“The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home”

Posted on by Mitch Peterson

Last updated on November 12th, 2023 at 12:41 am

General Conference Applied

S2 E5 – Sunday, November 5, 2023 | “The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home” by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf; October 2023 General Conference

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Corresponding Talk Outline: “The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home“

Podcast Episode Outline

Report on Prior Week’s Action Item

Introduction

Doctrines and Principles

As we have discussed in previous episodes of General Conference Applied, it is important to identify the applicable doctrines and principles of each General Conference address. In “The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home,” I identified 4 doctrines (Plan of Salvation, Atonement of Jesus Christ, Revelation, and Commandments) and 7 principles (Our Father in Heaven, Freedom to Choose, The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Repentance, Charity, Obedience, and Family Responsibilities). I have included a detailed breakdown of these doctrines and principles in the talk outline, but I will share additional insights during this podcast episode.

In each episode of General Conference Applied, we are attempting to answer two questions:

  1. What is the speaker inviting me to do?
  2. How might I consider taking action?

What is the speaker inviting me to do?

Invitations

  1. “Though choices may have taken you far away from the Savior and His Church, the Master Healer stands at the road that leads home, welcoming you. And we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ seek to follow His example and embrace you as our brothers and sisters, as our friends. We rejoice and celebrate with you.”
    • What This Means: When our brothers and sisters return to the covenant path, we demonstrate the gospel principle of charity. “The life of the Savior reflects His pure love for all people. He even gave His life for us. Charity is that pure love which our Savior Jesus Christ has. He has commanded us to love one another as He loves us. The scriptures tell us that charity comes from a pure heart (see 1 Timothy 1:5). We have pure love when, from the heart, we show genuine concern and compassion for all our brothers and sisters.”
  2. “It is my prayer that each one of us may hear, in this profound parable, the Father’s voice calling us to enter the road that leads home—that we may have the courage to repent, receive forgiveness, and follow the path that leads back to our compassionate and merciful God.”
    • What This Means: Each time we sin and distance ourselves from our Heavenly Father, take the necessary steps to repent and be forgiven of our sins.
    • The Atonement of Jesus Christ (gospel principle): “Our sins are our spiritual debts. Without Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and Mediator, we would all pay for our sins by suffering spiritual death. But because of Him, if we will keep His terms, which are to repent and keep His commandments, we may return to live with our Heavenly Father. It is wonderful that Christ has provided us a way to be healed from our sins.”
    • Repentance (gospel principle): “Repentance is the way provided for us to become free from our sins and receive forgiveness for them. Sins slow our spiritual progression and can even stop it. Repentance makes it possible for us to grow and develop spiritually again. The privilege of repenting is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In a way we do not fully understand, Jesus paid for our sins…. Repentance sometimes requires great courage, much strength, many tears, unceasing prayers, and untiring efforts to live the commandments of the Lord.”

Overview

State In Your Own Words

“How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading” by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren

  • “‘State in your own words!’ That suggests the best test we know for telling whether you have understood the proposition or propositions in the sentence. If, when you are asked to explain what the author means by a particular sentence, all you can do is repeat his very words, with some minor alterations in their order, you had better suspect that you do not know what he means. Ideally, you should be able to say the same thing in totally different words. The idea can, of course, be approximated in varying degrees. But if you cannot get away at all from the author’s words, it shows that only words have passed from him to you, not thought or knowledge. You know his words, not his mind. He was trying to communicate knowledge, and all you received was words.”

Other powerful General Conference addresses where the speakers shared stories from the scriptures in their own words:

Personal quote from my 8-year-old son’s part in this year’s Primary Program: “I like the parable of the prodigal son because it teaches us that even when we make mistakes, Heavenly Father still loves us unconditionally. He will always welcome us back with open arms.”

