Maintaining a healthy diet

     I read an article about people who have lost a considerable number of pounds, like those on the show "Biggest Loser". It's not easy to lose weight. They have to make major changes in their diet with the help of a nutritional coach, and it's essential that they do constant, strenuous exercise with the help of a physical trainer. They all manage to shed pounds admirably. However, it's most often only temporary. It's a rare person who succeeds in keeping the excess weight off. Most of the time,the people go back to their more normal way of life with poor eating habits and minimal exercise. As a result, their weight goes back up. They have only temporarily won their battle.
     Spiritual conversion is similar. Often in the face of a significant trial (loss of loved one through death or divorce, diagnosis of potentially fatal disease or serious accident, even being arrested for crimes and incarcerated), people will "find God". They often will have admitted to knowing God was always there, they just didn't acknowledge Him in their life. Sometimes people will be "born again" and enjoy the euphoria of feeling the love of God. Acknowledging the existence of God and accepting the incredible gift of the atonement of Jesus Christ is definitely an essential step in spiritual development. It's not the same as true "conversion". Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost do not bring about total conversion. To be really effective, we must "endure to the end" in our desires, actions, and thoughts to truly change our lives thereby changing our hearts. Just as the overweight must change permanently their lifestyle if they want to avoid returning to their heavy poundage, the penitent sinner must permanently change their lifestyle in order to maintain their connection with God. It's not that God turns away from anyone. He is always there, wanting us to want Him just as a loving parent may sit by the phone waiting for a call from a beloved child. No, it is we who turn from Him. We decide we enjoy Babylon too much to reach for Heaven. God wants all of His children to be happy. He will let us choose what makes us happy. If we consider obeying His commandments, even the "hard" ones, to be an unpleasant chore, He will not force us to obey. He may make an effort to get our attention occasionally but He will force no man to heaven.