Message to My Grandsons

My thoughts on President Faust's talk "Message to My Grandsons"

WARNING—my heart is very heavy as I’m not spiritually “there” today and haven’t for a few days (actually since my kids came back from camp). It has been hard to say my prayers and read my scriptures lately. OH, how I wish the temple was open because I need to feel His arms around me.

I think my boys are going to find this talk on their pillows tonight.

I really don’t know that to say about this talk. Do we go over it line by line? It truly is packed and could be gone over line by line. But I won’t.

What a wise young men’s president. I wonder if he will move into my ward. I’m not having a good experience with our young men’s president. AWFUL in fact. I know the Lord won’t change him in the next six months and I will have to watch my oldest move from teacher to priest. I guess I need to repent and not speak or think ill of him. I will have to start praying for him.

I like the word “agent”. My sport nut boys will understand this concept.

Can’t you just hear the love in his voice as he speaks to his “grandsons” and says, “I hope each one of you becomes a man of God. You will become a man of god through righteous works. You will honor and magnify your priesthood and, as the Apostle Paul said, “follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” (Right now I wish my teens would heed this! I’m so very frustrated with them.)

“…following the rules is still the best pathway to obtaining all the things the Lord has promised.” (why can’t my boys—and girl—follow the rules!!!! What am I doing wrong that makes this happen?)

OK, this next paragraph is going to be put in a HUGE poster on my wall! We all have agency and NO ONE makes us do anything—we choose. I’m choosing to be in a crappy mode—my kids don’t put me there, I put myself there!

“All you young men who hold the priesthood have the duty to respect womanhood.” This needs to be shouted from the top of the mountains every morning! ALL WOMEN. We are struggling to do that at our home. My kids are so rude to me. We just had a talk about this behavior this morning and not 30 minutes later my 15 year old is back talking. (I wish I could pick him up and put him in his room—but he looks me in the eyes now.)

The next paragraph needs to be posted on every teenager’s mirror! I know I just copied it and put it in a pub doc and it will be in big letter, printed and then posted in the two bathrooms the kids use!!!!!! Why is it so hard for kids to understand this? I know I did the same thing as a kid—my mom was out to ruin my life. Oh, how I wish I could relive that part again, just so I could go back and treat my mom with more respect and with love. Trying to make up for it now is very difficult (she has Alzheimer’s now.)

Have you notice how much the prophets are emphasizing getting educated. Maybe it is because I’m reading the conference talks more diligently with the creation of this group, but it seems like in the last 5-8 years that every conference there is at least two or three talks that mention education. At first I thought they were talking about those in poorer countries, but I was mistaken; they are talking to ALL of us. I also sense a hint of urgency in their command. Is this just me? We have the PEF (perpetual education fund), the “Be Smart” and in the Standard for Youth it mentions it and I don’t a conference goes by that Pres Hinckley doesn’t urge us all to get education—especially the young men and women. I know I put this in my quiver and pull it out often when my kids grumble about school work.

I too have marveled over the complexity of things. Everything now seems to be “more” and yet the youth of today don’t have it. I was reading a friends blog. Her hubby just spent three months in china (he took the family—she homeschool—how cool is that!) Anyway, I couldn’t sleep last night so I caught up on all my blog reading. He mentioned why he was in China. He was there to hire Chinese and other Asians to work for Microsoft in their china location. WHY? Because there are not enough computer science candidates in the US and the US will only allow so many special visas (sorry I can’t remember the type) for those skilled workers to come work in the US so they have to open locations in foreign countries and hire them there and have them work there and send US people over there to manage them. I have a dear friend whose hubby just went to China for 2 YEARS for the same thing. He is hiring and getting a new project set up in China. They are going for a minimum of 2 years and it may be more—up to 5! Same reason! Our children HAVE to become educated—there is no end run around this problem.
Ok, off my soap box.

No shortcuts to success.
Now they tell me ~smile~
Life is hard and it seems to get harder every day. How do we even get up each day to face the mess? I know I get up because if I don’t my house will not be standing when Steve gets home.

What a great promise for the youth specially the fathers of tomorrow. Just hope they live righteous enough to claim it.