An Example of Service

I have so many memories of my dad, it's hard to decide on a few to share first. I think some of the main things that come to mind are my dad's love of family and of human kind in general. My dad lived a hard life. His parents divorced when he was just five years old, he grew up in a rough neighborhood, and despite working hard, he rarely received the kind of temporal rewards most would expect from such efforts. Despite all of this, he would always strive to see the best in everyone, even those who may have cheated or abused him. He found things to love about everyone he came into contact with, and that love was first grounded at home.

Growing up, my family never had very much from an economic stand point. Despite that, thanks to my parents, we had an opportunity to learn about The Gospel of Jesus Christ and we had a lot of opportunities to love. That love would almost always translate into service. Service for each other, service in the LDS church and Boy Scouts and service to anyone and everyone my parents would come into contact with. Someone told me after my father passed away that he gave me a good foundation with his example of how to love one another and a large knowledge of God and His plain for us. Truer words have never been spoken.

It's an example that he left with everyone who knew him: see the good in the world and go the extra mile for those you care about, which hopefully is everyone. I can't think of a better way to carry on my father's legacy than to help those in need and find something about everyone to love. My dad would tell me that Jesus loves everyone and we are commanded to be like He is. That's not always easy, but I truly believe it's worth striving for. And maybe, just maybe, if more of us try to follow this example, the world might yet be a better place for all.