“In addition to the physical ordinance of baptism and the laying on of hands, one must be spiritually born again to gain exaltation and eternal life” (“Born of God,” Ensign,July 1989, 2–4).
“We begin the process of being born again through exercising faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, and being baptized by immersion for the remission of sins by one having priesthood authority. …
“Total immersion in and saturation with the Savior’s gospel are essential steps in the process of being born again” (“Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 21).
“You may ask, Why doesn’t this mighty change happen more quickly with me? … For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality.
“At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy” (“Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 78).
“Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 95).
“Good conduct without the ordinances of the gospel will neither redeem nor exalt mankind; covenants and the ordinances are essential” (“The Only True Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 82).
In response to Nicodemus’s confusion about being born again, the Savior compared being born of the Spirit to the wind. (The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, which may also be translated as breath or wind.) Just as the wind is difficult to see, so it is difficult to see the process of being born again. We can see the effects of the wind but struggle to know when it starts and when it ends as well as where it comes from. A similar conclusion can be drawn about the process of being born again. It is difficult to see exactly when it starts or when it ends, but its effects are very visible as actions and desires change.
“This is perhaps the most famous and powerful single verse of scripture ever uttered. It summarizes the whole plan of salvation, tying together the Father, the Son, his atoning sacrifice, that belief in him which presupposes righteous works, and ultimate eternal exaltation for the faithful.
“… Similarly, our Lord ‘so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God.’ (D&C 34:3.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:144).
“There is no greater evidence of the infinite power and perfection of God’s love than is declared by the Apostle John [in John 3:16]. … Think how it must have grieved our Heavenly Father to send His Son to endure incomprehensible suffering for our sins. That is the greatest evidence of His love for each of us!” (“Love and Law,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 26).
“Every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 227).
“The effect of our words and acts is tremendous in this world. Every moment of life you are changing to a degree the lives of the whole world” (Teachings: David O. McKay, 227).