At our weekly coordination meeting for the Rockyface Ward, we received a referral for Adrian, who is the son of a recently baptized member of the church.
From the very beginning, we knew that Adrian was a special child. He had a deep desire and a true joy about being baptized. The story starts with after his mother, Maritza, was baptized in 2022 and shortly after was invited to the baptism of the Bishop’s son named Hyrum. Maritza could not make it, but Adrian wanted to be there. Hyrum’s family picked up Adrian, and brought him to the baptism.
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After the baptism, Adrian, without any solicitation, told Hyrum’s parents that one day he would be baptized too. Over a year goes by, and in ward coordination, a member brought up the idea of teaching Adrian to prepare for his baptism.
He loved having us over and teaching him all of the doctrine needed to progress in the Gospel and prepare for his baptism. He had some difficulty because his mother has to work every other weekend. But to show his faith, he attended church without any of his brothers or his mom. He went on to not miss a single day of church from the first visit through his baptism and after.
When he was baptized, he shared with everyone who attended, “I always feel good when I am with Jesus. I know he is real and I am so excited to be baptized.”
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Following his baptism, he inspired another friend the Rockyface Elders were teaching to accept an invitation to be baptized the following week. He also inspired his brothers to follow in his footsteps and helps to teach them about the Book of Mormon. Now, Adrian has been a huge help with helping to teach others around his same age by recording his testimony of his favorite stories from the Book of Mormon.
Sister Angell and Sister Bosh were on an exchange in Signal Mountain. They passed Juan in the Walmart parking lot and decided to invite him to the Tabernacle Choir Watch Party using the TABCAT cards. Juan was so kind and said he would love to come to the Watch Party. He seemed so interested to learn more, they invited him to meet them for a church tour the following Saturday.
That Saturday, July 27, 2024, Juan was heading to meet the sister missionaries for the chapel tour. Previous to the chapel tour, while Juan was driving to work, he found himself in a situation where he could have had a serious or fatal injury. Ending up with no injury, Juan felt the impression that God must really want him to meet with those missionaries that day.
Then on his way to the Signal Mountain building, Juan was running seven minutes late, so he sped up his pace to try to arrive on time to the appointment. He got pulled over for speeding and told the police officer he was trying to find the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The officer pointed to Juan’s right and said, “You’re there!” He let Juan off with a warning and told him that his meeting was important and that he should hurry in. This was another witness to Juan that he needed to be there that night. The sisters invited Juan to church and he attended sacrament meeting the following day.
Over the next few weeks Juan continued to meet with the missionaries regularly at the Burger King. The Spanish missionaries, Elder Lindsay and Elder Youngberg started coming to the lessons and helping Juan get a better understanding of what was being taught. Juan was excited to continue to learn and to come to church and began to come to our church regularly. The ward members were incredible. He made many friends in the ward and started to feel at home.
Juan joined the Tabernacle Choir Watch Party at the Chattanooga Stake Center on Saturday, September 7th. It was a great opportunity for him to meet more members and enjoy uplifting music from the choir. Everyone at the event loved Juan and his enthusiasm. At the Watch Party, Juan met Brother Derek Porter, who is the presenter of Music and the Spoken Word, and talked with him a lot about baptism.
One day Sister Covington and Sister Angell had a lesson with Juan in one of the members’ homes. They were talking about prophets. The missionaries asked Juan if baptism was something he was interested in. He responded that he had been thinking about it a lot and felt that it was something he needed to do. He knew that baptism would change his life. They were able to spend the next two weeks preparing Him for baptism.
During one of their lessons at the Burger King the following week, Juan asked the sisters what was different about our church. After a short discussion the missionaries asked Juan what his thoughts were. He said that our church committed to Jesus Christ in a way that he had never seen before. He loved that level of commitment. That is why he wanted to be baptized, to further commit to his Savior and receive more of his love, strength, mercy, and power in his life.
The morning of his baptism Juan walked into the church building with a big smile on his face. He had the support of many ward members that had become his close friends. Juan was baptized on October 22, 2024. He entered the baptismal font and was baptized by one of his close friends. Juan came out of the water with a big smile on His face. He then shared his powerful testimony and love for the Savior.
Juan shared how he had always wanted to move to the United States. He had an idea of this country being a magical place full of good people. He has lived in the United States for many years now. He said that he never found the America he had always dreamed of until he joined our church. When he found this new church family, he felt at home. He said he now had what he had always dreamed of as a little boy.
