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!
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!
Juan sent in a referral request to meet with missionaries in May of 2024. He did not respond to missionaries at first but Sister Dever was persistent on Facebook and soon he started to respond. After several messages back and forth with the Sister Missionaries he met them in person.
Juan’s Story
Hi I am Juan. I am from Mexico and I met the missionaries by messenger and then eventually met in person. It’s really cool what they do. They help get people to Jesus. It is really awesome. The biggest experience I had was getting baptized. It was really cool. Keeping the commandments of God and His gospel, being a better person every day is awesome. In my opinion, it is the best thing I have ever done. It is really challenging for the missionaries but it is so cool that they help people change by reading the scriptures. It makes you think differently and better. I have been a better person since reading the Book of Mormon. The biggest miracle is being a better person and thinking better than I used to. I have been able to reach out to more people and have better conversations with people and especially the missionaries. I haven’t been to church a lot but I have loved being there with the awesome people, it is such a cool experience even though I haven’t been able to go there much. As I have followed the Word of Wisdom I have actually had more energy and been able to wake up as I have followed that commandment! I sleep better and rest a bit more.
My relationship with God is continuing to grow. I have more faith in him. I used to have faith but now I feel that he is with me all the time. Every time I read the Book of Mormon I notice all the things in it have happened or are coming to pass. It helps me to not fall into the temptations of the world. Having the Holy Ghost has helped me feel more confidence. I don’t feel tension in my life and I have more relief. My trust in the Lord keeps growing and I am so blessed. I have so much gratitude that I can’t even express it in prayer.
It’s not cool, it’s amazing and incredible and all of the big things.
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I loved to see Juan and his progression and continuing progression in the gospel. From the first time we met him I knew Juan was ready to take steps of faith and from that time forward he did! I was so blessed to learn from someone so humble!
-Sister Bosh
Teaching Juan has been an absolute privilege and pleasure. Juan, from day one, was full of light. Since his baptism he has illuminated Christlike charity. It has been beautiful to watch it flood into the lives of his family and friends. He is a beacon of light which many are drawn towards. Juan loves the gospel and continues to grow every day. I’ve been able to watch his desire to share the gospel grow and develop. He now is sharing with everyone around him like his coworkers and family. He recently told Sister Bosh and I that he shared the Tennessee Knoxville Mission “The Living Christ” with his boss!! He also told me the other night that his heart has changed and he is full of gratitude for his Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for Juan and his example to me and he will forever have an impact on my life.
Kris was found on Facebook about three years ago. He called the first missionaries to meet with him “The Carson Twins”, Carson Noble and Carson Hagberg. From the beginning, Kris was interested in the things they had to say and enjoyed meeting with the elders.
Eventually, as he continued to meet with the missionaries, listen to the Book of Mormon, and come to church, Kris felt a desire to be baptized. He was unable to be baptized for a few years due to personal matters, but continued to be taught by the missionaries and to build relationships with the ward. Great members of the Hixson ward like Harold and Trudy Johnson, Joe Thomas, and Brad Tobler kept Kris fellowshipped and encouraged him to live the gospel while he waited for his time to be baptized to come.
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On May 28th, Kris received word that he would finally be able to get baptized. This was a huge deal! He was elated! Christ was baptized on June 8, 2024. There was great support for Kris at his baptism. He was very excited to finally become a member of Christ’s church.
Kris was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on June 9, 2024. The week previous, he bore his testimony in sacrament meeting, testifying that he knew he was making the right choice and that the gospel of Jesus Christ would continue to bless his life. Kris plans to travel the United States soon and visit as many temples as he can, doing the work for others. His story is a testament to the fact that the Lord can open doors and change lives.
Once each transfer, we gather together with all of the senior missionaries in the mission. On December 14th, all senior missionaries in the TKM gathered at the mission home for a Christmas Party. We had a wonderful lunch together and shared white elephant gifts. The best part is being together, sharing our experiences, and getting to know each other better. This is a special group with a special connection.
It was Sister Jentzsch’s birthday, so our Christmas party doubled as a birthday celebration! Sister Jentzsch is the heart and soul of the mission. Happy Birthday Sister Jentzsch!
Elder and Sister Hillman brought their Christmas bells, so we created our own bell choir to play some Christmas songs.
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A special shout out to my mom Marilyn and my sister Christie who flew into Tennessee to help us this week and cooked lunch for all of our senior missionaries.
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This is a great opportunity to introduce all of our incredible senior missionaries!
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Elder and Sister Jentzsch
Elder and Sister Jentzsch arrived in the TKM a month before we did, so we can’t imagine the TKM without them! Sister Jentzsch serves as our mission secretary and keeps us all organized, and Elder Jentzsch is our Vehicle Coordinator and is responsible for the 84 vehicles in the mission. Both are really big jobs and the Jentzsch’s do them incredibly well. They also serve in the Loudon Ward where they are having many special experiences as missionaries and ministers.
