I pull into the driveway and bring my bags inside to a perked up noise of “daddy home?!” As they investigate if this is the news that they are waiting for they peek up or around a corner, and to their delight it is their papa. They then change quickly from a curious seeker to a heat seeking bullet as they take no thought to anything else, but being in a warm embrace with their father. With arms clasped around me there is nothing more to think about or concern myself with. I am home!

Each time I am gone for a few days or a week I miss my wife and my four amazing little ones. The longer I am gone the more this anguish wells inside me, but what a glorious feeling it is to return home. This warm embrace that I receive when I walk through the door is one of the many great rewards of bringing beautiful children into this world. It is the honor of fatherhood. To be able to see these sweet faces light up and have a great joy to see their papa home safely is glorious.

“I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.” — Bruce R. McConkie (1917-1985) Apostle of Jesus Christ

I think to the joy of returning home from a business trip and seeing my family again as the joy that we will have beyond death as we return “home to that God who gave [us] life.” (Alma 40:11). We are here to learn, grow and develop while away from our Father. Our return home will culminate in all of the joy and love that we have had for our God and all other loved ones. It will be such a glorious experience to abide in His arms again. Just as we are reunited with loved ones here in mortality we will be reunited with loved ones after this life. Life is eternal and the joy felt is uncomprehensable.