When a Conference Connection Becomes a Covenant
At first glance, it reads like a typical conference networking story: You meet someone at an event, exchange a few words, and part ways. But for Kent C. Dodds, a conversation at Remix Jam in October 2025 turned into one of the most meaningful moments of his life—the baptism of two friends he'd only known for a few months.
The story began earlier that year. Dodds had invited his online community to join him at Aspen Grove's family camp in August 2025, hoping to meet people who shared his interests. Only one family indicated they were coming. On the second day, he received a message from Jeremiah Dow, a stranger who explained that a work emergency had kept him home while his wife Beiyi and their twin six-year-old daughters attended camp alone, feeling out of place.
Dodds and his wife Brooke found them and spent the week alongside Beiyi, with the children joining their own activity groups. When camp ended, the two families spent an extra day exploring museums together before parting ways. Jeremiah later told Dodds that this simple welcome demonstrated a love and generosity his family wasn't accustomed to—though Dodds insists they were just being themselves.
#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:
The two families reconnected at Remix Jam in October, where Dodds was speaking. "This is us having a conversation at Remix Jam:"
The conversation took a personal turn. Dodds is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and travels with copies of the Book of Mormon, each inscribed with his handwritten testimony, to share with anyone interested.
First copy goes to my friend @jeremdow
Jeremiah and Beiyi asked questions, and Dodds shared what he could. They accepted a copy of the book, and he helped them locate a congregation near their home in New Hampshire.
Finding a Community
What followed unfolded naturally over the following weeks. The Dows began attending church and found it welcomed them. They formed quick friendships, particularly with a family that also had twin daughters the same age and another whose daughter matched as well. Missionaries met with them, teaching them about the church and answering their questions.
Bei shared an observation with Dodds that stuck with him: she was drawn to "the fruit of God's work"—the people she met and the lives they led. She also appreciated that the church invited her to seek answers for herself rather than pressing anything upon her.
By early December, both had decided to be baptized together on January 4th.
The Baptism Service
Dodds's family had talked about how remarkable it would be if the Dows joined the church, and he had planned to attend their baptism if it happened. When the invitation came, it carried extra weight: Bei and Jeremiah both asked him to baptize them and confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. He also spoke at the service.
More than fifty people from the ward stayed after regular Sunday services, filling the room. Jeremiah shared his testimony during the church meeting, explaining that the community had shown him the "good fruit" he was searching for.
Dodds's talk addressed what baptism signifies—not merely a symbol, but an entrance into a covenant with Christ, the starting point of a journey to draw closer to Christ and to each other.
Performing the baptism itself was deeply moving for Dodds. Afterwards, Bei described feeling warm, happy, and full inside.
During the confirmations, Dodds felt a spiritual power he finds hard to articulate. He told both Jeremiah and Bei that God loved them and was proud of them, that they had been prepared for this, and that they would never be alone.
Reflecting on the Journey
Dodds reflects that he had no inherent right to be so involved in something so sacred, given he had only met the Dows a few months earlier. Yet sometimes that's how it works: small acts of kindness forge connections that lead somewhere unexpected. He also credits his own intentional sharing of his faith—and his willingness to welcome genuine questions—as part of the equation.
The Dows, he notes, were prepared for this journey; they had been searching for it for a long time. The welcome extended by the ward members made the difference as well.
Dodds and his daughter flew home that evening, grateful for an experience that reminded him what truly matters—and why we're here in the first place.