Juan is now a proud member of the church. He does not hesitate to engage in missionary work. He connected his cousin in Colombia with the missionaries there. One week after His baptism he was able to attend the Atlanta temple and do proxy baptisms for his parents and grandparents. He wants everyone to find the joy that he has from the gospel.
Juan is a true disciple of Jesus Christ. He has a desire to serve others and help them come closer to our Savior.
Matt was outside his home when a member of the Marion Ward, Brother Van Brederode, was running by his house. As he was passing by, Brother Van Brederode felt like he needed to stop and invite Matt to church. After some conversation, Brother Van Brederode got Matt’s information and called the missionaries.
Sister Dever and Sister Hodges met with Matt and he felt the Spirit when learning about the Book of Mormon and it gave him a real desire to know if it was true. He prayed and received a strong answer that it was true. As Matt got this confirmation, he began coming to church. The Browns welcomed Matt and gave him rides to church every week. The Browns became his friends and really helped with his progression.
Matt had some concerns that held him back from being baptized. But over time, things really began to change and he felt a great desire to make this covenant. As he read, prayed and came to church he decided to press forward despite his concerns. He attended a baptism where he felt the Spirit and could see the change in those individuals. At the baptism, he told the missionaries, “Someday that is going to be me!” That was a turning point.
The missionaries talked to him about temples and that was a powerful lesson as well. As Matt overcame his concerns, he felt happier and ready for his baptism.
Sister Hunt, Brother Brown, Matt, and Sister Bingham
Matt was baptized by Brother Brown on September 1, 2024. He is now preparing for the temple and to receive the priesthood. Matt has joined in lessons with other friends the missionaries are teaching and shared his experience. His faith and testimony is really making a difference for other people.
Could you tell me the names of the three members of the First Presidency and the names of each of those who comprise the Quorum of the Twelve?
Do you sustain the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?
Could you share with me the counsel given by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from last October’s general conference?
Perhaps more important, could you share with me a recent decision where you changed something in your life because of counsel received from one of these 15 men?
We had a wonderful General Conference earlier this month. We invite you to study the talks given, especially by those who we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators.
As you study their talks, you will find that prophets and apostles are Preach My Gospel Master Inviters! You will see that they follow the pattern we are asked to follow in Chapter 11 of PMG:
Teach Doctrine > Invite with Clear Language > Promise Blessings > Testify
What did the prophets say that you want to remember?
What did they invite you to do?
What blessings did they promise?
We promise that as you record their invitations and promised blessings, you will feel a strong desire to act on their invitations and claim every promised blessing made by prophets.
Use this same pattern as you teach your friends to help them make and keep commitments (as you know, you can learn more about it in PMG: Chapter 11):
Teach Doctrine > Invite with Clear Language > Promise Blessings > Testify > Follow Up
We’re already at mid transfer- can you believe it? We hope the district accountability that was implemented is going well. I like to think of a district as a little group of siblings working together, cheering each other on, and helping each other when things are tough. When accountability is done with love and support, it will unite the district. Always remember that these things are to better help us fulfill our missionary purpose to invite everyone to come unto Christ and then to help them receive His restored gospel. He is the heart and the center of everything we do.
If you’re struggling in an area of accountability, let the members of your district help. Everyone has been there at one time or another so reach out- I promise you will be wrapped up in love and support and the day will come when you will be able to offer that same kindness to someone else.
We also hope that everyone is deeply invested in reading the Book of Mormon and studying Preach My Gospel every day! Even on P-day! As I have really done a deep study of PMG, I have felt that things you learn through the Spirit will not only bless you as a missionary, it will bless every aspect of your life in the future. Think of the knowledge and skill you will use in future callings, ministering, and most importantly – your own future family. You are learning how to plan, how to interact with others, essential gospel truths that will bless you for the rest of your life, the power of scripture study, how to make and keep commitments, how to build faith in the Savior, and so many other things!
A mission is the perfect time to fully immerse yourself in The Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel. You won’t have another opportunity quite like a mission to be able to deeply study, learn, and grow. There is no downside here! Make the effort and reap the blessings.
The Restoration Proclamation was issued by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the April 2020 General Conference. This proclamation commemorates the 200th anniversary of The First Vision received by the Prophet Joseph Smith that initiated the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and ushered in “the dispensation of the fullness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).