My favorite quote:

  • “Extremely hungry now, abandoned and alone, the young man must have wondered how things could have gone so terribly, dreadfully wrong. It wasn’t just an empty stomach that troubled him. It was an empty soul. He had been so sure that giving in to his worldly desires would make him happy, that moral laws were obstacles to that happiness. Now he knew better. And oh, what a price he had to pay for that knowledge!”

“Think Celestial!” by President Russell M. Nelson (October 2023 General Conference):

  • “The baseless notion that we should ‘eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us’ is one of the most absurd lies in the universe… Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.”

Connection

The parable of the prodigal son is a perfect tie-in to Elder Uchtdorf’s two previous General Conference addresses:

  • “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Youth” (October 2022 General Conference)
    • “At the heart of God’s plan for your happiness is your power to choose. Of course, your Heavenly Father wants you to choose eternal joy with Him, and He will help you to achieve it, but He would never force it upon you. So He allows you to choose: Light or darkness? Good or evil? Joy or misery? Eternal life or spiritual death? It sounds like an easy choice, doesn’t it? But somehow, here on earth, it seems more complicated than it ought to be.”
  • “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents” (April 2023 General Conference)
    • “Sometimes we might wonder if someone else might be better qualified to guide and teach our children. But no matter how inadequate you may feel, you have something that uniquely qualifies you: your love for your child. A parent’s love for a child is one of the strongest forces in the universe. It’s one of the few things on this earth that can truly be eternal.”

How might I consider taking action?

Invitations

2: “It is my prayer that each one of us may hear, in this profound parable, the Father’s voice calling us to enter the road that leads home—that we may have the courage to repent, receive forgiveness, and follow the path that leads back to our compassionate and merciful God.”

“We Can Do Better and Be Better” by President Russell M. Nelson (April 2019 General Conference)

  • “Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ…

    “When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy—the joy of redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!”

1: “Though choices may have taken you far away from the Savior and His Church, the Master Healer stands at the road that leads home, welcoming you. And we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ seek to follow His example and embrace you as our brothers and sisters, as our friends. We rejoice and celebrate with you.”

The Father

Plan of Salvation: “Moral agency, the ability to choose and act for ourselves, is also essential in Heavenly Father’s plan.”

Family Responsibilities: “One of the best ways parents can teach their children is by example. Husbands and wives should show love and respect for each other and for their children by both actions and words. It is important to remember that each member of the family is a child of God. Parents should treat their children with love and respect, being firm but kind to them. Parents should understand that sometimes children will make wrong choices even after they have been taught the truth. When this happens, parents should not give up. They should continue to teach their children, to express love for them, to be good examples to them, and to fast and pray for them.”

“Seeing God’s Family through the Overview Lens” by Sister Tamara W. Runia (October 2023 General Conference)

  • “Dad exemplified Lehi’s dream. Like Lehi, he knew that you don’t chase after your loved ones who feel lost. ‘You stay where you are and call them. You go to the tree, stay at the tree, keep eating the fruit and, with a smile on your face, continue to beckon to those you love and show by example that eating the fruit is a happy thing!’ This visual image has helped me during low moments when I find myself at the tree, eating the fruit and crying because I’m worried; and really, how helpful is that? Instead, let’s choose hope—hope in our Creator and in one another, fueling our ability to be better than we are right now.”

Previous social media post:

  • “Enos was the son of Jacob, the nephew of Nephi, and the grandson of Lehi – three prophets. While hunting in the forest, Enos writes: “The words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.” (Enos 1:3) That was a turning point for Enos. It led him to pray mightily, to receive forgiveness from his sins, and to ultimately become a follower of Jesus Christ for the remainder of his life. Good thing Enos’s father shared the gospel with him.

    “Alma was the son of the prophet, but he was going about striving to destroy the Church of God. However, when an angel appeared to Alma and commanded him to cease striving against the Church, Alma fell to the earth as if he were dead. During the ensuing three days, Alma’s mind was racked with torment at his many sins. But, everything changed when Alma had a thought – here it was: “I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.” (Alma 36:17) That thought led to Alma’s pleading for relief, and Jesus Christ granting it to him. Thus began a life dedicated to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Good thing Alma’s father shared the gospel with him.”

