Father's Day talk help!

[changed]

so I've been asked to give the a talk on Sunday.... help!

 thinking about all of the father figures in the scriptures - starting with our grandfather Adam.  

Question:  Did Adam know about the Plan of Salvation before he partook of the fruit?  Adam was not "tricked" into eating the fruit - he made the conscience choice to give up eternal life, give up Eden, give up everything in order to stay with Eve and multiply to fill the earth - is this correct?

If you could help by posting scriptural accounts of good fathers, that would be great.  

Is father's day as touchy as mother's day?  What do I say to comfort families who do not have a solid father figure?  or guys who are divorced? or were never able to have kids? etc.?

Eve was called the "mother of all living"  before she had kids - was Adam considered a father figure before he had kids?  

I want it to be an uplifting talk - not something that would depress anyone, or make anyone feel badly about their family situation etc. 

Edited June 17, 2016 by changed

[VideoGameJunkie]

Talk about Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac.

[JLHPROF]

15 minutes ago, changed said:

so I've been asked to give the a talk on Sunday.... help!

 thinking about all of the father figures in the scriptures - starting with our grandfather Adam.  

Question:  Did Adam know about the Plan of Salvation before he partook of the fruit?  Adam was not "tricked" into eating the fruit - he made the conscience choice to give up eternal life, give up Eden, give up everything in order to stay with Eve and multiply to fill the earth - is this correct?

Depends who you believe and when you believe the veil came.  Personally I think both Adam and Eve knew exactly what they were doing.  God told them what was going to happen and they chose to do it.

Quote

If you could help by posting scriptural accounts of good fathers, that would be great.  

Is father's day as touchy as mother's day?  What do I say to comfort families who do not have a solid father figure?  or guys who are divorced? or were never able to have kids? etc.?

I would recommend Joseph.  The man that raised our Savior as though he was his own child.  Covers adoption, step parenting, blended families, and shows how you can have more than one Father, how your father is more than just your sire, and so many other lessons.
 

Quote

Eve was called the "mother of all living"  before she had kids - was Adam considered a father figure before he had kids?  

Well, he would be the Father of all living wouldn't he?
Remember the temple and consider all men to be Adam.

Edited June 17, 2016 by JLHPROF

[changed]

15 minutes ago, VideoGameJunkie said:

Talk about Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac.

and about Abraham's father who was going to sacrifice Abraham to a heathen God!  

[JLHPROF]

1 minute ago, changed said:

Quote

19 minutes ago, VideoGameJunkie said:

Talk about Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac.

and about Abraham's father who was going to sacrifice Abraham to a heathen God!  

And how they were similitudes of Christ.

[changed]

21 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

I would recommend Joseph.  The man that raised our Savior as though he was his own child.  Covers adoption, step parenting, blended families, and shows how you can have more than one Father, how your father is more than just your sire, and so many other lessons.

that's a great suggestion.  

 

just collecting scriptures... “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25) .  Adam our first father really did sacrifice everything for us, and we all owe our lives to him.

 

Elder James E. Talmage -

“... Adam’s part in the great event was essentially different from that of his wife; he was not deceived; on the contrary he deliberately decided to do as Eve desired, that he might carry out the purposes of his Maker with respect to the race of men, whose first patriarch he was ordained to be.” (Articles of Faith, pp. 69–70.)

Edited June 17, 2016 by changed

[Storm Rider]

I don't think fathers carry around nearly the kind of emotional baggage about Father's Day that some women do about Mother's Day - literally night and day between the two perspectives.  

Joseph would be a great example for all fathers - he married a pregnant women and gladly raised Son of God.  All men can fulfill the role of a father if we are open to serving....which is the role/calling of each priesthood holder.  

We have heard for the last 50 years that fathers are unnecessary; that they are superfluous to the family.  It is actually nice to hear that they are needed and wanted every now and then.  

The absolute worst talk I ever heard on father's day was an old bishop who chose that day to talk about abusive fathers in all their various forms.  It gets awfully tiresome to hear about how being male is to be the worst form of scum on the earth.  

