As missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we invite them to share what they’ve learned that will help them be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.
#DiscipleOfChrist
Disciple of Christ – Elder Clawson
Author: barlowsintkm
Disciple of Christ – Elder Phillips
As missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we invite them to share what they’ve learned that will help them be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.
#DiscipleOfChrist
Disciple of Christ – Sister Rose
As missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we invite them to share what they’ve learned that will help them be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.
#DiscipleOfChrist
Disciple of Christ – Sister Covington
As missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we invite them to share what they’ve learned that will help them be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.
#DiscipleOfChrist
Disciple of Christ – Elder Seamons
As missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we invite them to share what they’ve learned that will help them be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.
#DiscipleOfChrist
Welcome to the TKM: December 2025
On December 17th, we welcomed 25 new missionaries to the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. We also welcomed Elder and Sister Wray to our mission office and are so grateful for their willingness to serve.
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Our welcoming committee was pretty small compared to the 25 new missionaries arriving that day.
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The first thing we do with new missionaries is talk with them about our missionary purpose. We review 3 Nephi 11 and the message the Savior shared when he appeared to the people in America. The first thing He does is announces himself as Jesus Christ who the prophets testified would come, and has them come and see and feel that they might know without any doubt that He is their Savior. He then gives them power to baptize. He teaches them the appropriate way to baptize. And then he teaches them his doctrine and that we must be baptized to return back to God. There is no other way. And this is our missionary purpose.
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We then assign these new missionaries to their trainers. These will be some of the most important and impactful relationships they will have on their mission! After that we take pictures and then they head out the University of Tennessee campus to find people to teach.
| New Missionary | Trainer | Area |
| Elder Johnson | Elder Allred | Dayton |
| Elder Bowers | Elder Eggleston | Sparta |
| Elder Larsen | Elder Jarman | Jamestown |
| Elder Peterson | Elder Bartholomew | Melton Lake |
| Elder Grover | Elder Cox | Lakeway |
| Elder Llewelyn | Elder Jarocki | Hendersonville SP |
| Elder Briggs | Elder Larsen | Asheville SP |
| Elder Smith | Elder Fritze | Franklin SP |
| Elder Heiner | Elder Phillips/Elder Pack | Dalton SP |
| Elder Heath | Elder Gunther | Dalton SP3 |
| Elder Koyle | Elder Carley/Elder Martin | West Hills SP |
| Elder Dunn | Elder Robbins | West Hills SP2 |
| Elder Green | Elder Lindsay | Sevierville SP2 |
| Elder Whiteley-Ross | Elder Luce | Cleveland SP |
| Sister Heward | Sister Rush/Sister Lancaster | Greeneville |
| Sister Talker | Sister Iongi/Sister Wall | Weaverville |
| Sister Mulford | Sister Mackay | Chatt Valley |
| Sister Claridge | Sister Bundy/Sister Knight | Hixson |
| Sister Workman | Sister Covington | Cleveland 2nd |
| Sister Walker | Sister Bowler/Sister Haws | Cookeville 1st |
| Sister Butler | Sister Flynn/Sister Hancock | Pleasant Ridge |
| Sister Hall | Sister Christenson/Sister Larsen | Dalton SP2 |
| Sister Huff | Sister Zogg | Lebanon 2nd SP2 |
| Sister Dorr | Sister Brunner | Johnson City SP |
| Sister Waite | Sister Ingebrigtsen | Lakeway SP |
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Amazing! 25 new missionaries + 33 trainers = 58 missionaries involved in training. If you add in last transfer (21 new missionaries + 24 trainers = 45 missionaries involved in training), right now in the TKM we have 46 new missionaries + 57 trainers = 103 missionaries currently involved in training! That’s over half of the mission!
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We know these missionaries will do great things in the TKM!
#WhatsUpInTKM
22nd TKM Family Olympics
On December 17th, we had 3 wonderful missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. This is the smallest departing group we’ve had in our time serving as mission leaders. We love these three missionaries – Sister Brown, Elder Kaumavae, and Elder Woodward – and feel so grateful for they way they’ve changed the mission while they’ve served.
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It made for a different TKM Olympics as each missionary competed solo instead of being put in teams. We had planned to compete in three events but learned that when a missionary has to create a welcome poster on their own, it takes twice as long! So we ended up having just two events: corn hole and our welcome poster contest.
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The corn hole was very competitive, and the posters all turned out terrific. Ultimately, there could only be one winner!
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We are very proud of these three missionaries and can’t wait to see the great things that come next in their lives!
#WhatsUpInTKM
The Living Christ – 2026
At zone conference this week we invited all missionaries in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission to memorize The Living Christ. The Living Christ is a short, powerful declaration written by modern apostles that testifies of Jesus Christ as the living Son of God and Savior of the world. It summarizes who He is, what He has done for all mankind, and affirms that He lives today and continues to guide His Church through living prophets.
