Quotes About Fatherhood
"The father must hunger and thirst and yearn to bless his family; he must go to the Lord, ponder the words of God, and live by the Spirit to know the mind and will of the Lord and what he must do to lead his family. It is soul-satisfying to know that God is mindful of us and ready to respond when we place our trust in Him and do that which is right. There is no place for fear among men and women who place their trust in the Almighty, who do not hesitate to humble themselves in seeking divine guidance through prayer. Though persecutions arise, though reverses come, in prayer we can find reassurance, for God will speak peace to the soul. That peace, that spirit of serenity, is a great blessing."
Ezra Taft Benson, Priesthood, pp 142-143
"A father can do no greater thing for his children than to let them feel that he loves their mother."
David O. McKay - Quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference Report, April 1971, page 4
"And finally the father is to be an example of the highest Christian virtues. To walk uprightly in the admonition of the Lord requires not only patience and forebearance, but an exercise in constant practice of all the Christian virtues by each family member. Perhaps the Lord knew this when he instituted the family. A man needs the responsibility of a wife and family. He needs the responsibility of being an example of righteousness. There is wisdom in this requirement. This kind of gentle persuasion is needed to keep a father "on course" and gently guide him toward perfection."
President A. Theodore Tuttle, "The Role of Fathers", General Conference, October 1973
"You men who are husbands and fathers should have had kindled in your hearts tonight...a resolve so to conduct yourselves in your homes as to be worthy of the love, the respect, the honor, the companionship of your wives and your children. Holding the priesthood does not give any man the right to domineer over those for whom he should show the greatest of love and the greatest of consideration. Each of us should go home this night with a stronger resolve in our hearts to live worthy of the companionship of those who love us most and whom we should love and honor and respect without reservation."
Gordon B. Hinckley - General Conference, Oct 1984
"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12). As a boy I came to believe in that divine commandment. I think it is such a great commandment from the Lord. If it were only observed more widely, there would be far less misery in the homes of the people. Instead of backbiting, accusation, and argument, there would be appreciation and respect and quiet love."
Gordon B. Hinckley - General Conference, April 1993
"I repeat that plea to all fathers. Yours is the basic and inescapable responsibility to stand as the head of the family. That does not carry with it any implication of dictatorship or unrighteous dominion. It carries with it a mandate that fathers provide for the needs of their families. Those needs are more than food, clothing and shelter. Those needs include righteous direction and the teaching, by example as well as precept, of basic principles of honesty, integrity, service, respect for the rights of others, and an understanding that we are accountable for that which we do in this life, not only to one another but also to the God of heaven, who is our Eternal Father....
With the obligation to beget goes the responsibility to nurture, to protect, to teach, to guide in righteousness and truth. Yours is the power and the responsibility to preside in a home where there is peace and security, love and harmony."
Gordon B. Hinckley - General Conference, Oct 1993
"It is a tremendous responsibility to be a father in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a wonderful responsibility to be a man who stands at the head of his family as one who holds the priesthood of God with authority to speak in the name of God. Fathers, are you the kind of father you ought to be?"
Gordon B. Hinckley - June 1995, Alaska Regional Conference
"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families."
Gordon B. Hinckley - Sept 1995, Proclamation on Families
Consider this sobering forecast: "About 40 percent of U.S. children will go to sleep in homes in which their fathers do not live" (David Blankenhorn, "Life without Father," USA Weekend, 26 Feb. 1995, pp. 6-7). Some estimate this will rise to 60 percent. This same commentator has written, "Fatherlessness is the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to adolescent pregnancy to domestic violence" (ibid.).
Quoted by Neal A. Maxwell, CR, April 1995
"A father is a fellow who has replaced the currency in his wallet with snapshots of his kids."
Mike Forrest
"We have to keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families will want to live with us in the eternities. "