As a new convert, you may be very focused on how others are helping you. Have you ever wondered how you are helping others?
Sometimes, those of us who have been in the church a long time start to take it that we forget how amazing they really are. We’re so used to having the spirit with us we forget what it was like before we had it. The gospel becomes comfortable and ordinary and we are no longer as in awe of it as we might once have been.
And then a new convert comes into our life. Everything is either confusing or wonderful. The convert is experiencing the overpowering feeling of having the spirit with him every day, the excitement of a new kind of relationship with God, and the fun of being part of a large, new family.
Those of us who have the privilege of having a friend join the church are reminded of how wonderful the gospel is. We get to watch as the investigator learns new truths for the very first time and works to gain a testimony. As we see the process she goes through, and perhaps even help her with it, we are reminded of how important and wonderful our testimony is and perhaps make a special effort to strengthen it. As we share our testimony with the investigator, ours grows.
There is nothing quite like watching a new convert come up out of the water after baptism. The glow on the face, and the peace we can see in them reminds us that we were there once—for a brief time, we too were perfect. We’re reminded of the covenants we made and how powerful a testimony can be when you’re completely aware of it.
As we help a new member through the complicated first year of membership, we become aware of what is different about our church, and of all the different ways it affects who we are and how we live. We see the new members working so hard to settle in and become familiar with everything and we work a little harder, too.
It’s fun to help a new investigator become a new member and a new member become an old member. It’s uplifting, exciting and rewarding, and our lives are never quite the same after we have the privilege.
That’s one reason we’re so glad you’re here!
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
