We found Deybinxon from a media referral we received from his aunt, Emily Ochoa. On the first lesson we had with Emily, her sister Marianne (Deybinxon’s mom), and their neighbor Yaquelin, the Spirit was felt very strongly and we extended to them the baptismal date of August 10, 2024.
Within the next couple lessons we were also introduced to the parejas of Emily and Marianny, as well as Emily’s son, Neyder, and his cousin, Marianny’s son, Deybinxon. Both sons had the same baptismal date extended to them as well. As we taught, most everyone was interested in our message, but we could tell that Deybinxon especially felt the Spirit from the truths that were taught.
Over time and with the help of the Lemon family in the ward, Deybinxon was taught all the missionary lessons. Any time we talked about their baptism, Deybinxon and his cousin Neyder would literally bounce up and down in their seats and clap their hands from excitement.
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Deybinxon was only able to come to church once before his scheduled baptismal date on August 10, so we had to move his date back. Nevertheless he continued to take the lessons and had a wonderful ability to understand and remember the things we taught.
A super important moment for him was when he attended the baptism of another young person, Adrian, who was baptized on September 14. After the baptism he told members that he wanted to be baptized too, and the very next Friday if possible, since that would be when his dad was off work so his whole family could attend.
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On September 20, 2024, Deybinxon had a powerful baptismal service and in his own words, he said he felt God touch his hand and he could feel His presence immediately after getting out of the baptismal water. He was confirmed on September 22, 2024. Since then he has loved listening to General Conference and watching the children’s Book of Mormon Stories on YouTube.
Carole was seeking truth! She was seeking something new. She was on a journey looking for the true church. A church centered on Jesus Christ, focused on His teachings, and one full of love. She was looking for a place to finally settle into, and she found it.
Back on May 9, 2024, the missionaries in Ringgold, Georgia, Sister Bosh and Sister Herget, received a referral from Carole Pendergraft. That’s where it all started! Carole said that she received an email asking if she’d like to do a Bible study with missionaries. And she said “Of course!” So she put down her information, and next thing she knows she was getting a call from the missionaries that same day. That referral was an answer to prayer on both ends.
The missionaries returned with a Book of Mormon in hand ready to give her. They had their Bibles ready to study, and some pamphlets to read from as well. The questions in the pamphlets really made Carole think about her eternal destiny, and it left her wanting to learn more.
Carole had grown up in various different churches. She had tried church after church and never found what she was looking for in any of them. She had heard about the Book of Mormon before, mostly misconceptions, but hadn’t ever come in contact with any members of the Church of Jesus Christ until the missionaries. So, seeing that offer through the email gave her a chance to try out another church again.
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Each time the missionaries would come to her door, she’d excitedly think “What do they have for me to study today?” She loves to study! Within a few weeks she had all of the General Conference talks from 2023 read, and she was ready to study even more. She has been meeting with the missionaries 2-3 times a week since.
Just prior to the missionaries showing up at her door, Carole started suffering from migraines daily. To help with this, a couple months into meeting with her, Sister Critchfield and Sister Herget scheduled a priesthood blessing for her on a Saturday afternoon. The next day, on Sunday, she was able to come to church for the first time, migraine free the whole day. Since that first priesthood blessing, she has still had migraines, but they have never been nearly as severe as they were before.
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Carole immediately fell In love with the people at church. She said she’s never been in a church where the people cared so much and would do anything for her, or that she’s never been in a church where missionaries would come to study with people to help them learn the Doctrine of Jesus Christ. She said “The missionaries were there that very first Sunday at the door to greet me! They were there for me that Sunday, and have continued to be there ever since, saving me a seat each week. That’s when I knew I had found my place!”
Carole was very pleased at the opportunity we have to take the sacrament weekly in the church, since that wasn’t something she was ever used to. That really drew her in to returning again.
Carole had been invited to be baptized four different times before she accepted and went through with the date on October 2, 2024. Before she was ready, she felt she needed to study more. She knew baptism was the end goal, she just knew she needed to gain a strong testimony of her own on a few gospel principles beforehand. The main one being the Restoration of The Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. So that’s exactly what she spent her time studying. She started studying the life of Joseph Smith and what he went through to get these restored truths to us. She watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, started reading chapter after chapter in the Doctrine and Covenants, and answered the questions for herself in the back of the Restoration pamphlet.
One day, while doing that, something hit her “like a ton of bricks” and she knew that it was true. We always knew that there was something special about Carole. She wanted to be all in and she was determined to do everything it took to get there.
The day of her baptism on October 2nd, she said she wasn’t nervous at all because she knew she was ready. Brother McPheters in the Ringgold ward baptized her, and so many people from the ward came to support her, many of whom she didn’t really know all that well. She couldn’t believe all the support that the members of the church provided, and it made her feel so loved.
