This week was the McMinnville Stake conference in Altamont, Tennesee. It was a long drive but it was definitely worth it. All the people from the area call Altamont "the mountain." It's really more like a large hill, but it's the closest thing they have to a mountain around here. Either way it was quite fun driving up there. For the first time in a very long time I got to drive up through a valley on a winding road and then look down from the top to see the farms stretched out below us. There were so many trees up there. I know there are already a lot of trees in Tennessee, but up there it was crazy, and they were all turning bright fiery red. The colors were absolutely beautiful to see the patchwork of green, yellow, red, and orange stretched across the hillside as we approached.
Stake conference was amazing. I could feel how much the leaders here really love the people they serve. President Crawford is really a remarkable person. Although his talk sounded much more like a sermon from a preacher. You can tell he has lived in the south a long time.
In Altamont they have the two oldest LDS churches in the south. We got a chance to visit one of them after conference.
The church has been established up there for years and families have stayed faithful for generations. It is so cool to see that the legacy of the pioneers is not forgotten. The foundation they laid has made the missionary work thrive. In the last three years, the McMinnville stake has been split twice. There really is a special spirit in this part of the country and these wonderful, faithful people are such a pleasure to be around. I am very grateful to be serving here and I am grateful for the great work of our forefathers who started this mission long ago. I am grateful for this gospel which Heavenly Father has restored to us. I am grateful for my savior, Jesus Christ. I love him, and I you all, and I love the south.
Have a wonderful week!
Elder Basham
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