2013 Coffee County Fair

In June 1983, when the Atlanta, Georgia temple was built, the following quote was read aloud before a written copy was placed in the cornerstone of the temple. It is President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone's vision of the south:

"Make no small plans; they have no magic to stir men's souls.

I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together. There are great hosts of marvelous Baptists, member of the Church of Christ, Methodists, and Catholics who are honorable people, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and love him.

As they see their church veering off to the right or to the left of those basic teachings, they will begin to search for truth and, as pivotal teachers come into the church and have influence, we will see the time when we will baptize hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands. In our day, you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be temples, plural, in the south states. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people....We are making great strides and expect to continue."

***

As you know, as part of the Tullahoma Ward's missionary efforts, we hosted a booth at the Coffee County Fair this year. Here are a few pictures of the booth.

This beautiful banner with the Church's name and an image of Christ was made so that all would know who we represent.

This amazing replica of the golden plates was on display.

Information about Lehi and his family's travels from Jerusalem to the promised land, as well as the coming about of the Book of Mormon, was on display on the walls of the booth.

Balloons and pass along cards were given to children who came through.

Many materials, including copies of the Book of Mormon, copies of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, copies of the Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, DVDs regarding the restoration and temples, brochures on food storage, brochures on family finance, pass along cards with information about genealogy, pass along cards summarizing the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, and pictures of Christ were given to any who wished to have them. Members also gave of their time by baking cookies to hand out. Here is just one of the two tables stacked with materials for those who were interested in learning more.

***

Many of you donated your time to the missionary effort by manning the booth; we are so grateful for your support and service. As members of the ward were coming and going throughout the days, all four sets of full time missionaries were also at the booth around the clock.

The following pictures include only a portion of those who volunteered their time.

All of Elder Higgins' hard work wore him out!

***

At the end of the fair, there was a drawing for two different prizes. In order to be entered to win one of the two prizes, a person needed only to fill out a survey. Any who filled one out, whether their answers were what we hoped for or not, were entered to win.

One of the prizes was a framed picture of Christ donated by generous members of the ward.

The other prize was a basket of Thrive food donated by Sister Fricke.

***

The questions on the survey were as follows:

"1. If you knew that Jesus Christ had been on the Earth, in our day, and had re-established his church, as he promised he would, and it was here today with his authority, his organization, and his pure teachings, would you be interested?  

2. To show the world that He has truly re-established His church, Jesus Christ left us a book which contains God's word to us through the prophets in Ancient America. It also tells of the resurrected Christ as He appears to the people in the Western Hemisphere. This book is a witness that the Bible is true and another witness that Jesus is the Christ. If we gave you a free copy of this sacred scripture, would you read it?

3. Families are forever. Today, negative influences are working to break up families and destroy the youth. Even the best of families are having problems. Christ has given us a plan to keep marriages together, build strong families, and raise righteous children. Do you have any interest in learning additional ways to strengthen your family?

4. Two young people will visit your home and give you the book and information you have requested. Would you be interested in having them teach you more?"

***

The first day of the fair, a man named Dave approached those volunteering at the booth and, reading the information about Lehi and his family, asked, "'From Jerusalem to America.' What is that?" The missionaries told Dave about Lehi and his family's journey and about the Book of Mormon. That night, Dave filled out a survey. Later that week, on the last night of the fair, he came back and asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon. He began reading while still at the fair! He said he loved the parts where God was speaking directly to His children and that he could not wait to read and learn more.

Another time, a Hispanic woman wanted to fill out the survey but could not read very well. Hermana Schmit read the questions to her. After each question she adamantly said, "Si!" When the survey had been completed, the woman told Hermana Schmit that she hoped the missionaries would come and see her soon.

Also, a woman approached the booth with her two friends. Hermana Garlitz read them the survey and, after the first question, two of the women started crying and hugged each other. They said yes to all four questions! The woman was excited for the missionaries to visit and teach her more. 

