This week I found myself in the font room of the baptistry of the temple, squeegeeing water off the floors and handing out towels to those who had participated in offering the ordinance of baptism to those on the other side of the veil.  When I first arrived in the room, a young man who was small in stature was performing baptisms with the authority of Jesus Christ.  Several of those he baptized were much larger than he was but he persevered with a smile.  Two friends came in and asked if they could baptize each other.  The first to perform the ordinance spoke with an impediment and carefully uttered the words of the ordinance. Then he and his friend switched places and his friend continued to serve baptizing several others.  The baptistry coordinator helped a young man in a wheelchair maneuver his chair so he could serve as a witness to the baptisms taking place and then brought paper towels to wipe away any hair that had accumulated around the drains. There were men and women, young and old.  Some came with family, some came with friends and some came alone.    

Though we often create a hierarchy of importance in our minds, the Lord’s measurements and purposes are different.   “For the Lord seeth not as man seeth;…the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)  Regardless of our roles, abilities, or limitations,  we were all in the same room, engaged in the same work and He poured His Spirit out on each of us.  In the process, He was changing our hearts, our minds and our souls with the power of His Spirit.

As we seek to draw near to the Savior and bind ourselves to Him, it will not be a list of accomplishments that bring us there, it will be the refining influence of His Spirit.  “As the Holy Ghost exerts a greater influence in our lives, we progressively and iteratively develop Christlike attributes. Our hearts change. Our disposition to do evil diminishes. Our inclination to do good increases until we only want to ‘do good continually.’ And we thereby access the heavenly power needed to endure to the end. Our faith has increased, and we are ready to repeat the powerful, virtuous cycle again.” (Elder Renlund, April 2024)  

Bit by bit, cycle by cycle, He changes our hearts, He changes us until we are like Him.