Below are my notes from a talk I gave in my ward today, about fatherhood and priesthood. I had to cut a few things out for time, most notably a story about President Monson’s father’s example of priesthood service with his son, and a paragraph about honoring my own dad. The notes are choppy, but I think you could get the gist of it.
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Thomas S. Monson quote:
My own father, a printer, gave me a copy of a piece he had printed. It was titled “A Letter from a Father” and concluded with this thought: “Perhaps my greatest hope as a parent is to have such a relationship with you that when the day comes and you look down into the face of your first child, you will feel deep within you the desire to be to your child the kind of parent your dad has tried to be to you. What greater compliment could any man ask? Love, Dad.” (“Treasured Gifts,” 12/06)
My version: tucking son in bed, feeling sentimental, tell him that someday he’ll grow up and we’ll be best friends. He laughs and says, “Don’t be silly, you’ll be dead.”
Speaking on assignment from bishop about fatherhood and priesthood.
