Mark L Pace | Conversion Is Our Goal | April 2022 General Conference | Faith To Act

Conversion Is Our Goal
By Mark L. Pace

Sunday School General President

There is no substitute for the time you spend in the scriptures, hearing the Holy Ghost speak directly to you.

For just over three years now, we have been on a journey together as members of the Lord’s Church. It was October 2018 when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles invited us to learn of Jesus Christ by studying the scriptures in a new and inspiring fashion, with the Come, Follow Me resource as our guide.

On any journey, it’s good to pause occasionally to assess our progress and to make sure we are still moving toward our goal.

Conversion Is Our Goal
Consider this profound statement from the introduction to Come, Follow Me:

“The aim of all gospel learning and teaching is to deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. …

“… The kind of gospel learning that strengthens our faith and leads to the miracle of conversion doesn’t happen all at once. It extends beyond a classroom into our hearts and homes. It requires consistent, daily efforts to understand and live the gospel. Gospel learning that leads to true conversion requires the influence of the Holy Ghost.”1

That is the miracle we seek—when one person has an experience in the scriptures2 and that experience is blessed by the influence of the Holy Ghost. Such experiences are precious foundation stones for our conversion to the Savior. And as President Russell M. Nelson recently reminded us, spiritual foundations must be constantly reinforced.3 Long-lasting conversion is a lifelong process.4 Conversion is our goal.

To be most effective, your experiences with the scriptures must be your own.5 Reading or hearing about another person’s experiences and insights can be helpful, but that won’t bring the same converting power. There is no substitute for the time you spend in the scriptures, hearing the Holy Ghost speak directly to you.

What Is the Holy Ghost Teaching Me?
Each week when I open my Come, Follow Me manual, I write this question at the top of the page: “What is the Holy Ghost teaching me this week as I read these chapters?”

As I study the scriptures, I ponder that question over and over again. And without fail, spiritual impressions come, and I make note of them in my manual.

Now, how do I know when the Holy Ghost is teaching me? Well, it usually happens in small and simple ways. Sometimes a passage of scripture will seem to jump off the page to my attention. At other times, I feel like my mind is enlightened with a broader understanding of a gospel principle. I also feel the influence of the Holy Ghost when my wife, Anne Marie, and I talk about what we are reading. Her perspectives always invite the Spirit.

The Prophet and the Passover
This year we are studying the Old Testament—sacred scripture that fills our souls with light. While reading the Old Testament, I feel like I am spending time with trusted guides: Adam, Eve, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and so many others.

This week, while studying Exodus chapters 7–13, we learn how the Lord freed the children of Israel from centuries of captivity in Egypt. We read about nine plagues—nine impressive manifestations of God’s power—that Pharaoh witnessed without softening his heart.

Then the Lord told His prophet, Moses, about a tenth plague—and how each family in Israel could prepare for it. As part of a ritual they would call the Passover, the Israelites were to sacrifice a male lamb, one without blemish. Then they were to mark the doorframes of their homes with the blood of the lamb. The Lord promised that all the homes that were marked with the blood would be protected from the terrible plague that was about to come.

General Conference Sunday Afternoon Session April 2022

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