Chattanooga Tennessee Latter-day Saints

06/01/2026

Recently, friends and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as well as civic leaders met for Stake Conference, a special worship service and gathering for all in the Chattanooga metropolitan area.

Over five hundred people were in attendance over the course of the two-day conference. Elder John D. Amos of the Seventy, Elder Brett V. Benson of the Area Seventy, and President Jason J. Isaacson of the Chattanooga Stake provided faith-promoting messages.

All the speakers focused on coming closer to Jesus Christ, encouraging others to seek Him, and emulating Him in our personal and public lives.

We are also grateful to the members and friends present in the conference sessions who added to the uplifting spirit during the services.

In addition to the Church leaders, Representative Mike Cameron, Representative Mitchell Horner, Councilman Cody Harvey, Director of The Caring Place Corinne Freeman, and President of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank Melissa Blevins were also in attendance.

We are grateful to our civic and religious leaders for their encouragement, support, and wonderful strength they brought to our meetings.

05/29/2026

Excerpt from one of the panels at the Chattanooga Faith Forum, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, May 20th, 2026. Thank you to all the wonderful participants and planners who made this event fostering religious freedom and understanding possible!

05/22/2026

This past Wednesday, leaders and friends of different faiths around the Chattanooga area met for a Faith Forum at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. With over one hundred participants and over ten faiths represented, the purpose of the Forum was to celebrate the U.S.’s 250th anniversary by encouraging religious freedom. Organizers expressed deep gratitude to those whose vision sparked the event, noting that uniting faith-based communities and civic leaders in mutual respect is a vital foundation for a free society.

Key insights from the discussions highlighted that free societies are supported by a dedication to human dignity, that being accountable makes us a civil society without needing to eliminate disagreement, and that partnering with local churches directly improves a community's ability to care for its citizens.

Some participants included: Senior U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier; the Rev.
Micah Fries, director of the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network; Linda Moss Mines, Chattanooga250 Planning Committee; Adam Whitescarver, Pray Chattanooga and Red Bank Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Imam Ahmed Fawzy, Islamic Center of Greater Chattanooga; C. Ben Mitchell, Ph.D., retired Union University professor of ethics and current seminary professor at Walker State Prison; Rabbi Craig Lewis, Mizpah Congregation; the Rev. Ernest Reid, Second Missionary Baptist Church; State Rep. Greg Martin; the Rev. Jacqueline Davis‐Gines, Ph.D., pastor of Rossville United Methodist Church; Pastor JaMichael D. Jordan Sr., Mount Canaan Baptist Church; the Rev. Joshua Caler, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church; Pastor Melody Wallace, Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church; Nichelle Patel, public relations director for Hindu Sanatan Temple Chattanooga; Elder Steven L. Bodhaine, Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Tyler W. Ross, Catholic Diocese of Knoxville; Allyson Egbert, President of the Las Vegas Alliance of Religious Freedom and Human Dignity; and Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. Jason Isaacson, Stake President and leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Chattanooga area, conducted the Forum.

We thank all who participated in the Forum, whether by attending, speaking, planning, volunteering, or spreading news about the Forum in media outlets. We look forward to working with our friends and neighbors of all faiths in the future in a spirit of love and understanding!

05/18/2026

In preparation for the America 250 Faith Forum in Chattanooga, happening Wednesday, May 20th, participating local groups met with members of the Chattanooga Times Free Press to share details about the upcoming event.

Featured participants included: the Religious Alliance of East TN (), the Bessie Smith Cultural Center (), Hamilton County, the City of Chattanooga 250th Celebration Planning Committee, and local church leaders.

We appreciate the opportunity to share our mission with the editors and staff at the Times Free Press, as we head into this historic week.

With just a few days until the Forum begins, we invite all to participate in this historic event fostering religious freedom and understanding around our community.

To register for the Chattanooga Faith Forum or learn more, please visit: https://www.rfacouncil.org/tennessee

05/01/2026

04/28/2026

“The only way to ensure religious freedom for anybody is to ensure it for everybody. In other words, we become activists for those we think are wronged." -Reverend Micah Fries, Director of Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, Washington, D.C. and Keynote Speaker at this year's Chattanooga Faith Forum.

Three weeks until this incredible event celebrating and strengthening religious freedom as part of ! All people, faiths, and beliefs are welcome. You can register via the QR code on the flyer, or this URL: https://www.rfacouncil.org/tennessee

04/26/2026

We invite you to join us for Stake Conference, a special gathering and worship service for all in the Chattanooga metropolitan area, on May 2-3. General Authority Seventy Elder John D. Amos will preside at the conference and will be accompanied by Area Seventy Elder Brett V. Benson. All people are welcome to come and worship with us! A session for adults will be held on May 2nd from 6-8 pm EDT. A general session for all will be held on May 3rd from 10 am-12 pm EDT. Both sessions will take place at 3067 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd., Ooltewah, TN. We look forward to hearing our leaders speak and hope you can join us! @

04/22/2026

04/20/2026

Announcing changes to the structure of the Church's Young Women organization! Sisters ages 11-18 will be placed in age-groups with the following important designations and titles:
Ages 11-13: Builders of Faith
Ages 14-15: Messengers of Hope
Ages 16-18: Gatherers of Light
The First Presidency said that these changes are "To help young women understand their divine place in God’s work, to represent their spiritual dignity as His beloved daughters, and to highlight their progression." They also explained, "It is our hope that these age-group names and the principles they teach will help young women become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, prepared to participate in the great work of the Relief Society.”
Members should begin using these new names to refer to the Young Women at this time. The current Young Women structure will transfer to the new age-group structure in all units around the world on June 1st, 2026. For more information or FAQs, please visit: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/young-women-age-group-names

04/09/2026

Recently, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints assisted in providing supplies for The Haven - Lafayette in a community event/fundraiser. Elizabeth Mathis, a member of the Church who has served with The Haven, said of the event:

"Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have known and participated in different and numerous service projects and areas since I was a teenager at the age of 12. Usually, those Service opportunities were church related. As an adult I have personally found organizations that call to me outside of my normal church service to support. Recently that has been in personal service to a small group in Walker County called The Haven-Lafayette. As an individual who has had a foot in both worlds it is awesome when I can see the two meet."