***

In total there were 444 referrals. 188 of those answered "yes" to all four questions.

The missionaries have already begun the hard work of sorting through all of those referrals and visiting those who wish to know more. 

One of the first visits was to the couple who won the donated picture of Christ. They were very excited to have won and enthusiastic about the missionaries coming back to speak with them more about Christ. 

It is safe to say that the fair booth was a huge success. Again, thank you so much for your support and service. There is still much to do in order to follow through with all those who wish to know more. Because the full time missionaries cannot do all of the work on their own they will be giving some of you the opportunity to fulfill the Lord's charge to be member missionaries by asking for your continued involvement in their efforts. We thank you, in advance, for your continued support!

Sacrament Attendance Chart - September 22, 2013

As Jessica pointed out, it is important to always cultivate a personal testimony because, without it, the Lord cannot use us as His mouthpiece. We must be worthy. We must be willing. And we must allow the Holy Ghost to work within us just as Jessica did when she listened, without hesitation or fear, to the prompting to share her testimony with Lupe.

The LDS composer and performer, Kenneth Cope, added the following lyrics to the hymn "Because I Have Been Given Much":

Because of thy life's mission, Lord
I too will serve
I'll leave the comfort of my home
To teach thy word
I'll seek thy sheep who've gone astray
And those who've never known the way
I will make thy work my work today

As members who are not set apart as full time missionaries, we have the luxury of staying in the comfort of our homes. But that does not mean that the charge to serve the Lord and teach his word is voided. May we, every day, spread joy and love by making the Lord's work, our work. Because we have been given much, we too must give.

Sacrament Attendance Chart - September 15, 2013

Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, reminds us that "the sacred responsibility to proclaim authoritatively the gospel and administer the saving ordinances has been in operation since Adam was driven from the Garden of Eden and will continue until 'the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.'" 

With this sacred responsibility in mind, he goes on to say, "You and I are much like the long, thin strands of glass used to create fiber optic cables through which light signals are transmitted over very long distances. Just as the glass in these cables must be pure and conduct the light efficiently and effectively, so we should become and remain worthy conduits through whom the Spirit of the Lord can operate. But elders and sisters, we must be careful to remember in our service that we are conduits and channels; we are not the light. 'For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you'....The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, and He is the witness of all truth and the ultimate and true teacher."

We have been given the promise of the Holy Ghost's help when teaching the gospel. What comfort it brings to know that it is not up to us alone but that the Holy Ghost will prick the hearts of those whom we teach just as he pricked our own hearts.

The Savior taught, "Take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost" (Mark 13:11).

Elder Bednar tells us, "This same pattern for preaching was reiterated repeatedly by the Savior in the early days of this dispensation as He instructed missionaries to 'open your mouths and they shall be filled' (D&C 33:8, 10) and to 'lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; for it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say' (D&C 100:5-6)."

"Please notice in these scriptural instructions the important sequence of first acting in faith ('open your mouths' or 'lift up your voices') before receiving a promised blessing ('they shall be filled'; 'you will not be confounded'). Interestingly, many of us routinely seek for precisely the opposite; we pray and ask for the blessing so we can act in faith (first fill our mouths so we can open them). But that is not the Lord's way or pattern. Faith precedes the miracle, and 'ye receive no witness until after the trail of your faith' (Ether 12:6)."

May we all show our faithfulness by being worthy conduits and opening our mouths to those around us so that the Holy Ghost will testify to them the truthfulness of our words.

Member Testimony

Our member testimony this week comes from Brother Dallas Holmes.

My name is Dallas Holmes. I'm 22 years old and I was baptized in The Church in July 2013. I was raised in The Church of Christ but began to feel there was something more, so I began to explore other denominations. I bounced around between Baptist, Methodist, non denominational, and Catholic churches. Tasha Anderson introduced me to the LDS Church in March of 2013. I started attending church services at a little ward in North Carolina while studying and praying, asking God to send me in the right direction. It didn't take long for an answer. I knew this was the church I had been looking for, the true one. I'm very thankful for everyone in the church, they have been extremely kind and helpful. My faith in the Lord has never been stronger.

