Despite a long family background in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I didn’t join the Church until I was 18 yrs old. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a member of the church but became inactive when he was young. I really didn’t learn about any of my family’s background in the Church until I was baptized.
I mention this because despite my years of studying the gospel and serving in many callings (the favorite of which was my mission in Argentina), I have never been able to escape that feeling of being just “a convert.” Don’t get me wrong, I love being a convert to the gospel, but there is definately something to be said to being able to have the opportunity to be a part of the Church from “day one.”
I often wonder what it would of been like to have grown up in the Church. I look at AJ sometimes and wonder what it would of been like to act out “Once I was a Snowman.” Would I have ever gotten to stand up at the podium to recieve my certificate for memorizing all of the Articles of Faith? I look at my Teachers getting their first dance card and think “could I have gotten one?” I don’t know the answers to any of those questions, but I wonder.
On the other hand there are things I don’t have to wonder about. For example, I will never be acused of just following my parent’s religious views. I knew and studied all the “fine print” before I became a member of this Church. I got to study Gospel Essentials for a whole year before going to my first Gospel Doctorine Class. When I went on my mission I knew exactly what the people I was teaching was feeling and I knew exactly what to say to them.
Today I went to church in Salt Lake City, it was a very surreal experience for me. I knew I was supposed to be there, but at the same time I felt out of place. It definately wasn’t my home ward. I think this was because it seemed like everyone I spoke to had some important post with the Church. Denise and I sat down for Gospel Doctorine class and the Second Counselor to the General Young Women’s Presidency sat next to us. Our teacher was a First Quorem of the Seventy Member. I guess general authorities have to go to church somewhere, but I guess some where in the back of my head I had this vision of all these people holding some super sacrament service in some temple somewhere (they have 13 to chose from!), I didn’t ever expect to be in one with them. Definately a different experience, I don’t write notes too often during Sunday School, but today I did.