The blessings of technology have allowed us to hear — more frequently and more directly — the words of the modern prophets. With some 13 million saints scattered throughout this vast earth, that's a blessing almost beyond comprehension.

Like the Nephites who gathered to hear King Benjamin speak — because of the vastness of the congregation — from a high tower, we gather often — in our homes and meetinghouses throughout the world — to hear modern prophets speak via a satellite that orbits high above our earth.

Far more important than the method of delivery, however, is the effect of the word on our hearts.

When King Benjamin asked the congregation if they believed his words, "they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2).

When the modern prophets teach, and then ask, us the same thing, we, too, must be able to testify that we have experienced that mighty change of heart. Experiencing that change requires that we do certain things. And, generally, receiving that change is not a singular event.

But we must work every day to do the things that ensure that the change is taking place.

In fact, if we are not daily filling our hearts with the things of Spirit, our minds will too easily, and, no doubt, consequently become so cluttered with the things of the world that spiritual things will find great difficulty being there.

Earlier in his address, King Benjamin taught what we must do.

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19).

Paul taught that doing those things allows the doctrine to be written in the "fleshy tables of the heart" (see 2 Corinthians 3), meaning that it has become a certain part of who we are. No longer do we just "do" the right things, but we have "become" the right person.

In an April 1997 general conference address, President Thomas S. Monson said: "The decision to change one's life and come unto Christ is, perhaps, the most important decision of mortality. Such a dramatic change is taking place daily throughout the world.

"Alma chapter 5, verse 13, describes this personal miracle: 'And behold,...a mighty change was...wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God.'

"The covenant of baptism spoken of by Alma causes all of us to probe the depths of our souls:

"'Now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light;

"'Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places....

"'Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"' (Mosiah 18:8-10).

President Monson said that most who embrace the gospel have had exposure to the Church beyond being taught by missionaries, often in the form of having been acquainted with members of the Church.

"We, as members, should be at our best. Our lives should reflect the teachings of the gospel, and our hearts and voices ever be ready to share the truth," he said.

We must have faith and believe. If we believe then, as King Benjamin taught, we should do what the Lord has asked (see Mosiah 4:10). And the Savior Himself is the perfect example of what we should do:

"...that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do" (3 Nephi 27:21); "...not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38).