“He Came To Himself” –> the prodigal immediately began the long trek home.

Revelation: “Individuals can receive revelation to help them with their specific needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help strengthen their testimonies. Most revelations to leaders and members of the Church come through impressions and thoughts from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost speaks to the mind and heart in a still, small voice (see D&C 8:2–3).”

Footnote 10 – “Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: ‘Of course, it is better if we are humbled ‘because of the word’ rather than being [humbled] by circumstances, yet the latter may do! (see Alma 32:13–14). Famine can induce spiritual hunger’ (“The Tugs and Pulls of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 36; Liahona, Jan. 2001, 45).”

The Other Son

Footnote 15 – “Remember, the younger son had already received his inheritance. For the older one, that meant that everything else belonged to him. Giving anything to the younger son would mean to take it away from the son who stayed.”

“The Other Prodigal” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland):

  • “No, I correct myself. This son is not so much angry that the other has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. Feeling unappreciated and perhaps more than a little self-pity, this dutiful son—and he is wonderfully dutiful—forgets for a moment that he has never had to know filth or despair, fear or self-loathing. He forgets for a moment that every calf on the ranch is already his and so are all the robes in the closet and every ring in the drawer. He forgets for a moment that his faithfulness has been and always will be rewarded.

    “No, he who has virtually everything, and who has in his hardworking, wonderful way earned it, lacks the one thing that might make him the complete man of the Lord he nearly is. He has yet to come to the compassion and mercy, the charitable breadth of vision to see that this is not a rival returning. It is his brother. As his father pled with him to see, it is one who was dead and now is alive. It is one who was lost and now is found…

    “One who has heretofore presumably been very happy with his life and content with his good fortune suddenly feels very unhappy simply because another has had some good fortune as well.

    “Who is it that whispers so subtly in our ear that a gift given to another somehow diminishes the blessings we have received? Who makes us feel that if God is smiling on another, then He surely must somehow be frowning on us? You and I both know who does this—it is the father of all lies. It is Lucifer, our common enemy, whose cry down through the corridors of time is always and to everyone, ‘Give me thine honor.'”

“Peacemakers Needed” by President Russell M. Nelson (April 2023 General Conference):

  • “If a couple in your ward gets divorced, or a young missionary returns home early, or a teenager doubts his testimony, they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ reflected in your words and actions.”

“Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are Destroying Your Prosperity” by Garrett B. Gunderson

  • “Scarcity is about so much more than money and material resources. It’s a mindset, a way of viewing and interacting with the world, and it permeates everything we think and do. In large part, it determines who we are and how we act. It robs us of hope, steals our dreams, presents us with supposed evidence for living small and treating others badly, and renders us impotent, despite our infinite potential to create and make the world a better place. In a world of possible freedom, joy, abundance, and service, a scarcity mindset cripples us and aids us in seeing not much more than limitations, suffering, poverty, and selfishness.”

Footnote 19 – “What is given to one does not in the slightest diminish the birthright of others. The Savior taught this doctrine when He offered the parable of the laborers in Matthew 20:1–16.”

REMEMBER THIS

If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:

  • Elder Uchtdorf is inviting us to repent and return to the covenant path if we have strayed, and he is inviting us to welcome others back to the covenant path without judgment and with open arms.

This Week’s Action Item

“That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.”

Karl Pearson, an early 20th-century British mathematician

“Those who measure their progress improve. Those who measure and report their progress improve exponentially.”

Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc.

“Do something, do anything! But to start, just do ONE thing.”

Mitch Peterson

I will:

  • Identify 1 individual who I know personally who has strayed from the covenant path.
  • Begin praying for this individual by name.
  • Journal about how I might better connect with this individual.

Tags

Forgiveness | Jesus Christ | Joy | Repentance

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