New members and less-active members have primary responsibility for their own conversion and progress in the Church. However, Church leaders, home teachers, visiting teachers, ward missionaries, full-time missionaries, teachers of classes, and others should work in unity and faith to assist these members in the process of conversion, helping them to remain steadfast in keeping the commandments and to prepare to receive the ordinances of the temple. Individuals remain converted to the gospel when they acquire a testimony of new truths by a spiritual conversion and make the social transition to new friends and new patterns of life. New members will more likely become and remain converted when they are supported in love before and after baptism by the united efforts of leaders, members, and missionaries.

New and Returning Member Progress Form

The New and Returning Member Progress form (08616) is used by ward council members to plan specific ways to strengthen individual new members from the time of their baptism until they receive the ordinances of the temple. Ward council members also use this form to plan how to help less-active members prepare to receive the covenants and ordinances appropriate for their age, including temple ordinances.

Doing the following few things can help ward council members focus on new and returning members and their progress:

1. Review the New and Returning Member Progress forms regularly in ward council meetings.
2. Assign a member of the ward council responsibility to help each new or returning member progress.
3. See that each new or returning member receives the opportunities he or she needs to remain active and to mature spiritually.

The New and Returning Member Progress form is available online and from Distribution Services.

The form is available in the following languages: