Tornado Time in Alabama and Mississippi

Tornado Time in Alabama and Mississippi – and yes, some people really do choose to live here! 

 By this time you’ve all had the opportunity to read President Hanks’ letter indicating that all missionaries were safe, notwithstanding the widespread damage that was sustained in cities, both large and small, throughout the Mission. 

Certainly, the story is about safety; certainly it’s about the wonderful protection for which we are all so very grateful. Yet, the other part of the story is still unfolding. 

Both ABM missionaries as well as members throughout the region and beyond have been engaged in the clean up and repairs – extending more and more service on behalf of others irrespective of religious traditions or affiliations. Of the thousands of hours of assistance rendered, the photography that follows is the merest sampling of the work. Naturally, the ubiquitous yellow Mormon Helping Hands shirts are recognized more and more widely, especially when such service work is offered without any charge or expectation. 

 This is in direct contrast to disaster conditions in years past when so many of the “relief workers” have sought compensation for their efforts, making recipients suspicious of help offered. Many times, grateful recipients have spoken not only about the help they’ve received, but how their faith in good people, doing good things for good reasons, has been restored. 

 Your missionaries, laboring among these people, continue to make significant contributions to the communities they live in; they continue to demonstrate that the Latter-day Saints among them are people who are ready to pitch in and work long and hard on behalf of others of Our Heavenly Father’s children.

A Tender Surprise at the Huntsville Zone Conference

On May 23, the missionaries of the Huntsville zone planned and executed a wonderful, and tender, and completely unexpected surprise for President and Sister Hanks. 


 Asked to sit in the front of the assembled Zones, President and Sister Hanks heard the familiar strains of “Because I have been given much.” 



 However, the words were considerably different from the ones in the Hymnal. The traditional third verse, attributed to the LDS Composer Kenneth Cope became the first verse of this tribute: 

May 2014 Transfers!

One of the largest transfers in Mission History took place in May, involving 93 different companionships (none of those involving Senior Couples).  

A Family's Guide to the Alabama Birmingham Mission Area (or, "Where's My Missionary?")

A Family Guide to the Mission

Just got a letter after a transfer meeting?  You now know which area your favorite Elder or Sister is serving in, but when you start to search through Zone Conference photography you don’t know which area or district – or even zone for that matter – to refine your search? 

If so, here’s the answer to every Mother’s Prayer: 

Overall, there are typically five zone conferences, which actually include more than just one zone each:  Bessemer, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tupelo.

Attending the Bessemer Zone Conferences, you’ll find the Bessemer East and the Bessemer West zones - including the areas of Alabaster, Columbiana, Lorna, Hoover, and Inverness in the east and Tuscaloosa, Northport, Demopolis, Ensley, Jasper and Bessemer

Attending the Birmingham Zone Conferences, you will find the Birmingham Central and Birmingham Northeast zones – including the areas of Vestavia Hills, Birmingham, Cahaba Heights, Altadena, and Gardendale in Central, and  Gadsden, Anniston, Locust Fork, Talladega, Leeds, Sylacauga and the new area of Attala in the Northeast.

Attending the Huntsville Zone Conference, you will find the Huntsville North and the Huntsville Southeast, along with the Madison zones – including areas of Weatherly, Byrd Springs, Fayetteville, Sparkman,  Capshaw and Huntsville in the North;  Monte Sano, Scottsboro, Guntersville, Fort Payne and Boaz in the Southeast; and Cullman, Madison, Athens, Decatur in the Madison zone

Attending the Montgomery Zone Conference, you will find the Montgomery North and Montgomery South zones – including Tuskegee, Wetumpka, Alexander City, Millbrook, Prattville, and Clanton in the North; with Montgomery, Highland Home, Greenville, Selma, Magnolia and Camden in the South

And, attending the Tupelo Zone, you will find the Tupelo North and Tupelo South zones – including Savannah, Corinth, Booneville, New Albany, Tupelo, Amory, Haleyville, Hamilton, Russellville, Columbia, West Point and Starkville.

Of course, if you’re related to and/or interested in President and Sister Hanks – or one of the Assistants – you’ll be able to see vestiges of each of them in all Zone Conferences.

For more information, visit our Mission Location Information Page.

Psst- This post will be very handy on Friday, June 13 when a HUGE amount of pictures from the last transfer will go live on our blog.  Now you'll know where all of the missionaries are going!

May Baptisms!

As always, the month of May was busy in the Birmingham Alabama Mission.  We made a lot of new friends and had a lot of Baptisms!  A big welcome to all of our new members!




On a side note from the Blog Administrator: These baptism posts are some of my favorite to create. When I look into the faces of these people who have made this amazing (and sometimes difficult) choice, I feel the Spirit so strongly testifying that the Gospel is true.  Our missionaries are truly taking up Christ's call to be "Fishers of Men" and inviting others to "Come Follow Me".

The Gospel is true!  Christ's love is real!

I hope you can feel that as you look into the faces of our new members.

-Sister Austin.