Hi Gmwevans,
Thanks for the post. I know how important messages are, and I'll be glad to see how I can assist. It sounds like you restored a backup but your messages may not have been part of the backup.
As a start, if you were using Messages in iCloud previously, tap Settings > [name] > iCloud, and make sure that Messages is turned on here. If Messages in iCloud is on, your content will sync and is not part of a backup: Keep all your messages in iCloud
Depending on how the above goes, this could help also: About missing information after you restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iCloud Backup
I hope this is helpful. Have a good day.