Tag: jesus

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Lorie

~ barlowsintkm ~ Leave a comment

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.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Francisco

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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.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Dionamit, Jhoan, and Jeremias

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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.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Sara

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Alex Johnson is a recent convert in the Signal Mountain Ward. He was baptized in March 2024 and has since tried to share the gospel with EVERYONE! This included his little sister, Sara.

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!

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Darla

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Darla’s story is nothing short of countless miracles, family love, faith and at the center of it all, Jesus Christ.

Last year, Darla applied for some housing and was put on a year-long wait list. Early this year, she was notified that she had an apartment, but was only given a 48-hour window to move in the apartment or her offer would be gone. Darla knew that her, her husband, and 15-year old grandson Jayden would not be able to move everything into the apartment in time and frantically began looking for help.

She found herself on Facebook where she discovered the Kingsport Tennessee Stake page, and sent a message requesting help. At the time, Bishop Polk was beginning his first week as the new bishop over the Rotherwood Ward. When he received the message that someone within the ward boundaries was looking for help moving his immediate reaction was to dismiss it as he already had so much on his plate, but the Spirit stopped him. There is more to this story.

Bishop Polk followed the prompting and reached out to Brother Adam Smith, the Elders Quorum President, and asked him to help Darla. Brother Smith immediately reached out and scheduled a time to come help. Even after the original meeting fell through, Brother Smith continued to contact them and eventually, with the help of many ward members, got them settled into their apartment.

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After the move, Brother Smith stayed in touch and continued to help them with every opportunity he saw, including inviting Darla to meet with missionaries. She began meeting with Sister Harris and Sister Duncan. As she met with the missionaries, she felt changes began to happen in her life. She felt the desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ and decided to be baptized.

Darla was preparing for her baptism when her husband became ill and died. She lost contact with the missionaries for a while as she mourned the death of her husband and thought about what the future would mean for her. Darla reconnected with missionaries, now Sister Terry and Sister Leathers, and determined to finish what she’d started.

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As Darla began her journey again, trial after trial sprang up trying to pull her back or distract her from the path she was on. The major turning point for her was when she kneeled down to pray, to ask her Father in Heaven, if all this was true. She received her answer that yes indeed it was true! This was an amazing experience for Darla to receive this personal witness that the principles she was being taught were true!

That knowledge gave her strength and courage to continue forward through even more challenges she faced as she again approached her baptism: sickness, family troubles, and other emergencies. She often told the missionaries she felt like she had spiritual armor on as she prayed and studied her scriptures, and that power was increasing every day. She experienced the peace and love as she and her house were blessed by priesthood authority.

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The day of her baptism she was very special, surrounded by ward members that now had become her family! Darla asked Brother Smith to baptize her. She was baptized on July 27, 2024 and is not a member of the Rotherwood Ward.

#TKMTenderMercies

Changing Our Vision

~ barlowsintkm ~ Leave a comment

Message in September 2, 2024 Newsletter

One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is found in Acts 3 where Peter and John heal a man who had been crippled since birth. In my opinion, it is also one of the best Bible Videos (that you can watch here).  

As this story begins, this likely was not the first time Peter and John had seen this man.  In fact, they probably have seen him and walked past him each time they had been to the temple.  Verse 2 notes he was “laid daily at the gate of the temple…to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.” And that happened again this time. “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.”

But something changed when they saw him this time. Verse 4 has the phrase of “Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John…”. This time, Peter and John saw this lame man differently than they had before. Their vision changed. And because of that, a miracle occurred. 

To his request for alms, Peter responds, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:6-8).

Because they acted differently, the outcome changed completely for both the lame man, and also Peter and John. Think about the difference this experience made for the lame man. He had never stood on his feet, but now he could walk and jump. But I also think about the difference it made for Peter and John. To heal this man must have had a great impact on them as well. 

There are some great lessons we can learn from this story: 

  1. To change our results in life, we have to change what we do. To change what we do, we have to change what we think. To change what we think, we have to change what we see. 
  1. Thus, a key to getting different results is to have a vision of what needs to be accomplished. We have to see people differently. We have to see our circumstances differently. We have to see His work differently. 
  1. This is so important with missionary work. A bold vision of the work can cause us to see things differently.  As we see things differently, we begin to think differently.  As we think differently, we begin to act differently.  And as we act differently, results will begin to change.  It all begins with obtaining a new vision of what needs to be accomplished…to see things differently.

