Last weekend, my daughter and I flew to Boston for one of the most meaningful experiences of my life: witnessing the baptism of our friends Jeremiah and Beiyi Dow.
How We Met
It started at family camp in August 2025. I had invited all of you to join us at Aspen Grove for the same week, hoping to connect with people who shared similar interests.
#EpicWebCamp hasn't even happened yet, and I'm thinking about next year already. I'm thinking about doing it during the regular family camp that Aspen Grove runs in the summertime. I'm trying to decide if we could get people there. Please reply to the details below:
I had a handful of people submit the form, but only heard from one family that they were actually coming. However, on the second day of camp, I got a message from someone I'd never met. Jeremiah Dow. He explained that a work emergency had kept him home, but his wife Beiyi and their twin six-year-old daughters were there, feeling a bit out of place.
We found them and quickly became friends. My wife Brooke and I spent the week doing activities with Beiyi while the girls went to their groups. My daughter, as usual, became fast friends with everyone. When camp ended, we even spent an extra day together exploring museums before they headed home.
What struck us most was how naturally we connected. Jeremiah later told me that the way we welcomed his family showed a kind of love and generosity they weren't used to. I didn't think much of it at the time. We were just being ourselves.
A Conversation at Remix Jam
I knew I'd see them again in October at Remix Jam, where I was speaking.
This is us having a conversation at Remix Jam:
When we reconnected, our conversation turned to faith. I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I always travel with a couple copies of the Book of Mormon with my handwritten testimony to give to anyone interested.
They asked questions. I shared what I could. They accepted a copy of the book, and I helped them find a local congregation near their home in New Hampshire.
Finding Community
What happened next unfolded beautifully over the following weeks. They started attending church and found it welcoming. They made friends quickly, especially with a family who happened to have twin girls the same age as their daughters and another family who had a daughter the same age as well. The missionaries met with them and taught them about the church and answered their questions.
One thing Bei shared with me really stuck: she said she was attracted to "the fruit of God's work" (meaning the people she met and the way they lived). She appreciated that the church invited her to seek answers for herself rather than forcing anything on her.
By early December, they had both decided to be baptized together on January 4th.
The Baptism
When they started attending church, my family and I talked about how awesome it would be if they joined the church and my wife and I decided I would try to make it out to their baptism if I could. So when they told use they were getting baptized, I didn't hesitate. They asked me to speak at the service and to my great honor, Bei and Jeremiah both asked if I would baptize them and confer the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them. I was humbled and thrilled to accept.
The day itself was beautiful. Most of the ward stayed after regular Sunday services to attend, filling the room with over fifty people. Jeremiah even shared his testimony at the church meeting, expressing how the community had shown him the "good fruit" he was looking for.
I gave a talk about what baptism means. Not just a symbol, but an entrance into a covenant with Christ and the start of their journey to drawing closer to Christ and each other.
Then we performed the baptism. Being a part of Jeremiah and Bei making that commitment was deeply moving. Afterward, Bei said she felt warm, happy, and full inside.
During the confirmations, I felt the kind of spiritual power that's hard to describe. I told them both that God loved them and was proud of them, that they'd been prepared for this, and that they would never be alone.
Reflection
I don't think I had any right to be so involved in something so sacred. I had only met them a few months earlier. But sometimes that's how it works. Small acts of kindness create connections that lead somewhere unexpected. Along with intentionally sharing my faith and welcoming people to ask genuine questions.
Of course, the Dow's were so prepared for this. They had been searching for this for a long time. And the members of the ward there were so welcoming and kind.
My daughter and I flew home that evening, grateful beyond words. This was one of those experiences that reminds you why we're here and what really matters.
P.S. Hit me up if you'd like to know more about the church. Also, there's no pressure for you to join the church if you accept a copy of the Book of Mormon from me! I give it to anyone who asks for one and hope it helps bring you closer to Christ.
