I called my blog what???

Still converting convert in Provo, wow that's quite a mouthful. Lets break it down

Still converting: Just because I am a convert to the church in the literal sense, the process of conversion is universal and required of all, and definitely does not stop at baptism. I am still converting to the gospel every day, as are all of us. It doesnt matter to me where any one person is in regards to their personal testimony, as long as they are growing. As long as we are searching and striving to grow and better ourselves, our Father in Heaven is proud of us.

Convert: Yes I am a convert to the church, yes I think that a lot of things that are commonplace behaviours are weird. LDS people are strange! Thats just a fact. Once we all accept it we can move on with our lives. Being weird is good as long as we are weird in the right ways. Be weird in the right way people!

Finally... Im living in Provo, the most LDS, LDS city to be in. I have only been here for a month so far and I have already had tons of funny experiences. By far the most common thing I notice is the differences that happen when everyone assumes that everyone has always had the gospel. Or more likely, they do not realize in the first place that what they are saying is an incorrect assumption about those who aren't members of the church. I want to share a quick story from my past, and my mission, that exemplifies this point exactly.

When I was first attending church, I had zero interest in joining the church, learning anything about the gospel, or even whether or not God existed. Those things did not matter to me. No one could convince me to pray about the church, read scriptures, pay attention in class, etc. because those things didn't matter to me. When I was on my mission, I had an experience talking with other missionaries where they were saying that getting someone to read the scriptures is all they needed to find their testimony. In their eyes, all people are searching for God, and are willing to follow him, they just need to be exposed. As someone who grew up in Utah, without being a member of the church, I can tell you that is definitely not the case. It was not until after almost a year of going to church that I had any desire to learn if God existed. I knew all of the teachings of the church, and by the time I finally met with the missionaries, I practically taught the lessons with them.

The point of this blog is to offer a converts perspective on this crazy LDS community we all love. To help others see that they are not the same as everyone else, and that they can stand to grow from understanding the point of view of others. Hopefully I will help someone understand better the mind of someone who does not have the gospel, and how things are really taken by those outside of the church.

I love this gospel, and I am grateful for the knowledge that I have learned, and the drastic difference that the gospel has made in my life. Its impossible to describe the difference to someone who has always had it, and even harder to describe it to someone who never has. But I know of myself the power of the Gospel Alma 36:24. Just as Alma, I will strive all my days to help others receive the joy that I have received, member and non-member alike.