Welcome.

I just love the converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Many of them come to us with such fire of faith burning in their souls. Others of them are unsure just how to fulfill new responsibilities but are nonetheless eager and willing to try. Some come with no previous faith and some come to us with lots of former faith experience.

I love them.

Every one.

They are the life blood of this church.

Fifteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Hinckley, spoke out in concern for new converts. He cherished them and knew their transition into the restored church could be challenging.

Once asked by a news reporter what his greatest satisfaction was with the Church, President Hinckley responded,

“The most satisfying experience I have is to see what this gospel does for people. It gives them a new outlook on life. It gives them a perspective that they have never felt before. It raises their sights to things noble and divine. Something happens to them that is miraculous to behold. They look to Christ and come alive.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley: Chapter 22: Reaching Out With Love to New Converts and Less-Active Members)

I love those words. I have seen them fulfilled.

Most recently here where I live. With one of my convert friends.

She’s remarkable!

Her life has been anything but roses under her feet and sunny walks in the park. In her fifties, she was introduced to the restored church, and it has “raise[d] [her] sights to things noble and divine.” She’s aglow with peace and joy.

I went with her this morning to do baptisms/confirmations in the holy temple. Her smile beamed across her whole face. In the font, she was the picture of joy: calm, assured, peaceful, and smiling gigantically.

During confirmations there was a short period where she and I sat together onlooking on side room chairs while her male descendants were confirmed. After each confirmation, she would whisper, “Welcome home [name of the graduated one]. Her hands were clasped together with her fingers interlocking, and she held her hands under her chin like that for the whole of the confirmations as she wore – no surprise – a gargantuan smile on her face.

Yesterday, she, another convert friend and her two boys, and I went to SLC to see the Temple Square lights. At my friend’s bidding, we prayed before we left, we prayed when we arrived home, and we prayed en-route. As we walked around, listened to a performance in the tabernacle, and meandered through the Conference Center, she would regularly look up and thank God for the experience, for the lights, for the music, for the beautiful organ, for all of it. Every tiny thing.

She is so grateful. No wonder she is so happy.

This morning at the temple she showed up with a sweater that read: BLESSED. She acts like she really believes that.

In her few months since baptism, she has read the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants – and all of these more than once! She craves restored knowledge! She is hungry for all the truth she can get. It’s so thrilling!

I have two favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon that I love to relate to converts.

The first one is at a time in Nephite history when war between the Nephities and the Lamanities raged. Wicked Amalickiah had led the Lamanities in overtaking many of the Nephite cities. After Teancum slayed Amalickiah, Ammoron, his brother, came to power. The Nephities were led by incredible men such as Moroni, Helaman, and Lehi. Helaman becomes the captain leader to the 2K young sons of the people of Ammon. At a time of great peril, there were dissensions among the Nephities, but this is written of the 2K young men:

“And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephities, they became now at this period of time also A GREAT SUPPORT; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.” (Alma 53:19)

A great support. I love that phrase. This is the power of those who join us as converts. They are a great support to the restored cause of Christ. I was so uplifted in the temple and yesterday in SLC as I walked to talked with my convert friends. The faith in their souls, the witness on their lips, the fire of truth that glowed around them – all of this fortified me and strengthened me so very much.

The other scriptures comes also from the book of Alma. Here we are admonished to care for the word of God as we would delicately plant and tend to a germinating and growing seed. We must care for our converts in like manner:

“And behold, as the [convert] beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us noursish [him/her] with great care, that [he/she] may get root, that [he/she] may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish [him/her] with much care [he/she] will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit…” (Alma 32:37)

Truth.

I’ve tasted of convert fruit, and it is absolutely delicious.

I love our converts.

God be thanked for them.

Unto all the world: find a convert, nourish and care for him/her and watch him/her grow into a beautiful fruit yielding tree that will help sustain your soul!