Sacrament Attendance Chart - September 8, 2013

In this stained glass art piece, Jesus, the supreme shepard, clutches a sheep to his chest. There is a look of content on his face. Perhaps because he knows that in His loving arms, His little sheep is safe.

Won't it be wonderful when our Shepard comes again to gather His sheep. He will seek out those who are lost, then clutch them close to Him, along with those who have already been found, and those who were never lost at all. In the words of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, it will be a majestic and magnificent event.

But the time is not yet. And until that day, we have been given the charge, from the Good Shepard, to find and feed His sheep in His stead.

President Ezra Taft Benson has said,

"Our mission as a Church is to preach the gospel to all the world....To appreciate the accelerated progress that the Church has made in the last few decades, consider that it took 117 years for the Church to reach its first million members (1947); 16 years to reach its second million (1963); and 9 years its third million (1972). But during President Kimball's administration as President of the Church, over two million people were added. [This General Conference address was given in April of 1985. There are currently 14,782,473 members of the Church; an increase of 9 million members over the last 28 years.] Yet there is much to do before the work of God can be pronounced completed. Hearts of leaders of nations must be softened, doors of nations opened, false ideologies overcome, and the gospel presented to all our Heavenly Father's children.

As members of the Lord's Church, we must take missionary work more seriously. The Lord's commission to 'preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15) will never change in our dispensation. We have been greatly blessed with the means, the technology, and an inspired message to bring the gospel to all men....Where 'much is given much is required.' (D&C 82:3)....Membership in the Lord's Church is a gift and a blessing which the Lord has given us in mortality, and He expects us to share that blessing with those who do not have it."

May we do our best to act in the Savior's stead by bringing our neighbors to a knowledge of Him until the day when He returns and gathers us all in His safe and loving arms.

New Missionary

As stated two weeks ago, we have two new missionaries in the ward. Elder Loveless is one and the other is Hermana Schmit.

Eight months ago, Hermana Schmit left Kalama, Washington to serve a Spanish speaking mission. Before coming to Tullahoma she served in McMinnville. Of her experince there she say,

When I was in McMinnville we received a text from an inactive member we hadn't met yet. She told us how she needed her Heavenly Father after ten years of inactivity and wanted to meet with us. About two weeks later, after trying many times to contact her, we met. She had a younger son who was fourteen and they lived with her mom who was not a member. We started to teach them and had so many miracles while we taught them. Her fourteen year old son was baptized and has received the priesthood. The inactive member is a temple recommend holder now and has been to the temple with her son for baptisms. The mother/grandmother is ready and waiting to be baptized for her mother to come to the Unites States. They love the gospel and are truly a miracle. It's true how the Lord prepares people to receive His gospel. I'm just grateful I was able to be an instrument in His hands from start to finish with this family.

Welcome Hermana Schmit!

Sacrament Attendance Chart - September 1, 2013

Sister Carolyn Smith, of our Tullahoma Ward, testifies that "the Lord sends us love notes all the time." An example comes from Brother and Sister Smith's grandson, Dallin (son of their daughter, Lynne), who is currently serving a full time mission in Salt Lake City. Dallin's friend, MaKenzie, painted him a picture before he left for his mission. Knowing of his love for fishing, she painted the following:

Dallin took the painting with him and upon entering his first area, learned of his zone's motto: Keeping our lines in the water allows us to be constant fishers of men.

Some might call this a coincidence. However, President Thomas S. Monson often says that there are no coincidences, but that we should always look for the Lord's hand.

It is this "love note" that is the catalyst for this week's sacrament attendance chart message:

Matthew 4:19 reads, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

The following is a story written in The Friend magazine, by Wendy Ellison, entitled "The Fishermen." It is based on a true story.