With that in mind, what is your vision for the work? How can you see things differently? Don’t be afraid to try to new things – to act differently – to change your current outcomes. Always act within the standards we’ve been given, but change up your routines. Break out of patterns that may be limiting your thinking of what is possible. Break those lids! 

See differently…think differently…act differently…results change.

We love you and are so grateful to serve with you. Let me or Sister Barlow know if you need anything!

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Michelle

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Michelle was found by missionaries knocking on her door. Sister Chappell and Sister Campbell had found a friend at an apartment complex and had scheduled a lesson with him, but when they went to the lesson he wasn’t home. Preach My Gospel teaches us, “Perhaps you have been led to this person because someone else in the home or neighborhood is ready for the gospel” (page 173). As they considered this, Sister Campbell felt prompted to knock on the door of a house nearby.

The missionaries were led to Michelle’s door and she answered. They felt impressed to share some gospel music together, and as they did, they got to know each other better. The missionaries shared the song “Disciple of Christ” and Michelle loved it! They set up a time to visit her again and began teaching her about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ..

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As the missionaries got to know Michelle better, she told them that she had been praying for people to talk to God with her. Michelle already knew Jesus Christ and had faith in Him. She always studied her Bible. She grew up in a different religion and had always felt close to the Savior. She quickly gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the truths she was being taught.

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Michelle was baptized on July 20, 2024 and is now a member of the Hixson Ward.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Jason

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by Jason Tolley

“Back in 2020 I had my leg operated on and I had a really bad infection in my leg and was about to lose my leg. I hadn’t been to church in about 20 years. I was laying there in the emergency room and the ER doctor came in and told me I could possibly lose my leg. I closed my eyes and just prayed “I know I haven’t been the closest to you Lord, but if you’re with me please just don’t let me lose my leg.”

After that they took me in for emergency surgery for about 9 hours. When I woke up I saw my leg was still there and I told the nurse the Lord was with me because I didn’t lose my leg. I had two or three more surgeries after that first one and I kept my leg. I’m able to do most everyday normal things.

It seems like I forgot about Him but He didn’t forget about me, and He still didn’t turn His back on me after that situation. 

After all that, I was at home recooperating and I just talked to myself. “Maybe it’s time for me to make a change, get back into church, and try to live my life right.” I had my phone in my hand and I just prayed, “Lord, lead me the way to attend the right church that would be a close knit family.”

Within five minutes of saying that prayer, the website for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website pulled up, and I said, “There’s my answer!” So I filled out the form online and in a few days the missionaries called and set up a meeting.

When they walked in I could just feel the warmth coming off of them. I knew they were the real deal. We started studying the Book of Mormon. The missionaries kept close contact and kept encouraging me to read the Book of Mormon every day. These ladies were sent from God.

I read the Book of Mormon for about a month and followed the calendar the missionaries had given me. On June 8, 2024 I got baptized. That was the best day of my life! When you get baptized, you don’t know how clean you’re going to feel. When I came out of the water, I felt so clean. I felt like a new person.

The people at church make you feel like family. You couldn’t ask for a better church then where I go to church at.

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by Sister Wall

I feel so incredibly blessed that I was able to witness Jason choose to follow Jesus Chirst. I remember when Sister Condie and I made a baptismal calendar with Jason, we set his date, and he left the library, and we looked at each other and said, “Why didn’t we plan for his baptism sooner?!” So we ran up the stairs chasing him, and when we finally caught up with him, we asked him if he would like to be baptized sooner. He said with confidence, “That’ll be fine.” 

Jason has been a great example of choosing Jesus Christ even when life gets hard and uncomfortable. Jason finds comfort in His Savior Jesus Christ.

by Sister Condie

The first time we read the Book of Mormon intro together, Jason told us he knew it was a good thing. He felt the spirit.  After a few lessons, he said he found himself choosing to be kind and acting more like Christ, and he knew those changes came from the Savior. 