Our efforts to memorize The Restoration Proclamation was based on this promise from President Nelson at the 2021 Mission Leader Seminar:
We live in this unique and exciting time when the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ continues to unfold. I would encourage each of you to study, ponder, and teach from the bicentennial proclamation of the Restoration, introduced at the April 2020 general conference. Teach it often to your missionaries. There is power in its declarations. It proclaims truths concerning the Godhead, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the First Vision, the organization of the Lord’s Church, the restoration of priesthood authority, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and modern-day prophets. The more your missionaries understand about these fundamental gospel truths, the more their own testimonies will grow—which of course will help them teach and testify with greater power.
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Important eternal truths are taught in The Restoration Proclamation that are valuable for missionaries to know and teach:
Heavenly Father loves His children.
God knows you, loves you, and has a plan for your life. He will direct your path.
After the death of His apostles, Christ’s New Testament Church was lost from the earth.
God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith to initiate the restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church.
Heavenly messengers re-established His Church.
The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, is sacred scripture that teaches the Doctrine of Christ.
Priesthood authority has been restored.
Missionaries carry the message of the Restoration to the world.
The Restoration is ongoing.
You can know for yourself of the reality of this Restoration.
This was no easy task for our missionaries. The Restoration Proclamation is 608 words. Similar to when we memorized “The Living Christ”, Sister Barlow created flip cards that would help us memorize the Restoration Proclamation. She also noted that we will record a video of missionaries reciting “The Restoration Proclamation” just like we did with “The Living Christ.”
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Memorizing this proclamation has been a great experience for our mission. Missionaries shared that they often find themselves quoting The Restoration Proclamation as they teach. Combining it with our efforts to memorize The Living Christ has been powerful. Memorizing and pondering these words from living prophets have strengthened our faith and is helping us to testify with greater power.
It all started with Randall. Sister Webb and Sister Harrop got a referral from a man named Randall. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very interested, but where the Sisters asked who else he knew who might be interested, he told the sisters to see his friend Cody. While visiting Cody, they met his sister Angel. Angel was too busy to meet at that time, but she gave them her address so they could visit her later. When they followed up, Angel was nowhere to be found at the given address, but after asking the man there who might be interested in their message, he said to try the lady at the back of the neighborhood. And this is where Sister Harrop and Sister Webb met Lorie!
Lorie was open to talking with the sisters because she remembered her grandfather talking to missionaries when she was a little girl. She liked that the missionaries would come visit her and teach her the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She has always been a very faithful follower of Jesus Christ and has strove to keep his commandments throughout her life. She enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon because it works so well with the Holy Bible.
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When the sisters presented her with the opportunity to be baptized to show the Lord that she was willing to follow Him and to be bound to Him through Jesus Christ’s priesthood, she wanted to take that step! She said that she couldn’t find anything wrong with the Book of Mormon or with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so she wanted to be a part of it.
The Chatt Valley Ward was so welcoming as Lorie came to church and prepared to be baptized. Sister Alma Griffey was an amazing fellowshipper and was always willing to help Lorie progress in her goal of being baptized. Lorie was baptized on August 31. 2024. Her baptism was beautiful and the Spirit was powerful. After she was baptized, she said she felt “clean”.
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When Lorie was confirmed on Sunday and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, Sister Webb and Sister Bunderson noted that she was glowing with the Spirit. She had a new light about her and the Spirit she carried was clearly visible. Lorie looked so beautiful and so happy. The sisters could feel the love that Heavenly Father has for Lorie, one of His beloved daughters.
Francisco recently moved to the country and was looking for a church near him. He saw an ad on Facebook for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that’s how he came in contact with the missionaries. The ad was inviting him to join us at a church service, and he sent in his referral on July 20, 2024.
Francisco came to the United States by himself leaving his family behind. He started coming to church every Sunday and quickly became good friends with many of the members. Francisco has a lot of faith and never doubted that this was the path the Lord had for him.
One Sunday, during sacrament meeting a recent convert bore her testimony on how her own baptism had blessed her life. After church that day, the missionaries had a lesson with Francisco. He expressed that he had loved the testimony from the recent convert and had his own desire to fulfill the commandments of God through baptism.
From then on, Francisco started working towards baptism. He has never doubted that this is what the Lord wants for him, even if it means making big changes. When the missionaries taught him about the commandments of God he immediately agreed to live them.
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Francisco was baptized and confirmed on August 25, 2024 in the Lebanon 2nd Branch.
