“A New Heart Also Will I Give You”
Ezekiel 36:24–29
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:
“If there is one recurring theme in all the prophecies relative to the gathering of Israel, it is that the new Israel will have a new heart and a new spirit and will keep the commandments; it is that they will receive the everlasting covenant, becoming thus the Lord’s people, He being also their God; it is that they will be saved with an everlasting salvation because they become again as their ancient fathers once were. ‘I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land,’ saith the Lord. After gathered Israel has come where the temple of God is, ‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.’ Those with understanding will know the meaning of this. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleanness’ (Ezekiel 36:24–29).
“What greater blessings could there be than these? In the true sense they embrace all things. The Lord be praised for the gathering of His people!”
(A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 553.)
