Manly Man Training #7: Parenting: Everything depends on it

Many of us are parents, plan on being a parent or hope to be a parent.  Many men make the assumption that they will be a father some day and then don't put much more thought into it than that.  We don't take the time to realize what a great opportunity or responsibility it is to have a child and to raise them in righteousness.  Those who have children currently will be thinking about now that the man who is yet to be a father doesn't realize how hard it is.  Then those fathers that are closer to my age might think that those men and fathers who are younger don't realize how 'worth it' it is.  Maybe those older than me would note how fleeting or fast those years go with the children in the home.  All of those ideas may be true.  But at every stage, the responsibility is still high to be an active and influential father.  Being a father is critical and requires our best efforts at every stage. 

When I say our best efforts I refer to the best we can do at the time.  If the best we can do is to make a mistake then we will also have to do some taking responsibility and correcting.  Correcting of ourselves for sure but correcting the misperceptions our children garnered from our error.  [As an example one common misperception is that it is okay for fathers to be angry.]

President Gordon B. Hinckley has pleaded that we “work at our responsibility as parents as if everything in life counted on it, because in fact everything in life does count on it.”

He continued: “I ask you men, particularly, to pause and take stock of yourselves as husbands and fathers and heads of households. Pray for guidance, for help, for direction, and then follow the whisperings of the Spirit to guide you in the most serious of all responsibilities, for the consequences of your leadership in your home will be eternal and everlasting." (Each a Better Person,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2002, 100.)

"How", you might ask, "does everything in life count on it"?  Let me tell you how. Your eternity and quite possibly the eternity of your children may count on it not to mention your wife.  Your enjoyment and appreciation of life will depend on it.  You may try to hide it by any number of ways, but when you have a moment to youself, your diligence in your family will be how you determine your own value.  Your children's enjoyment and love of life including the people they choose to be around and even be attracted to will be greatly influenced by you.  And maybe most telling, their thoughts about Heavenly Father and their perceptions of their relationship with Him will be colored by their relationship with you. 

That's how.  So do your best and when you are at a loss follow your wife's lead.  Which of course infers you need to make a great choice not just of wife but a wife who is well prepared to be a great mother.  You did you say?  Well you have a great start.  But even so, remember, your part is critical!  Don't let other things of less or no value interfere with this critical responsibility. 

You can do it!