"Honor Thy Father"

In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, we learn that the role of the fathers are:

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness.”

Fathers have five principles: to preside, partner, to be present, provide and protect.

Preside:  Father's need to oversee what is going on.  They need to make sure that things are being taken care of and that things are okay.  That doesn't mean that life is perfect, but it does mean that the Father is aware of all that is going on.  It also means that he is the head person, who should be responsible for making sure the family is on track spiritually.  He should be the one making sure family prayers are offered and FHE is taken place.

Partner:  Fathers are in a partnership with their wives.  They work together to raise their family and to help make sure their children are taught gospel principles.  Parents need to have a good relationship by respecting, communicating and loving their wife, the mother of his children.

Present:  While the husband may be gone all day, it is important that fathers are present in their children's lives.  The kids need to know that their father loves them and is aware of their needs.  Fathers need to be there physically and emotionally to help their children and their wife.

Provide:  Father's are primarily responsible for providing both temporally for their children as well as spiritually.  The mother is the nurturer.  While each family circumstance is unique, there are times when this may not be the case.  However, Fathers are the head of the family and do need to do their best in making sure their family is provided for.

Protect:  A father is to protect his family.  A father must also make sure that his kids are protected and cared for.   He protects them growing up and its his duty to help make sure kids know right from wrong, so that they can be protected when they are older.  President Howard W. Hunter also counseled that fathers should lead so that his children “will know the gospel and be under the protection of the covenants and ordinances.”

(My Dad and I at my High School Graduation in 1999)

(My Dad visiting his AZ grandkids.  He is looking at my son, who was born with CDH.  My parents lost their oldest child, a son, to CDH.  My Dad has a special bond with my son.)