There are many advantages to growing up in the Church. Those great Primary songs, for example!
But there are risks, too. If the gospel is all you’ve ever known, you might take it for granted. You might get complacent.
That’s what happened with some of the Nephites in Zarahemla. They had grown up in a well-established church without any major persecution or opposition. When Korihor showed up preaching false but pleasant-sounding doctrine, their testimonies weren’t strong enough to resist. Many Nephites were led astray. (See Alma 30:18.)
But it was a different story in Jershon. This city was populated mostly by recent Lamanite converts—people with new, strong, enthusiastic testimonies. They had lived life without the gospel and now with it, and they knew which one they preferred.
Instead of listening to Korihor, “they took him, and bound him, and carried him” to the high priest, who had him kicked out of town (Alma 30:20–21).
And here’s the best news: regardless of our history, we can all be as zealous as new converts! We can renew and refresh our testimony anytime, treating each day as a fresh start walking with the Savior.