I was thinking this morning about the prodigal son-- of the hearty, warm welcome home he received. It made me think first of the path of the prodigal. He suffers so greatly, and his father welcomes him home. I then thought about the jealous older brother and the father's comment that “all that he hath” will the older brother inherit—as a way to reassure him. Then I wondered/thought: Our Father doesn't have to divide up His kingdom...if that prodigal fully repents, he, too, may partake of all that his Father hath! Do some of us feel like the older brother: do we really need more than what our Heavenly Father enjoys? Do we really need it all so that others may not have some? [And on that thought, (from “If You Could Hie to Kolob”) there is no end to matter...to space!]
So, the elder brother has always been with his Father...has never felt the heart-wrenching hollowness of separation from Him. The younger brother has suffered greatly for his consequences already. Why can not the elder son just be happy for the younger one? (See the great talk by Elder Holland on “The Other Prodigal” for some incredible thoughts on this...http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/04/the-other-prodigal?lang=eng&query=other+prodigal)
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