Missionary farewell

The picture above was taken just a few minutes after Cooper gave his mission farewell at church on Easter Sunday. I thought he did such a great job on his talk that I wanted to include it here for you to read:

Hi, my name is Cooper Boice. After my parents shared their testimonies a few Sundays ago, many of you probably thought I was gone by now. But no, I’m still here, and this is my last Sunday before I leave. I’m going to be serving for 2 years in the Argentina, Rosario mission. In less than 3 months, both Brady Tucker (another boy in our ward) and I have been called to Argentina. Our Stake President also served a mission in Argentina. Bishop Buriek is from Argentina, so I think this is just more evidence that he has got a special connection up top. Or maybe he’s involved in some secret combination…Just kidding. If Argentina produces wonderful people like Bishop Buriek is, then I feel especially honored to be able to serve a mission there.

Today is Easter Sunday so I’ll be speaking on the Atonement. There’s not really a better topic to speak on right before I leave to serve a mission! I will be teaching the people of Argentina for 2 years about the miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ! The atonement of Christ is the very center of the gospel and the principle of conversion.

The word Atonement, or At-One-Ment, means bringing together that which is separated. Because of the Fall of Adam, there are two kinds of separation that need to be conquered. Physical Death, or the separation of the spirit from the body. And Spiritual Death: the separation of us from God. Everyone born into this world experiences these two types of death. This is all part of our Heavenly Father’s plan.

As part of this plan, a Savior was needed to conquer these 2 deaths. Through the resurrection Christ was able to conquer physical death. All mankind is given the gift of resurrection and will therefore conquer physical death. And through Christ’s perfect suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross he provides a way for us to return to our Heavenly Father.

In 2 Nephi chapter 9 we read that he suffered “the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.” Christ was able to satisfy the demands of justice for all mankind, and I can testify that because of Christ’s atonement, we can repent and be forgiven of our sins.


I wanted to share something from the life of Orson F. Whitney, who served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles many years ago. This is a powerful dream he had while serving as a young missionary. He wrote:

“One night I dreamed … that I was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the Savior’s agony. … I stood behind a tree in the foreground. … Jesus, with Peter, James, and John, came through a little gate at my right. Leaving the three Apostles there, after telling them to kneel and pray, He passed over to the other side, where He also knelt and prayed … ‘Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will but as Thou wilt.’
“As He prayed the tears streamed down His face, which was [turned] toward me. I was so moved at the sight that I wept also, out of pure sympathy with His great sorrow. My whole heart went out to Him. I loved Him with all my soul and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else.

“Presently He arose and walked to where those Apostles were kneeling—fast asleep! He shook them gently, awoke them, and in a tone of tender reproach, untinctured by the least show of anger or scolding, asked them if they could not watch with Him one hour.

“Returning to His place, He prayed again and then went back and found them again sleeping. Again He awoke them, admonished them, and returned and prayed as before. Three times this happened, until I was perfectly familiar with His appearance—face, form, and movements. He was of noble stature and of majestic form … the very God that He was and is, yet as meek and lowly as a little child.
“All at once the circumstance seemed to change. Instead of before, it was after the Crucifixion, and the Savior, with those three Apostles, now stood together in a group at my left. They were about to depart and ascend into heaven. I could endure it no longer. I ran from behind the tree, fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged Him to take me with Him.

“I shall never forget the kind and gentle manner in which He stooped and raised me up and embraced me. It was so vivid, so real that I felt the very warmth of His bosom against which I rested. Then He said: ‘No, my son; these have finished their work, and they may go with me; but you must stay and finish yours.’ Still I clung to Him. Gazing up into His face—for He was taller than I—I besought Him most earnestly: ‘Well, promise me that I will come to You at the last.’ He smiled sweetly and tenderly and replied: ‘That will depend entirely upon yourself.’ I awoke with a sob in my throat, and it was morning.”


Brothers and sisters, it is entirely up to us.

It is completely our decision whether or not we will use the atonement in our lives. Alma Chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon is one of my favorite chapters. In verse 13 it says “And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh arepentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and bendureth to the end the same shall be saved.”

Humility is key to using the Atonement. I know personally that when I’m humble I’m the most eager to repent and I’m most able to learn. I think when I went away to school I was compelled to be humble, in a lot of ways. Some being that I met a lot of amazing people, people that I could look up to and try harder to be like. I competed on a team where I met guys who I wanted to be like, both physically and spiritually, but I realized I had a long long way to go on both accounts. I tried to find time to just sit and think, and while I was working on my mission papers, I would think about serving a mission. I could really feel the weight of serving a mission and what a huge task it was. I was made humble, and I grew closer to God and to my understanding of the Atonement.

I really want to stress that you should never wait to use the Atonement in you life. Don’t wait to be humbled. Humble yourself and your faith will grow, and you’ll have a desire to repent.

I’ve been called to serve a mission, and contribute in proclaiming the word of God unto all the Earth. Sounds like a pretty big task. I listened to President Monson speak a couple of months ago when he was visiting in our area, and the biggest thing I took from it was that he kept saying, “If you put your faith in God he will make you equal to the task. If you take your problems to Christ he will make you equal to it.”

I know that if I put my faith in God he will make me equal to this task. I can’t wait to share my testimony with the people of Argentina, and before I leave I want to share it with you. I know that Christ is my redeemer and that through him I can return to my Heavenly Father. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that through him, the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the Earth. I know that we have a living prophet of God on the Earth today. I know that God hears and answers our prayers, every one of them. I don’t just believe these things, I know these things, and I testify that anyone can know these things if they have a sincere desire to do so.

I want to thank all of you who have shared your testimonies with me over the years in word and deed. I know that many members of the Church pray daily for the missionaries and I want to thank you in advance for your prayers on my behalf. I am honored and excited to serve on the front lines in God’s army.
In closing, I want to share a poem entitled “The Quiet War.”

On the morrow
I go to war.
Not a war of gunfire and death
But a quiet war
Of truth and life.
I go to battle filled, not with hate,
But with love.
My desire, not to destroy,
But to restore,
Trumpeting the message of peace.

There
Over the horizon
Wages a quiet war
So softy, so subtly,
That many fail to recognize
That all of Satan’s armies
And the powers of hell
Combine in fierce, neverending battle
To bring about the downfall
Of all who would hearken.

I now arm myself
For the quiet war,
Taking upon me the whole armor of God:
The breastplate of righteousness,
The shield of faith,
The helmet of salvation,
The sword of the spirit of God,
Preparing, not wrestle against flesh and blood,
But against darkness and deceit,
Wickedness and satanic wiles.

May I fight honorably
With the power of God in great glory,
Magnifying the priesthood,
Withstanding in the evil day
All the fiery darts of the wicked.
May I be victorious
As an ambassador of Christ
In this,
The quiet war.


I leave my love and testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.