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The day of the baptism she came down with a terrible migraine. However, she was determined to go through with this special day no matter what. She wasn’t going to let the adversary get in the way of it. So, she showed up, migraine and all, proceeding with the baptism only to notice that her migraine was completely gone the second she came up out of the water.
She described her baptism as one of the best experiences she’s ever had, with the most joyous feelings she’s felt. She’d repeat the day all over again if she could! She’s noticed a huge difference in her life from receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Now that it’s with her the all the time, she says she notices that she always has a good feeling. One of peace and comfort, that will never go away.
Carole always likes to say she doesn’t know if she was sent to the missionaries or they were sent to her, but all she knows is that “it was a God thing!” That’s how she knows this is where she is meant to be. She was on a journey looking for a true church and she found it. And now she likes to say she’s on another journey: one as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that’s just starting and that she’s ready to be on forever. It’s a whole new way of life! She said she didn’t necessarily live a bad life before, but she wasn’t living up to the expectations she knew she was capable of in her youth. But she is now and she couldn’t be happier! It has helped her reach her full potential. She is still learning all the time as a new member and she has continued to study every day. She has enjoyed what she has learned and knows she has a lot more to go.
Since day one, even though she joined the church by herself, Carole has never felt alone, because the ward family took her in like one of their own. Who knows how Carole Pendergraft happened to get that email from the church, but as Carole likes to say “It was a God Thing!” And that’s exactly what it was, a God thing!
Michael just moved and he wanted to find a new church to go to near him. He saw an ad for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Snapchat and decided to fill it out with his information and he sent in a media referral! Sister Bingham and Sister Hodges got this referral and saw Michael was just down the street from the church.
Michael began taking the lessons and it wasn’t long until he said yes to his invitation to be baptized! He said he felt like he needed a fresh start and to renew himself.
Michael was referred May 14, 2024 and was baptized and confirmed June 16, 2024! Michael said that after he was baptized he felt like all his worries were swept away.
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Michael says that he loves coming to church because everyone is so kind and helpful. He says he feel at home. Right after Michael was baptized he wanted to learn more about his family history and started coming Wednesday nights to meet with Family History Consultants to learn more! He is very excited to go to the temple with the ward this next month!
There is a quote that the Sisters love that Michael said once. He said: “God and Christ are like a bomb shelter. The outside may get hurt but he is protecting the most important part, our hearts and our souls.”
Charles was on YouTube and saw and ad that offered the opportunity to meet with the missionaries. He sent a request to meet the missionaries so that he could feel God’s love for him in his life more fully.
As Charles talked with the missionaries, he prayed and asked God if what he was learning was true. He received the confirmation that Jesus Christ’s gospel has been restored and that he needed to be baptized into His restored church.
Charles immediately made changes in his life so he would be ready for baptism. He told us he had an urgent feeling to be baptized, and he’d do whatever he needed to so that he could be. Without a way to church, Charles was able to get rides from amazing members in the ward. Supporting him on his journey closer to Christ, the members continue to support him in his efforts to come to church and remember his covenants.
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Charles was baptized on August 31, 2024. There is a new light around him, one which he has recognized as the joy he received from the Holy Ghost. He has told many about his baptism, and the joy he felt from the promises he has now made with God. It was only one month between when Charles saw the ad on YouTube, met with the missionaries, and was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jackie is a true Southerner and one of the sweetest ladies there’s ever been! Her conversion story starts in 2022 when Elder Stanfield found her when he was in his first area, Lafayette. She was interested but very busy and after a few months stopped meeting with the missionaries.
In a surprise to everyone, Elder Stanfield was transferred back into Lafayette for the last six weeks of his mission. While she hadn’t been visited by the missionaries in a long time, he remembers Jackie and decided to visit her. Jackie expressed interest, so the missionaries started meeting with her again.
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The missionaries helped Jackie understand their purpose for meeting with her was to help her to come closer to Jesus Christ through baptism. It took time, but the lessons she had with the missionaries began to align perfectly with what she needed to hear in her life.
She had reservations about going to church, but after building up her confidence and understanding what church services would be like, she was willing and excited to come and attend. Elder Maxfield and Elder Naufahu were able to explain the gospel in ways she understood and loved, and she was especially interested in understanding how she could attend the temple. That day she set a date to be baptized to receive the blessings that come from living covenants.
Leading up to her baptism, she was able to read all of 1 Nephi and is so excited to continue reading. Jackie was baptized on September 14, 2024. She had many of her family members attend her baptism and it was an amazing experience all around! She is now preparing to attend the temple and feels so blessed to have her family history for her relatives and to grow closer to her family.
