Put Off the Natural Man

“You do change human nature, your own human nature, if you surrender it to Christ. Human nature can be changed here and now. Human nature has been changed in the past. Human nature must be changed on an enormous scale in the future, unless the world is to be drowned in its own blood. And only Christ can change it.”

                                    -President Ezra Taft Benson

This semester we have studied the book, Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage, by H. Wallace Goddard. I think the central theme in this book is overcoming the natural man through the atonement of Jesus Christ and that when we do that our marriages become like God intended. In Mosiah 3:19 we read, 

“For 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, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

This scripture has meant a whole lot more to me since becoming a wife and a mother than it did in my youth. Too often, I act as the natural man does. I lose my patience, complain, think my way is the best way, and judge others harshly. I have come to notice a difference in my life when I can let the natural man go. I don’t always do it, I fall short much too often. But, those times when I call upon the power of the atonement and turn my life over to Heavenly Father and I do all the things that are listed in that verse of scripture I notice how I become closer to my Heavenly Father. I become more of who He wants me to be. When I do this, put off the natural man, my relationships with others thrive, especially with my husband. I have come to know that what President Benson teaches in the above quote is true. Every time I find myself frustrated with my husband, children, or someone else and focus on changing my attitude or behavior instead of trying in vain to change theirs I notice that I have more peace and love in my heart. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. I let the natural man lead in my life too often. It is something I am working on and will most likely always be working on. But, the atonement of Jesus Christ gives me hope. At the end of his book, Goddard shares a scripture with us that I have always loved. It’s Moroni 10:32, it reads,

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.”

I truly believe that as I come unto Christ, He will change me. He will take my imperfections and make me whole. And because of Him, my marriage can be as God intended and can last forever. I am so grateful for that.