When baptism day rolled around, the font filled up slower then we were expecting. So Sister Wall, the Elders, and I ran around with pitchers of water so we could get the font filled up in time. It was a little chaotic but when it came time for the actual baptism, the chaos didn’t matter. Jason was happy to be making a covenant with God.

Even when difficult roadblocks popped up, Jason pushed through and made it to baptism. I’m grateful for his testimony, desire to connect with the ward, and example of the light and lasting change that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Benny

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by Benny Ware

It starts with faith. And since I was young, I pretty much had faith that Jesus was my Lord and Savior. That was stuff my grandmother taught me.

I moved to Bristol and I wasn’t really going to church. One day, while I was at the laundromat, some people talked to me about joining their church. But I lost the information, so I looked up a church online. I was looking for a church and I saw an ad that had The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I decided to give that one a try. That is where God told me to go, so that’s where I went.

I saw an ad in the mail about a truck and they gave me zero down and no payments for three months. It’s a lot easier for me to get to church in my truck. God was good and He found a way for me to get there!  

Upon going there I was introduced to the missionaries by Bishop Keohane, and we started meeting at Dairy Queen. They taught me lots of great things like the Doctrine of Christ which is faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then (their favorite) enduring to the end. 

I was baptized on June 29, 2024.

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After my baptism, I was able to go to the temple in North Carolina. They invited me to go to the temple to perform the ordinances, so that was pretty cool. I got to perform my first baptism. It was the most peaceful place I had ever been on earth. 

Every Sunday, I get to partake in the sacrament which renews our covenant with the Lord, helping us to endure to the end. Because of the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity, I’ve been able to see the world differently. I can even tell I heal better. 

Listening to a lot of those talks, which come from the scriptures in the Book of Mormon, I’ve been able to become a better peacemaker. The talk about peacemakers from the prophet was awesome! 

When I first got to the church I was like, “I don’t know about this Book of Mormon thingy.” But I like how the prophecies in the Book of Mormon prophecy of things to come, and that’s the most compelling part. Like when Benjamin foretells the coming of Jesus Christ way before His mortal ministry. I like how it’s the same lessons from Jesus, but it’s so repetitive because we need it over and over again. I love the Book of Mormon.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Bobby

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Bobby was found when the missionaries we’re making phone calls on a park bench and he stopped by to use the restroom. He wasn’t planning on being there that day but the missionaries invited him to church and he said “YES!”

His best friend of 28 years and then fiancé hopped out of the car and it turns out she was a long-lost member from South Carolina who wanted to come back to church. She had just recently pointed the church building out to Bobby and said she wanted to go, but was really nervous. Bobby kept saying, “Wow, God knew I needed to come to this park tonight, and you guys just called after me, He is amazing!” 

In our first lesson with Bobby, we taught the restoration and Jodi shared her testimony and insights too. As we shared Joseph Smith’s First Vision experience, Bobby immediately responded saying “I know that is true!” He was so aware of the spirit testifying of the truth of our message.

The missionaries recognized his tremendous faith and desire to follow in Christ’s footsteps and invited Bobby to be baptized right on the spot, and he happily accepted! He began reading the Book of Mormon every day and attending church every week. Mike n’ Ikes became his new best friend to help overcome an addiction he had, and he likes to joke that their trash can is only full of empty Mike n’ Ike boxes.

The branch and missionaries planned Bobby and Jodi’s wedding just 3 weeks out so that he wouldn’t have to wait any longer to be baptized. Their wedding was beautiful and they already look forward to the day they can be sealed.

Sister Holladay, Sister Gabbitas, Jodi, and Bobby at their wedding.

Bobby never missed a lesson and was so excited when he understood what a covenant was. He loves to say “ahh that special promise!” And the day he was baptized he remarked that he finally got to make his special promise. Jodi’s Aunt and Uncle drove down from Kentucky to be able to attend and baptize Bobby, and the love and support from everyone in the branch was wonderful. He was baptized on June 23, 2024.

Bobby loves sharing his love for Jesus Christ with everyone around him, in every possible way. He is so excited to continue to learn and grow and says “Don’t forget enduring to the end!”

#TKMTenderMercies