Here are free resources about the Arkansas Little Rock Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Arkansas Bentonville Mission.
Arkansas Little Rock Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Arkansas Little Rock Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the mission address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Arkansas Little Rock Mission
905 Kierre Drive
North Little Rock, Arkansas
72116-3709
Phone Number: 1-501-812-6322
Mission President: President Norman E. Hansen
Arkansas Little Rock Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Little Rock Mission (LDS). To access the official LDS.org map for the Little Rock Mission
Little Rock Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Little Rock Mission. This blog list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their mission blog was updated.
Arkansas Little Rock Mission Groups
Here are Little Rock Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Little Rock Mission.
- Arkansas Little Rock Mission (ALRM) Group (1,025 members)
- ALRM – Arkansas, Little Rock Mission – LDS Group (246 members)
- Little Rock Mission (ALRM) Bawden Era 99-02 Group (120 members)
- Arkansas Little Rock Mission 2011-14 (82 members)
- Arkansas Little Rock Mission Moms – ALRM Group (81 members)
- Arkansas Little Rock Mission Facebook Group (31 members)
- Little Rock Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (25 members)
- Sisters of the Little Rock Mission (ALRM) Group (2 members)
Little Rock Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Arkansas Little Rock Mission!
Shirt designs include Arkansas Little Rock Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Arkansas Little Rock missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Arkansas Little Rock Mission gifts
Little Rock Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Little Rock LDS Mission.
- 2017-2020, Norman E. Hansen
- 2014-2017, Taniela Biu Wakolo
- 2011-2014, Steven M. Peterson
- 2008-2011, Robert W. Drewes
- 2005-2008, Gary N. Batchelor
- 2002-2005, John R. Bonnemort
- 1999-2002, William D. Bawden
- 1996-1999, Don L. Christensen
- 1993-1996, Lawrence E. Stevens
- 1990-1993, Robert T. Ferguson
- 1987-1990, Robert Turley
- 1984-1987, LaMont Bennett
- 1981-1984, C. Vorris Tenney
- 1978-1981, Eugene L. Jones
- 1975-1978, Richard M. Richards
Arkansas LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 29,898
- Missions: 1
- Temples: 0
- Congregations: 67
- Family History Centers: 21
Helpful Articles about Arkansas
Coming soon..
Little Rock Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Arkansas Little Rock RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2015-2016 (Paige)
- 2014-2016 (Doug)
- 2013-2015 (Makenna)
- August 2013-February 2015 (Whitney)
- 2013-2015 (Christopher)
- 2013-2015 (Thomas)
- 2013-2015 (David & Martha)
- 2011-2013 (Tiffani)
- 2011-2013 (Darcie)
- 2011-2013 (Rabecka)
- 2009-2011 (Adam)
- 1998-2000 (Anonymous)
- 1995-1997 (Mark)
- 1988-1990 (Steven)
- 1983-1985 (Sharlene)
What areas did you serve in?
- Hot Springs, AR; Paragould, AR; Searcy, AR; Millington, TN; Southaven, MS; Bartlett, TN. (Paige)
- Jackson, TN; Beebe, AR; North Little Rock, AR; Arlignton, TN; Southaven, MS. (Doug)
- Conway, Morrilton, Millington, Bartlett. (Makenna)
- All over central Arkansas… 28 seminaries, 4 institutes, 4 stakes with YSA councils. CES missionaries travel all over. (David & Martha)
- Southaven , MS. Hot Springs , AR , Jackson , TN. (Tiffani)
- Jackson, TN, Millington, TN, Collierville, TN, Southaven, MS, Searcy, AR, Mountain View, AR, Bartlett, TN. (Rabecka)
- Little Rock, N. Little Rock, Morrilton, Jackson, Benton. (Adam)
- Otter Creak (right where the Little Rock stake center is), Morillton, Clarksdale Mississippi, Humboldt Tennessee (now Trenton), North Little Rock south, and Mountain View. (Anonymous)
- Forrest City, Pine Bluff, Clinton, Little Rock, Bartlett, Oxford, Jacksonville, Memphis. (Mark)
- Conway, Russellville, Millington, West Memphis, Little Rock, Oxford, Arkadelphia. (Steven)
- Little Rock Arkansas, Pine Bluff Arkansas, Jacksonville Arkansas, Memphis Tenn. (Sharlene)
What were some favorite foods?
