My Covenant Path
How to Help New Members with My Covenant Path
Pace Satterthwaite
Helping New Members Stay on the Covenant Path
Baptism is not the finish line. It is the starting point. One of the most crucial parts of missionary work is ensuring that new members transition smoothly from being taught by full-time missionaries to being integrated into the ward. If this handoff is not done well, recent converts can feel lost, and many will drift away.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said this with regard to new members: "Every convert needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with the good word of God”
As ward leaders, we are responsible for ensuring this transition is as seamless as possible. The best way to do this is to immediately assign strong, committed ministering brothers and sisters to new members. These ministers should be individuals who are spiritually grounded, welcoming, and willing to take an active role in mentoring new converts.
A key part of their responsibility is teaching the recent convert lessons, which are now taught by members rather than missionaries. Ministers need to be prepared to:
Review and reinforce what was taught before baptism
Help new members develop good gospel study habits
Answer questions and provide encouragement
Make sure they are consistently attending church and participating in ward activities
Using My Covenant Path to Help New Members
The Church has created My Covenant Path, a powerful resource in the Gospel Library, to help new members stay anchored in their faith. As a leader over missionary work, you can use this resource to guide both new converts and their ministers.
Here is how:
1. Introduce My Covenant Path Early – As soon as a person is baptized, help them become familiar with this resource. Show them how to find it in the Gospel Library and explain that it is designed to help them grow in the gospel.
2. Assign Ministers to Guide New Members Through It – Ministers should not only be good friends but also active mentors. Encourage them to review My Covenant Path with new members and help them complete key experiences such as making friends in the ward, improving gospel study, and learning about priesthood and auxiliary organizations.
3. Use It as a Roadmap – The resource outlines key steps new members should take within their first year, such as receiving a temple recommend for proxy baptisms, getting a patriarchal blessing, and learning about the Melchizedek Priesthood. Leaders and ministers should help new members move forward at a pace that is right for them.
Here is a list of milestones that should be included in My Covenant Path and that need to be constantly followed up to ensure they are on track. My Stake President created a Google Sheet template that can be found here (It can also be found in Free Resources). It's viewable only, so make sure to copy it or download it to your Google Drive so you can use it.
Make Friends with Members: Building relationships is often the first step in gospel progression.
Improve Gospel Study: Learning doctrine provides a foundation for faith.
Aaronic Priesthood: A milestone for young men in their spiritual progression.
Learn About Young Women: Understanding the parallel development of young women in the Church.
Learn About Relief Society: Gaining insight into the role of women in gospel service.
Learn About Primary: Understanding the importance of teaching children the gospel.
Temple Recommend: A sign of worthiness and preparation for temple ordinances.
Take Family Name to Temple: Participating in temple work for ancestors.
Keep Sabbath Day Holy: Developing faith through obedience to basic commandments.
Serve Others: Christlike service strengthens testimony and discipleship.
Share the Gospel: A natural outgrowth of conversion and discipleship.
Family Home Evening: Strengthening family relationships in the gospel.
Follow the Prophet: Trusting in prophetic counsel helps guide spiritual growth.
Obey Commandments: Living gospel principles leads to greater blessings.
Self-Reliance: Learning to provide for oneself spiritually and temporally.
Overcome Discouragement: Developing resilience in trials.
Melchizedek Priesthood: A higher priesthood for greater spiritual responsibility.
Patriarchal Blessing: A significant step in receiving personal revelation and guidance.
Receive Your Endowment: Making sacred covenants in the temple.
Be Sealed to Your Family: The ultimate goal of the covenant path.
4. Review It in Ward Council – Make new member progress a regular topic in ward council. Discuss which steps they have completed and what support they still need. This keeps their progress a ward-wide effort rather than something left to a few individuals.
New members are at a critical stage in their discipleship. If they feel supported, they will stay and thrive. If they feel forgotten, they may struggle. Every ward should have a plan to ensure new members are receiving the friendship, teaching, and support they need to stay on the covenant path.
Missionaries bring people to the waters of baptism, but it is members who help them stay in the Church. Let’s make sure we are doing our part.
In the coming weeks, I will discuss My Covenant Path in more depth. I will also explain how to use it, track new members' progress, and make it a priority in our ward councils.