Amanda and I have been married for 15 wonderful years. Yet I can still remember, like it was yesterday, the conversation we had in the first few weeks of our young marriage. I had just graduated from Ricks College with an Associate's degree in business and enrolled at Idaho State University to finish a bachelor and master's degree. I was ready to take on the world and I had a beautiful, loving and supportive wife by my side.
Our discussion of the future drifted to children and when that process would begin. It became very clear to us then that what we wanted more than a promising career in business was to raise a righteous family, and that we didn't want to wait until we completed our schooling. From that moment on, we embarked on a journey of ups and mostly downs and a multitude of doctors' visits and procedures from Pocatello to Rexburg to Phoenix and back.
For six years, we rode the rollercoaster of infertility until one day Amanda finally convinced me that if I wanted to be a dad and raise a family, we needed to adopt. This was not easy for me. At that moment, I viewed adoption as giving up and I had not given up on anything in my life that meant so much to me. However, the decision to adopt was not giving up, it was heeding the promptings of a loving Heavenly Father. We were soon blessed to adopt two boys in three years. I love being a dad, and having the opportunity to raise my boys. As much as I love it, I've learned that it's a lot of hard work. I feel a lot of pressure to raise my family in a righteous manner but I knew that going in. Like Nephi, I too, was born of goodly parents and was taught in the ways of my father. I had the privilege to be raised in a righteous home by a mother and father that love each other, their children, and the Lord. I guess my passion to be a father came from being raised by a really good one. I found that as a young boy, I was in need of a lot of teaching and that's why the Lord blessed me with great parents and grandparents.
I have pondered on this over the years and often wonder why I was so blessed to be raised the way I was, and what teaching moments made the biggest impact on me as I was growing up. I began making a list of moments in my younger years that made an impact on me and built a foundation for my testimony and ultimately who and what I have become thus far. My purpose today is not to trip down memory lane, but to reflect on a few foundational teaching moments in my life that have had a lasting impact and hopefully, through the Spirit, you too can identify those times in your own life when the foundation was laid for you.
At a very young age I was taught to work. When I was five or six I began helping my two older brothers on their paper route. Since I was not yet in school or got home earlier than them, I would begin folding papers an hour or so before they got home so they could start delivering the papers when they arrived. As my brothers got older and busier, the paper route was passed on to me. My two younger sisters then became the folders and I the deliverer. I did this until I was 12. At 12 years old, I began working in my grandpa's restaurant in Burley at Prices Cafe. I bussed tables until I was old enough to wash dishes and then was later promoted to food prep. In my teenage years, some of my fondest memories were working at the cafe, in particular, doing caterings with my dad and grandpa. During the holidays, we would cater Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to the Simplot and OreIda potato processing plants. Because these plants ran 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we had to deliver and serve food to hundreds of employees on all three shifts: days, nights and swings. Not only did the food have to be delivered and served three times but also the cooking and prep time had to be just right. Hours were spent in the kitchen cooking turkeys, peeling and mashing hundreds of pounds of potatoes, baking rolls, and helping make grandpa's famous pies.
These were times when I would see the best and worst sides of my grandpa. Grandpa always had a smile on his face but he never let a teaching moment pass. I'll never forget my very first day of bussing tables when I was 12. I was to be at work at 5 p.m. but I didn't get done with soccer practice until 5:00. So, I figured it wouldn't matter if I was a few minutes late. I smartly calculated the time it would take to ride my bike from the school to the restaurant. Five minutes wouldn't hurt anyone. So, I arrived a few minutes late and punched my time card and put on an apron and began clearing tables. I hadn't finished my first table when I looked back and saw my grandpa walking toward me. At first, I couldn't tell if he was happy for my first day of work or if he was going to give me a tongue-lashing. He simply put his hand on my shoulder and said: "Son, you were late for work on your first day." For which I quickly apologized and reassured him that it wouldn't happen again. Then he said: "And you don't come to work in soccer shorts and cleats. Go home, take a shower and come back when you're ready to work."
When I got back to the café in my white shirt, black pants and black church shoes, I found my grandpa cleaning the tables that I had neglected for the last 30 minutes. I quickly put on a clean white apron and rushed over to relieve my grandpa from cleaning tables. I half expected another tongue-lashing but the lesson he taught was so much better. When I approached the table, he just smiled and said: "Now, that's more like it." And then, instead of going home after a long day of work, having opened the restaurant at 3 a.m., he spent the next half hour showing me how to be the best bus boy at Prices Café.
