From Robert L. Millet’s book ‘The Holy Spirit’ we read:
. . . . From Belief to Knowledge
The Book of Mormon is filled with actual historical instances—experiences of real people in real time—that symbolize universal spiritual truths and focus on what each of us must do be snatched, spared, sanctified, and saved. Occasionally we must sacrifice our worldly goods as did Lehi, be bold at difficult times as did Nephi, encounter anti-Christs as did Jacob, pray with great intensity as did Enos, and be born again as were Alma and the sons of Mosiah. First of all, the “dark veil of unbelief” must be cast away (Alma 19:6). Notice that one of the first things Nephi tells us about himself is that he had great desires to know the mysteries of God—those things that can only be known by the power of the Holy Ghost. “I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father: wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers” (1 Nephi 2:16; emphasis added).
The visitation of the Spirit leads to a softening of the heart, a malleability, a tenderness, an openness to the ways of the Master. One would suppose that Nephi’s heart was soft before this experience, but it would appear that the closer we get to our Heavenly Father, the more open we are to his mind and will. Nephi’s believing heart was at the foundation of his spiritual change and success; it made him what he was.
A believing heart is something for which a person should be deeply grateful. It is less and less common in today’s world. Many in our day are like the rising generation who lived many years after the time of King Benjamin. They refused to believe the righteous traditions of their fathers. “They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.” Now note these penetrating words: “And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened” (Mosiah 26:1-3, emphasis added) There are some things that a skeptic will never make sense of. There are many things that a doubter, a naysayer, will never understand. Hardened hearts must be softened and, often, broken, before spiritual progress can be made. The things that really matter in this life can only be understood and appreciated by the power of the Holy Spirit. That comes about through a rebirth of the soul. ~Robert L. Millet, The Holy Spirit (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), 218-19
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