THE YEARNING
FOR HOME
Some animals possess an instinctual yearning for home that has baffled many scientists. Monarch butterflies will travel as far as 3,000 miles (4,800 km), from North America to Mexico. Leatherback sea turtles travel from Indonesia across the Pacific Ocean to the coasts of California. Most impressively, the Arctic Tern can travel up to 60,000 miles (97,000 km) as they journey from the North Pole to the South Pole and back again.
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An inspiring story, which suggests a yearning for home, happened in 1923. The Brazier family, who lived in Silverton, Oregon, USA, had traveled to visit family in Wolcott, Indiana, over 2000 miles away. While in Indiana, the Brazer family’s dog, Bobbie, was attacked by three other dogs, and he ran away. The family searched for days, but they were unable to find Bobbie. So, with heavy hearts, they returned home believing they would never see their beloved pet again.
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However, in February of 1924, six months after they had lost him, Bobbie showed up on their doorstep, mangy, scrawny, and with his toenails worn to the stub. As far as the Brazier family could tell, Bobbie had walked the entire journey of 2,500 miles, including traversing the Rocky Mountains in the dead of winter, to be with his family again.
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Have you ever wondered if we, as human beings, have a built-in yearning for home?
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an Elder and an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “I believe that every man, woman, and child has felt the call of heaven at some point in his or her life. Deep within us is a longing to somehow reach past the veil and embrace Heavenly Parents we once knew and cherished. The Savior extends His hand to you. And, as He did to those fishermen who stood long ago on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, with infinite love He speaks to you: ‘Come, follow me.’ When you walk the path of discipleship – when you move toward Heavenly Father – there is something within you that will confirm that you have heard the call of the Savior and set your heart toward the light. It will tell you that you are on the right path and that you are returning home.”
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These images were inspired by Elder Uchtdorf’s talk A Yearning for Home.
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If you would like to read more, you are invited to follow this link.