In brief, men are still little boys that like to get an atta' boy every now and then.  To go the extra mile make some chocolate chip cookies and all men will think the world is good.  

[JAHS]

Typically:
Mothers are praised on Mother's day. 
Father's are lectured on how they should be better fathers on Father's Day.

Try to avoid that at least.

[changed]

2 hours ago, Storm Rider said:

I don't think fathers carry around nearly the kind of emotional baggage about Father's Day that some women do about Mother's Day - literally night and day between the two perspectives.  

Joseph would be a great example for all fathers - he married a pregnant women and gladly raised Son of God.  All men can fulfill the role of a father if we are open to serving....which is the role/calling of each priesthood holder.  

We have heard for the last 50 years that fathers are unnecessary; that they are superfluous to the family.  It is actually nice to hear that they are needed and wanted every now and then.  

The absolute worst talk I ever heard on father's day was an old bishop who chose that day to talk about abusive fathers in all their various forms.  It gets awfully tiresome to hear about how being male is to be the worst form of scum on the earth.  

In brief, men are still little boys that like to get an atta' boy every now and then.  To go the extra mile make some chocolate chip cookies and all men will think the world is good.  

I have a hard time believing guys don't carry around emotional baggage - it's just not socially acceptable for them to show it "boys don't cry".  Yes, being a father is all about serving.

I think the trend is changing from the philosophy that dads are unnecessary - there is now a high percentage of stay-at-home dads, and much higher percentage of single dads (instead of single moms) taking care of kids.  

This outlines the changes taking place in the role of men → Fathers’ Roles in the Care and Development of Their Children: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/06/10/peds.2016-1128

As more mothers enter the work force, fathers are becoming more involved in the lives of their kids.

Some funny research results: 

Researchers say that up to 60 percent of men experience some sort of physical symptoms when their partners are pregnant. (Dr. Jerrold Lee Shapiro, an expert on the subject of expectant dads, admits that he gained 30 pounds during each of his wife's two pregnancies.) "pregnant" fathers complain of morning sickness, food cravings, weight gain, and backaches.... Many men also experience emotional changes during pregnancy—especially moodiness and depression  link   

Dads Get Postpartum Depression, Too: 10% of New Dads Become Depressed Before or After Baby’s Birth, Researchers Say http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20100518/dads-get-postpartum-depression-too

https://news.wsu.edu/2015/05/19/by-avoiding-baby-talk-dads-may-help-kids-acquire-language/   Initial experimental results suggest that when fathers interact with their children, they engage less in baby talk ... fathers speak more like adults - (and therefore teach kids how to speak like adults)

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/02/07/the-importance-of-roughhousing-with-your-kids/ 

Psychologist Anthony Pellegrini has found that the amount of roughhousing children engage in predicts their achievement in first grade better than their kindergarten test scores do. .. First, as we discussed above, roughhousing makes your kid more resilient and resilience is a key in developing children’s intelligence. Resilient kids tend to see failure more as a challenge to overcome rather than an event that defines them. In addition to making students more resilient, roughhousing actually rewires the brain for learning. Neuroscientists studying animal and human brains have found that bouts of rough-and-tumble play increase the brain’s level of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF helps increase neuron growth in the parts of the brain responsible for memory, logic, and higher learning–skills necessary for academic success. ... children who engage in frequent roughhousing are almost always more socially and emotionally adept than kids who don’t .  Dr. Stuart Brown, an expert on play (Yeah, you can be an expert on play. Who knew?) says that the “lack of experience with rough-and-tumble play hampers the normal give-and-take necessary for social mastery and has been linked with poor control of violent impulses later in life.

Lots of studies about higher teen pregnancy rates for kids without father figures - although I will not include that in the talk.  

 

 

 

I'm hoping that YW / YM are bringing the cookies!

 

 

2 hours ago, JAHS said:

Typically:
Mothers are praised on Mother's day. 
Father's are lectured on how they should be better fathers on Father's Day.

Try to avoid that at least.

That is horrible. Yes, fathers need praise too.

