One of the greatest blessings of serving a mission is having a companion to share with all of the experiences of missionary work. It’s an adjustment for missionaries to be with a companion 24X7. They are ALWAYS together. These companions are brought together for a short time, but during that time they are inseparable. They share hardships and triumphs. They work to be united in all they do. They have powerful experiences together that will connect them for a lifetime. Some of their very best friends in life will be companions they served with on their mission.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once taught, “The macro plan of salvation is composed of micro plans. God governs the intersections of our lives, the people that we meet, and when we meet them. These intersections are all watched over by our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and we will not be aware of it. We can look back on these intersections, and the people that God brought into our lives and see how we were changed as a result.”
Monday, February 10th was “Companion Appreciation Day” in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. Missionaries were asked to do something that day to celebrate their companion. We had so much fun expressing gratitude and doing acts of kindness for each other. We saw a lot of pancakes, ice cream, homemade treats, doing dishes, making beds, matching outfits, and messages on mirrors.
We shared pictures all day long across the mission and it brought such a sweet feeling of love and unity. We love and appreciate all of the wonderful missionaries, young and old, who we get to serve side by side with. They are a great joy in our life.
I’m a native of Hendersonville and the oldest of five kids. I grew up Southern Baptist. I believed in God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. I loved going to church and being active there. I loved singing the hymns and learning about Jesus, but I had questions. Questions that were brushed off or ignored if they didn’t fit in the box of their theology.
I went to Southern Baptist University to study nursing. I knew at a very young age that I was called to be a nurse. That was one of the clearest promptings that I ever had. Now, it is second to the clarity that I had when I made the decision to join this church, and the answers and confirmation that I received during my baptism and confirmation. Even in college, my questions still weren’t answered to my satisfaction. I felt like there was something more out there, and that something was missing. I didn’t know what it was.
After school, I came back home and helped start a non-denominational church that split from the church of my childhood. I was very active in the children and youth programs. I loved spending time with them and trying to answer their questions. Then I got married. At first, we were still going to church regularly. As time passed, he didn’t want to go anymore. I was frustrated with the lack of answers and fell away in my faith as well.
Over the years, I was cut off from friends and family. My finances were in ruins. In 2023 things began to escalate. Small tiffs suddenly became explosive arguments. I tried praying and felt no one was listening as things kept getting worse. I was utterly devastated and could not figure out why my life had been spared to be left with crippling anxiety, pain, and darkness. My prayers felt empty and like they were hitting the ceiling.
In July 2024, I had COVID for 3 weeks. This pushed me deep into a dark place. Coupled with court dates and an upcoming birthday, my world became dark and painful. I felt desperately alone. On August 4th, I prayed in desperation. I begged God to give me a sign, to show me a reason to keep going on. On August 6th, Elder Huff and Elder Johns arrived at my door. A physical answer to my prayer.
I answered my door, something that was very rare, and the first words out of my mouth were, “Y’all are here to tell me about Jesus.” We stood on my porch and talked in the hot August sun, they gave me a Book of Mormon, asked me to pray about it, and we set up a meeting later that week at the park with the Sheltons joining us. I walked inside, put the book on my shelf and left it there. I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt confused but strangely hopeful. So I did as the Elders asked. I prayed. And I read the verse they had asked of me. 3 Nephi 9:14.
Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. 3 Nephi 9:14
I showed up at the next meeting. I read the next thing they asked then went off on my own, reading and praying and questioning. I sent them a list of questions. I knew the answers they shared with me were true. I was filled with a peace that I cannot explain. I was still nervous and began to overthink and actually delayed my baptism. I continued to search and pray. I was constantly reminded of one of my favorite verses. Isaiah 52:7. I will be forever grateful to all the missionaries that I have met for being the feet on the mountains.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7
Prior to my baptism, during a lesson either on prayer or the Holy Spirit, I informed the Elders and the Sheltons that I had been impressed with a phrase that I simply could not shake but did not have direction on. The phrase was “Called to Serve”. I then learned that it is also a song. And we sang it. Little did I know, that was to be a calling that would encompass my life. The covenant that I made in baptism has been so very precious to me. In the temple I was reminded of my covenant and the joy it brings.
I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 22, 2024
Since my baptism, there was the hurricane and I changed jobs. During the hurricane, my house and my family’s houses were spared. Immediately after the hurricane, I spent a lot of time with friends who lost everything. Like many of you, serving those in need. Loving and being examples of Christ. In case you ever wonder, that can make a huge difference. It did for me.
