What is Conversion?

When you hear the word conversion what comes to mind? Do words like hard, long, and time consuming come to mind. I don't know about you, but when I think of conversion I think of my favorite story in the Book of Mormon about Alma the Younger. From Alma the Younger's stroy we come to find out what conversion is. Alma the Younger was the son of the prophet, and he went about leading people away from the church with 4 of his friends. Then one day an angel appered to him and told him to stop what he was doing and to go about doing good and seeking to build up the church. Alma was then struck dumb and for 2 days and 2 nights he lay not moving at all. After those 2 days he stood up and told the people what had happened in Mosiah 27 verses 23-26.
23 And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of ^atwo days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort:

  24 For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been ^aredeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.

  25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be ^aborn again; yea, ^bborn of God, ^cchanged from their carnal and ^dfallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his ^esons and daughters;

  26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in ^anowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Conversion includes a change in behavior, but it goes beyond behavior; it is a change in our very nature. This kind of experience doesn't happen often. Most of the time conversion is a process that happens over time. When we come to understand the atonement of Christ and truly want to help others, then we are converted just like Alma. After we have been converted we need to strive to do our best to live the way we need to, so that we can have eternal life.