All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. . . Heb 11:13–16
As a newspaper reporter, I had many opportunities to meet people from all walks of life. Among the most memorable were interviews with individuals who were incarcerated.
I asked them what life in prison was like and what they hoped to do once released. Their answers surprised me. Many said that prison life wasn’t so bad and, astonishingly, that they didn’t want to return home after being released. Most cited economic hardship. They explained that, once outside, they would have no job, no source of income, and often no way to secure regular meals.
Later, I came to understand how painful and despairing prison life truly is. Within those confined walls, there is no freedom. One cannot eat what they wish, do as they please, or possess anything of their choosing. Every part of life is governed by strict rules. Day after day, inmates struggle against isolation and loneliness, battling themselves in silence. And yet, despite such conditions, many refused the idea of going home. At the time, I was new to the truth and didn’t understand it deeply, but through spiritual reflection, I wrote an article. I remember concluding that the reason they didn’t want to go home was because they didn’t know the true value of freedom.
Thinking back, I wonder if I, too, have lived without truly valuing heaven or the freedom it offers—acting as if this world were everything. Though I knew that the earth is a spiritual prison, I often fixed my heart on earthly matters and neglected the freedom of heaven. Our Heavenly Father must have looked upon me with sorrow, just as I once looked upon the inmates and wondered, “Why won’t they go home? Why are they content in such suffering?”
Now, like the forefathers of faith, I desire to set heaven as my goal and long for the home I left behind. Following the words of Heavenly Mother, I will diligently prepare the oil of faith and earnestly await the return of our Heavenly Father. I give heartfelt thanks to Heavenly Father and Mother, who opened my eyes to the value of our heavenly home and gave me the opportunity to return—free from the chains of sin and the confines of spiritual imprisonment.