My grandpa Taylor had a work ethic unmatched by anyone I have ever known, except maybe by my grandpa Clark. In the summers of my teenage years, my brother, Cory, and I would take time off from the café to spend a week or so in Pocatello with grandma and grandpa Clark. My grandpa owned a real estate company and several rental properties and apartments. We would spend a week or two working with my cousins cleaning, painting, putting up new siding, pulling weeds and mowing lawns. This was not fun work but I learned valuable lessons during the process.
Grandpa would wake us up at 6 a.m. to get started on the day. When we would complain about getting up so early, he would tell us how hot it was going to be that day and that we should get as much work in as possible before lunch. Then he would rehearse to us the key to success in life: "To be successful, you have to work 12 hours a day. The sooner you start the sooner you can finish." Since we had plans to play after work, starting at 6 a.m. worked out okay. After all these years, I still drive by those apartments and the memories come flooding back (some not so good). But what I remember the most, is the time I spent with my grandpa, my brother, and my cousins in the hot sun working and playing together. This may be strange, but I loved the time it took to take the weeds and garbage to the dump. Most of the time we slept on the short drive, and grandpa would slap his leg so hard and loud to keep himself awake that it would wake us up in the process, but I loved the time we spent together.
I learned a lot of lessons from my grandparents. My grandpas worked hard and taught me to do the same. They also taught me lessons in charity. I can't tell you how many times grandpa Taylor would hand me two hot sacks and tell me to fill them with chicken and rolls from the buffet and then he would say, "Come with me." As we walked out of the café with chicken, rolls, pies and whatever else we could grab (usually a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread), I never had to ask where we were going. We would get in the van and end up at an unknown house to drop off the food. I didn't know who these people were but he knew they needed help and he blessed a lot of lives. Over the years, I have heard stories of generosity about my grandparents and not just meals they provided but missions and educations they funded, Eagle Scout projects they pushed through, jobs they provided, and the lives they touched without anyone ever knowing about it. What a legacy to live up to.
When I was about 14 or 15, I remember a family home evening when my dad taught us about the value of a name and carrying on the family legacy. My oldest brother, Brian, was about to enter the mission field and represent the Lord Jesus Christ for two years in Los Angeles, California. My other brother, Cory, and I were teenagers and our heads were filled with all sorts of wild and crazy ideas. Being very inspired, my dad shared stories from the Book of Mormon about fathers teaching their children and the importance of living up to the legacy of a good name.
Starting from the beginning we talked about Lehi and the relationship he had with Nephi and also the difficulties Laman and Lemuel posed on the rest of the family; not just in the wilderness but for future generations. We discussed the prophet, Alma, and how his prayers rescued his son Alma and the sons of Mosiah—how their attempts to destroy the church were thwarted by a visit from an angel.
"And again the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of this people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightiest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith." [1]
Can you imagine how different the Book of Mormon would be if Alma the younger, Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni had not changed their ways? Their missionary work amongst the Lamanites changed the whole dynamic between the Nephites and the Lamanites for nearly a hundred years. They converted kings and kingdoms. Their converts called themselves after Ammon and among the posterity of those people were the 2,000 stripling warriors. The conversion and mission of these five brethren have inspired millions for over 2,000 years. I think the Lord knew what he was doing when he sent an angel to visit them. Of all the stories shared by my father in that family home evening, the one that sunk the deepest in my heart was in Helaman chapter 5. In this chapter, Helaman's sons, Nephi and Lehi, recount a family home evening they had with their father. Let's read verses six and seven:
"Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
"Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them." [2]
Wow! What a lesson to teach your kids. All of us have a family name that we represent every day, for good or bad. When we are baptized we take upon us another name—Jesus Christ. We covenant to always remember Him and keep His commandments. Our obedience to our parents and to our Heavenly Father is the ultimate sign of respect and love. That is how relationships develop and grow. Let's go back to Helaman chapter 5 and read verse 14:
"And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God among all the people of Nephi..."3
I like how that is written. They "remembered" and then they "went forth." There was the thought followed by an action. In Mark chapter 12, Christ gives us the two great commandments. The first is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength..." [4] Then in John 14 He teaches: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." [5]
Is it really that easy? The answers are right in front of us and yet we fail time and time again to act accordingly. I've often wondered why it is so hard to do all that God asks of us. Could it be that we don't fully understand our relationship with our Father in Heaven? If we knew how much He loves us and wants us to come home would we strive a little harder? Or if we simply realized how much help we have along the way would it be easier? How wonderful it is to understand the plan of salvation—to know the end from the beginning.
