Me Thinks

I recently read a couple of stories about the father of Robert Hales and how he strengthened Robert and encouraged him to be spiritually strong.  Robert's father was a professional artist in New York City. On one occasion, he took Robert to the Susquehanna River, where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery had received the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist.  On another occasion, he took Robert to the Sacred Grove.  "We prayed together in the grove and expressed our desire to be true and faithful to the priesthood which we held," he recalled. "Father later painted a picture of the place where we had prayed and gave it to me as a reminder of our promises made that day together. It hangs in my office today and serves as a reminder each day of my sacred experiences and promises made with my earthly father as well as my Heavenly Father."  

As a young man, Robert loved to play baseball, eventually playing for the University of Utah.  On the bus ride home after his first out-of-town game with the high school varsity team, the ninth-grader was appalled by some of the behavior and language of his teammates. To strengthen Robert, his father drew him a picture of a knight. "As he drew and read from the scriptures, I learned how to be a faithful priesthood holder--to protect and defend the kingdom of God.  the words of the Apostle Paul were my guide." Reflecting on that lesson years later, Elder Hales taught, "If we are faithful in the priesthood, this armor will be given to us as a gift from God.  We need this armor."
(Taken from "In Memorium, Elder Robert D. Hales, 1932-2017, A supplement to the Ensign")

One of the things that impressed me about these stories is how Elder Hales' father used his unique gifts to strengthen his son.  He did not order Elder Hales to quit the team, nor did he go and give the raucous boys a lecture.  He put his energy into strengthening his son.  Elder Hales was fortified by the words, actions, and example of his father.