One talk that I enjoyed was given by Elaine Dalton (Young Women's President) titled "Love Her Mother". Here is one excerpt from the talk:
"How can a father raise a happy, well-adjusted daughter in today’s increasingly toxic world? The answer has been taught by the Lord’s prophets. It is a simple answer, and it is true—“The most important thing a father can do for his [daughter] is to love [her] mother.” By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion, and devotion. She will learn from your example what to expect from young men and what qualities to seek in a future spouse. You can show your daughter by the way you love and honor your wife that she should never settle for less. Your example will teach your daughter to value womanhood. You are showing her that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father, who loves her.
You are not ordinary men. Because of your valiance in the premortal realms, you qualified to be leaders and to possess priesthood power. There you exhibited “exceeding faith and good works,” and you are here now to do the same.8 Your priesthood sets you apart.
Fathers, you are your daughter’s hero. My father was my hero. I used to wait on the steps of our home for him to arrive each night. He would pick me up and twirl me around and let me put my feet on top of his big shoes, and then he would dance me into the house. I loved the challenge of trying to follow his every footstep. I still do.
So how do you raise a girl? Love her mother. Lead your family to the temple, be guardians of virtue, and magnify your priesthood. Fathers, you have been entrusted with our Heavenly Father’s royal daughters. They are virtuous and elect. It is my prayer that you will watch over them, strengthen them, model virtuous behavior, and teach them to follow in the Savior’s every footstep—for He lives!"
I'm thankful for my father. I'm thankful that he treated my mom with love and respect and that he was "true to his faith". The words that are engraven on his dogtags when he served in the army are the following: Dennis J. Lowther; Latter-Day Saint.
The second talk that I wanted to share an excerpt from was given by D. Christopher Waddell titled, "The Opportunity of a Lifetime". I love the story that he shared.
"A few years ago, Elder Javier Misiego, from Madrid, Spain, was serving a full-time mission in Arizona. At that time, his mission call to the United States appeared somewhat unusual, as most young men from Spain were being called to serve in their own country.
At the conclusion of a stake fireside, where he and his companion had been invited to participate, Elder Misiego was approached by a less-active member of the Church who had been brought by a friend. It was the first time this man had been inside a chapel in years. Elder Misiego was asked if he might know a José Misiego in Madrid. When Elder Misiego responded that his father’s name was José Misiego, the man excitedly asked a few more questions to confirm that this was the José Misiego. When it was determined that they were speaking about the same man, this less-active member began to weep. “Your father was the only person I baptized during my entire mission,” he explained and described how his mission had been, in his mind, a failure. He attributed his years of inactivity to some feelings of inadequacy and concern, believing that he had somehow let the Lord down.
Elder Misiego then described what this supposed failure of a missionary meant to his family. He told him that his father, baptized as a young single adult, had married in the temple, that Elder Misiego was the fourth of six children, that all three boys and a sister had served full-time missions, that all were active in the Church, and that all who were married had been sealed in the temple.
The less-active returned missionary began to sob. Through his efforts, he now learned, scores of lives had been blessed, and the Lord had sent an elder from Madrid, Spain, all the way to a fireside in Arizona to let him know that he had not been a failure."
The Lord know us. He loves us. He is aware of what we need. "His ways are not our ways" and he has a plan for each of us. How wonderful it is to know that our Heavenly Father is all all-knowing and all-powerful! My favorite scripture is Mosiah 4:9 which says, "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." I'm thankful to know that the Lord is willing to leave the ninety and nine to seek out the lost lamb.
I know God is our Father and we are his children. I know that because of Jesus Christ we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church. It is Christ's restored church with the same Priesthood authority that existed on the earth from the days of Adam to the days of the Twelve Apostles. I know the Lord calls Prophets and Apostles to lead and guide the church and it's members. Joseph Smith was the prophet called to restore the church and Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet. Both have and were ordained of God. I know families can be eternal. I know these things are true because of the Holy Ghost. I've studied these things, I've prayed about these things, and the Holy Ghost has confirmed to me that these things are true.
