Joseph Wolfe with parents, Dan and Kathy Wolfe
Elder Joseph Wolfe of Apison, returned home on July 24, from serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission. Mr. Wolfe is a 2017 graduate of East Hamilton High School. He entered the mission field on July 19, 2017.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has more than 400 missions throughout the world, and more than 67,000 full-time missionaries. Most missionaries are under the age of 25. Missionary service is based on the New Testament pattern of missionaries “serving in pairs, teaching the gospel and baptizing believers in the name of Jesus Christ.”
The Nevada Las Vegas Mission includes parts of Arizona where Elder Wolfe served in Lake Havasu, Kingman, and Bullhead. He also served in Las Vegas and Henderson.
On Sunday, Elder Wolfe spoke at the Collegedale branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he bore his testimony of Jesus Christ. He said he found great joy in serving The Lord and sharing the good news and glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. He bore testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Of sharing Christ’s message of peace, hope, happiness and love, Elder Wolfe said, “It was the most enjoyable and most difficult thing I’ve done and gave me learning experiences I will use for the rest of my life.”Elder Wolfe talked about how important faith and action is, and how the Bible, the Book of Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are on the earth today to invite all to come unto Christ, that they might have joy.He said he prayed for and saw miracles when inviting others to be baptized and grow and develop in the gospel and participate in the blessings of the temple where Christ makes it possible for families to be together forever.
Missionary work is voluntary. Missionaries are not paid for their services. Missionaries do not choose but rather receive their assignments from Church headquarters and are called or assigned to a particular mission by revelation, through The Lord’s servants, the prophets. Elder Wolfe was assigned to the Las Vegas Nevada mission where it also happens that local Chattanoogan Rick Youngblood, former CEO of Blood Assurance, now serves as the Mission President. A mission president presides over a geographic region plus the missionaries serving in that mission. President Youngblood and his wife serve as volunteers and were also divinely called.
The term “Elder” is a priesthood title or designation. It does not refer to age. Elder Wolfe is the son of Dan and Kathy Wolfe. He has six siblings – Laura Warren, Jonathan Wolfe, Jared Wolfe, Katie Rasmussen, Ashley Wallace, and Jacob Wolfe. Joseph will attend Brigham Young University in Idaho (BYU-I) this fall.