Michelle’s story started when her boyfriend, Jerson, was assigned to work with Daniel Godoy, a member of the Cleveland Ward, for the day. They had never met before then, but as coworkers, started up a conversation. Brother Godoy explained that he had two children, a daughter and a son who was currently serving a mission for his church. Jerson, having a suspicion in his mind, asked what church the Godoy’s belong to. To which Brother Godoy promptly responded, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”
Jerson had grown up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but since moving to the United States, he had not participated in any church meetings. When Jerson told Brother Godoy that he was a member of the Church, Brother Godoy quickly invited both him and his girlfriend to church.
On Sunday, while we were greeting people as they came in, Brother Godoy came up to us and told us that he was bringing someone to church. We were excited to meet them, but they showed up a little late so we didn’t have time introduce ourselves. After Sacrament Meeting had ended, Jerson and Michelle had to leave but we had enough time to exchange information and set up a return appointment.
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When we arrived a couple days later for our appointment, we had no idea what to expect going in. With the Spirit’s guidance, we taught the importance of marriage, temples, how families can be together forever, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ fortifies the family. Leaving that first lesson, Michelle wanted those blessings that we shared. She felt the spirit testify to her of what she heard that night.
We continued teaching them, explaining that the first step before baptism was the need to be married. We left one night inviting them to pray and to ask God when it would be right. The next morning we got a call from Jerson telling us that they wanted to get married that very weekend.
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Everyone came together and made it a night to remember. The following week, on July 7, 2024, Michelle was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As they keep growing their family in this constantly changing world, they find peace knowing that they have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with the hope of one day being sealed together as a family.
Rachel and Paul Lam didn’t decide to join the church until after they discovered how much the gospel could bless their growing family.
Rachel has lived in Tennessee her whole life. She was introduced to the gospel in high school by a friend who invited her to church. Paul was raised in California. His grandparents were members and he was around the church often.
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A few years ago, Paul decided to move to Tennessee and met Rachel. They discovered that they both had experience with the church and decided to reach out to the missionaries. This is what Rachel says about her experience:
“Growing up, I knew nothing about God or Jesus. My mother was a bitter alcoholic that didn’t have room for His love in her heart or home. I didn’t learn of His warmth or care until I was in High School.”
“My closest friend and her family were members of our local church. I spent a lot of my time with them, and it was in their home that I first felt safe and loved. It was with them I attended my first sacrament meeting. I remember feeling peace and love during the service. That feeling followed me, even when I struck out on my own.”
“It wasn’t until I felt truly lost that I really felt the drive to embrace Him. When I was at my lowest point, two missionaries showed up at my door. They brought me back from the edge with their lessons. It all seemed to fall into place the more I learned.”
“My husband, in his own calling, came into my life and subsequently into my daughter’s life. I’ve learned so much from the church and feel so grateful for the gospel, and for Joseph Smith’s revelation. I know in my heart the church is true, and the day I was baptized marked the day my journey to a better life truly began. It feels like everything in my life has led me to the church.”
In 2013, missionaries found Simon pushing buggies, TVs, and other heavy items. The sisters offered to help, and introduced The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Simon for the first time. Simon was at first nervous, but was more open as they talked. The missionaries kept visiting Simon at Walmart until one time they just stop coming.
Fast forward to near the end of September 2023, Simon made the decision to come to church after a member had invited him for nearly two months. That’s when Simon met with missionaries again.
As Simon walked into church each week, he felt a sense of peace. Simon noticed how things started to work out better within his life as he was going to church as when he wasn’t. He really desired to come closer to Jesus Christ and live his life according to God’s will.
Due to his busy work schedule, the Elders would meet at the shop Simon worked at to teach principles of the Plan of Salvation, and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Elder Wakefield and Elder Safsten even helped him move a transmission out of a car!
Many of the missionaries invited Simon to be baptized, but he was just not sure about it. Simon had a lot of questions in regards to the Church of Jesus Christ that he had trouble finding answers to. Many of the members in the Franklin branch shared their love for Simon and helped him feel comfortable at church. One of those members was Brother Sam Carter, who spent a lot of his time answering Simon’s questions. One of those questions was about the temple. He had heard a lot of things about the temple and how special it was, but he couldn’t just take the word of others to know.
One day at church, as Elder Collins and Elder Wakefield were greeting people at church, Brother Carter walked in and said that Simon has set a date to be baptized! The Elders were eager to know what made Simon make the decision. They talked with Simon and he shared what happened the day before.
Simon’s desire to go to the temple, to see for himself, to feel the special Spirit at the temple, and ultimately follow the example of Jesus Christ helped him make his first covenant with his Father in Heaven. Brother Carter and a few other members traveled to Atlanta to see the temple, answering Simon’s questions about the temple along the way. Although Simon wasn’t able to go inside, he shared how he noticed how happy everyone was entering and leaving the temple. Simon stated how he was able to feel uninterrupted peace for an hour, a type of peace he hasn’t truly felt in years. That peace was the Holy Ghost bringing comfort to Simon. He shared how he now knew that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s true church restored.
