Celia is the most willing and humble disciple of Jesus Christ. She was found by the missionaries knocking on her door! She immediately pulled out chairs for the missionaires to sit down and teach her. Celia was eager to learn more and it has been so clear to see how the Lord has been preparing Celia for a long time to receive this message of the restored gospel.
Ever since that moment she has been consistently meeting with missionaries. She has been through many hardships but has unfailing trust in our Savior.
When the missionaries extended the invitation for her to be baptized she quickly accepted. Many miracles occured in order to make her baptism happen. The first being that she always had work on Sundays, but the second she made the commitment to be baptized, her boss agreed to give her Sundays off.
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Another miracle is that she speaks a Mexican dialect called Mixteco that is not widely spoken. Spanish is her second language and it’s sometimes hard for her to understand Spanish. However, two recent converts of just a few months also happen to speak this rare dialect. They played a crucial role in her progress towards baptism and her understanding of the gospel. One of them was also able to baptize her.
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Celia was baptized and confirmed on September 8th 2024. She was feeling sick the week leading up to her baptism, but she said that the second she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost she felt completely better. She has continually expressed that since receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost she has felt God at her side.
Celia is continuing to learn and grow and is also helping her family learn more about the gospel as well. We are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for Celia in the future!
We were having a rough day. But we had about 10 minutes left in the night so we decided to tough it out and go to the Walmart parking to finish the day out strong. We were walking around talking to people and we saw this guy with a “Hot Cheeto” shirt on so we knew we had to talk with him.
We offered Brandon a picture of Jesus with the invite to the Tabernacle Choir Watch Party on the back. We testified of God’s love for him and got his number. We later came to know that his mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. He needed to hear that someone cared for him and loved him at that moment.
We stayed in contact with Brandon over the phone the next couple of days and we set up a church tour with him. Elder and Sister Bennett joined us for the church tour and it was incredible. When we showed up to the church, Brandon and the Bennetts were already talking outside the church. They had a friendship that connected instantly. On the tour, we taught Brandon about the sacrament and what to expect at church. We then made our way to the baptismal font and we taught the doctrine of baptism and the role of the Spirit and how it can comfort and guide in times of need. The Spirit was so strong and Brandon knew that was the next step he needed to take. So he chose a date of September 15th and he said, “That is my day!”
We gave Brandon a Book of Mormon and every single time we met with him he would always show us cool verses he found and he would share what he learned from them. He found so much comfort in the Book of Mormon and he would take it to work and to his mom’s doctor appointments for when he was feeling stressed. His favorite verse that really touched his heart was 2 Nephi 31:20.
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. – 2 Nephi 31:20
His first time at church was fast and testimony meeting and Brandon loved it. He admitted he felt the Spirit so strongly that it brought tears to his eyes, and he found it so cool that every member was able to share their feelings if they liked.
Members played a huge role with helping Brandon. The Bennetts had him over for dinner and invited him to come to President Nelson’s birthday party with them. Another member had a huge impact as well. We invited this member to join us for a lesson with Brandon and it turned out that the member had gone through chemo and cancer treatment and they were able to mourn with each other and share a strong testimony. That gave him what he needed to keep going.
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Brandon was baptized on September 15, 2024. His baptism was a Spirit-filled experience and he loved it so much! At the end of his baptism, he shared his testimony on how Christ has helped him and how he knows that Christ restored His church through Joseph Smith. Brandon has been able to find the peace and joy that comes from this church because it truly is the church of joy!
My name is Josh Wilburn. Let me begin with the fact that I’m not an accomplished literateur, but I’ll write as best I can.
I grew up in a nice family. My grandfather was the pastor of a Pentecostal church. I grew up believing in God, but I wasn’t sure if I believed in Him as the rest of my family, plus I was always an inquisitive child, so I went searching for God. I’ve studied various religions and religious groups/denominations. The ones I really felt drawn to were Buddhism, Shinto, and one or two branches of Christianity. But no matter which one I was focusing on, I always believed in Jesus, that never changed, whether or not I even knew myself how I believed in him or who I thought he was, to be honest.
But one day, a video just randomly showed up on myYouTube dashboard called Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. I didn’t really think too much of it (I never really looked at Mormonism for some reason), but I decided to watch it and see what it was about.
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When I was watching it, seeing how Joseph Smith was looking for God, didn’t know where to go, and he just got to his knees and prayed with all honesty and humility to God as to how he could worship Him, which church was right, and where he should go. I felt something as I was watching it- I don’t know how to explain it, but I guess it’s like a peace, an awakening inside me. I even started crying tears of joy during it.
After watching it, I started my research. I watched as many videos as I could, read as much as I could, and, most importantly, I started praying more. I was asking God if this was the right way, and so help me to understand it and help to guide me as well. As I was studying, it all was making sense – the Plan of Salvation, the Atonement of Christ, the Godhead, what happens after death (and before mortal life), all of it just felt right.
I know that Heavenly Father was guiding me down the correct path. Yes, there were things that sounded right, but I didn’t completely understand immediately, so I prayed for clarity and understanding, and God listened and answered my prayers.
I attended church for the first time about a week or two after that, and I’m so glad I did. I’m so glad I decided to go, because I felt like I was home when I am there. The people there were some of the nicest people I ever met, and on that first day there I met the missionaries who were to help me learn and grow in the Church. Their names were Sister Leathers and Sister Wilson. I am so grateful to them, for all their work, study, patience, and understanding throughout my conversion.
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I kept meeting with the missionaries after church on Sundays, as well as during the week as well. They taught me so much, and deepened my understanding of what little I had already known. And about two to three months after I first stepped inside of the church I was asked if I felt I was ready to be baptized. My answer was a resounding “Yes!”
I was baptized on September 7, 2024 in the Maryville Ward, and the missionaries who helped me to get to that point were my witnesses. The one who baptized me was one of the first people I met on my first day there, Brother Reher. I was confirmed the next day during church service.
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I’m so grateful to Heavenly Father, my church family, the sister missionaries, and all who have been a part of my journey home to God’s restored church on earth. I admit, I have made mistakes since then, but I know that I have Heavenly Parents who love me and wish the best for me, not a vindictive God who will send me to hell for a mistake. I can trust in Christ’s Atonement, God’s mercy, and the fellowship and support of the church throughout my life, and I can’t express how happy I am for all of this. I found my way home, and I thank Heavenly Father for all He has done for me.
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.
On Tuesday, September 17th we had 8 fantastic missionaries complete their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. They’ve made a tremendous difference with their service. We began the day with a discussion about what they’ve learned in being lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Many had submitted videos with their thoughts on that subject that you can find below.
We then met individually with each of them to give them a final priesthood blessing as missionaries.
Sister Katelyn SpencerSister Jennesee SmithSister Amy LundElder Karson BarberElder Gabriel MendenhallElder Carter DownsElder Aden BunnElder Duncan Lewis
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After our time at the church, we went to the mission home, changed clothes, and began the competition for the 11th TKM Family Olympics. It was a wet, rainy day, so we couldn’t do our typical events, but we held three events of corn hold, Sequence, and Poster Contest.
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The poster contest often decides the winner of the TKM Family Olympics
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It was another great competition, but in the end, the winner of the gold medals were…
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Congratulations to Elder Barber and Sister Lund who took home the gold!
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Daisy loves these missionaries as much as we do!
We feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve side-by-side with these fantastic missionaries, and can’t wait to see what happens next in their lives!
Barlows in TKM 