Bothers and sisters, this is a special day – it’s Fathers Day, and it also happens to be my wife’s birthday. I don’t anticipate anyone else will be celebrating Lori’s birthday besides those in our family. All of us have multiple events or occasions that we make a special effort to celebrate. Such celebrations are joyful remembrances and honors we bestow on someone or something that we love and respect.
We celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ at Christmas, His death and resurrection at Easter. Sadly too often these celebrations are masked by commercialism as Satan Clause and the Easter Bunny are woven into the remembrance of the greatest life and events that have ever taken place.
With Fathers Day we should understand that the title of Father is one of the greatest honors given to mankind. That is what we call our God. We started this meeting with a prayer to our Eternal Father in Heaven – asking for his assistance and his spirit to be with us. The topics of our sermons will be based on his eternal plan for - us his children’s and our happiness and progression.
Unlike our Heavenly Father – earthly fathers and grandfathers have made many mistakes. Despite our shortcomings, I hope that each of you that have the opportunity will tell your fathers how much you love them. For some of you this has already taken place – and could have included breakfast in bed. Those of you that don’t have a father living in the home – give your mother and extra special hug, as she is required to fulfill both rolls of mother and father.
The position of parent isn’t always the easiest to fulfill – to provide for your family – watch over – to guide and protect. To accomplish this task -we should emulate the example of our Heavenly Father. It’s his desire - “work and glory” to provide a way by which we might return to live in his presence as a celestial and eternal family. We honor him as we keep his commandments and accept his will in our lives.
This should be the goal of each of our individual families. But accepting God’s will isn’t always easy. The Savior accepted his roll as our redeemer and advocate with the father to fulfill God will because of his love for his father and each of us as his brothers and sisters. This required great suffering and pain.
D & C 19:17-19, 24
Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the Father, and I do his will.
Being able and willing to accept Gods will and joyfully enduring the trails and challenges He allows us to experience isn’t easy. I can’t number how many times I’ve pleaded with God to allow my life to turn out the way that I think that it should be. I’m sure it would be a life of comfort and continual happiness. But that isn’t the path that will teach me the lesson I must learn to be worthy to regain his presence.
As a parent, our children have pleaded with us to have fewer rules - a later curfew – and to provide endless resources for their entertainment. And luckily we have had good obedient children. According to our daughter she is the only one of her friends that has such a hard life – if that is true, then I have a message to her friends parents. Stop being so lenient with your kids so I don’t look like such an ogre!
I think I can understand how our Heaven Father views my pleas.
Many times I think I know more than God or that I know what’s best for my family and myself.
One of our daughters without being asked decided to help out in the yard – this isn’t a common occurrence. In one of the areas she decided to do a little weeding – she spent a whole hour pulling out all of our strawberry plants. She didn’t know that we had strawberries because they hadn’t been there long enough to produce fruit – this was going to be the year. Not anymore! I guess they looked like weeds to her. How could I get mad at her when she was just trying to help out – but deep down I think she was really just trying to get a tan?
Hopefully God isn’t always mad at me for thinking I know what I’m doing? No – I haven’t learned all the things that I need too learn, but with God’s help I’m getting closer.
We need to have faith that he will mold us to reach our full potential. We are his children and he knows what will qualify us for exaltation. The embers of our faith and knowledge are part of our eternal souls.
Elder Neil L. Anderson of the twelve – last conference stated about our children
We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is NOT to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith.
Our children come to us with great knowledge and faith, it our responsibility to help them find that out. We are the literal offspring of God the Eternal Father - thus we have the capacity to become as He is. This divine capacity and faith are part of whom and what we are. We must nurture it in our souls and in our families.
But just like our celebration of Christmas – too often we allow the things of the world to interrupt or sidetrack our destinies.
Speaking to those that hold the priesthood the Lord said
Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
Obedience is the key. The big three in the Lord’s program are to know the Laws – be righteous – and be obedient to all of God’s commands, no matter how hard they may seem. Sometimes like my daughter you may feel that you are alone and no one else seems to care. I testify that God cares.
In this path to exaltation and eternal life – there are thousands of hero’s that can show us the way and help us through the hard parts of our journey. Some of them speak as from the dust – Nephi – King Benjamin – Moroni – and hundreds of others.
A couple of my hero’s – I’m celebrating their lives today,
1st - Is my wonderful wife – all of the elementary age kids here today know her as the lady that takes their lunch number at school and is always so nice to them. I know her as the rock of our family – despite our shortcomings she continues to support, strengthen and love her children and me. Her testimony is stronger than she realizes.
2nd – Is my earthly father – His mother died bringing him into this world, the ultimate sacrifice. Because of circumstances beyond his control, his new stepmother refused to raise him. He was required to live in foster homes all over the country. This would be a time of pleading and counseling the Lord if this had been my lot.
Despite these trials he excelled academically – and during this process was finally put into an LDS home. HE stated that this was the first time in his life that he had felt Love. The spirit of the gospel enveloped his soul and changed his life forever.
These experiences were some of the building blocks of his testimony and helped him to be the best father I have ever seen. I may be a bit predigest? But it would also be the opinion of all his ten children, sixty grandchildren and who knows how many great-grandchildren.
3rd – Would be the Lord Jesus Christ.
He stated – I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.
He took upon himself the sin of the world – he answered the ends of the law, because of his love for each of us.
There is no better example –
He counseled – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
He will lighted our loads – he will carry the weight of our sins and our challenges.
He lives – he knows each of us individually – and he loves us. It’s our responsibility to learn of him and accept his atoning sacrifice in our behalf.
Let’s honor our Heaven Father – not just on Fathers Day, but always by accepting His plan – evaluating our lives and making the proper changes.
I testify that God lives – and loves each of us - in the name of His son and our brother - Jesus Christ - Amen.
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