The plan of salvation brings us happiness and joy because of the perspective we gain. We know where we came from, why we are here on earth and what happens after this life. We were born of heavenly parents before we were born of earthly parents. We lived with Heavenly Father in the pre-existence. He knows us like a father knows his child. President Brigham Young taught: "I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well acquainted with God our Heavenly Father... [You] lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year... there is not a person here today but what is a son or daughter of that Being." [6]
How wonderful is that! We lived with our Heavenly Father before we came to earth. We were taught by Him. President Eyring taught us in the last General Women's Broadcast:
"You were tutored by Him before you came into this life. He helped you understand and accept that you would have trials, tests, and opportunities perfectly chosen for you. You learned that our Father had a plan of happiness to get you safely through those trials and that you would help bring others safely through theirs." [7]
We lived with God, the Father...in His home! Can you imagine those family home evenings? Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:
"The pre-existent life was thus a period, undoubtedly an infinitely long one, of probation, progression, and schooling. Mortal progression and testing is a continuation of what began in the pre-existence." [8]
And now on earth, the schooling continues. We are trying to merit the privilege of returning home to Him. He wants us to come back. In Moses, we read that His purpose or mission is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." [9] Elder Russell M. Nelson said:
"Simply summarized, God, our loving Heavenly Father, wants His children to return home to Him. How logical is that? What else would you expect from a loving Father? God wants His children to return to Him. But the amazing thing is, He allows them to choose that course; He doesn't force them. He sends His children to earth, causing a veil of forgetfulness to come upon them. They are here to gain a body, to be tested, and to make choices. The greatest of all choices they may make is to choose to return to their Father." [10]
Everything God does is to help us get back home. He has given us prophets and apostles, an organized church that teaches us these wonderful truths. He provided a Savior so that we can repent when things go bad. He gave us the scriptures so that we will always have the truths of the gospel that are unchanging. And when we are making tough decisions, he provided the Holy Ghost to prompt us and speak to us, and to be our companion throughout our lives as long as we do what's right. He has given us all of these wonderful things to help us come home and all He asks of us is to love Him and keep His commandments. I love my Father in Heaven and I know He loves me because of all of these things and because He has shown me many times in my life that He is with me, that He hears my prayers and lifts me up. I have felt his grace and tender mercies in my life in many different ways. I felt it differently as a youth than I did as a full-time missionary. And I feel it differently now as a father and husband. It could be my level of maturity and readiness to receive Him. But nonetheless, I feel it.
I would like to share a personal example of the Holy Ghost witnessing to me that Heavenly Father knows me and cares about me. Seven years ago, we took a small family vacation with Amanda's parents and siblings to Star Valley, Wyoming. We rented a house for a few days and spent time fishing, riding bikes and visiting the cemeteries for family history. One morning, Amanda's Dad, Al, mentioned that he had talked to a guy that rents rafts and said there was a nice family float just up the road from Alpine. Having never been to this area, I didn't really know where we were but thought it sounded like fun. I love rafting. I had the chance to go three times down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with my dad when I was younger. I learned how to run a boat and read a river and I felt pretty confident taking the family on a nice easy float.
So, we loaded up the boat and headed up the road from Alpine, following the map that was given to us. It was pretty quiet at the boat launch but there was an outfitter there with a couple of boats ahead of us and few kayakers. Ten of us loaded up in the boat including my 2 year old son. We got going with little trouble for the first 15 minutes. The weather was hot and it was a beautiful day. A couple of small water fights had already broken out and everyone was enjoying themselves. As we came upon the first curve, we got closer to the outfitter boats. Close enough to hear their chatter. I could hear them getting excited about what was up ahead and I remember hearing something about "Lunch Counter." Immediately, red flag warnings went off in my head. We were on the Hoback and this was not a family-friendly float that you take a 2 year old on. As calmly as I could, I informed my family that we were in for a ride and we needed cooperation, attention and no panic to make it through.
