how do i get imessage back on my home screen after it was removed?

Apps can be removed from the Home Screen without being deleted. Go to the App Library (swipe left past your last Home Screen). From there you can touch and hold an app and slide it to the Home Screen.

Spiceman7 wrote:

The icon for messages was removed from the Home Screen. iMessage still works.

If you keep swiping to the left you get to the grouped icons see >>Social>Messages

you can click & hold to drag it to your home screen