 

 

Edited June 17, 2016 by changed

[Gray]

As a father, one thing I find very annoying is talks that focus on being a good priesthood holder instead of actually being a good father. Fatherhood is about being there for your children and providing for their needs, period.

[JAHS]

Here's an interesting article about the fathers of the stripling warriors.

The Stripling Warrior’s Missing Fathers

"Moms love the story of the 2,000 sons of Helaman.  It had become associated with the role of Motherhood, and has become the go-to Mother’s day story from the scriptures.  Why? Passages like this:
Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it. (Alma 56:47-48)
I have heard these verses a thousand times, and I am happy that moms in our day get to see the impact that mothers can have on their sons.  But I always asked myself…
Where were the fathers of the stripling warriors? Surely they must have been involved, right?  But we only hear about the mother, and how they taught their sons to have faith, and to be obedient. Besides, someone had to have taught these boys to fight like they did…?
Where are the dads?
I found them. Yes, I found the fathers of the stripling warriors in Alma 56:27. In the middle of the war, buried in the middle of the chapter, it says this:
And now it came to pass in the second month of this year, there was brought unto us many provisions from the fathers of those my two thousand sons.

What were the dads doing? Keeping their boys alive.  The supply lines were always a problem during this war. The dads were providing for their sons. Probably in the same manner they had been providing for them their entire lives."

[Jeanne]

Look in the dictiionary and find those definitions..different kinds of fathers ..all with common threads of love and protection.  Talk about the value of laughter and fun.games.and not so much about the priesthood..(though it is important)..but about being a feeling of safety to family members with fun.  Stay at home Dads..the Father's of our Country..God the Father, there is something there for everyone.  Find a story about a Dad who tries to diaper for the first time..make it real and loving..there are ways to teach a gospel with humor and human nature at its best..and sometimes..at its worse..grandfathers are great!

[Guest]

14 hours ago, changed said:

so I've been asked to give the a talk on Sunday.... help!

 thinking about all of the father figures in the scriptures - starting with our grandfather Adam.  

Question:  Did Adam know about the Plan of Salvation before he partook of the fruit?  Adam was not "tricked" into eating the fruit - he made the conscience choice to give up eternal life, give up Eden, give up everything in order to stay with Eve and multiply to fill the earth - is this correct?

If you could help by posting scriptural accounts of good fathers, that would be great.  

Is father's day as touchy as mother's day?  What do I say to comfort families who do not have a solid father figure?  or guys who are divorced? or were never able to have kids? etc.?

Eve was called the "mother of all living"  before she had kids - was Adam considered a father figure before he had kids?  

I want it to be an uplifting talk - not something that would depress anyone, or make anyone feel badly about their family situation etc. 

Sadly many father figures in scripture have not always been the best fathers. Having said that there is only on perfect Father, mine was a close second.  Without a doubt do not forget the scriptures of how our Father in Heaven is the "Father to the fatherless" and Mosiah 5:7 how Jesus Christ is also our Father. 

[VideoGameJunkie]

Talk about Heavenly Father.

[cinepro]

16 hours ago, changed said:

so I've been asked to give the a talk on Sunday.... help!

 thinking about all of the father figures in the scriptures - starting with our grandfather Adam.  

Question:  Did Adam know about the Plan of Salvation before he partook of the fruit?  Adam was not "tricked" into eating the fruit - he made the conscience choice to give up eternal life,

give up Eden, give up everything in order to stay with Eve and multiply to fill the earth - is this correct?

If you could help by posting scriptural accounts of good fathers, that would be great.  

Is father's day as touchy as mother's day?  What do I say to comfort families who do not have a solid father figure?  or guys who are divorced? or were never able to have kids? etc.?

Eve was called the "mother of all living"  before she had kids - was Adam considered a father figure before he had kids?  

I want it to be an uplifting talk - not something that would depress anyone, or make anyone feel badly about their family situation etc. 

Shortly after turning 12, my son was asked to give a talk on "his favorite scripture."  With my help, he chose 1 Nephi 2:15 as his "favorite" scripture:

Quote

And my father dwelt in a tent

 

He then went on to explain all that we could learn from that verse about Lehi's sacrifices, practicality, resourcefulness and so on.  It was a good talk, and such an approach might make more a memorable talk about fathers in general as well.