My first experiences with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was with the Sheltons, the Creasmans and Brother Watson. I knew a bit about the church, but more so, I knew how they lived their lives. I had watched them and their kids for years. I know Heavenly Father sends us moments of clarity and assurance when we need them most. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.
On January 22nd, we welcomed seven new missionaries to the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. We are really excited about this group and can already tell they will help to elevate the mission.
We had another great welcoming party at the airport!
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Elder Beer joined us earlier in the transfer, so we only had six to pick up at the airport. After orientation at the stake center in Farragut, these new missionaries had great success in their first experience finding people to teach at the University of Tennessee campus.
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The best part (by far!) of the first day on their mission is getting to assign these new missionaries to their trainers! We are really excited about this group of trainers and know they will get these missionaries off to a great start.
NewMissionary
Trainer
Area
Elder Beer
Elder Safsten
Asheville Spanish
Elder Martin
Elder Johns
Grove Park Spanish
Sister Ericksen
Sister Mair
Maryville
Sister Jonsson
Sister Wittwer
Waynesville
Sister Hughes
Sister Petersen
Poplar Creek
Elder Hartzell
Elder Cox
Dalton
Elder Peterson
Elder O’Brien
Gray
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Welcome to the TKM! We are so excited you are here!
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.
As missionaries finish their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we invite them to share what they’ve learned that will help them to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.
Five more missionaries completed their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission on January 22nd. We’ve been able to see how much each of these missionaries has changed as they’ve worked to come unto Christ themselves while doing all they can to help others come unto Christ. We love these missionaries and will forever be grateful for the time we’ve had to serve side-by-side with them.
Before the fun of the Olympics, we met as a group to discuss how we can continue to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, and met 1:1 with each missionary to give them a blessing.
The competition in the 14th TKM Family Olympics was the closest it has ever been! Because of some really cold temperatures, all of the events were held indoors this time around. Our three events were:
Ping pong
Sequence Board Game
Poster Making Contest
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We only had two team, and it was the closest competition we’ve seen yet, but in the end, only one team can take home the gold medals!
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We love these missionaries and look forward to all of the great things that lie ahead!
At zone conference last week, we rolled out March Madness 2025 in the TKM. In March Madness, we will be focusing on 1) reading the Book of Mormon together over the next 90 days, and 2) dialing in the “Sweet 16 Daily Essentials” introduced by Sister Barlow.
We invite parents and families to join with us in our Book of Mormon reading. Here is the schedule we will be following over the next 90 days:
Book of Mormon reading schedule
As you talk to your missionary each week, ask them how they are doing with the “Sweet 16 Daily Essentials”.
Sweet 16 Daily Essentials
We know that power comes from the Book of Mormon. President Nelson said, “When I think of the Book of Mormon, I think of the word power.” He’s also reminded us that power comes from these daily essentials. Speaking to missionaries, he reminded us, “Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles!” We are excited to apply these principles to gain more power as we work to baptize 100 friends by the end of March.
Elliott’s family had been members of the church since he could remember, but, despite passing the usual age of eight, he hadn’t yet been baptized. Elliott began to think about spiritual things more as he got older as he realized that he, unlike his family, had not been baptized. He saw how happy the gospel made them, and how it united them with others and he wanted that as well.
“I saw that all my family is baptized, my dad and my mom, and my brothers and sister, and I wanted to be just like them!” he recounted. Elliott’s parents, Robert and Mallory, also felt a responsibility to teach their kids gospel principles, morals, and values.
When the decision was finally made for Elliott to start taking the missionary discussions, he was ecstatic! He had a lot of questions and he needed answers. The lessons were difficult at first — being only nine years old, Elliott was easily distracted and quick to lose focus — but Elliott began to feel the Spirit working. He felt happy when the missionaries were over because he really enjoyed learning about God and why we do what we do in church.
Although he didn’t always like to read his scriptures and pray, he gradually learned to love it. He began practicing praying, and as he did so he had experiences where his prayers were answered. He remembered one event in particular in which he prayed to be able to help his sister and, shortly thereafter, he had impressions on what he should do. His family and friends note that his disposition began to change after he learned to pray. He became more focused and compassionate as his relationship with Christ grew.
The week leading up to the baptism brought a lot of emotions for Elliott and his family. His parents shared that all he would talk about was his baptism, asking “Is it Saturday yet?” Needless to say he was excited!
Elliott was baptized on August 31, 2024 in the Pleasant Ridge ward. On the day of the baptism, he stated that he felt God’s spirit in the church and he was grateful he finally got to be baptized. He said of the experience “I felt clean and happy after I came out of the water. I felt totally different, way more calm than I usually am!”