- BBQ, Chicken and dumplings, chocolate gravy, cookie salad! (Paige)
- Barbeque. Fried chicken. Fried ocra. (Doug)
- Not pizza. (Makenna)
- Cornbread, ribs, fried chicken, coleslaw and BBQ. (Whitney)
- Alligator, cornbread, taco soup, taco pizza. (Christopher)
- Catfish and pizza. (Thomas)
- Whole Hog BBQ. Larry’s Pizza Parlor. Anything served by Natalie Edgar. (David & Martha)
- BBQ, hushpuppies, and don panchos. (Tiffani)
- Fried catfish, fried okra, hush puppies, grits, gumbo, jambalaya, barbecue, ribs, soul food. It’s all good!! (Darcie)
- Red beans and rice, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, deep fried okra, and of course blueberry cobbler. (Rabecka)
- Fried Okra, Catfish, Larrys Pizza. (Bavarian Creme). (Adam)
- Fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue ribs, fried catfish and hushpuppies, cheesy grits, fried turkey. (Anonymous)
- Chitlins. (Mark)
- Pecan pie, chocolate gravy and biscuits. (Steven)
- Pecan Pie, Grits, hush puppies. (Sharlene)
What was a funny experience?
- Performing a dance with our district for a Christmas zone conference. (Doug)
- We were talking to a man who wanted nothing to do with the restored gospel. He ended up “shooing” us off of his porch. (Whitney)
- When my trainee and I were knocking on this door of a man we had previously been teaching and a woman shows us her butt outside the window knowing full well who we were. (Christopher)
- Dude fell into the baptismal font. (Thomas)
- GPS directing us to a swamp instead of a YSA party! Being around our beloved young Sister missionaries. Sister missionaries riding out the tornado in our bath tubs! (David & Martha)
- When my companion and I tried to get rid of the wasp nest on our balcony. (Tiffani)
- Walking down the street knocking doors and then watching some Jehovah Witnesses knock the same doors behind us. Seeing people get more angry at them because we had already been there was fairly entertaining. (Darcie)
- Hahaha getting scared from a cicada flying at my face while eating a shake at Sonic. (Rabecka)
- First one that comes to mind was when we were knocking on doors and a house that had kids playing in the yard when we started, suddenly appeared deserted by the time we got to the door of that house. As we looked in the front window, one of the little girls waved at us from her hiding place in the living room. Or the one time, when a lady answered the door with a phone up to her ear, only to have it ring the moment she finished telling us she was on an important call. (Anonymous)
- Having a woman attempt to bind my tongue with her priesthood. (Mark)
- Talked with a gentleman who asked us to come over and feed his animals after he was taken up during the rapture. He showed/gave us detailed instructions. About a week later after the rapture was to have happened, we were in the neighborhood and stopped by to ask how his animals were doing. He wouldn’t even talk with us. Guess he wasn’t worthy to be taken up either. (Steven)
- While tracting in the country on a dirt road, we climbed through a wooden fence to get to the only home in the area. Three to four Doberman’s came running, barking furiously, wanting to eat us alive. We couldn’t make it back to our car fast enough, so had to jump into a nearby, abandoned Volkswagon. Summer in Arkansas at 100 degrees, 200% humidity in a car that felt like 400 degrees and the dogs barking at the doors. Worst part…I had to use the bathroom, thought we were going to die in that car. After many prayers and several hours, the dogs lost interest, walked away and we were able to escape. (Sharlene)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- Walking between two apartment complexes run by different rival gangs after dark. (Doug)
- Tornado warnings. (Makenna)
- Walking the street with our bikes in the pouring rain after an appointment and coming to find out a tornado was coming. (Whitney)
- When a rifle was pointed at my companion and I while we were walking away from the house when we were walking in a dangerous part of our area. (Christopher)
- Bicycling on ice. (Thomas)
- Sundown visit to Louisiana Purchase survey stone. Two tornadoes roaring past Maumelle. Cleaning a Civil War cemetery of 20 years worth of leaves…FEARING Copperheads! (David & Martha)
- When there were tornadoes on all sides of us, and my companion and I put our bike helmets on and hid in our bath tub. (Tiffani)
- My companion and I were trying to contact a referral we’d received in an apartment complex that we’d never been to before, and a lady came out of her house to get us inside because it wasn’t safe. She said two white girls shouldn’t be walking around a gang area or we’d get shot. We had no idea that we were in any certain gang’s territory, so we stayed in her apartment and had a lesson with her, then we left and never went back. (Darcie)
