Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to read through all the October 2023 General Conference talks another time. Recently, I came to Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk, “The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home.” I’d heard the story of the prodigal son many times before, and I’d heard and read this talk before. When I read the talk this time, though, the story hit me differently.
A Quick Overview of the Prodigal Son
The basic story is that a man had two sons. One day, the younger son decides he wants his inheritance now. The dad gives the son the inheritance. For a while, this man, the prodigal son, is living it big, having a great time. Then the money runs out, and the fun times are gone. Humbled a bit, he heads home, hoping his dad will at least hire him as a servant. When he returns, his father welcomes him back as a son.
The older son hears of his brother’s return and is a bit jealous. He’s worked hard, trying to live his life righteously while his brother’s been wasting money and living unrighteously. Yet, the younger brother is being celebrated. His father calls the older son out for his jealousy.
I Can Relate to the Brother
At times, I’ve had the same attitude as the older son. I’ve heard people’s stories about going away from the church for a time. Then when they decide to come back, right away, they see great blessings. I know that I should be happy for them, but sometimes I instead think Well, that’s not fair. I’ve tried to do what’s right. That person lived unrighteously for years. Why are they being blessed, and I’m not? Yes, I realize that this is me being judgmental.
How I Viewed the Prodigal Son Wrongly
As I was reading Elder Utchdorf’s talk, there was a line where he said that our return to the covenant path doesn’t take away from someone else’s blessings. That’s when it really hit me that I had been viewing this story and similar stories incorrectly. Making it to the Celestial Kingdom isn’t a competition. Technically, I knew that, but I don’t think that I internalized that.
My jealousy when others got blessings that I desired came about because while I was willing to admit it or not, I was viewing the journey as a competition. I was being prideful. I wanted to be better than other people because if I was better than other people, I deserved the blessings more than the other person.
Yep, that’s me being judgmental again. Who was I to decide who did or did not deserve a specific blessing?
I realized as I was reading this that I made myself sound like a jerk. I’d like to believe that I’m not that much of a jerk. I can be happy for other people’s success, but there were times when I did get a bit jealous of the “prodigal son” or “prodigal daughter” and the blessings he or she got along the way.
How I Should View the Story
Instead of being jealous of the prodigal son’s acceptance back into the family, I should be happy that he came back. Each of us should be happy when a friend or family member returns to the Covenant Path. We should be grateful for the mercy that the Savior’s Atonement offers. If I put myself in that person’s place, I’m sure that I would want that same level of mercy extended to me.
While I often think I relate best to the brother, it’s important to remember that I’m not perfect either. We often think that we have to turn completely away from God, committing some of those BIG sins, to be the prodigal son. Yet, anytime we sin and then have to repent again, we have become the prodigal son. We have to turn to Christ with a repentant heart. When we do that, He will welcome us back. If I expect Him to welcome me back as the prodigal daughter, I need to avoid judging others who might be the prodigal child at some point in their journey. For me, that involves letting go of pride and realizing that someone else’s spiritual success does not take away from my own spiritual success.
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