Elder Collins and Elder Colunga consistently met with Simon, as well as Brother Carter, to answer the rest of Simon’s questions. After learning more about the Book of Mormon, Simon shared that he perfectly understood how the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon work together to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Simon was baptized and confirmed on September 15th, 2024.
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There has always been a special spirit about him. The Elders noticed how that spirit amplified after this special day.
A few days after making a covenant and receiving the Holy Ghost, Simon expressed how he was unable to sleep for nearly three long months, but since his baptism, he was able to sleep in peace. He continues to bring joy in the lives of others with his willingness to share the Book of Mormon with everyone. Simon is an example of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Steve was referred by his friend Lydia, who is a member of the church in Texas. Years ago Lydia bore her testimony about the Book of Mormon and then slipped one in Steve’s suitcase when he left. A few years later, Steve lost this Book of Mormon and felt curious of what it held that his friend Lydia testified so strongly about. He asked Lydia about it, and she offered to have the missionaries bring him a new copy.
What Lydia thought would be just dropping off a Book of Mormon turned into slow but steady lessons with Steve with the missionaries. At first Steve was hesitant. He didn’t dive right into the Book of Mormon. He said, “I have never read a book in my life!”
Slow persistence and member friendship helped Steve realize he needed to read this book for himself and see what he could learn. In his prayers he prayed for the safety of the missionaries as well as asking for help to understand what he was reading in the Book of Mormon. Steve’s prayers and continued faith helped him progress toward making covenants or special promises with God.
After meeting members during lessons Steve saw the same happiness and joy through trials that he saw with his friend Lydia. After going to church the first week, Steve said, “ I just can’t figure out why everyone is so happy!” But he knew he needed to be part of it.
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Steve became more curious about baptism, but there were a few road blocks along the way. Steve has smoked cigarettes his entire life from the time that he was a child, throughout his service in the military, and into his adult life. He smoked a lot. 3 packs a day was not unusual for him.
Steve wanted to be right with God for his baptism but he knew how hard quitting smoking had been for him in the past. Quitting was difficult. Going from that much smoking to none at all was not an easy task. Through lots of prayers, fasting, the help of God and persistent effort, Steve was able to stop smoking. When we asked him what made the difference, he said, “It must have been this book (The Book of Mormon) and the message that y’all shared.”
The Book of Mormon is what made the difference in Steve’s journey to quit smoking and come unto Jesus Christ. We know the power the Book of Mormon brings, we’ve seen it with Steve. Steve has also seen this power and he wants to share it with others so it can help them.
Steve was baptized on June 1, 2024. This was a huge step in God’s plan for Steve. He continues to grow his testimony by coming to church and preparing to help others by doing their work in the temple.
One day we were walking out of Food City and invited a girl named Milo to church. It was a short interaction, but we invited her to come to our chapel for a church tour. Later that week, we texted her and asked her if she wanted to bring anybody else. She said yes, she wanted to bring her roommate Nikki. Nikki initially came just to support Miilo, but by the end of the church tour, she said she wanted to learn more. Both of them came to church that week. They were surprised at how good they felt at church since they had some bad experiences with churches in the past. They said there were “good vibes” at church. We explained that what they were feeling was the Spirit! We were soon able to begin teaching Nikki.
Our next lesson with Nikki was at a member’s home. We were teaching her about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, using the pamphlet. We taught her about the First Vision and the Spirit was so strong. Nikki mentioned that her friend had been baptized recently and she felt the same feelings. We asked her to turn the page in the pamphlet, and she saw the picture of Joseph getting the priesthood authority from Peter, James, and John. We told her that she can be baptized with the authority and power of God. We invited her to be baptized and she said yes!
Nikki began to progress at lightning speed. She started going to YSA activities on her own (at first we didn’t even know she was going)! She loved church and we were able to teach her several times a week, mostly in members’ homes. We were really worried about teaching her the commandments, but she was immediately willing to keep them, even if it would take sacrifices. She even threw her vape in the dumpster! Her family sent her some misinformation about the church, but she said that she knew that what she was doing was right. As they saw how happy she was, they ended up being supportive and even attended her baptism.
Nikki was baptized on August 17, 2024. She was nervous for her baptism, but she said as soon as she came out of the water, everything in the room seemed so much brighter. As we sang the closing song, she got chills and she knew it was the Spirit confirming she was where she belonged.
Nikki’s light just continues to grow. She has been teaching her family everything that we’ve been teaching her. She’s so excited to go to the temple, and has an end goal of getting sealed in the temple someday.
Barlows in TKM 