The following was written by Robison Wells for the June 2019 Ensign.
It’s not just what our fathers teach us that matters; often it’s what they don’t teach us that can make the difference.
When I think of my dad, the words that the Lord said about Hyrum Smith come to mind: “I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me” (Doctrine and Covenants 124:15).
Loving that which is right, my dad taught me many life lessons as I was growing up. But I’m especially grateful for the things he never taught me.
He never taught me to be selfish. When my mom was pregnant with me, and my dad was in college, hoping to become a doctor, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She went downhill quickly, having to quit her job and having trouble taking care of my older brother. My dad, knowing where his priorities lay, went to his school counselor to figure out the quickest way to graduate: they found that instead of pre-med, he could graduate soon with a degree in psychology. It wouldn’t get him to his goal, but he’d have a degree and maybe he could get a better job. He did it in a heartbeat. He gave up his career dream because he loved his wife more than that dream.
Read the full article on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.