Sister Duke's Story

Sister Duke

January 2011 I was sitting in a sacrament meeting listening to this sister talk and she referred to her mission.  Automatically I got a surge of energy and emotions and a very distinct voice saying “you need to go on a mission.”   I just blew it off and kept on with my life.  I was writing to my boyfriend on his mission and he had only a few months left.  March 18, 2011 he arrived home from his mission in Japan.  He came home and we started dating immediately.  In May we got engaged to be married in August.  In a short month with lots of unsettled feelings and on a huge emotional rollercoaster, I called off my wedding.  It was the right thing to do and I had no doubt in my mind but then I was lost.  I think I was at my lowest point I’d yet experienced and I had no idea what to do.  It took a few months and I turned to my patriarchal blessing once I put my pride aside.  I read through it and doing so always made me feel happy but this time it was different.   This line stuck out to me ‘The Atonement will benefit you in your life.’  I came to a conclusion and that was that I didn’t really know all that much about the Atonement.  It was at this time that the thought of a mission came back.  This time I didn’t brush it off as quickly but I still didn’t do anything drastic- also at the same time President Uchtdorf gave a talk about “Forget Me Not” and the 5^th petal is what pushed me to my pathway.  “Forget not that the Lord loves you.”  I struggled for months to move on from my broken heart and step by step I finally understood.  The Savior knows me and all I’m suffering with in my emotional side.  So I took action, I went and talked to my bishop and talked about a mission.  I walked out of his door and overwhelming sense of peace and love flowed into my heart and spirit.  A mission was my chapter to write.  I‘ve never been happier in my life and every day I’m so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with this experience.  This is the best chapter I’ve written.