     "I love fishing!" Jenny said as she helped her grandpa load their gear into the aluminum rowboat. 

     "I'm glad that you're my fishing buddy," Grandpa replied with a wink. "It's good to have someone in the family who enjoys catching a fish as much as I do."

     Jenny and Grandpa pushed their little boat into the shallow water. Jenny climbed in and sat down in front. Grandpa took the seat in the back and shoved off with an oar. He handed the other oar to Jenny.

     Rowing was easy for Jenny and Grandpa. They had been on many fishing trips together and stroked smoothly without even thinking. It didn't take long to reach their favorite fishing hole. They pulled in their oars, and Grandpa dropped the anchor over the side. The splash threw cool lake water on Jenny. She giggled as she dried her face with her hands. The boat rocked gently on the rippled water. 

     "Let's get the fishing poles ready, Jen," Grandpa said. "You get the bait box."

     Jenny squirmed. The one thing she didn't like about fishing was baiting the hook with a worm. "Grandpa, will you help me, pleeease?" Jenny pleaded. 

     "I'll help you just this once," Grandpa answered. "But if you're going to be a real fisherman you have to learn to bait your own hook."

     Jenny grinned. Grandpa said the same thing every time he put a worm on the hook for her. He helped Jenny cast her line way out into the sparking lake. He baited his hook and cast over the opposite side. The line made a giant arch before the sinkers plopped into the water. 

     While they waited for a catch, Grandpa and Jenny talked softly so they wouldn't scare the fish. After a long while without even a tug on her line, Jenny announced, "The fish don't seem to be biting today!"

     Grandpa nodded. "It reminds me of a New Testament story," he said. "Peter was a fisherman too. He and his brother Andrew had a successful fishing business. They were partners with James and John, who were also brothers. They had been fishing all night, but their nets came up empty - not even one fish."

     "I hope that doesn't happen to us," Jenny sighed.

     Grandpa continued: "The following morning Peter, Andrew, James, and John were on the shore of Galilee cleaning and repairing their nets. Jesus Christ was teaching a crowd of people who had followed Him there. Jesus stepped into Peter's boat and asked him to push out from the shore. Jesus continued to teach the people from the boat. After His sermon was finished, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and cast his net that it might be filled."

     "What did Peter do, Grandpa? He must have been tired of trying to catch fish."

     "He told Jesus that they had been fishing all night with no success. But he and Andrew obeyed and lowered the net into the water. When they pulled it up, it was filled with fish! In fact, it was so full that Peter had to ask James and John for help so that the boat wouldn't sink. The fish filled their boat too.

     "Wow!" Jenny exclaimed. "That was a miracle!"

     "It was indeed," Grandpa agreed. "But that's not all. After the fishermen got back to shore, Jesus asked them to do something else that took a lot more faith than dropping their net. He called each of them to leave all that they had and follow Him. Jesus said that He would make them fishers of men. They left everything and followed Him."

     "It would be hard to leave everything, Grandpa. I don't know if I could do that."

     Grandpa nodded thoughtfully. 

     "What exactly does it mean to be a fisher of men?" Jenny asked.
     "I believe it means to follow the Savior, to set an example, and to share our testimony and His gospel with others. I think those are things these fishermen can do." Grandpa pointed to himself and then to Jenny.

President Howard W. Hunter has said, "Again and again during his mortal ministry, our Lord issued a call that was both an invitation and a challenge....'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' We are in the work of saving souls, or inviting people to come unto Christ.

Certainly, the charge from Christ to be fishers of men applies to the full time Latter Day Saint missionaries. But this charge is applicable to all those who have in their lives, the knowledge of the gospel. Christ tells us that if we follow Him, if we live a life of righteous commission and evil omission, we will be constant examples of Him and His teachings, and sensitive to the whispering of the Holy Spirit who inspires us to share the gospel. By keeping our lines in the water, we can be constant fishers of men.