President Oaks speaks about the need to keep the 5th commandment of honoring our fathers and mothers. He speaks about some simple ways that we keep this commandment.
He shares stories from his life and the life of others that demonstrate good ways we honor those we love. He shares ideas with us about how we can honor our parents at various times in our lives.
President Oaks speaks about the practice in the early church of having what was then called "Old Folks Day" in Utah. This was a day to honor the senior citizens of the community and to show respect for their lives. This event ended in the early 1970's but today we have the same obligation to show respect and love to others as they age.
I reflected on my own relationship with my parents as I read this talk. I need to do a better job of visiting weekly with them and to express my gratitude for the things they have provided to me in my life. I know my parents have tried to be good parents. I owe them a great amount of gratitude for bringing me to the church and helping me build my testimony over the years. I am going to try to schedule some time every week to talk with them and visit together. This will be my effort to show honor and love to them.
- The commandment to honor our parents echoes the sacred spirit of family relationships in which—at their best—we have sublime expressions of heavenly love and care for one another. We sense the importance of these relationships when we realize that our greatest expressions of joy or pain in mortality come from the members of our families.
- Other manifestations of this commandment include the bearing and care of children, the preparation of family histories, and efforts to see that the ordinances of eternity are performed for our departed ancestors.
He shares stories from his life and the life of others that demonstrate good ways we honor those we love. He shares ideas with us about how we can honor our parents at various times in our lives.
- To young people, honoring parents is appropriately understood to focus on obedience, respect, and emulation of righteous parents.
- Young people, if you honor your parents, you will love them, respect them, confide in them, be considerate of them, express appreciation for them, and demonstrate all of these things by following their counsel in righteousness and by obeying the commandments of God.
- To persons whose parents are dead, honoring parents is likely to involve thoughts of family reunions, family histories, temple work, and commitment to the great causes in which departed parents spent their lives.
- Middle-aged persons are likely to think of the commandment to honor our fathers and our mothers in terms of caring for aged parents.
President Oaks speaks about the practice in the early church of having what was then called "Old Folks Day" in Utah. This was a day to honor the senior citizens of the community and to show respect for their lives. This event ended in the early 1970's but today we have the same obligation to show respect and love to others as they age.
I reflected on my own relationship with my parents as I read this talk. I need to do a better job of visiting weekly with them and to express my gratitude for the things they have provided to me in my life. I know my parents have tried to be good parents. I owe them a great amount of gratitude for bringing me to the church and helping me build my testimony over the years. I am going to try to schedule some time every week to talk with them and visit together. This will be my effort to show honor and love to them.
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