- Making sure we were prepared for leaving our apartment if a tornado came. (Rabecka)
- Driving through a tornado. (Adam)
- Perhaps the craziest/stupidest thing I did on my mission was allowing myself to visit a Pentacostal Church service. I did not enjoy the experience and regretted having done it ever since. (Anonymous)
- Walking into a gang war.(Mark)
- I had never before seen a lightning bug before. The first one I saw was when I was riding on my bike. It lit off right in front of me. I almost fell off my bike. Would have been a good story in the hospital. How were you hurt? Lightning bug. (Steven)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Baptizing is the BEST! Seeing the converts repent, so they can be baptized converts is amazing. (Doug)
- Too many to count. (Makenna)
- Seeing a less-active member who we visited once come to church all on his own. He became fully activated and thirsted on studying all the church books he could find. Months later he was sealed in the Memphis temple to a recent convert in the ward. (Whitney)
- Being able to use the priesthood and give a blessing to this family who we were soon after able to baptize. The spirit was very strong when we did that. (Christopher)
- The moments when investigators tell you that they have also found that the Book of Mormon is true. (Thomas)
- Teaching the gospel with the sisters in an apartment with no furniture. Too many…. Gladys Knight concert at LR Stake center. Memphis temple trips. Visiting the 28 seminaries and 4 institutes. Cleaning devastated Turner neighborhood post tornado. (David & Martha)
- The first person I saw and helped enter the waters of baptism. (Tiffani)
- Too many to count. We were protected in dangerous places, led to the right people to teach, and prompted with the right things to say daily. (Darcie)
- Really putting my effort into my studies to be prepared for each investigator. (Rabecka)
- Too many to count, but one I remember well was when I gave a young woman a blessing who was suffering from intense dental pain following a recent surgery. The lady was not a member, but asked for a blessing, saying she had heard the men in our church did such things. When we contacted her on the phone a couple weeks later, she told us the pain disappeared the moment we walked out the door and never came back. She lived in a town we rarely visited, so I have no idea what ever happened with her after that. (Anonymous)
- Healing a kid born deaf. (Mark)
- To many to list. Loved the Arkansas Little Rock Mission. (Steven)
- Meeting my friend Debbi for the first time but knowing that I knew her from before this life. From the moment we met to this day 32 years later, we are eternal friends. (Sharlene)
What are some interesting facts about the Little Rock Mission?
- It is the best mission in the world. (Doug)
- Served 9.5 months in one area. (Makenna)
- It covers three states and quite a large area. It covers 3/4 of Arkansas, a little bit of Tennessee including Memphis, and goes down into a small part of Mississippi. There is one temple in the mission located in Bartlett, Tennessee. There are “two sides” of the mission- Little Rock and Memphis, separated by the Mississippi river and three hours of driving. We do “spiritual harvesting” rather than reacting. We pray and then look at a map on our area the night before and pick areas we feel God would have us go the next day. When we get there we pray to know what specific doors to knock on. (Whitney)
- We covered Arkansas and parts of Tennessee, Mississippi and Missouri. Our mission didn’t cover U of A but everyone was still a Razorback fan. (Christopher)
- In October/November 2013, every sister missionary had an emotional break down on some level. Related to the fact at the beginning of 2013 there were like 8 sisters and like 90 by that time. (Thomas)
- Two tornadoes came through. Loved helping with the LDS cleanup crew. We baptized 93 November of 2013! AREA has SLEEP stories in the winter. Nine banded armadillos carry leprosy. Louisiana Purchase surveyed from there. Only diamond mine in United States. (David & Martha)
- Its where Elvis Presley was from. 🎶Walkin in Memphis🎶 Beale St. (Tiffani)
- People are very friendly, they always wave when you walk down the street. They call each other ma’am and sir–very polite all the time. (Darcie)
- It is amazing!! There are many famous people from my mission area and we didn’t let our mind stay focused on that. (Rabecka)
- We won an award for the safest driving and then had 2 accidents within 48 hours. (Mark)
- Humidity makes you sweat like never before imagined. Biking is the best exercise for your legs. Protestants are difficult to convert. Southern hospitality is a real thing. Chiggers itch. Ticks are yucky. Don’t walk through tall grass. (Steven)
What’s the weather like?
