From YA Weekly
3 Questions I Had About the Church as a Convert (and How My Divine Identity Helped Answer Them)
The author lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Having questions isn’t just something that new converts experience—it’s part of building my testimony throughout my life.
Gaining my testimony was like putting a puzzle together.
When I first noticed a friend in high school who didn’t drink alcohol or smoke and I learned about the Word of Wisdom, I found one piece of the puzzle. When I read the Book of Mormon, learned about Joseph Smith, and accepted that I needed a Savior, I collected more pieces.
But at the same time, the more pieces I found, the more I realized how many I was missing. I would find answers to my questions, but those answers often brought more questions. Some of these questions were simple and could be answered by the missionaries, but others required a lot of time and study.
I still have questions—I think I always will. But I’ve discovered a foundation that grounds me as I strengthen my testimony and continue learning from a place of faith:
My divine identity.
Here are three questions I had about the gospel that my divine identity helped answer:
1. How Can I Let Go of Past Sins?
When I was learning about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I wondered how to let go of my past. As I learned more about gospel standards, I started to understand that the way I’d been living before wasn’t in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
But as I learned about God’s love for me, His child, I felt that I could stop worrying about past sins. We learn in Isaiah 1:18 that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
I loved learning that because of my Savior, I didn’t have to hold on to my sins anymore. I could repent, turn to Him, and put down that burden. And that was the most relieving, breathtaking truth I had ever heard.
2. What Is My Role in the Gathering of Israel?
Before they moved to Canada, my family was originally from Macedonia. I went back to Macedonia to live with my dad for a year and a half after I was baptized. Before I moved, I didn’t fully understand what the gathering of Israel was or what it meant when my patriarchal blessing explained my lineage in the house of Israel.
But as I started attending church in Macedonia and got to know the people there, I repeatedly received the impression that God knew and loved those people. This small country, where Church members were few and far between, was deeply important to Him.
I started to gain a testimony of President Russell M. Nelson’s (1924–2025) words: “The gospel net to gather scattered Israel is expansive. There is room for each person who will fully embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
And after a friend of mine in Macedonia got baptized, I understood the incredibly sweet joy that comes from sharing the gospel and gathering Israel. It felt like everything was coming together as I started to see my lineage in the house of Israel as a beautiful and wonderful identity that would help me continue to share the gospel.
3. What If I Continue to Have Questions?
I have found answers to many of my questions—but not all of them.
Recently, while I was in the temple and thinking about my life, I couldn’t help the painful thought that rose up in my mind: “I really wish my mom could be here with me.”
I have a lot of questions about being the only member of the Church in my family. Being sealed to my family is one of the deepest yearnings of my heart, and I don’t know if it will happen in this life—or if I’ll find all the answers to my questions.
But I do know that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father who has a divine connection to Him. President Nelson has taught that “all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.”
As I continue to find new puzzle pieces of my testimony, I am comforted by the knowledge that being a child of God and having questions aren’t mutually exclusive. Questions are necessary for my growth as a disciple of Christ. And I know that having questions isn’t just something that new converts experience—it’s part of building my testimony throughout my life.
As we work through our tough questions, we can rely on a Savior who knows the tender questions of our hearts. Because of our divine heritage, we have access to Him and Heavenly Father and Their strength.