Talk given in Church on Father's Day, June 22, 2009 by Argie Hoskins
Shumway
Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Family,
It is my prayer that we will enjoy today as we celebrate Father's Day.
Life can be painful and not fulfilling as we approach these special days. Feelings of sadness and regret may gather around us. How do we get through these hard times??? Through the power of forgiveness, faith in the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, service to others and gratitude for goodness. Reach out with love and serve. I don't have to be a mother, father or have children, to be an influence with Heavenly Father's children. We are family. I can serve your children and you can serve my children. I pray to have the desire and spiritual energy to reach beyond myself to serve. To connect.
I have had the opportunity to celebrate Mother's Day. With the same energy as a child I celebrated Children's Day. I had a lovely tailored dress fashioned by my Mother. I felt so pretty and so special. That is what the celebrations are all about feeling special, loved and having the feeling of belonging to a family. Now we come to Father's Day. Same reasons to celebrate our Fathers with a day to show love and to be grateful for belonging to a family both temporally and spiritually.
Fathers choose to be Fathers of light or Fathers of darkness.
Father Power by Todd Wilson
A dad to eight children, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor has written about Father Power.
Inside every dad is the power to change the world. REALLY! Yet, too many fathers are busy focused on careers, money, success, hobbies, and more, and fail to maximize their fathering potential.
I am grateful for the Father Power you wield in your children's lives. It is the power of your influence that ripples across time affecting not only your children, but your children's children as well.
Father Power is more powerful than peer-pressure, greater than media influences, and superior to government institutions.
Father Power determines how your children view God or Heavenly Father and handle life, affecting their future success or failure in marriage, parenting, and business.
Father Power can be used for good or bad.
Father Power originated with THE FATHER, resides in you, and will be passed on to the next generation.
These are great ideas from Todd Wilson
Today, I give reverance to our eternal Father in Heaven. The Father of light, who is exalted, perfected and glorified. When we say “yes” to this power of light, we are saying “no” to the power of darkness.
There are so, so many examples of good fathering.
Richard Anderson is a review editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project and former professor of ancient scripture at BYU. I might add authored the Anderson missionary lessons. Why do I give him this additional credit? At the age of eighteen, fifty four years ago, this plan taught me the gospel. Thank you Brother Anderson.
Brother Anderson reports a touching story about his father an advertising manager of the Daily Herald in Provo about 1936. the year Richard turned 10.
Quote: "Not too long afterward a pioneer astronaut came to town, famous as one of the first to take a balloon with a pressurized capsule into the stratosphere. This was exciting stuff to an adventurous boy, for we could go down to the railroad tracks and find the flatcar that held the long, collapsed balloon that lifted its human cargo over six miles into the stratosphere. The explorer-scientist, would explain this record to a paying audience in the Provo Tabernacle.
I asked Dad whether we could go and got a quick "yes" for two reasons. He had always fed my curiosity by answering questions or finding a friend who could, whether I asked about volcanoes or large garden caterpillars.The newspaper management usually shared complimentary tickets to public events, when families were still inching out of the Great Depression. So Dad and I reported early for the event to his friend who managed ticket sales.
This man still stands before us in my mind, apologizing to Dad that the tour managers had unexpectedly blocked complimentary tickets. A tight family budget needed no explaining, but I watched my Dad pull out his wallet, pull out everything -- one paper dollar, the price of admission. Part of the anticipation was going together, but Dad paid the price of my ticket, telling me he would go over to the office and circle back when the program was over.
I went to the balcony of the Tabernacle shaken by my father's action of sending me ahead when he couldn't go himself. I still can visualize the speaker. For what my father had done remained strongest in my feelings that evening. It still remains. Sacrifice of a caring father.
Thanks to the Dessert News for printing this story.
I am grateful for the fathers in my life. In my family history records, I see fine examples of fathering. To my father who was a windmiller on a ranch in New Mexico, I am grateful for the example of hard work, integrity, and for teaching me obedience. He did not know the teachings of Brigham Young, however he taught the principle of "A place for everything and everything in its place." One day after spending the day painting a room in our home, I left the brush full of paint out to dry, never to be used again. Daddy let me know that was not appropriated behavior. It was wasteful and out of order. "Clean the brush and put it away, now!" When I read that Brigham Young had said, "A place for everything and everything in its place." I know! The firm words that my father said each morning as he awaken me, “Get up Sis and amount to something.” I am grateful for worthy expectations with a no nonsense approach of life. Stay focused and amount to something.
I am grateful to my husband Gene Shumway for the caring which he has given to my children, grateful for my sons and the fathering of their children, grateful to a son who is unmarried as he shares love and service to his brothers' families. We are a family.
You will be blessed for the influence you have as fathers in the lives of your children, grand children and all who know you. The goal of raising your children without regrets will not be without opposition as you determine to maximize your influence.
Being a father is not an easy job, however the most important commitment you will have on this earth is to support your family temporally and spiritually. You can do it.
