christ is too.