Father's Day

I’ve always considered the father/child relationship to be one of the most important relationships there is. From the child’s perspective, it is the relationship through which he learns about his relationship with his Heavenly Father. As a child learns to completely trust his father as an advocate (one who has the child’s best interests in mind), protector and provider, he can easily learn to completely trust his Heavenly Father as his advocate, protector and provider. When he feels safe enough to share his innermost feelings, concerns, and sorrows with his father, it is easy for him to know he is also safe with his Heavenly Father. A child’s love, respect, and honor of God are patterned after the love, respect, and honor he feels for his father.

For the father, this relationship teaches him things he otherwise could not know, namely an understanding of the godly attributes that characterize deity. He learns the delicate difference between “influence” and “control”. He masters the skill of teaching correct principles, by precept and example, so that the child can use his own agency to govern himself. He learns the deepest kind of love, born of understanding and coupled with compassion, that brings out in him the most tender feelings of kindness. He sees his children through God’s eyes and comes to understand his stewardship as a partnership with God in bringing about their eternal salvation and exaltation. In all he does, he considers the needs of his children before all else; they are of primary importance to him because they are of primary importance to God.

Considered in this light, fatherhood is a sobering, humbling responsibility. It may seem an impossible task. And yet we see many successful fathers all around us, striving to do their very best and making a significant difference in the lives of their children. My sons are amazing fathers, already masters of that ideal father/child relationship. I am very impressed with their deep level of devotion and sacrifice.

And so to you wonderful fathers everywhere, keep up the good work, it does not go unnoticed; we love you for all you are and all you do to bless those around you. You are our heroes!