In the weeks since his baptism, Elliott has said he feels “100% different” from the way he was before his baptism. His family has also noticed a change in him. He is looking forward to a life of discipleship and participating at church, and is even considering serving a mission when he is older. Elliott is grateful to finally be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Seven years ago, Ronnie’s wife Kim joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had met with missionaries, gained a love for the Book of Mormon, and a love for the people at Powell Valley Ward. She now serves in the church and bears her testimony to everyone, “I thought I was happy before I was baptized, but I realize now how much happier my life has been since I joined the church!”
Ever since his wife began to attend church regularly, Ronnie began to come with his wife on and off for a few years. He has always had a love for the Lord ever since his father read bible stories to him at a young age. He has a firm testimony that the Lord hears and answers prayers and has seen the Lord answer prayers especially for his family members, sometimes in miraculous ways. He knew that keeping the sabbath day holy was the right thing to do, but every week there would always be a struggle between his busy work schedule and church.
Ronnie had loved the community of saints found at church. He stated, “There was a lot of love at the church, I could definitely tell that everyone there was trying to live what was being taught.” This dedication and devotion Ronnie saw in others and most importantly in his wife Kim sparked a change in him as he began to set spiritual goals for himself in his own life. Missionaries began to visit with him more frequently as Ronnie began to improve himself. He set a goal to make it to church every single week, and found spiritual support during missionary visits during his journey. Ronnie said this while reflecting on his progress: “I am grateful for all the time the missionaries spent helping me for so long. I know they didn’t have to be there, but they wanted to be.”
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Elder Driggs reflects on the experience, “I had the priviledge of seeing Ronnie change and grow over the course of 6 months. Teaching the gospel in the Raymer home has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my missioanry service. I felt that Ronnie was ready for baptism when I had first met him, I remember inviting him to make that commitment our first evening together! He explained that he wanted to feel more prepared before making the commitment and he most certainly did prepare! His faith and hard work was inspiring, and Sister Raymer’s testimony was always so powerful and encouraging.”
Ronnie was baptized on June 22, 2024.
Ronnie now attends church weekly and feels confidence in the Lord as he chooses to keep the commandments. He is an incredible example of making small improvements everyday and his faith in the restored gospel is powerful. He stated, “I never had any doubt. I always had in faith in the Book of Mormon and I never doubted Joseph Smith.” Ronnie’s spiritual foundation is set with faith, goal setting, and steady progress. He has just been ordained to the office of priest in the Aaronic priesthood, and will continue with faith together with his wife to aim towards to the temple, improving every day.
Lyric had been around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his whole life and always told everyone that he was a member of the church when asked about his religion. His family and friends in the Chattanooga Valley ward helped Lyric to build his faith and love of the gospel throughout his life.
The missionaries met Lyric when Sister Harrop and Sister Webb were invited over to have dinner with Bishop Flynn and his wife. While we were eating, Lyric, their grandson, came in looking for a toy his little brother had left at their house. His grandpa invited him to stay for dinner, so he did and he told the missionaries all about his High School. Then, after dinner he joined them for a lesson about the story of Nephi and Laban. He found it interesting, and and his grandpa invited him to read the Book of Mormon and come to church with his cousin that weekend.
That Sunday, Lyric came to church with his cousin Liam who had recently returned from his own mission. He helped Lyric get excited about the gospel and started bringing him to church every Sunday. The next Sunday Lyric saw the missionaries giving another friend of theirs a tour of the church and decided to come join. As the sisters showed them the baptismal font Lyric told them that he planned on being baptized in that font. And the missionaries set a date right then for Lyric to be baptized!
As he prepared for his baptism he quickly read through the Book of Mormon and always had notes on what he was reading ready for the missionaries when they came over. Everyone could see his excitement; he invited all his friends and family to come to his baptism.
Lyric was baptized by his grandpa on September 14, 2024. At his baptism, Lyric bore the most beautiful testimony of the impact that the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Chatt Valley Ward had had on him. We could see the powerful impact his testimony had on so many who were in attendance at his baptism. He was confirmed the following Sunday morning by his grandpa and was given an opportunity to bear his testimony in the sacrament meeting. Again, his testimony was powerful and invited the Spirit into the meeting.
He told us that he now understood what the purpose of a missionary is in helping people come unto Christ through making covenants with Him at baptism, and he wants to serve a mission himself in the future.
Barlows in TKM 