Our Ward

I was thinking all day today how much I love being a part of our new ward. The people are friendly and very close, but what I love the MOST is all the new converts to the church. Yesterday we were so blessed to be able to go see the baptism of this sweet girl, Jamie. I think she is about 18. She radiates with happiness and is so friendly to everyone! And there is another younger guy in our ward, about the same age, who was baptized about 10 months ago. He is one of the strongest members I have ever seen! He dilligently takes notes during priesthood and devours everything he is taught. His fiancee (who is also in our ward and has been a member her whole life) and him go to school at UVU, but are home for the summer. Well just for fun, they would like to go Deseret Book and just read. He spoke today in church and his understanding of the gospel is amazing, simply because of the effort he puts into learning it. His testimony is so simple, yet powerful. I love it! It is truly those basics (the B.O.M., Jospeh Smith, Christ, the Atonement, etc.) that make our testimonies so powerful. Its one of those things we too often forget as lifetime members. And seeing someone who is so new to this gospel is one of the most beautiful things in the world! They are so excited about everything they are learning and so passionate about the simple truths. I love that here, the gospel isn't something we just do because our parents are memebers and their parents were and their parents were. People live the gospel because they believe it with all their hearts, depsite of the challenges they face of being ridiculed for it and being "different".
It is so refreshing and I have learned so much from these new members.