Homesickness for Heaven: Finding the Divine Longing in Our Daily Lives

There are moments, friends, when the feeling washes over you—a deep, profound ache that isn't for a place, but for a *feeling*. A longing so intense it feels like homesickness for heaven itself. It’s a beautiful, powerful ache, isn't it? It’s the spirit whispering, reminding us of the covenant we’ve been given and the Savior who awaits us.

I was listening to Phil Wickham recently, and the lyrics hit me right in the chest: *“I want to walk with Moses on streets of gold and dance with David before your throne to thank you face to face for the grace you've given.”*

As returned missionaries, we talk a lot about the *work*—the sheer volume of teaching, the calls, the discussions. And those experiences are sacred, I know. But sometimes, the greatest missionary preparation isn't about mastering the talk track; it’s about cultivating that deep, abiding *yearning*. It’s about remembering that the ultimate destination, the ultimate joy, is face-to-face with the Savior.

Cultivating the Yearning: Making the Divine Tangible

For us, the Rogue Disciples, our motto has always been that every member can be an Internet missionary, a disciple anywhere, all the time. This feeling—this homesickness for heaven—is the fuel for that mission. It’s the spiritual gravity that keeps us moving toward Christ.

How do we keep that longing alive when the day-to-day grind of life—work, family, commitments—can feel so distracting? It requires intentionality. It means treating our personal scripture study not just as a requirement, but as a pilgrimage. It means treating our interactions with our neighbors, even strangers, as potential opportunities to share the light of the restored Gospel.

If you’re feeling that ache, that beautiful spiritual homesickness, I encourage you to channel it. Don't let it become just a wistful thought; let it become an action. Maybe it's time to revisit those foundational concepts from *Preach My Gospel*. Maybe it’s time to dive deeper into the covenants we’ve made.

A Bite-Sized Mission-Prep Skill: The Power of Testimony Anchoring

Here’s a little nugget for your mission prep this week. When you feel that deep longing, anchor it to a specific scripture or a specific covenant. Don't just think, "I want to be with Him." Instead, think, "I want to be with Him *because* of the Atonement, as taught in Doctrine & Covenants 20:77." Naming the source of the joy grounds the feeling and makes it shareable. It gives your testimony structure.

This feeling of longing is what draws us to the *Spirit* in our missionary discussions. It’s what makes us want to gather Israel. It’s the echo of the promise!

Friends, we are all on this journey together. Whether you are prepping for your first call, you are a seasoned returned missionary who just finished your last transfer, or you are a lifelong disciple learning to be more Christlike in the mundane moments—we are all disciples on the field.

If you want to deepen this feeling, I highly recommend revisiting the teachings in *LivingBook*. Specifically, check out the Book Club discussions related to the Book of Mormon prophets. Sometimes, seeing the pattern of devotion across centuries helps us realize this yearning isn't just ours; it's the pattern of the Restoration itself.

If you feel the Spirit prompting you to connect with others who share this deep desire, please join us this week for our virtual Bible Study Group in HolyPlaces. It’s a wonderful place to share insights from the Social Scripture Study layer and feel the collective spirit of the Rogue Disciples. Let’s keep that longing alive!