 

Edited June 17, 2016 by cinepro

[JAHS]

32 minutes ago, cinepro said:

Shortly after turning 12, my son was asked to give a talk on "his favorite scripture."  With my help, he chose 1 Nephi 2:15 as his "favorite" scripture:

Quote

And my father dwelt in a tent

Are you sure it wasn't his favorite because it was the easiest one to memorize? ;-)

[consiglieri]

Eschew scriptural stories everybody has heard a billion times and talk about your personal relationship with your father.

 

Good luck on your talk!

[USU78]

[youtube]

y

[Doctor Steuss]

19 minutes ago, consiglieri said:

Eschew scriptural stories everybody has heard a billion times and talk about your personal relationship with your father.

Good luck on your talk!

I second this.  On mother's day, I just spoke about the mothers I've had in my life (my mother, grandmothers, wife, sister, friends moms, etc.), and the lessons I learned from them.

[JAHS]

21 hours ago, changed said:

22 hours ago, JAHS said:

Typically:
Mothers are praised on Mother's day. 
Father's are lectured on how they should be better fathers on Father's Day.

Try to avoid that at least.

That is horrible. Yes, fathers need praise too.

[JLHPROF]

8 hours ago, cinepro said:

Shortly after turning 12, my son was asked to give a talk on "his favorite scripture."  With my help, he chose 1 Nephi 2:15 as his "favorite" scripture:

And my father dwelt in a tent

I'd have gone with "Jesus wept" - John 11:35.

[Rain]

On Friday, June 17, 2016 at 8:36 AM, JAHS said:

Here's an interesting article about the fathers of the stripling warriors.

The Stripling Warrior’s Missing Fathers

"Moms love the story of the 2,000 sons of Helaman.  It had become associated with the role of Motherhood, and has become the go-to Mother’s day story from the scriptures.  Why? Passages like this:
Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it. (Alma 56:47-48)
I have heard these verses a thousand times, and I am happy that moms in our day get to see the impact that mothers can have on their sons.  But I always asked myself…
Where were the fathers of the stripling warriors? Surely they must have been involved, right?  But we only hear about the mother, and how they taught their sons to have faith, and to be obedient. Besides, someone had to have taught these boys to fight like they did…?
Where are the dads?
I found them. Yes, I found the fathers of the stripling warriors in Alma 56:27. In the middle of the war, buried in the middle of the chapter, it says this:
And now it came to pass in the second month of this year, there was brought unto us many provisions from the fathers of those my two thousand sons.

What were the dads doing? Keeping their boys alive.  The supply lines were always a problem during this war. The dads were providing for their sons. Probably in the same manner they had been providing for them their entire lives."

And earlier we found the fathers (the people)  humbled themselves,  repented and covenanted to never fight.  Then instead of breaking covenants many layed down their lives.  

For a long time I have not thought of this as a good motherhood story,  but a good parent story with mother and father working together. 

Edited June 18, 2016 by Rain

[ladyshanae]

I'm giving a talk tomorrow as well and I appreciate the commentary here, especially about the 2000. Thank you!

My talk is supposed to focus on last general conference's talk entitled Fathers, but I'm going to try to incorporate other things that lift instead of lecture.

[consiglieri]

50 minutes ago, ladyshanae said:

I'm giving a talk tomorrow as well and I appreciate the commentary here, especially about the 2000. Thank you!

My talk is supposed to focus on last general conference's talk entitled Fathers, but I'm going to try to incorporate other things that lift instead of lecture.

There are few things worse in the LDS Church than having to regurgitate a General Conference talk that wasn't worth listening to in the first place.

May I suggest the addition of some colorful puppets to keep the audience from falling asleep?

[Rain]

If all you are doing is the talk pretty much word for word then you haven't really taken it in and applied it. Even so,  I get a lot from conference talks the second,  third,  tenth time I have heard them.  I have also heard great talks built on conference talks.  That Fathers talk could make a great base for a talk.