Robert Cunningham Young served in the Southern States Mission from 1892 to 1894. He was baptized, at age 27, two years before his mission. In his mission acceptance letter to Wilford Woodruff, he wrote: “I received your letter… asking my feelings in regard to taking a mission to the Southern States. I will say that I will do the best I can and will be ready…” He was called to serve shortly after his wife passed away and he had to leave his infant son in the care of friends and family while serving. He entered East Tennessee during a period of local opposition against the Saints. He challenged the Church’s antagonists, even in the printed press of the Maryville Times, bringing light to darkness with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He returned home early from his mission due to illness, which lasted periodically until his death. He remarried in the Salt Lake Temple after he returned home. They had four children together. He became a school teacher, but taught only a few years before he died in 1904. His transcribed mission journal provides valuable insight into the efforts of the first Smoky Mountain Saints and their missionaries in East Tennessee, from 29 August 1892 to 14 January 1894, as the Church first began to grow. Elder Young baptized Sarah Margaret Cauble, Jordan Henry Harrison Hicks, Andrew Johnson Smith, Louvenia Hicks, Alexander Harrison Garland, Joseph John Calvin (JC) Garland, and Lona Mae Garland, and confirmed the first three named as well as William Edward Silver Garland and Louella Garland as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Robert Cunningham Young served in the Southern States Mission from 1892 to 1894. He was baptized, at age 27, two years before his mission. In his mission acceptance letter to Wilford Woodruff, he wrote: “I received your letter… asking my feelings in regard to taking a mission to the Southern States. I will say that I will do the best I can and will be ready…” He was called to serve shortly after his wife passed away and he had to leave his infant son in the care of friends and family while serving. He entered East Tennessee during a period of local opposition against the Saints. He challenged the Church’s antagonists, even in the printed press of the Maryville Times, bringing light to darkness with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He returned home early from his mission due to illness, which lasted periodically until his death. He remarried in the Salt Lake Temple after he returned home. They had four children together. He became a school teacher, but taught only a few years before he died in 1904. His transcribed mission journal provides valuable insight into the efforts of the first Smoky Mountain Saints and their missionaries in East Tennessee, from 29 August 1892 to 14 January 1894, as the Church first began to grow. Elder Young baptized Sarah Margaret Cauble, Jordan Henry Harrison Hicks, Andrew Johnson Smith, Louvenia Hicks, Alexander Harrison Garland, Joseph John Calvin (JC) Garland, and Lona Mae Garland, and confirmed the first three named as well as William Edward Silver Garland and Louella Garland as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Leo Thomas Shelley (1861-1937) served in the Southern States Mission from 1893 to 1895. In his mission acceptance letter to Wilford Woodruff, he wrote: “I received your letter, stating that I had been accepted as missionary. Although I feel very weak, I will be ready on the date mentioned.” He married in the Manti Temple, one month before leaving to serve in the East Tennessee Conference. He returned home to American Fork, Utah, where he raised five children with his wife. His parents were from England and emigrated with some of the first Saints to Utah. He was well known for his service in the Church, and humility and kindness, often being called to speak at funerals and administer to the sick. His time in Blount County is found in the transcribed mission journal of Robert Cunningham Young. Elder Shelley confirmed Louvenia Hicks a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Millers Cove, in 1893.