High School and Celestial Kingdom

Tonight I went to the Arts Festival at my high school. I graduated 5 years ago, and it's still fun to go back and see the halls I roamed, the classrooms I ruled, the jazz band I played in and the choir group I sang in. Wandering around I saw so many people from the past - some I vaguely remembered, some I knew very well and were very excited to see each other.  Most people had changed a lot.  Some good friends had changed so much I didn't even recognize them. After five years, any physical evidence of my legacy is all but gone, and only my friendships remain.

I loved the feeling of "coming home." I spent some time alone out by the track and everywhere I looked I saw specific happy memories of running and track meets and band parades and football games singing in the bleachers and fun with friends. I looked further across the field and saw my Junior High that was torn down years ago, and I could even still see the old hall ways that seemed endless compared to my elementary school.  It was a happy wonderful feeling to be in one place and see so many happy memories.  That's all I could remember - happy memories.  And I wanted so bad to share them with someone.  All I really wanted in the world at that very moment was to have a best friend I could who would excitedly listen to every one of my reminiscent stories of the past.

I have a feeling that the Spirit World and the Celestial Kingdom will be a lot like that in a lot of ways. When we're on the other side looking back I think we'll be able to see all the happy times of our lives. The sorrow and trials of our lives will seem insignificant compared to all the joy we experienced.  We will be surrounded by countless loved ones - some of whom we knew better than others, but we'll have the chance for many joyous reunions. Likewise, the most important things will not have been the things we left behind on earth, but the relationships we strengthened and the eternal friendships we formed.

What a feeling of returning home it will be when we finally reach out Heavenly Father again! Surely His smiling face and Heavenly Abode will seem much more familiar than we could even dream. Just like I had such a desire to share my "feeling of home" with my friends, I think that's what conversion to the Gospel is all about: we get a glimpse of "Heavenly Home" when we feel the powerful influence of the Spirit. Missionary work is that burning desire to share that joy and comforting "at home" feeling with all the world! Hopefully each Sunday we attend church and partake of the Sacrament we can experience that feeling of being at Home - surrounded by loved ones in a place of happy memories.

However strong my desire was to share all my memories and knowledge of my beloved high school, that much stronger are my desires to share all the happy memories and knowledge I have about God's Eternal Plan for us to Return Home to Him!