Fathers the adversity is trying to destroy you and your family. Mothers support fathers in doing good.
To quote Elder Bednar of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: Talk given May 3, 2009 Things as They Really Are
"The Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are." Today, I raise a voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.
If the adversity cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they are. In essence, he encourages us to think and act as if we were in our premortal, unembodied state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purpose. Please be careful of becoming so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, ear buds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person to person communication. Beware of digital displays and data in many forms of computer-mediated interaction that can displace the full range of physical capacity and experience.
To feel the warmth of a tender hug from an eternal companion or to see the sincerity in the eyes of another person as testimony is shared--all of these things experienced as they really are through the instrument of our physical body--could be sacrificed for a high fidelity fantasy that has no lasting value. if you and I are not vigilant we can become "past feeling."
All of us can find enjoyment in a wide range of wholesome, entertaining and engaging activities. But we diminish the importance of our bodies and jeopardize our physical well-being by going to unusual and DANGEROUS extremes searching for an ever greater and more exhilarating adrenaline "rush." We may rationalize that surely nothing is wrong with such seemingly innocent adventures. However, putting at risk the very instrument God has given us to receive the learning experiences of mortality--merely to pursue a thrill or some suggested fun, to bolster ego, or to gain acceptance--truly minimizes the importance of our physical bodies.
As I shared these thoughts with my husband Gene, he said, "In other words, DON'T WASTE TIME!"
I am grateful for Fathers who have avoided the pitfalls of time wasted or they are in the process of changing a pattern of waste to be more productive and positive with their energy.
I am personally grateful and thank you Fathers and Grandfathers who find the time to attend your children's games and recitals, go for a drive by the temple, go for a bike ride, play games, share a hobby, don't interrupt, be open and listen, have dates with your children to teach how to appreciate and respect the roles of male and female, laugh and enjoy yourselves and really be there with your children. You pull yourselves away from the TV to show your children how to do life skills like changing a tire, baking a cake, having a savings account, how to balance a checkbook and many other things like solving problems with love and consideration.
You set firm limits and encourage your children to do their best. You do no laugh with them over their failures. You celebrate their successes with them. Remembering that values are caught!
Every once in a while I see a dad supposedly having a connecting adventure or moment with their child or children and the child is gazing around, running around aimlessly while Dad is reading or engaged on the cell phone.
Thank you Fathers for turning off the cell phone, the T.V., and computer to connect with you and your children.
Thank you! Thank you!
In closing, I have a testimony that we are in a powerful war between good and evil. The power of Fatherhood will win.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen
Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Family,
It is my prayer that we will enjoy today as we celebrate Father's Day.
Life can be painful and not fulfilling as we approach these special days. Feelings of sadness and regret may gather around us. How do we get through these hard times??? Through the power of forgiveness, faith in the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, service to others and gratitude for goodness. Reach out with love and serve. I don't have to be a mother, father or have children, to be an influence with Heavenly Father's children. We are family. I can serve your children and you can serve my children. I pray to have the desire and spiritual energy to reach beyond myself to serve. To connect.
I have had the opportunity to celebrate Mother's Day. With the same energy as a child I celebrated Children's Day. I had a lovely tailored dress fashioned by my Mother. I felt so pretty and so special. That is what the celebrations are all about feeling special, loved and having the feeling of belonging to a family. Now we come to Father's Day. Same reasons to celebrate our Fathers with a day to show love and to be grateful for belonging to a family both temporally and spiritually.
Fathers choose to be Fathers of light or Fathers of darkness.
Father Power by Todd Wilson
A dad to eight children, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor has written about Father Power.
Inside every dad is the power to change the world. REALLY! Yet, too many fathers are busy focused on careers, money, success, hobbies, and more, and fail to maximize their fathering potential.
I am grateful for the Father Power you wield in your children's lives. It is the power of your influence that ripples across time affecting not only your children, but your children's children as well.
Father Power is more powerful than peer-pressure, greater than media influences, and superior to government institutions.
Father Power determines how your children view God or Heavenly Father and handle life, affecting their future success or failure in marriage, parenting, and business.
Father Power can be used for good or bad.
Father Power originated with THE FATHER, resides in you, and will be passed on to the next generation.
These are great ideas from Todd Wilson
Today, I give reverance to our eternal Father in Heaven. The Father of light, who is exalted, perfected and glorified. When we say “yes” to this power of light, we are saying “no” to the power of darkness.
There are so, so many examples of good fathering.
Richard Anderson is a review editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project and former professor of ancient scripture at BYU. I might add authored the Anderson missionary lessons. Why do I give him this additional credit? At the age of eighteen, fifty four years ago, this plan taught me the gospel. Thank you Brother Anderson.
Brother Anderson reports a touching story about his father an advertising manager of the Daily Herald in Provo about 1936. the year Richard turned 10.