- Rained every week for the first 10 months. Hot and humid in the summer. Walk from the apartment to car, and already drenched in sweat. Bone cold in winter, doesn’t matter how many layers of clothes. (Doug)
- Unpredictable. (Makenna)
- Humid, hot and freezing cold. Rained quite a bit. Tornadoes, snow. (Whitney)
- Very humid and it would change pretty constantly. Very cold in the winter and very very hot and sweaty and humid in the summer. (Christopher)
- Humid. (Thomas)
- Really humid; either hot or cold. Two big tornadoes. (David & Martha)
- Humid!! (Tiffani)
- Humid all year long. It soaks you in summer and sinks down into your bones during the winter. Thunderstorms during the summer were my favorite. They are beautiful. (Darcie)
- It was pretty good. You just have to be careful when it “rains” in the winter and it just looks wet, but it is just ice everywhere. You might fall down the steps outside on your way to your car and possibly hit your head and also get a big bruise. (Rabecka)
- Mostly warm; one or two days of cold. (Adam)
- I loved the weather in my mission because it rained so much and the thunderstorms were spectacular compared to most I have seen where I live. It was much more humid than where I come from, but I didn’t mind because the trade off came with all the rain and beautiful greenery that came with it. The winters were cold, but not as cold as places further north, and really cold spells generally didn’t last for very long. (Anonymous)
- Hot, humid/cold, humid. (Mark)
- Humid. The only pleasant times are early spring and early fall. (Steven)
- Most the year, it was hot and humid. EVERYTHING stayed wet…shower towels never seemed to dry, even my scripture pages felt wet and limp. (Sharlene)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- The people are the best! Southern hospitality is a real thing! (Doug)
- So welcoming. (Makenna)
- The southern hospitality and how much they love Jesus. No one is afraid to pray out in public. (Whitney)
- The hospitality and love we were able to receive and the green and just all of the nature and animals that were there. (Christopher)
- Friendly, very rare to get yelled at. (Thomas)
- Arkansas people (even kids) were very polite and friendly.They openly discuss religion, and almost all are affiliated with a church. Racially integrated and comfortable with each other. Friendly to strangers. Every sizeable town has a college. Great regional museums. Black people seem happier and don’t have “chip on their shoulder”. (David & Martha)
- The selflessness of the people. (Tiffani)
- I loved how open people were about religion. People might not agree with your beliefs, but they are always willing to talk about God or say a prayer with you because they have strong faith in Christ. Sometimes it leads to Bible bashing, but for the most part people were willing to talk with us and appreciated what we were doing. (Darcie)
- They are all really nice. Before my mission, I heard about southern hospitality and how nice it was. When I went on my mission, I got to experience it and loved it all. (Rabecka)
- I loved it 🙂 they were very open and understanding. (Adam)
- I loved the awesome storms, the lush greenery and vegetation, and the wonderful people I had the opportunity to serve. The people of the South have a deep and abiding love for their Savior, and though they are blinded by their own false traditions. I really believe that those who join the true church will prove to be some of the most dedicated and strongest members anywhere. I found most people to be very hospitable, friendly, generous, sincere, and humble. (Anonymous)
- Southern hospitality. (Mark)
- Good simple folks. (Steven)
- Love the people and the humility of the poor. Interesting to see that the less money people had, the more they were willing to listen to what we had to say! (Sharlene)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Very durable shoes, lightweight rain jacket. (Doug)