Everything I had learned as a teenager on the Middle Fork came flooding back. We made seating changes in the boat to add power where needed. We talked about how to paddle through a rapid and how important is was to keep paddling all the way through. We went through a crash course in maneuvering the boat and how to take commands from the captain without question. And we talked about what to do if you went out of the boat and how to get that person back in the boat. My biggest fear was that my baby boy that we had waited so long to get would somehow fall in the water. Grandma took it upon herself to sit in the middle of the boat with a death grip around that precious child.
After all of this, I still wasn't sure we were going to make it. At that very moment, two kayakers paddled up beside me in the back of the boat. The one asked me if I knew what I was doing. I assured him that I knew how to run a boat but I worried about swimmers in the water. He then told me to follow the outfitter in front of us, that they did this every day and they would keep us in the right path. And then he said that they would stay right behind us to help with any swimmers. Then the other kayaker quickly paddled up to the outfitter and let their guide know what was going on behind them. I can't tell you how comforting it was to know that we had everyone around us aware that we may need help. These people were trained professionals and knew exactly how to run the Hoback. However, they didn't jump in our boat and take over. They let us do the work and struggle through each rapid. It wasn't easy but the only swimmer we had was my dear wife Amanda and the only reason she went out was because she was paddling so hard that she let her foot slip out of the pontoon to get more leverage.
As a family, we survived a very trying experience. One we will never forget. Personally, I felt the power of the Holy Ghost guiding my every command. In that moment, I remembered something about rafting that I hadn't thought about in 15 years. We hit every rapid just as we should and skirted around others in the safest way possible. And in the gospel, I don't believe in coincidences. Those kayakers were angels sent from Heavenly Father at the right moment to give us the comfort and security we needed. In the end, we didn't need their assistance in rescuing swimmers, but they provided sound guidance and security knowing that there was someone there to pick us up if we fell. In my family we have a saying that "God doesn't do random." Our Father in Heaven knows us so well and He wants us to be happy in this life and come home to Him in the end. He will give us every chance He can to right the ship and make it home.
I know with all of my heart what a blessing it is to be raised in the gospel by wonderful parents that taught me to love the Lord and to recognize Him often. I am also well aware that not everyone has had the same opportunity. With or without a strong upbringing in the gospel, we have the chance to set our legacy now and determine the path that will lead our families back to our Heavenly Father. In Isaiah chapter 58 verse 12, it reads:
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of the paths to dwell in." [11]
We can make that decision now. I want to end with one more story. A family history treasure for me. A week after the death of my great grandfather, Gene Price, a local resident, Agnes Anderson, wrote a letter to the editor in the South Idaho Press in 1983. Gene Price was the founder of Prices Café and my grandpa Taylor married his daughter, Maxine, and later bought the café from Gene. I hope you will bear with me as I read an excerpt from this letter.
"When Gene Price passed away last week, Burley lost a giant of a man. Gene came up the hard way. He had to quit school at an early age to replace his father when he became ill. So the family would have a check coming in. But Gene was one of the best educated men in our community. His education came, really, from the school of experience and hardship. In his lifetime he accumulated wealth but instead of choosing to live in luxury he chose to help those less fortunately than he. Many... have been the recipients of this good man's charitable nature. Widows by the dozens have received his quiet help. One told me how when she was widowed, each morning she would find a little bundle of kindling with which to build her fire, at the back door. She later discovered who was doing it. Such a little thing for him to do and yet such a big help to someone in need. He has gone about town delivering his delicious pies to the sick and lonely or for some special occasion. He taught his children and his grandchildren the value of honest work. He taught by example and with a keen sense of humor. The Price family...established themselves as honest merchants in this community many years ago. They were the kind of people the world sees little of in our day. The Price name is a monument to those us who knew them well. We just hope their posterity continues to keep the name and all its virtues alive throughout the years."
It is my prayer every day that I can carry on the good name of my family here on earth. And I hope that I can make the right decisions to show my Father in Heaven that I love Him and one day, with my whole family, return home to Him. I know we are His children and He loves us. He loves us so much that He sent our older brother, Jesus Christ to atone for us and provide the way back home. I pray that we will turn our hearts to Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Mosiah 27:14
[2] Helamen 5:6-7
[3] Helamen 5:14
[4] Mark 12:30
[5] John 14:15
[6] Brigham Young. Journal of Discourses, 4:215
[7] Henry B. Eyring, "Daughters in the Covenant." April 2014, General Conference
[8] Bruce R. McConkie. Mormon Doctrine. 1958
[9] Moses 1:39
[10] Russell M. Nelson, 2014
[11] Isaiah 58:12