2 Young Men Give Full-Time Service To The Lord
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Pictured, left to right, are Elder Small and Elder Sweet
Two young missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are serving in the Ooltewah area. They left home, family and friends to share the good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with any and all who want to know more. They are volunteers, serving without pay.
Elder Nick Sweet of Bluffdale, Ut. has served for 19 months already, and will return home in about five months. He has one sister and an identical twin brother that passed away at a young age. Elder Sweet began his mission in Mexico and served there for a little over 14 months. He spent most of his time in the city of Pachuca. “The Spanish language was hard for me at first,” he said, “but around my nine-month mark, I started to feel more comfortable.” In March, Elder Sweet was sent home to Utah due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and two months later he was reassigned to Tennessee. From start to finish, whether in Mexico or Tennessee, Elder Sweet said, “My mission has been everything to me. My testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel was nothing compared to what it is now. My mission has not only brought me closer to Jesus Christ, but I have seen miracles in the lives of those who come unto Christ and lay hold to His commandments and promises.”
Elder Xavier Small is from Pahrump, Nv. He came into the Church at the age of 14. “I didn’t know much,” he said, “but I was able to feel the love and happiness that others had.” Elder Small has served for about nine months now – in Rodgersville, Faraut and Ringgold.
He has three brothers and once he learned that he could be with his family forever, “That’s all I wanted,” he said. That is the message he now shares. He shares that "Jesus Christ is the living Son of God – the Savior of the world – and that because of Jesus Christ, families can be together forever, and repentance and happiness are available to everyone who will follow Him."