- For Sisters: half tees and dresses. (Makenna)
- Bring a big warm coat, tights, gloves, boots and warm socks for winter. Bring light clothing and a rain jacket for the summers and fall. (Whitney)
- Light in the summer and bundle in the winter. (Christopher)
- Bring as little as possible. Don’t need many long sleeve shirts. Don’t forget a good jacket for winter. (Thomas)
- Sister missionaries need warm leggings for winter! Gloves! Plenty of bug spray! Good shoes! (David & Martha)
- Light breathable fabrics in summer and exercise pants under tights in winter. (Tiffani)
- Mesh garments for the humidity. Light cotton tops for summer, layers during the winter. It says no boots on the packing list, but you will want them in the winter or your toes will fall off. (Darcie)
- Make sure you have enough room in your luggage to pack all your belongings. If not, then go ahead and send some home or take to Goodwill. (Rabecka)
- More warm weather clothes, less cold. (Adam)
- Take underwear that is very light, breathable, and absorbs moisture easily and that are the most comfortable to wear in high heat and humidity, as you’ll be sweating a lot! Try to buy the most durable, sensible shoes you can afford. (Anonymous)
- Get thermal underwear (not thermal garments). (Mark)
- Warm winter cloths, lots of extra shirts to change during the day. Good rain gear. Solid shoes. (Steven)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Increased testimony. (Doug)
- Knowledge of scriptures. (Makenna)
- A stronger testimony and knowledge of the restored Gospel. Friendships that will last for eternity. A stronger appreciation for the temple and family history work. Eyes to see how God is guiding my life. A stronger relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Whitney)
- Being able to see people the way Christ sees everyone and how we need to love everyone no matter what. (Christopher)
- The importance of the gospel sunk into me. (Thomas)
- Renewed enthusiasm for missionary work resulted in less shyness in speaking about the restored gospel. We had GREAT leadership from President & Sister Peterson in Wakolo! Loved working with the young missionaries. Learned to love strangers. Time management! (David & Martha)
- And amazing husband and child. And a personal relationship with my Savior. (Tiffani)
- I have been blessed with better people skills, and that has helped in my career and current callings in the church. I know that my testimony has been strengthened so much by my mission, to the point that I cannot deny the truthfulness of the gospel ever. I’ve been better able to share the gospel with friends and neighbors since I’ve been home, and my family has been blessed by my service. (Darcie)
- I received the blessing of being able to talk to many people and not be shy. (Rabecka)
- Again, too many to count. I got to know some of the most faithful, hospitable, and humble people I have ever known. I learned how to recognize the Spirit and how it feels to receive revelation. I feel it helped me to grow up and mature far more quickly than anything else I could have been doing with my time. And it prepared me for marriage as I learned how to live with others and how to carefully pick and choose your battles and let the rest go. I learned how to work, and work hard! But mostly, my testimony grew and was strengthened tremendously. (Anonymous)
- Stronger testimony. (Mark)
- To many to list. (Steven)
- Changed my life forever. I came home matured and ready to get to work in school, going from a solid C student to an almost straight A student. Prepared me for marriage, being a mom. Life time friends and experiences that made me who I am today. (Sharlene)
What are some skills you gained?
