Dad's Farewell Talk

BUILDING UP A RIGHTOUS POSTERITY

By; Jeffrey R Holland February9, 2008

Elder Holland starts off his remarks with a quotation from the First Presidency regarding the need to strength and protects the family.” We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the church”
Cheryl and I have run our lives and built our family as the Holy Ghost has directed. I hold the priesthood and have blessed, baptized, and confirmed our children and ordained the boys. I am the one who asks the children to pray over the food. This establishes order in the family. Cheryl organizes the Home Evenings in the family and I conduct and she makes the assignments and we teach the children together.
She has full control over the children and everything that is important in the family. She makes the plans, makes the schedule and I drive the car. She receives the inspiration from the Holy Ghost regarding the family. For example:
“Bill, it’s after twelve and Jeff isn’t home yet, I’m getting worried.
“Let’s get dressed.”
Jeff was driving my red. “69” Chevy.truck with no fenders on the back. You couldl spot it a mile away. He was at his girlfriend’s house and his truck was parked in the street. I walked up to the front door and pounded on it with my fist as hard as I could. He wasn’t expecting me.but he knew who it was and came out instantaneously

Cheryl serves an generous portion of love to each of the children. I supply the discipline. But she oversees the discipline to make sure I don’t overdo it. Standing in the corner is my favorite form of punishment.. The children know that if dad is doing something wrong they can stand him in the corner too. This started out as a game, and for the most part I took it very well. But when your mad you don’t want some little kid saying “Daddy, stand in the corner. That is humiliating with a capital “H“.
Our children are powerful. I don’t mean Cheryl’s kids, I mean yours, ours and mine. They are going out into the world to make it better. They are going to leave here and go on missions and marry in the temple and be powerful individuals in whatever they do.
Bill is my oldest. He has delivered papers from the time we moved into the ward. He has worked on cars and on his truck, built the addition on the house, he has been a Bishop in Pleasant Grove. He is preparing to send Joshua into the mission field. soon. He owns a small business and has bigger plans in the future..
Becky delivered newspapers, put her husband through BSU. She worked at Micron and rose to a very responsible position. She was elected to the school board unanimously (she was running unopposed on the ballot). She owns her own photography business. She has sent her son; Brady, I call him (Bugs) on a mission to Singapore. And will sending her second son, Burke, soon. Her husband is in the bishopbric, served a mission in Argentina and speaks Spanish.
Jeff also delivered newspapers, He has a BA from the University in Salt Lake ( I can’t remember what it is called, it’s up on the hill in Salt Lake. He also has a masters degree from Duke University. He serves on the High Counsel in Ohio, he is a CFO of , Contech, and has sperved a mission in Spain.


Julie also delivered newspapers, served a mission to North Carolina. She is a stay at home mom and home schools her children. Her husband in John Spencer and served a mission to California, Spanish speaking and is a very successful mining engineer,
Cheryln, also delivered newspapers. (Delivered papers means getting up at 5’oclock in the morning, packing thebag with newspaper and riding your bike, no matter what kind of weather, rain, shine, snow, sleet and here in West Bountiful, we have some terrible fog. She is a stay at home mom who home schools her children. Her husband Rusty served a mission to Japan, and is a very successful computer programmer.
Amy also delivered newspaper. She is stay at home mom and a very successful house painter, stone mason, deck railing framer, tile setter, mover and packing expert, and a strong support to two missionaries going to Lubbock Texas.
John delivered newspapers. He is very good at keeping his curfew. I don’t think he wanted me out looking for him, for some strange reason. He was a return missionary from Santa Rosa California. He took a rough space and turned it into a great apartment, He did the sewer, modified the foundation, the electrical, plumbing, framing, sheet rock, tiled the bathroom, bought and installed the cabinets and did some stone work. I am going to miss the big shower John.
Marci has delivered papers too, bought and sold two houses in her short lifetime. She is our designer. She picked out the furniture in the front room, coordinated the paint and carpet and did some painting in the front room and the deck. Brian is a return missionary fromr Venezuela. Looks like someone has written in a little note here. It looks like Brian’s handwriting. It says: He can hit the softball a mile.
This isn’t a pattern for any of you to follow but it has worked for us. The priesthood is in their homes. One or both of them in the case of Julie are returned missionaries. They are married in the temple.
As I said in Chad Willey’s class in Sunday School a few weeks ago, I have had an, easy pull. We were talking about the people who moved the handcarts across the country. My handcart is mechanized, fully suspended with shock absorbers and inflatable rubber tires. The wind is at my back. The road rises to meet me and it is paved with the principles and practices and commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We, Cheryl and I, and our family and all of you all walk into a beautiful morning of the Second Coming. It is indescribable! You just have to let your mind go as you read the scriptures and sing the hymns of this beautiful day of peace and rest.
Cheryl and I go to Lubbock Texas with a red hot burning desire to teach and baptize. The Lord has prepared thousands of people of us to teach and baptize. I close by paraphrasing part of the Fourth Section of the D&C. The field is white already to harvest and we are going to thrust in our sickle with our might, I don’t expect to Harvest a hand full. We’re are going to take a bushel basket. In the name Of Jesus Christ amen