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Singing with the Shepherd: Thoughts on God and Conversion

 A record of a correspondence I had with a friend. 

She had started reading some books about my faith, and so I asked her for some recommendations for books that accurately reflected her faith. One of the books she gave me was "Song of the Shepherdess" by Gwendolyn H documenting the journey of faith and conversion of one Guatemalan woman and her family because of their interactions with Mennonite missionaries in the late 1900s. 

Before meeting this friend I had read "More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting" by Serena Miller and Paul Stutzman and was impressed by the similarities I saw between that faith tradition and my own--they may not look alike, but they are woven from the same threads. Knowing that Mennonite sects are related and similar to Amish sects I was interested to discuss common faith with someone who shared a similar faith. Naturally I was also excited to invite her to learn more about my faith, especially since the books she had read were more skeptical than reflective of my faith, and I hoped to clear up the differences by inviting her to learn more about what we believe.


The use of the term "converted" or "conversion" in this letter denotes becoming a new creature in Christ, a change of heart so profound that you are not who you were, but entirely different--born again in Christ. The journey of faith to a change of heart begins by learning of Christ which progresses to 'entering by the gate' through baptism, and continues after that event as a person invites Christ to walk with them, and chooses to walk with Christ. That walk will take them away from old paths into new ones. It is hard, but Christ's promise is that He will carry our burdens with us and give us strength to do what we would not otherwise be able to do. If one seeks to walk with Christ and to be a new creature, and has entered by the gate, but continues to walk old paths, life gets heavier and heavier as they wonder why they are not getting any closer to their destination. While they continue their ramble through their familiar track Christ stands waiting, calling, inviting the one to leave old things and stop relying on their own strength, and come walk with Him, and trust in His strength. Only then can the change happen and the healing begin. 


JULY 2, 2026 

Good afternoon S-----

I’ve been thinking about you since last we corresponded. 
I’ve been reading “The Song of the Shepherdess” and I've gotten about halfway through. It brings to my mind the challenge of truly converting people to Christ—bringing about the mighty change of heart to no longer desire anything but what is good—and to truly rescue people from vices that run rampant, ruining their lives. It is as if the same stories play out again and again with different faces, in different spaces, but following the same trajectories in the internal battle between principles of righteousness and the counterfeits of the Deceiver.

A drama of a similar flavor is playing out, has been playing out, in the lives of my husband’s parents for a long time, but with variations that come from the differences in organization of our church from yours, and in the country of residence. I think the core thread is the same in both stories, however (to the point I’ve reached), which is: [persisting problems from] Not [being] completely converted to Christ—not completely understanding the help and hope and change that He offers, [they] Can’t quite let go of their natural self to receive the better life God wants to give them.

It is a hard transformation, one that should be aided and supported by communities of faith, but ultimately is in the hands of the individual. Three thoughts come to my mind while I ponder: 
  • First, The parable of the Sower found in the gospels with the seed growing in different soils—rocky, thorny, and good ground—representing different states of hearts at receiving the good news. So the state of a soul is that soul’s responsibility, to some extent.
  • Then, the way Isaiah and Christ (quoting Isaiah in the New Testament) declaimed the shepherds of the people for causing the people to err—as leaders of God’s covenant people they had the truth, but were not true to that truth, and misled the people causing them to err and eventually obscuring the truth (and killing prophets.) So the state of souls is the responsibility of the ministers, teachers, spiritual leaders, to an extent.
Peoples hearts are rocky and thorny, leaders are usually well meaning, but always imperfect…both have a responsibility, but with so much imperfection, how could anyone be saved? You know the answer, it is ONLY by the grace and blood of Christ. This third insight from my religious tradition gives me peace: 
  • God said to Moses “This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal Life of man.” And to many prophets in different words and times, but here specifically to Joseph Smith, God said “I am able to do my work.”

This whole idea is summarized beautifully in a 2013 sermon, “Lord I Believe” given by a recently deceased leader of the church, Jeffery R Holland: 
“Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work."
...

That stories like Reynalda & Renaldo’s and my in-law’s, happen in both of our religious contexts does not change the truth and divinity of Christ, or of his church [the church he established], or of the principles lived in the Amish and Mennonite communities. That members still sin, or somehow miss conversion in one way or another [to me does not preclude their truth]—the limitation is not in the divinity of the work or the truth of the principles. Still in both our communities we strive for conversion, for a real and lasting change.

With this context [to bring about a lasting change of heart and life] it might make more sense why the invitation we [LDS] offer the world over, to any and all with a desire to come closer to God and follow Jesus Christ more completely [and receive more strength, healing, hope, happiness] is to investigate fully [the good news (or gospel) of Jesus Christ as restored in the Book of Mormon]—learn and read, ponder and pray, ask God if the message is true, seeking an indication from the Spirit of God on the matter—with real intent. 
[Our missionaries teach] Not just trying to baptize people, but [much more importantly] to change people, convert them to Christ, [and change them into] citizens of a kingdom that will receive Him when He comes again.

At risk of offense, this is the same invitation I would offer to you—a test on a smaller scale, simply to see if the claim is worth investigating further.

This is a sermon from April 2020 given by Dallin H Oaks, then one of the men we sustain as an apostle. Since then he has become the senior apostle, and the man we sustain as the President of the Church and God’s Prophet. He spoke on and summarized what we believe is the restored doctrine of God’s plan for his children, often called ‘the plan of redemption’ or ‘the plan of happiness’ in the Book of Mormon—[which is] How God works to bring about the Salvation, immortality and Eternal Life, of his children [in short, do His work of conversion]. I would invite you to read it and ponder it. What seeds have already grown in your heart and mind, planted by your close study of God’s word, that align here? [It summarizes 1) where we came from before being born, 2) why we are here living on the earth, 3) where we are going after we die. How do the answers compare to what you have felt?] 

Then I would invite you to pray, and ask God if this is his doctrine, or some other thing. I’m sure He can say if it worth further investigation or not, if you are open to the answer.

I believe there are no accidents in our lives, especially when we, as individuals, seek to learn of Him and do His work. I know my family is here for a reason, carried to this precise location for unknown reasons. Its isn’t a meaningless coincidence that we met, that you have been interested in talking, that you have long struggled with a question that you can’t [resolve ("why do we Mennonites teach that there is no learning after death, when it doesn't say that in the bible anywhere?)]. God sees you, He knows you, He loves you. He is proud of the life you choose to live, and for your desire to know Him. I believe He sent me with this message for you, so you could choose. Now the choice is yours!

...
Best wishes for you and your family, now and always!
-RF

———
The Great Plan

By President Dallin H. Oaks
First Counselor in the First Presidency

We who know God’s plan and who have covenanted to participate have a clear responsibility to teach these truths.
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