- Moving furniture, teaching, talking to strangers, remembering names. (Doug)
- Riding a bike in a skirt. (Makenna)
- Communication, leadership, service, listening, studying, how to love, cleanliness, budgeting. (Whitney)
- Memorization, leadership, communication and listening. (Christopher)
- Social skills and gospel knowledge. (Thomas)
- I think the biggest change was gaining the skills to talk to people about the gospel. As hard as it was at first, the role playing really helps! Early rising. Talking to everyone! (David & Martha)
- Talking to everyone, being able to relate anything to the gospel, how scripture study should be. (Tiffani)
- Organization, being more outgoing, carrying on a conversation with a perfect strangers, leadership, confidence, some American Sign Language, learning how to make and keep a schedule. (Darcie)
- The love I have to sing. I have really come to love singing gospel music because that is a way I can share my testimony with others. (Rabecka)
- Social skills, inventory management. (Adam)
- Opening conversations. (Mark)
- The ability to talk to and love others. (Steven)
- Teaching, ability to talk to anyone about the church. (Sharlene)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Be diligent in obedience. (Doug)
- How to plan. (Makenna)
- I wish I knew more Bible scriptures. Including cross references between The Bible and The Book of Mormon. I wish I knew how hard a mission was but how the good times always outweigh the bad times. (Whitney)
- I wish I had really appreciated the Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel. (Christopher)
- I don’t have any early mission regrets, my trainer made up for anything I could have been lacking, any other skills came soon enough. (Thomas)
- The mission time goes by SO FAST! Make every day of your mission count. Consciously look for opportunities to share the gospel any time, anywhere, and with anyone. Keep a better journal. Family at home does just FINE in your absence! (David & Martha)
- Not spent so much time stressing and missing home. That was time wasted. (Tiffani)
- Put your whole heart into it from the beginning because it goes by so fast, not everyone will listen to you so move on and find the people that will, not all missionaries are there foe the right reasons so be a good example of following the rules and being obedient. Some of the people you will love working with the most are less-active members and not just investigators. (Darcie)
- Let my Mission President know that I was not receiving the 12 week training that I was supposed to have. (Rabecka)
- Faith. (Adam)
- I wish I had known the teachings, doctrines, and scriptures much better than I did. (Anonymous)
- Wrote my letters to the Mission President. (Mark)
- Don’t ever argue. Listen with genuine love and bear true gospel testimony with love. (Steven)
- I wish that I had known the scriptures and the gospel better than I did. I wish that I had understood the principle of agency for others accepting the gospel, that all I could do was to teach, share the Spirit and pray for them, but that my faith couldn’t “will” them into becoming converted. (Sharlene)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Little Rock?
- Read the book of Mormon and the New Testament. (Doug)
- Work like it’s your last day with the enthusiasm of your first day. (Makenna)
- Focus on The Book of Mormon as the converting tool. Refrain from any sort of Bible bashing. Have a knowledge of the Bible so you can show how The Book of Mormon and Bible compliment and testify of one another. (Whitney)
- Read Preach my Gospel beforehand and really study chapter 3 in it. Preach my Gospel was given for us to know what to teach, not what to say, always trust the Holy Ghost on what to say. (Christopher)
- Read your scriptures, it is the most effective thing to do to prepare for a mission. (Thomas)
- Graduate from Seminary!!! Master your scriptures (people in other religions really know their scriptures), so you can recall them with the Spirit when needed. Look for the child of God inside all your contacts. Prepare to LOVE those you serve. God is very aware of them and of you. OBEDIENCE is KEY to a happy, successful mission. (David & Martha)
- Don’t worry that you don’t know everything. That is why you were chosen to serve. Who the Lord calls, he qualifies. Allow yourself to be molded by experiences. Be teachable and share your experiences. (Tiffani)
- Know that the Book of Mormon is the converting power of the Lord in the South. Know your Bible well because they do, but be able to connect it to the Book of Mormon. (Darcie)
- Let your investigators and also the members of the ward(s), or branches feel your love and the Savior’s love for them through you. (Rabecka)
- Pray every day that you will learn to truly love the people you are called to serve. Set aside any pre-conceived ideas you have about the South, rednecks, hillbillies, etc. because these terms are not words to be used to refer to people you love and serve. Take in all you can, from the weather, to the food, to the culture, and whenever possible, the history as well. The senior companion is not a dictator, and you do not have to tolerate being walked on by one. Beware of anyone who seeks after and/or misuses authority. Do not ram the rule book down the throats of your companions or fellow missionaries, as this does not invite the Spirit and creates a great deal of resentment toward you. Make yourself as familiar with all the standard works and conference talks as possible so that you’re better able to understand and defend the truth when necessary. Learn to cook some basic dishes that can be made in a large pot and a large skillet. You will not always have dinner appointments every night, and you need to know how to make something palatable for you and your companion once in a while. I bought a sauté pan and a medium stockpot, a cookie sheet, a decent knife, a mixing bowl set, and a handful of very-basic kitchen tools once I was out and took them with me to each area. My companions appreciated the times when I could put dinner on the table when the calendar wasn’t filled on a given night. Learn to let the little things go, and understand that most things are the little things. Learn to get along with your companion so that the Spirit will be at its strongest with each of you. (Anonymous)
- Forgot yourself and get to work. (Mark)
- Gain a testimony. It will be your greatest asset. (Steven)
- Pray, live worthily, learn read the scriptures, LISTEN in seminary and learn to feel / understand / follow the Spirit. (Sharlene)
What was a funny language mistake?
