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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Return With Honor

I have been trying to think about what would be the best thing to say in my last email. This is my last week as a missionary, and it is a surreal feeling. There are so many things that have happened on my mission. I have changed and learned so much! And I have met so many incredible people. I know that it was Heavenly Father's plan for me to serve a mission. What is funny is that I never saw myself serving a mission. It just wasn't in my future plans. But thanks to the promptings of the Holy Ghost (and my Grandpa), I actually took some time to think about it, and more importantly, to pray about it. When I finally did that, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. I knew that this was what the Lord was planning for me. 

I know that there have been a lot of people I was meant to meet, lives I was meant to change, but the one life I know that has changed forever is mine.

In Doctrine and Covenants, section 18 verses 13-16 it reads:

And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!

Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

That one soul that I have brought unto God is my own. I never truly knew what this gospel was all about. I lived it, I made mistakes, I repented, and I got myself here on a mission. Somehow they trusted me, with my simple testimony, to represent the church. But I now can say with conviction that I know my Savior lives. I know that He loves me. I know that He suffered the Atonement for each of us, individually, and it was out of love, not obligation. That sacrifice gave us the chance to start again. I know that He lived a perfect life so that we could have an example to follow. I know that His church was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith, that he translated the Book of Mormon so that we could each know of God's plan for us. I know that the priesthood of God has been restored to the earth, and that we have a prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson. I know that this is the true church, and I know that because the Holy Ghost has testified of that truth to me each and every day. I have had the privilege of representing my Savior Jesus Christ, and I don't want to ever stop. When I take off my name tag, my calling will still be written on my heart. I have covenanted to stand as a witness of Him, of His everlasting love and eternal grace. I am forever grateful for this gospel. 

I love you all, and I hope that you will continue to smile, even when i'm not reminding you :) 

xoxo

Sister Boman

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