--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Wootton, A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 2 number: 7 published: 1899-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Wootton, A., "The Necessity of a Change of Heart," *Improvement Era* 2, no. 7 (May 1899): 527–528.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera27unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera27unse start_page: 527 end_page: 528 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera27unse publication_year: 1899 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1899, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Necessity of a Change of Heart THE NECESSITY OF A CHANGE OF HEART. BY A. WOOTTON. It seems difficult for many who embrace the Gospel in these -days to overcome the traditions under which they and their forefathers have been schooled for so many generations, but in order to fully understand the Gospel in its purity, it is necessary that men should cast all former ideas of religion aside and begin again to learn as little children, because we have the words of the Savior that "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little •child, he shall not enter therein." The conditions that prevail today are very similar to those that prevailed in the days of Christ and the apostles; in those former days men had been so imbued with false ideas that it required a superhuman effort to divest their minds of the false doctrines and traditions that had prevailed for hundreds of years. No wonder the Savior said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." St. Paul was under the necessity of frequently admonishing the Saints in his day of the great change of heart and course of life that was expected of them. He says "Even we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6: 4.). Then again he said, "Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds;and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3: 9, 10.). Then again to the Ephesians: "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 528 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4: 22-24.). This putting off the old man with all his preconceived ideas is necessary that men may become as little children and therefore fit subjects for the kingdom of God. Under no other conditions can the minds of men be sufficiently pure to be taught as little children the pure principles of the Gospel as taught by Jesus Christ and his apostles in days of old, and as revealed again in this last dispensation. If men will so prepare themselves the Holy Ghost will be their constant companion and will guide them into all truth, that they may not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ nor in the * things pertaining to their own eternal welfare.