Devotional Speakers

Brother Madison Sowell and Sister Debra Sowell returned last week from serving a full-time mission in the Rome Temple. It was Brother Sowell’s third mission in Italy and fifth mission overall. Sister Sowell and he previously served as mission leaders in the Italy Milan Mission.

Brother Sowell is a native of Piggott, Arkansas, and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a teenager living in Memphis. At 19 he served his first mission in the Italy North Mission. After receiving a doctorate in romance languages from Harvard, he taught at BYU for 30 years and then, after retiring, became provost in charge of academics at Southern Virginia University.

Sister Sowell grew up in the Connecticut suburbs of New York City. She attended BYU, where she danced in the Theater Ballet company and met her future husband. She has a doctorate in performance studies from New York University and taught humanities at BYU and Southern Virginia University.

In addition to missions, the Sowells have served in a wide variety of church callings. One of his favorites was as a Young Single Adult ward bishop, and one of hers was in a stake Young Women’s presidency. The Sowells have two daughters and five grandchildren. Last year they retired to Jonesboro to be closer to family farms in Clay County.

Bro. Dunlap was born in 1949 in Navasota, Texas and raised along the shores of Galveston Bay in Seabrook, Texas. After graduating from high school in Baytown in May 1968, he entered the U.S. Army just days later.

Following a year of training, Bro. Dunlap earned his Ranger Tab and became a Staff Sergeant Airborne Ranger at just 19 years old. In Vietnam, he volunteered for the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs), leading a five-man team on missions deep behind enemy lines. Those experiences strengthened his faith as he witnessed remarkable instances of divine protection. Five months after returning home and completing his military service, Bro. Dunlap was called as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Thailand, returning to Southeast Asia under very different circumstances.

In May 1973, he married his sweetheart, Brenda, in the Manti Temple. More than 53 years later, they are blessed with six children, 18 grandchildren, two grandchildren-in-law, and another grandchild on the way.

Throughout Bro. Dunlap’s life, he has been grateful to serve in many Church callings, including Branch President, bishopric counselor, High Council, Elders Quorum President, High Priests Group Leader, Seventy, Family History Center Director, Scoutmaster, Young Men President, temple worker in the Dallas, Houston, and Memphis temples, and various clerk and teaching assignments.

Looking back, Bro. Dunlap sees a life shaped by faith, family, service, and the Lord’s guidance through both extraordinary challenges and everyday blessings.

Isaac Jones was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, and is the youngest of five children. He served as a missionary in the Idaho Boise Mission from 2006 to 2008. Following his mission, he was sealed to his wife, Leah, in the Orlando Florida Temple. Together they are the proud parents of four children.

Isaac earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has built a career in operations leadership with Amazon. He currently leads an Amazon fulfillment center and is helping open a new fulfillment center in Little Rock, Arkansas, later this year.

Throughout his years of service in the Church, President Jones has served as Ward Young Men President, Stake Young Men President, Bishopric Counselor, Bishop, High Councilor, Stake President, and currently serves as a Counselor in the Stake Presidency.

Outside of work and Church service, Isaac enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports, and is a lifelong, passionate Florida State Seminoles fan.