Francisco is a very engaged learner and has already contributed a lot to the branch. He would consistently share his own testimony in Sunday School and in lessons, and has continued to enjoy learning more about the gospel.
Finding the church has truly changed his life and has allowed him to find peace during this difficult time of being away from the rest of his family. He is a great example of someone who is always willing to follow God’s commandments and stay true to what he knows. As a member of Christ’s church he is now excited to continue on this covenant path.
Dionamit, Jhoan and Jeremias were found by Elder Tyson Hurtado and Elder Isaac Maynes soon after they moved to the United States. Their journey is filled with hard work, family, and faith. The Elders met them at a new convert’s birthday party and invited them to begin taking the discussions. Jhoan had met with missionaries in Venezuela years prior, but after the message of the Restoration lesson, nothing came of it. Now in the States, he was finally prepared. The family soon became dedicated to attending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as much as possible.
Many obstacles stood in their way that could have prevented them from receiving saving ordinances. Yet they came so far and they weren’t ready to give up. One challenge was work. Their boss had them working every other weekend. On the weekends when they were free, they were at church and attended sacrament meeting times many, many times before the day of their baptism arrived.
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Since moving to Greeneville, their relationship with the Lord has only grown. They prayed day and night for their dreams of baptism to come true. They never doubted He would work it out. When Sister Wood and Sister Holliday began working with the family, all they asked for were prayers. Dionamit and Jhoan would need to be married before they could be baptized. It was set up so they would be married on Thursday, get baptized on Friday, and attend the temple for the first time on Friday. It was also their son, Jeremias’ 13th Birthday week!
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Everyone came together to celebrate these big events with this family. Each member of the ward offered something beautiful for the wedding Ceremony. A youth baked a 3 tiered cake, a sister who plans weddings brought more than 7 flower arrangements, center pieces and table cloth, our friend captured the whole thing like a professional on her camera! And like a potluck, everyone contributed!
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They were baptized on August 9, 2024 in a wonderful service attended by many friends.
The trip to the temple was remarkable. The happiest moment of all, is Dionamit’s smile as she held her very first temple recommend. To top off the festivities, Jhoan took family names to the temple. The next day, Sunday, him and his son were able to pass the sacrament for the first time.
Sister Angell and Sister Avei were in the Walmart parking lot and saw them. Alex ran up and did his typical, “Sister Missionaries!!” They chatted with him and Sara for a few minutes when Sara asked, “So what is the difference between y’alls church and everyone else’s?” Alex grabbed the Book of Mormon and said, “This!” He then invited Sara to meet the missionaries.
Sister Angell and Sister Avei met with Sara and Alex two days after they talked in the parking lot. They taught her the Restoration and Alex shared his testimony after every principle that was taught. After the lesson Sara expressed, “I’ve understood more in this 20-minute lesson than I have for the past two years at my previous church.” Sara attended sacrament meeting the following Sunday and was taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ that day. The missionaries invited her to follow the example of her Savior Jesus Christ and be baptized into His Church. Sara said that this is what she wanted to do. Alex hugged Sara, looked her in the eyes, and said “I know this is the right thing for you and it will change your life”.
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Sara was instantly fellowshipped by the youth of the Signal Mountain Ward. They all asked if they could join in teaching Sara about the truths they were raised with. Sara grew up without this same knowledge and was actively seeking truth. She developed a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and had a desire to be baptized.
But Sara’s parents were hesitant about this idea. They were unsure about signing the form allowing her to be baptized. Alex knew how much baptism would bless Sara’s life. He fasted all day so that his parents would be willing to sign the form. Alex and Sara both bore their testimony to their parents. They shared why baptism was important to them. They shared why they felt this was the true church. When their mom heard the testimonies of her children and listened to Sara express a desire to be baptized, her heart was softened. She signed the form and even attended the baptismal service a few days later.
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Sara was baptized on Saturday August 24, 2024. She had the support of many friends and family, including many members of the Signal Mountain Ward. When Sara came up out of the water her face was beaming with the biggest smile. This baptismal service was filled with pure joy. When Sara bore her testimony at the end of the meeting, she closed with “Thank you Alex for bringing me to God.”
Sara made the decision to pursue a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ despite initial opposition from her friends and family. She has found pure joy through the restored gospel. She is an example to all around her, and invites her friends to learn more about Jesus Christ and His gospel. We are so grateful for Sara’s sweet spirit, persistence, and continual missionary efforts. She is a life changer!
Barlows in TKM 