Wow, it's here early!

See that button over there to the right?  It looks just like this:

If you click on it, you'll go to the blog of my awesome blogging pal Middle-aged Mormon Man where he's celebrating the Second International Hug a Convert Day with terrific conversion stories.

Go there.  Go today.  Go tomorrow.  Go all week, because he promises to be sharing these inpiring stories all week.

(To go there, click the button over there to the right.  You can click the one above all you want, but because I'm lame, I don't know how to link it to his blog.  Click the one up there on the right.)

I will participate in this week of sharing on Thursday by sharing my own conversion story here at A Latter-day Voice.  (Yep, I'm a convert.  Feel free to hug me, virtually.)

Before I let you go there and soak in the conversion story goodness, let me echo some themes of MMM's whole point.  Being a convert to the church is not easy.  It is wonderful, awesome, cool, yes.  But it's also hard.

I love these verses of scripture from Matthew because they do such a terrific job of pointing out the challenge a new convert to the church faces:

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it‍ empty, swept, and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state‍ of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

When a new convert feels the influence of the Holy Ghost, prepares himself and is baptized, he is clean, swept and garnished.  When, shortly after baptism, old temptations return, they often come not alone, but with reinforcements. 

So hug those converts.  And hold them close to you.  They are precious.

And thanks, MMM.