Fathers and Leadership

This Father's Day weekend, I'll share this counsel from Ezra Taft Benson:
With love in my heart for the fathers in Israel, may I suggest ten specific
ways that fathers can give spiritual leadership to their children:

1. Give father's blessings to your children. Baptize and confirm your
children. Ordain your sons to the priesthood. These will become spiritual
highlights in the lives of your children.

2. Personally direct family prayers, daily scripture reading, and weekly
family home evenings. Your personal involvement will show your children how
important these activities really are.

3. Whenever possible, attend Church meetings together as a family. Family
worship under your leadership is vital to your children's spiritual welfare.

4. Go on daddy-daughter dates and father-and-sons' outings with your
children. As a family, go on campouts and picnics, to ball games and
recitals, to school programs, and so forth. Having Dad there makes all the
difference.

5. Build traditions of family vacations and trips and outings. These
memories will never be forgotten by your children.

6. Have regular one-on-one visits with your children. Let them talk about
what they would like to. Teach them gospel principles. Teach them true
values. Tell them you love them. Personal time with your children tells them
where Dad puts his priorities.

7. Teach your children to work, and show them the value of working toward a
worthy goal. Establishing mission funds and education funds for your
children shows them what Dad considers to be important.

8. Encourage good music and art and literature in your homes. Homes that
have a spirit of refinement and beauty will bless the lives of your children
forever.

9. As distances allow, regularly attend the temple with your wife. Your
children will then better understand the importance of temple marriage and
temple vows and the eternal family unit.

10. Have your children see your joy and satisfaction in service to the
Church. This can become contagious to them, so they, too, will want to serve
in the Church and will love the kingdom.

Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice, p. 46