Sister Young
Sister Young is our Mission Health Advisor. With a background as a nurse, she supports our missionaries with all things related to their physical health. When you are around her, you will notice her phone rings frequently. She is always so kind, generous, and supportive. All of the missionaries love her! I don’t know what we would do without Sister Young (or Sister Ford)! We like to call Sister Young the TKM Ministering Angel because we have watched her drive from Knoxville to Asheville to Chattanooga and then back to Knoxville in the same day ministering to missionaries!
Sister Ford
Sister Ford also serves as a Mission Health Advisor. She lives in Kingsport, TN and like Sister Young is like a guardian angel of the mission. One of Sister Ford’s super powers is being a cheerleader. Along with keeping everyone healthy, she is always encouraging the missionaries in their missionary work. We love Sister Ford and have been so grateful for her service as a missionary.
Elder and Sister Neville
The Nevilles are from St. George, Utah and started in the TKM in September 2023. They have been serving in the Powell Valley Ward and also help to support the Group in Harlan, Kentucky. They are incredible ministers and have helped new and returning members, have taught self-reliance classes, helped families with significant welfare needs, and helped members progress on the covenant path. They have been so willing to do whatever is needed to help support their ward. The missionaries in their district gather each week for district council meetings at the Nevilles’ home and they love to spend time with them.
Elder and Sister Chris
Elder and Sister Chris are from Santa Clara, Utah and have been serving since October 2023. They live in Hendersonville, North Carolina and serve in the Hendersonville 2nd Branch, which is a Pohnpeian branch in the Asheville Stake. They have completely embedded themselves in the branch and adopted the Micronesian culture as their own. The members in that little branch love them and have gifted them many beautiful necklaces and head wreaths as a symbol of their gratitude for all Elder and Sister Chris do. We were especially grateful to have them in the Asheville area during Hurricane Helene where they provided calm and assurance for the missionaries and helping hands for the Asheville community.
Elder and Sister Hillman
Elder and Sister Hillman are from West Jordan, Utah and have been serving since November 2023. They heard Elder Rasband’s talk in the October 2023 General Conference and were here a month later. Sister Hillman has tremendous organizational skills and keeps everything in the office organized. She is in charge of supplies for the missionaries and takes care of the many lunches and dinners that happen with meetings across the mission. Elder Hillman serves as our Technology Specialist and Referral Secretary. They also serve in the Knoxville YSA branch and have had great experiences there. The Hillmans are well loved by the missionaries and have been mentors and examples of Christlike service to all of us.
Elder and Sister Bennett
Elder and Sister Bennett are from Asheville, North Carolina and have been serving since January 2024. They serve in the Asheville Central Branch and the missionaries all love the Bennetts! They are often side-by-side with the missionaries as they teach new friends and recent converts. They also were an incredible blessing during the challenges we had with Hurricane Helene. They didn’t have power or water for a number of days but that didn’t stop them from welcoming the missionaries with open arms to their home. Even in the aftermath of a hurricane, Elder and Sister Bennett didn’t miss a moment of Southern hospitality! Memories of charity and love from the Bennetts will stay with the missionaries for life.
Elder and Sister Markli
Elder and Sister Markli are from Oak Ridge, Tennessee and are serving as Temple Construction Missionaries at the construction site of the Knoxville Tennessee Temple. The missionaries love to take friends to visit the Markli’s at the visitor center set up at the temple site. Their district of missionaries also love to have their district councils there. They recite The Living Christ from memory on their drive to the temple site each day. They know the Savior and it shows in the way they serve. The Marklis will continue to serve until the temple is completed.
Elder and Sister Davis
Elder and Sister Davis are from Farmington, Utah and have been serving since March 2024. They live in Sevierville, Tennessee and serve in the Sevierville Ward and Member and Leader Support missionaries. They’ve been busy working to contact all less active and prospective elders in the ward and inviting them to return. They have a love for family history and set up family history booths and many of the local county fairs this summer. They are also organizing service opportunities for every area in our mission. Elder and Sister Davis have been a great blessing to their ward and every time we see the members, they tell us how much they love and appreciate Elder and Sister Davis. We do too!
Elder and Sister Browning
Elder and Sister Browning are from Smithfield, Utah and have been serving since July 2024. Sister Browning as our Financial Secretary and Elder Browning is our Housing Coordinator. These are two incredibly big jobs. We don’t know what we would do without the Brownings. They are incredible! And everyone loves serving with them. Sister Browning has a gift of eyes to see what is needed and the ability to quickly and kindly take care of things and people. Elder Browning is a man of great humility and faith. They also serve in the Smoky Mountain Ward and help minister there.
Elder and Sister Heslop
Elder and Sister Heslop are from Ogden, Utah and have been serving since October 2024. They live in Crossville, Tennessee and serve and Member and Leader Support missionaries in the Crossville 1st Ward and the Crossville 2nd Branch. In their role, they are helping to minister to less active members, part member families, and prospective elders. The missionaries love to be in their home and spend time with them every chance they get. The Heslops bring incredible experience and we are so grateful they are here serving in the TKM.