Quote: "Not too long afterward a pioneer astronaut came to town, famous as one of the first to take a balloon with a pressurized capsule into the stratosphere. This was exciting stuff to an adventurous boy, for we could go down to the railroad tracks and find the flatcar that held the long, collapsed balloon that lifted its human cargo over six miles into the stratosphere. The explorer-scientist, would explain this record to a paying audience in the Provo Tabernacle.
I asked Dad whether we could go and got a quick "yes" for two reasons. He had always fed my curiosity by answering questions or finding a friend who could, whether I asked about volcanoes or large garden caterpillars.The newspaper management usually shared complimentary tickets to public events, when families were still inching out of the Great Depression. So Dad and I reported early for the event to his friend who managed ticket sales.
This man still stands before us in my mind, apologizing to Dad that the tour managers had unexpectedly blocked complimentary tickets. A tight family budget needed no explaining, but I watched my Dad pull out his wallet, pull out everything -- one paper dollar, the price of admission. Part of the anticipation was going together, but Dad paid the price of my ticket, telling me he would go over to the office and circle back when the program was over.
I went to the balcony of the Tabernacle shaken by my father's action of sending me ahead when he couldn't go himself. I still can visualize the speaker. For what my father had done remained strongest in my feelings that evening. It still remains. Sacrifice of a caring father.
Thanks to the Dessert News for printing this story.
I am grateful for the fathers in my life. In my family history records, I see fine examples of fathering. To my father who was a windmiller on a ranch in New Mexico, I am grateful for the example of hard work, integrity, and for teaching me obedience. He did not know the teachings of Brigham Young, however he taught the principle of "A place for everything and everything in its place." One day after spending the day painting a room in our home, I left the brush full of paint out to dry, never to be used again. Daddy let me know that was not appropriated behavior. It was wasteful and out of order. "Clean the brush and put it away, now!" When I read that Brigham Young had said, "A place for everything and everything in its place." I know! The firm words that my father said each morning as he awaken me, “Get up Sis and amount to something.” I am grateful for worthy expectations with a no nonsense approach of life. Stay focused and amount to something.
I am grateful to my husband Gene Shumway for the caring which he has given to my children, grateful for my sons and the fathering of their children, grateful to a son who is unmarried as he shares love and service to his brothers' families. We are a family.
You will be blessed for the influence you have as fathers in the lives of your children, grand children and all who know you. The goal of raising your children without regrets will not be without opposition as you determine to maximize your influence.
Being a father is not an easy job, however the most important commitment you will have on this earth is to support your family temporally and spiritually. You can do it.
Fathers the adversity is trying to destroy you and your family. Mothers support fathers in doing good.
To quote Elder Bednar of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: Talk given May 3, 2009 Things as They Really Are
"The Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are." Today, I raise a voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.
If the adversity cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they are. In essence, he encourages us to think and act as if we were in our premortal, unembodied state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purpose. Please be careful of becoming so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, ear buds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person to person communication. Beware of digital displays and data in many forms of computer-mediated interaction that can displace the full range of physical capacity and experience.
To feel the warmth of a tender hug from an eternal companion or to see the sincerity in the eyes of another person as testimony is shared--all of these things experienced as they really are through the instrument of our physical body--could be sacrificed for a high fidelity fantasy that has no lasting value. if you and I are not vigilant we can become "past feeling."
All of us can find enjoyment in a wide range of wholesome, entertaining and engaging activities. But we diminish the importance of our bodies and jeopardize our physical well-being by going to unusual and DANGEROUS extremes searching for an ever greater and more exhilarating adrenaline "rush." We may rationalize that surely nothing is wrong with such seemingly innocent adventures. However, putting at risk the very instrument God has given us to receive the learning experiences of mortality--merely to pursue a thrill or some suggested fun, to bolster ego, or to gain acceptance--truly minimizes the importance of our physical bodies.
As I shared these thoughts with my husband Gene, he said, "In other words, DON'T WASTE TIME!"
I am grateful for Fathers who have avoided the pitfalls of time wasted or they are in the process of changing a pattern of waste to be more productive and positive with their energy.
I am personally grateful and thank you Fathers and Grandfathers who find the time to attend your children's games and recitals, go for a drive by the temple, go for a bike ride, play games, share a hobby, don't interrupt, be open and listen, have dates with your children to teach how to appreciate and respect the roles of male and female, laugh and enjoy yourselves and really be there with your children. You pull yourselves away from the TV to show your children how to do life skills like changing a tire, baking a cake, having a savings account, how to balance a checkbook and many other things like solving problems with love and consideration.
You set firm limits and encourage your children to do their best. You do no laugh with them over their failures. You celebrate their successes with them. Remembering that values are caught!
Every once in a while I see a dad supposedly having a connecting adventure or moment with their child or children and the child is gazing around, running around aimlessly while Dad is reading or engaged on the cell phone.
Thank you Fathers for turning off the cell phone, the T.V., and computer to connect with you and your children.
Thank you! Thank you!
In closing, I have a testimony that we are in a powerful war between good and evil. The power of Fatherhood will win.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen
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