We memorized The Living Christ with the missionaries in 2024 and 2025. We look forward to doing it again in 2026.
The Living Christ – 2024 Version
The Living Christ – 2025 Version
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When each missionary arrives in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we give them a flip book that will help them memorize this powerful statement about the Savior.
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Speaking of “The Living Christ”, President Russell M. Nelson said:
The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission—the more we understand His doctrine and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives…
As you seek to learn more about Jesus Christ, I urge you to study “The Living Christ.” As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element to accessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.”President Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives“, April 2017 General Conference
We hope families will join with their missionaries memorizing The Living Christ. Here are the images we use so you can print up your own flip book:
#WhatsUpInTKM
Tender Mercies in the TKM – Russ
On July 29, 2025, Russ was in Walmart shopping for his favorite cheese when two missionaries commented on his cross necklace and invited him to church! He was interested in learning more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Russ was raised around members of the church but never fully knew what they believed.
The next day the sister missionaries were planning on showing him around the church building. He had a busy day at work and called and canceled. But then he saw a rainbow and felt that was a sign that he needed to meet with the missionaries.
Russ met with the missionaries for three months and was growing his faith in Christ more every day. He became great friends with one of the members of the congregation, Ted Simmons. Russ loved reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible and seeing how they complemented each other.
On October 26, 2025, Russ was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He shared his testimony about the difference between believing and knowing, and said He knows this is where he belongs. He knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He knows that this is Christ’s church. He knows these things because he reads, ponders and prays, having faith that God will direct him as he continues those things.
On November 2, 2025, Russ was able to receive the Aaronic Priesthood, God’s power and authority to act in His name. He is also sharing the joy that he has felt from the gospel by inviting his friends and co-workers to come to church with him. Russ is a great disciple of Christ!
Soon, he will be going to the Atlanta, Georgia temple with the Simmons family to do proxy baptisms for his deceased ancestors.
Here is a short message from Russ:
Hello, my name is Russ Kline and here is my brief testimony,
I was walking in a local Walmart looking for one of my favorite cheeses and these two angels came walking around a corner holding vibrant smiles and they said to me – “we really like your necklace.” I replied – “I really like my necklace too”. In the hopes of being terse, we had a short conversation, I was invited to church in Loudon, to which I accepted.
I learned of Joseph Smith, the plates, Nephi, Moroni, the Tree, the Path, the Iron Rod, the Fruit, the Great and Spacious Building, etc…. after much trepidation (long story), this isn’t what cemented my conversion.
God is subtle so we must carefully listen. There were signs, right in the spot where I was supposed to be. Two in particular. One with Sister Thatcher and the second, with Brother Ted Simmons.
The one with Sister Thatcher was one where I had been thinking about Revelation 3:20 during one of our meetings:
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
…and then she brings up Jesus knocking at a door with no knob. Way too fortuitous to be a coincidence.
The second one was, again, at one of our meetings and brother Ted Simmons was there. He had mentioned his belief in Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and the Church being true and this is where it got interesting. I mentioned that I don’t like the word “belief” as it casts doubt to the validity. To “know,” is much more concrete, stronger. Ex: Jesus Christ – “Believing vs Knowing” he died and rose from the dead for us. Which plants the seed? Believing he died for us? Or knowing he died for us? I KNOW he did!
Later, I learned Alma agreed (or I agreed with Alma, nevertheless) … I found it in Alma 32:17-18.
“17 Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.
18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.”
God is subtle, we must listen. After God subtly speaking to me, I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I know the Church is true.
I made my choice.
Much love, Russ
#TKMTenderMercies
Zone Conference – November 2025
On November 18-20, we help zone conferences across the mission. The theme of our zone conference was “Drawing on the Powers of Heaven”. Our goal as a mission is to keep increasing our faith and using our faith in Jesus Christ as a source of power to help us accomplish our goals.
Key principles we discussed to be able to access this power in our lives included:
- Jesus Christ is the source of this power. We must stay centered on Him.
- Two foundational principles: personal purity and exact obedience.
- Sister Barlow taught a process for setting goals in faith.
- We need mental discipline. “Faith and fear cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will always displace the other.”
- Prayer focuses our faith.
- Is our faith dependent on the outcome? Or can we keep exercising faith even when we don’t see the desired results.
It is amazing to see the faith of these missionaries. They are really remarkable. It’s such a great blessing for us to work side-by-side with them each day. We love them!
Asheville, Johnson City, and Kingsport Zones
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Cumberland, Knoxville, and Rocky Top Zones
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Chattanooga, Cleveland, Cookeville, and Dalton Zones
#WhatsUpInTKM
Barlows in TKM 