- There is no other way to articulate “All Y’ All”, so go with it. ALL’Y’ ALL is an actual word! (David & Martha)
- Although mine was an English speaking, I remember my first night, my first discussion in the country where we were teaching. Our investigator’s dialect was so thick that I couldn’t understand a thing she said. I had that deer in the headlights look and couldn’t respond to what she was saying. The first thing that I could understand was when she looked at me with complete annoyance and said, “Don’t you speak ENGLISH” What a great first discussion. (Sharlene)
Kassi (Arkansas Little Rock Mission)
–Paraphrased from Kassi’s mission interview–
Living in Memphis
Living in Memphis is very different for missionaries than for members. They would always tell us not to go out at night or to not visit certain places, but we would do it anyway. It’s not scary, but it’s a culture shock. I grew to love it. There are some rude people, but you love them anyway. Most of the people there have that southern hospitality.
The Members
Most of the members were from Utah. My little brother was fascinated with what I would eat, but it was the same food I ate in Utah. Some places you could get brisket, fried chicken, hush puppies, and all that barbecue. Hush puppies were really new to me.
Famous Sites
There’s a lot of famous places in Memphis like Gus’ Fried Chicken and Corky’s. Some of my companions would get pork nachos with me when we went to different barbecue places and we could compare which were the best.
Fedex
Most people work for Fedex because that’s where the hub is. There are a lot of people that work for them there. I didn’t know that before the mission.
Crime
Memphis has the second highest crime rate in the country. That’s just to warn you. Missionaries have a car or have bikes. I biked a couple times but I usually had a car. Tornadoes and flash floods are huge. It poors rain. It was raining super hard once and I didn’t know why the alarm was going off, but I realized it was related to the weather. We hated those alarms because they went off pretty frequently.
Zach (Arkansas Little Rock Mission)
–Paraphrased from Zach’s mission interview–
Mission Info
The very first missionary in the mission was Wilford Woodruff in 1835. He was called to the Southern States Mission. The mission now covers most of Arkansas and western Tennessee. It also has a little northern part of Mississippi. There are four stakes. There aren’t any districts. It’s comprised mainly of wards in the little cities and branches in the little towns. As a Spanish missionary there were three main Spanish branches you served in. There were also various Spanish groups. The majority of the work was centered in Little Rock and Memphis. There is a temple. I had the opportunity to go there and I served near it for six months.
Clint (Arkansas Little Rock Mission)
–Paraphrased from Clint’s mission interview–
Christian Background
I really like the Christian background of everyone there. Everyone wants to talk about Christ and the gospel. There is this need that everyone has for the restored gospel. They have questions and are confused. They’ve heard the gospel preached so many different ways and so when we teach them it just makes sense.
Weird Foods
You’re gonna get fed pretty good. You can expect mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy, ribs, steak, pretty much everything that I really love. The food is really great. I ate like every part of the pig, fox tail, alligator. We ate some pretty weird foods.
Tysen (Arkansas Little Rock Mission)
–Paraphrased from Tysen’s mission interview–
Mission Boundaries
Little Rock is the headquarters of the mission, but the mission is split two ways. It covers central and northeastern Arkansas. It also has a little bit of Missouri and western Tennessee including Memphis. It also has the northwest part of Mississippi. The way it works is the west and south of Arkansas are not part of the mission. The mission itself has four stakes. There are north and south little rock stakes and north and south Memphis stakes. We have the mission split into four zones. There were seven when I started and four when I finished. There is a lot of work done in Memphis. The other have of the mission is Arkansas. We always talked about going to the other side.