9 Fathers Who Taught Me How To Be A Man

Learning how to be a man has never been an easy task, but in today’s world it is even harder with societies prevailing culture. Culture tells us men are either dumb, ugly, stupid, incompetent, or that men are macho, mean, hard, and tough, and emotionless. Yet when I look at the ultimate examples of being a man I think of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I think of their attributes and qualities, and I realize there is so much more to being a real man than what society would tell you.

This Father’s Day I’ve decided to highlight 9 fathers who’ve taught me how to be a man, either with their words or actions. This is not an inclusive list, there are many that have taught me lessons, and helped me in life. This includes almost all my Church Leaders, and many of the Priesthood leaders on my mission, I am thankful for what you’ve taught me. But these 9 in particular stood out as I thought “Who has had a major impact in my life.”

Roger Goff
My dad taught me about the priesthood. When I was 7 years old he had a heart attack, but at the time he did not know it was a heart attack, he received a priesthood blessing that told him to go to the hospital. He did, and when he explained he was not feeling well, and his left arm hurt, rushed him in, finding an almost fatal heart attack. Had he waited he would be dead. He taught me to ask for blessings, and then follow them. He also ordained me to all the offices I hold in the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood. Deacon, Teacher, Priest, and Elder.

Clair Harmon, Scott Allan, and Scott Jennings.
These 3 men were active in the Young Men’s program, they were my Boy Scout leaders. They taught me about the need to serve in the church, and the effect that leaders can have in the youth. I felt like they took me under their wing, and helped me learn, grow, and achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. I am forever thankful for the camping expeditions, the hiking, lakes, waterfalls, bike rides they took me on.

But most important I am thankful that they held “stick on the fire” every camp out (Stick on the fire is a testimony meeting where everyone takes a stick, and one by one you share your testimony and at the end you put your stick on the fire, by the end the fire is roaring). Stick on the fire was the opportunity I needed to feel safe in sharing my small testimony. Those testimony meetings helped me become who I am today. These men sacrificed time with their family to help me, and it has changed me life.

Philip cammens

Phil was my first real boss. He taught me about sacrifice. He hired me, in May of 2010 and I tried to work hard. Near the end of the year, I told him I was moving from Taylorsville to Orem in January. I asked if I could get transferred to the Orem store, I explained that we only had 1 car as a family, and could not afford to work in Taylorsville, while living in Orem.

He asked if I would stay through the new years season to help the store out, I said yes. Come January, I asked about the transfer. And he got somber, he turned to me and said that the Orem store denied the transfer, he said they had hired 4 new people 2 weeks ago, and they are over staffed. He looked at me and said, “I’m sorry, do you have any other potential job?” I replied, “No, I don’t, but it is ok, I will just do what I did before, pray and ask God to provide.” He looked at me and said, “I can give you rides”. I replied “what?” and he said “I can give you a ride to work.”

So almost every day until I left for my mission Phil gave me a ride to, and from work. I worked almost 45 minutes from home, and this man had a family. His sacrifice allowed me to serve a mission, this man, took me under his wing, and for that I am eternally thankful, he allowed me to serve the lord. He gave me rides from Jan of 2011 to Jan of 2012 every day for basically an entire year.

President Wilkey

President Wilkey was my Mission President when I started my mission, he taught me the importance to always follow the Spirit. One day I was having an exceptionally hard day dealing with something that went wrong, I was with a member and the member was complaining about my mistake and while he was complaining I got a text message from President Wilkey. I asked if we could read it in case it was something important. He said sure, as I read it said, “Elder Goff I feel like I need to message you, and to tell you don’t worry about X, as long as you learned from it, and move forward it is ok” It was exactly what I needed, it taught me the power of the Spirit, and that the gift of discernment is real. I turned to the member and showed the message to him, he apologized and said, “That is a man of God”.

Russell Walker
Russell, or as I knew him Elder Walker was my trainer on my mission, commonly called your “father”. Russell taught me how to be a true friend. He inspired me to change my life, when I started my mission with him I was 300 lbs, he encouraged me to start trying to lose weight, I am currently in the 220’s. When he saw something I needed help with, he would help me. And when he saw something that I thought I needed help with, but that he knew I could do, he encouraged me to do it. This allowed me to grow, and learn from my own effort. He was always there for me, to support me, he taught me to be a true friend. To this day I am still best friends with Russ.

Frank Perron
Frank Perron taught me to be Christlike in service. This man lives in Vermont, and every time we would visit his house he would be doing something to help others. Frank spent his life in the service of others. He inspired me, he taught me the power that comes with humility and charity. I never heard him talk ill of others, or get upset. He has inspired me to be more humble and charitable.

President Stoker
President stoker taught me how to lead. President Stoker was my mission president for the last couple months of my mission, one day he asked advice from me. It shocked me, I did not feel like I had anything worth sharing with other missionaries, only with non members. He called me to help other missionaries, and I did so until the end of my mission. My blogging is largely due to his efforts to encourage me to help others. And it has been a driving force post mission. To always strive to help members and missionaries. The confidence he placed in me, allowed me to put confidence that the Lord could help people through me.