The Best Experience I've Ever Had. Godspeed

Wow, this feels so surreal.

I've been dreading writing this email, so I have been putting it off.

I remember 18 months ago, preparing to leave my family and my friends for something I knew was going to be very hard.

I'll never forget the feeling that I felt when I walked into the MTC. I've never felt so much peace before. I knew it was exactly where I was supposed to be, and I knew that I was going to be okay.

I cannot even put into words how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve.

I'm so grateful for every day that I have had to wake up and choose Jesus Christ by representing him.

Leaving my mission is harder than coming out in the first place.

When I first came out, my mission president said, "You've already done the hardest part, the easy part is staying."

It's so true because you have every reason to stay.

This is the place. The place where I've laughed, cried, sweat, bled, froze my butt off, loved, and this is the place where I feel home.

Iowa is no longer the flyover state to me. This place, these people, these missionaries are ingrained in my heart and mind forever. I love them with my whole heart and soul. People have never been so precious to me.

There is not gonna be a day that goes by that I don't think about my mission.

It's nearly impossible to put into words everything I've learned on my mission, but here are a few things I've learned:

Time is so precious. Don't waste it.

The Lord qualifies who he calls.

There's so much in life that doesn't matter and is not worth letting it bother us.

Charity is the pure love of Christ, and everyone needs love.

Service brings more joy than anything else.

We get to choose the life we have, we get to choose the day we have. Choose joy!

Think celestial! You're so much happier.

True joy comes from work.

Laughing makes everything better.

Put Jesus Christ at the center of your life.

God is in the details, and he's in the details of the details.

There is so much to be grateful for.

Faith > Fear.

Heavenly Father's plan is perfect.

My brother Tanner, in his departing testimony on his mission, said, "If you could work all day every day just so one person could see you smile, or so one person could receive a copy of The Book of Mormon, it is worth it!"

I couldn't have said it any better myself.

Even if not one person on my mission received the gospel, it still would've been worth it.

The miracle of the mission is that though I taught a lot of people, I'm ultimately the one changed the most. This is what a mission does. You cannot get this experience anywhere else. This was truly the greatest 18 months of my entire life.

In the summer of 2021, my family took a trip to Nauvoo where we toured Nauvoo and Carthage. I was trying to decide if I wanted to serve a mission. I remember standing in Carthage thinking of Joseph Smith with the little knowledge I felt I had of him at the time, thinking how one could be so selfless. The spirit hit me that if Joseph Smith could run for his life and go through all this persecution and suffer and die, and the saints were so faithfully willing to pick up everything they have and trek through the hottest summers and the coldest winters with barely anything, then I could serve a mission.

I hate when people say that a mission is a sacrifice because I feel like I didn't give up really anything to come out here. What I gained was much more than anything I could've left.

When I submitted my mission papers, I made it a goal that by the time I came home from my mission, I would say that I would do anything for the church. That if someone held a gun to my head and told me to deny the church & my testimony or get shot, that I would choose to get shot.

Of course, I would get shot. That's an easy answer for me.

The other day Sis Kinghorn and I were reading a letter by Elder Holland, and he says, "That's the easy part, to die for it. Well, what God needs is people who will live for it, people who will go the distance, people who are in this race we are talking about that will go all the way to the tape. And some may die along the way, and that's wonderful, but he needs people who will finish the work."

I want to live for it. I want to live for Jesus Christ. I want to finish his work and keep serving him for the rest of my life even if it's without a tag.

On Christmas Eve with our districts, we each picked a name of Christ and bore our testimony on why we chose that name. I chose the life.

I chose this because as I've studied, prayed, and served my mission, I have learned that Jesus Christ literally came into this world knowing he was going to suffer and die. He chose death so that we could have life. That is the greatest gift he could've ever given you and me. That is the most selfless act of LOVE anyone could ever give.

He is the life. He is the reason I'm here, and he's the reason I want to continue to be here on this earth.

2 Nephi 31:21

21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

I read this scripture in the MTC. This was the moment I realized that the church is true, and I get to share that with everyone.

I have such a strong testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. I know he was called of God. I'm so grateful for the persecution he went through to restore the church and translate The Book of Mormon so that we could have it on the earth today. So that we could have convincing evidence that Jesus is the Christ and that he lives and loves us. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and called him by name.

I know The Book of Mormon is the most correct book out of any book here on earth. After reading it almost every single day for 18 months, I am a different person. Because I have a testimony of The Book of Mormon, I have a testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet. No one can grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ than reading and studying the Book of Mormon.

I know that Heavenly Father loves every single one of his children. I know he loves us because he sent us his perfect son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins so that we can be forgiven. I know he lives, I know he loves us. His love is infinite and perfect. I love them so much.

I owe everything to them.

The Atonement is real. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to repent every single day and be forgiven of my sins and grow closer to my Savior.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is real. The plan of salvation is the plan of happiness. This is where we find true joy, ETERNAL joy.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church. It's Jesus Christ's church. I know that it is true.

I will never be the same because of my mission.

There is nothing better in this entire world that I could've done with my time.

God is so good; being a missionary is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I may not wear a tag, but I will always be a disciple of Jesus Christ!

He lives. The church is true, and the book is blue.

I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Okay, now I just want to give a little shoutout to my district; they are my best friends!!! I seriously can't picture my life without them in it!!!! I miss them so much already and am counting down the days when I can see them and hug them.

The zone leaders, Elder Westwood and Vetter, are truly incredible!!! I am their biggest fans and am so grateful for everything they taught me and their examples.

Okay, now my bestie Sister Kinghorn; she truly feels like a sister to me! I couldn't have asked for a better last companion. She is too good for this world, and I'm so grateful for her example and for all the things that I learned from her! I love her more than she will ever know. I'm just gonna stop here cuz I could write a novel about how much I love her.

This is truly the hardest breakup I've ever been through hahaha.

For the last time,

Love,

Sister Liljenquist.

#GodsArmy #IICMistheGreatestMissionontheEarth

Also, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the love and support I have received these past 18 months!!! It means the world to me, and I am so grateful.

To my mission besties... add my email to your weeklies :)) kimberz2424@gmail.com !!

Homecoming info:

I will be speaking in church January 28th at 10:30 (UT time)!!! Food will be served at my house afterward!!! I would love to see you all!!

420 E 13540 S, Draper, UT 84020

My address:

13232 Cherry Crest Drive

Draper, Utah

*** Message me for the zoom link!!!