Elder and Sister Puentes
Elder and Sister Puentes are from West Jordan, Utah and joined us in the TKM in November 2024. They live in Morristown, Tennessee and serve in the Lakeway Ward supporting the Spanish Group there. The members and missionaries felt an immediate connection with Elder and Sister Puentes! Elder Puentes has a great sense of humor and always gets a laugh. Sister Puentes is humble, warm, and it’s easy to feel her love for the Lord.
Elder and Sister Hendrix
Elder and Sister Hendrix are from Taylorsville, Utah and started their service in November 2024. They live in Chattanooga, Tennessee and are assigned to the Chattanooga Ward. The missionaries love them already! They are the classic grandparents away from home- full of love, kindness, and a great talent for ministering as the Savior does. We have already seen them be His hands as the serve. They are musically talented and their little branch is in for a treat whenever they share their incredible talents. We are so blessed to have them here in the TKM!
Elder and Sister Shumway
Elder and Sister Shumway started in the TKM in December 2024. They are from Mesa, Arizona, live in Lafayette, Georgia, and are serving in the Lafayette Branch. Even though they’ve only been here a few weeks, we’ve already received multiple calls from members of the branch thanking us for sending the Shumways there. They have a great sense of humor, are fun to be around, have incredible experience in serving in the church, and will make a tremendous difference in their missionary service.
Elder and Sister Greaves
Elder and Sister Greaves are from Ogden, Utah and began their service in December 2024. They are living in Abingdon, Virginia and will serve in the Abingdon Ward. The Greaves have a grandson serving here, have joined our weekly zoom call with families called “Knit Together Sunday”. One week while on our zoom call, they felt a strong impression they should come serve in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission…and here they are! We love their faith in answering the call to serve. They are very talented and bring remarkable church experience that will greatly bless the people in Abingdon.
When we first came to the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we had 11 senior missionaries serving, with three couples close to returning home. Today we are so fortunate to have 28 senior missionaries serving. Each of them are making an incredible difference in the TKM. These missionaries make a tremendous difference in the wards and branches where they serve, but they make an even bigger difference with the young missionaries they serve with every day.
And yet, we could still use many more senior missionaries. If you’ve thought about serving, and especially if you would like to join us in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, please reach out to me and Sister Barlow. We would love to share with you the ways that you can serve and the great difference you will make. We promise you will have a life-changing experience. We would love to have you serve here in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, but any mission would be happy to welcome you.
If you’ve ever thought about serving, watch this talk from Elder Ronald A. Rasband titled, “How Great Will Be Your Joy”. Please come!
See these other posts about the impact of senior missionaries:
We had a great welcoming committee at the airport with he welcome posters made by our departing missionaries.
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Because it was wet and cold, we held all of the orientation at the stake center in Farragut, though we did get to go out to Market Square and find people to teach.
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The most exciting part of welcoming new missionaries is assigning them to their trainers and first areas. We know Heavenly Father has great trust and confidence in these trainers. Here are the trainer assignments for these new missionaries.
New Missionary
Trainer
Area
Sister Iongi
Sister Bunderson/Campbell
Brevard
Sister Laulu
Sister Nunn
Marion
Sister Rush
Sister Bosh/Low
Asheville
Sister Diede
Sister Petersen
East Ridge
Sister Lancaster
Sister Bundy
Ringgold
Sister Peterson
Sister Wilson
Pleasant Ridge
Sister Williams
Sister Massey
Greenville
Elder Keeler
Elder Wright
Lafayette
Elder Jarman
Elder Woodward
Cherokee
Elder Hales
Elder Wilson
Jamestown
Elder Gunther
Elder Sommer
Lebanon 2nd
Elder Bronson
Elder Eyre
Lebanon 3rd
Elder Tyler
Elder Carroll
Watauga
Elder Woodruff
Elder McDonald
Powell Valley
Elder Painter
Elder Wickliffe/Farnes
Athens
Elder Christensen
Elder Farr
Sevierville
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Can’t wait to see what this group accomplishes and the disciples of Christ they become during their time in the TKM!
On December 11th, we had 9 fantastic missionaries who finished their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. They’ve each made a tremendous difference here and we’ve been very grateful to serve side-by-side with each of them.
The competition in the 13th TKM Family Olympics was very, very close. With it being a rainy day, we competed in three events: Poster Contest, Sequence, and Corn Hole.
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In the end, the poster making contest ending up being the deciding factor!
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In the end, the winners of the gold medal for the 13th TKM Family Olympics were Elder Mecham and Elder Huff (who by the way were also MTC companions!).
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We love these missionaries, and can’t wait to see what big plans Heavenly Father has for each one of them!
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!
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.
Barlows in TKM 