I have decided to share a 72 day daily challenge with you each day until Easter, April 1st. We are doing this in our Relief Society, and I thought I would like to share it here as well. I shared a little about the challenge here.
Each day I will share the daily video here and then my personal thoughts about it after I have personally watched it. Today is Day 45.
The Prodigal Son
Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:11-32
11 ¶And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
My Impressions:
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, aren’t we all like the prodigal son at times? None of us are perfect, and aren’t we glad that our Father rejoices when we turn back to Him?
On the other hand, and this is why I have mixed feelings, I have seen a version of this play out over and over in my own family. I have a sibling that is very wayward and has been resentful over the years that my parents didn’t pay for all of her education and just give her lots of stuff. She feels entitled to it. Thus my parents, especially my mother when she was alive, will go deep into debt to shower her with lots of the things that she wants, ignoring the rest of the children. My mother used to justify it and tell the others that they had to give her all of this now because they really weren’t sure they would have her in the next life because of choices she made. That has made another sibling say things like maybe they should live like that so they will be loved the most and get stuff too. It is actually kind of sad. I could go on with examples, but instead I will just say that even though I have lots of trials through my life, I feel I am happier. I don’t need “stuff” to be happy. I try to live closer to the Lord and truly I have more happiness and freedom because of those choices. I will feel joy if my sibling truly changes because she is a nice and sweet person in lots of ways. She has endless potential if she chooses instead to fix her eyes on the Lord instead of the world. We all do.
What did you learn from today’s video?
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