The Truth About Being a Convert

Let me let you in on a little bit of what it's like to be a convert in this church.  The following are a few conversations I have had with people about my membership in the church.

#1
"Ya know, we used to sit around and talk about what could have possibly happened in your life to make you want to join your church.  Like...what could have happened to make you make such a decision?"

#2
I'm sitting at a baseball game with a friend/coworker and she asked if I go to church.  I said yes, "the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."  As I looked at her to see if she knew that that meant Mormon, (since a lot of people don't know our actual church name) I am pretty sure the entire earth went silent in that moment.  Not only did I know that she knew I meant Mormon but we both knew she immediately disapproved.  After asking if I was born and raise a member or had joined on my own, and I said yes, she asked the following question with as much disapproval as she could muster, "Why would you do that?"

#3
"You know that you joined a poly-theistic church, right?  And we both know what the Bible says about poly-theism. You will go to hell if you don't get saved."

#4
"I just don't understand how you can be soooooo wrong and just not see it!  How do you not see it?"

#5
I was at a wedding reception in 2003-ish.  I went down the receiving line and when I reached the father of the bride, he grabbed my hand, pulled me in close and said to me, "Alison I just want you to know that you have helped strengthen my testimony.  It is young people like you that join the church as youth that remind me of the simpleness of the gospel and how true it really is.  Thank you!"

#6
I'm sitting in Institute class yesterday.  Most of the class doesn't know me, or at least not well.  Our class covers a wide area along with a lot of new people.  We were talking about how to get answers to prayers.  I raised my hand and said, "Well, I'm a convert to the church and when I was praying to know if the church was true..."  I swear every single head in the class turned in my direction when I said the "C" word.  My new friend Aly then elbowed me (after I had finished talking) and said with a big smile, "That is so cool!  I didn't know you were a convert!"

#7
"I couldn't have done what you did and joined the church on my own...without my family.  I just don't think I have it in me.  The Lord knew you had the guts to do it.  You are so brave."

The first four numbers were all said by (or related to) someone who is not a member of "The Church" i.e. my church.  The last three were all from people who share my beliefs and religion.  What I realized (literally) just the other day, is that to members of the church I am a superstar for believing, and converting, and doing it without my family, and staying with it, and all of those things.  And to people who are not members of the church...I am an idiot.  Literally.  So deceived, and so dumb.

Disclaimer: This post is neither a oh woe is me post nor a look at me, I'm so wonderful post.  It's simply just an observation I have come across.

I sort of love telling new people (who are members) that I am a convert.  I love telling my story.  It's a pretty epic story after all.  And I definitely dread telling non-members that I didn't just grow up in this faith (and apparently don't know any better).  Because that is what a lot of them think about all of you born and raised folk out there.  Now I know I am stereotyping a lot of people by saying that, but that has been the general reaction from people about my situation.

Being a convert "is a blessing and a curse," as Monk would say (brownie points if you know that reference).  I am so far removed from a life that includes members of a family that share my beliefs that I wonder if it will be a struggle when I get married and have kids to do all the things that typical LDS families do.  Like have family home evening...in a family setting, not with a group of YSA.  Or have a family prayer.  Or reference to simple things like Conference at the dinner table without having to explain what "Conference" is.  Or knowing that I won't have to choose between spending time with my family or saying no to them because they choose to eat out or go to the mall on a Sunday.  Its weird to think about things like that.

But all around, I love that I fit into the category of "convert."  It gives me a sense of value and importance and uniqueness that I don't know that I would have felt otherwise.