There are many scriptures that indicate that being born again is a requirement for salvation. For example:
Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness. (Alma 7:14)
Why is this experience essential? Like everything else God commands, it is not an arbitrary requirement. There is an absolute limit in the growth a person can experience without the Holy Ghost, and the only way to receive the Holy Ghost is through being born again:
For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32:5)
And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. (2 Nephi 31:12)
Though the difference is impossible to comprehend without experiencing it, understand that human understanding augmented and actuated by God’s influence is incomprehensibly better than the natural understanding. As Jesus said, it is necessary for a person to be born again to “see” and to “enter into” the kingdom of God:
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3)
To “see the kingdom of God” is to perceive and understand more of God’s will. The natural man cannot see or understand what the bornagain son or daughter of God can.
25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. (Mosiah 27)
To “enter into the kingdom of God” is to take a position in the kingdom with respect to other people—to serve those with less understanding of God than you have and to receive service from those with more understanding than you. This is beyond the scope of this book, but will be discussed in a future book dealing with the ministry of men in God’s kingdom.