My husband, Bob, is from Louisiana and my mother was from Charleston, South Carolina. One of the first things that surprised Bob was my love of grits. Little did he know the heavy influence the South had on my Utah childhood.
He also has relatives in Mississippi, and on a trip there not long ago I was introduced to Comeback Sauce. Southern Living magazine says it’s “the kissing cousin of rémoulade, this versatile spiced sauce originated in Jackson, Mississippi. Try it on chopped lettuce or anything fried.” Yes, I’ll include it later in this article.
But I want to talk about the brilliant name. It promises to be so delicious that you’ll want to come back for more. There’s a down-home feel about it, the assurance of a family who loves you. And isn’t this exactly what the restored gospel offers?
Think about it. Every ordinance, every covenant is designed to bring us home again. We have a loving Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother who want every single one of us to come back. The plan is perfect. It allows for us to be mortal and flawed, even constantly tripping up. We have an incredible Savior who paid for all of it. Our task is to stay on the path, repent, renew our baptismal covenants, participate in temple ordinances, and get everyone sealed that we can.
It’s almost like a board game. Sometimes we have setbacks, and sometimes we sail forward. But we know the plan and how to ensure that we get to the very end with flying colors. Our leaders have been very clear:
Elder Robert D. Hales said, “We were not sent by Father in Heaven just to be born. We were sent to endure and return to Him with honor.”
President Thomas S. Monson said, “I am certain that we left our Heavenly Father with an overwhelming desire to return to Him.”
Elder Russell M. Ballard said, “Everyone loses his or her way at some point, to some degree…It is the atoning sacrifice of the Savior that can bring us home.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “The heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes, but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.”
Sometimes we see a newborn babe, an act of kindness, a beautiful vista, a starry sky, a person who has won the battle over setbacks, an amazing flower growing in triumph on a rocky cliff—and we feel a catch in our throat. We sense something of the divine there, and feel a rush of gratitude for a loving Father in Heaven who has given us so much. Imagine how astonished we’ll be when we see what He has planned for his returning children. Each of these moments of wonder is like Comeback Sauce—it pulls us heavenward and beckons us to return again. Let’s collect these memories and celebrate them. And let’s allow every one of them to remind us of our purpose: To come back.
COMEBACK SAUCE
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving. Can be refrigerated for 1 week.
Hilton is an award-winning playwright and the author of many best-selling LDS books. Those, her humor blog, and Youtube Mom videos can be found on her website.
