My dearly beloved ones, the time has come. I can't believe that 25
months have come and gone so fast. I still remember vividly my first
night in the MTC, saying good bye to everyone and how I was so excited
to be a missionary I almost forgot to give everyone else but mom and
dad a hug haha, and now here I am, still so excited to be a
missionary, but on the other side of the tunnel, man how time has
flown. I left Sandy as a boy, with a dream to become a man, and I can
honestly say that I have done more, for through the grace of God and
the Atonement, I am becoming a man of God. Pres. Whitehead always
says, parents send me their boys and their girls, and I will give them
men and women of God, and he, together with President Villareal, have
done so. To them, and more importantly my King, am I eternally
grateful. Even though I do not want to come home, I have gained a new
outlook. "Come what may, and LOVE it." That has been my new motto
ending my mission. It must come, and either I can get sad every time
someone talks about it, or I can soak in every moment and live it up,
love it more than I ever have, and I feel like that is how I am now.
In this, my last letter as a full time missionary, I wish to bear my
witness of the divinity of Christ. I know that He lives. I have felt
His influence in my life, changing me and guiding me. I have felt His
love radiate through me to His lost brothers and sisters to bring them
to the truth. "Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear
my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in
his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth."
(Mosiah 23:10) I know that it was because of the love, the compassion,
the mercy that God and Christ have for us, that the miraculous
Atonement was brought to pass to free men, in all sense of the word,
for I have been freed, and I have seen countless people be freed from
the chains of the devil. I know that I we put our lives in His hands,
put our worries, our investigators, our passions, and most
importantly, our trust and faith, in His hands, He will work miracles,
for it depends on whose hands its in. However, it is all up to us to
act, for through and because of Him, all people are free to act for
themselves, to choose life eternal or eternal destruction (2 Nephi
2:13-28) I know that through Christ, God created all things, that "All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made." (John 1:3) I testify that Christ is the creator of earth
and of heaven. He was the Great Jehovah, and is our Eternal Head and
Savior. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, for every time I have
testified of him, along with all other things that are eternal truths,
the spirit has made it manifest to me that he was called of called, to
be His chosen seer in these, the last days, to restore His church and
the eternal truths of the Gospel. I know and testify that the Book of
Mormon is 100% inspired of God, that it is a book of revelations from
God to man, and that it was translated by the same power that it was
written, the power of the God. Just as I know that Joseph Smith was a
prophet of God, I testify that Thomas S. Monson is the only authorized
person on the face of this planet to speak for God as His called and
ordained prophet, seer and revelator, and hence, the church which he
directs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the one
and only true church that is lead 100% by Christ, for He is at the
head of this church. Of this I have no doubt. Not only do the
scriptures support this knowledge and testimony 100%, but the spirit
testifies of this truth clearly and profoundly. I know that we are
imperfect people and we make mistakes, but through the blood of
Christ, we can be made perfect, through obedience to the laws and
ordinances of the Gospel (Article of Faith 2). I love my Lord and my
Savior. I love this work, and even though I will no longer be in the
mission, the mission will never leave my heart. Hosanah be to the Most
High God, and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. I share this, my
testimony of eternal neverending truths, as His representative and
servant, in His name, the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
--
Elder Noel
