Newly-baptized Fr. Gregory Williams Welcome Once Again

"A Perfect Brightness of Hope: To New Members of the Church," Ensign, Oct. 2006, 2–v

We congratulate yous on your recent baptism and welcome you most warmly. What a wonderful step you have taken in joining the Church! Nosotros stand ready to assist you in any way that nosotros can.

At this critical time you may feel like the woman who wrote this letter of the alphabet:

"My journey into the Church was unique and quite challenging. This past year has been the hardest year that I have ever lived in my life. Information technology has besides been the about rewarding. Equally a new member, I proceed to be challenged every day."

She continues: "When we every bit investigators get members of the Church, nosotros are surprised to detect that nosotros have entered into a completely foreign earth, a world that has its own traditions, culture, and language. Nosotros discover that at that place is no one person or no one place of reference that we can turn to for guidance in our trip into this new world."¹

What you are going through equally a new fellow member should be exhilarating. Your faith in the Savior is strong. Your excitement to learn more and more than almost the restored gospel is sincere. But it is too piece of cake to feel overwhelmed past new words, new meetings, new teachings, and new challenges. Even new people may be something to deal with. You may wonder if you lot can ever measure up to the standard of being a true Latter-twenty-four hour period Saint. I have a uncomplicated bulletin for y'all: Of course y'all can! Don't give up!

On the Path

Remember what Nephi said:

"Ye have entered in by the gate; ye take done according to the commandments of the Male parent and the Son; and ye accept received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son. …

"And at present, … after ye take gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is washed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye take non come thus far salve it were past the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of promise, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and suffer to the end, behold, thus saith the Male parent: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:18–20).

Joining the Church building is a serious thing. Each convert takes upon himself or herself the name of Christ with an implied promise to go on His commandments. But coming into the Church can be a perilous experience. Unless there are warm and strong hands to greet y'all, unless we reach out to yous with beloved and business organization, you lot may begin to wonder about the step you have taken. Unless there are friendly hands and welcome hearts to greet y'all and lead you along the way, yous may drop by the side. We have the challenge of helping y'all to strengthen your testimony of the truth of this piece of work. We cannot have you walking in the front door and out the back! Every one of yous is precious. Every 1 of you is a son or daughter of God.

I have said earlier, and I echo it, that each of you as a catechumen needs three things:

1. A friend in the Church to whom y'all can constantly turn, who will walk beside you, who will answer your questions, who will understand your issues. You also have habitation teachers, visiting teachers, and other members who volition aid y'all on your marvelous journey of faith.

2. An assignment. Activeness is the genius of this Church. It is the procedure past which we abound. Religion and love for the Lord are like the muscles of my arm. If I utilise them, they grow stronger. If I put them in a sling, they become weaker. Each of you deserves a responsibility.

   In handling that responsibility you may brand some mistakes. So what? Nosotros all make mistakes. The important thing is the growth that will come of activity. Your leaders can help you lot find ways to be involved. Be willing to have new challenges, and trust that the Lord will help you be equal to them. If you become discouraged, ask for assistance. But don't give upward. As you lot keep trying y'all will find that your abilities increment.

3. To exist constantly "nourished by the good give-and-take of God" (Moroni 6:four). Y'all will be affiliated with a priesthood quorum or the Relief Guild, the Young Women, the Young Men, the Sunday School, or the Primary. Come up to sacrament coming together to partake of the sacrament, to renew the covenants you made at the fourth dimension of your baptism. Read from the scriptures every 24-hour interval. Pray every morning time and every evening, that you may stay close to the Lord.

You lot know and we know that there are many expert people in other churches. There is much of good in them. Your family unit and your prior religious traditions may take taught you many good things and established many good habits. As the Apostle Paul said, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is skilful" (one Thessalonians five:21). Bring the skilful things with y'all, keep them, and utilise them in the Lord'south service.

Rejoicing Together

We rejoice with yous in the gospel of Jesus Christ. At that place are many blessings in store for you lot. We know at times it can be terribly lonely. It tin can be disappointing. It can exist frightening. We of this Church are far more dissimilar from the world than we are prone to call up nosotros are. But the gospel is nothing to exist ashamed of. Information technology is something to exist proud of. "Be not one thousand therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord," wrote Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy one:8).

To those of yous who are new, I plead with y'all to keep with us. Nosotros need you. We volition put our arms around you and exist friends with you. Nosotros volition practise our best to comfort you, to make you feel welcome and accepted. We love you, and we know the Lord loves y'all. Forgive our faults and weaknesses. Come and work with us side by side as we abound and learn together.

This is God'southward holy work. This is His Church building and kingdom. The vision that occurred in the Sacred Grove was just as Joseph said it was. At that place is in my heart a truthful understanding of the importance of what happened there. The Volume of Mormon is truthful. Information technology testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. His priesthood has been restored and is among u.s.. The keys of that priesthood, which take come up from heavenly beings, are exercised for our eternal blessing. Such is our testimony—yours and mine—a testimony which we must live up to and which we must share with others. I get out this testimony, my blessing, and my love with each of you and my invitation to continue to exist part of this nifty latter-mean solar day phenomenon that is The Church building of Jesus Christ of Latter-twenty-four hours Saints.

Ideas for Home Teachers

After prayerfully studying this bulletin, share it using a method that encourages the participation of those you teach. Following are some examples.

1. Bring three objects that correspond the 3 things mentioned in the commodity that every new convert needs. For case, you lot could bring a gift from a friend, a Church handbook, and scriptures.

   • If you are teaching new converts, talk over how these things volition help them rejoice in their membership in the Church. Also assist them see what contribution they can make as new members.

   • If you are teaching longtime members, talk over why a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing by the word of God are so important to new members. Invite them to help meet the needs of new members of their ward or branch.

2. Have family unit members imagine they take but entered a foreign country where they exercise non know the language, traditions, or civilization. Ask them how they experience. What are the first things they want or miss? Compare this to what a new member might experience. Read the terminal department of President Hinckley's message, and testify of the blessings of becoming "role of this great latter-mean solar day miracle."

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/10/a-perfect-brightness-of-hope-to-new-members-of-the-church?lang=eng

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