Lessons of the past prepare us to face the challenges of the future

Apostle Tom Perry said in October 2009 conference "Lessons of the past
prepare us to face the challenges of the future."
As we raise our children and chart our own courses we need to learn
from past mistakes, choose models to follow, build on traditions, and
set high expectations.
An important person in the raising of my children was their
grandfather who moved to Edmonton after my mother died – Melanie was
sick during her pregnancy with Annelise and their grandfather came to
take care of the other children.
In his retirement he wrote family history "Them of the Last Wagon" and
"Faithful Generation" and researched and found thousands of family
names for genealogy. He also raised horses.
Elder Packer said, "I have horses not because I raise horses.  I have
horses because I'm raising children." Every summer my children spent
riding horses with their grandfather.
Their grandfather learned horsemanship from his father.  His father,
Peirce Fisher, was 16 when he was called to serve a mission building
irrigation canals in Canada.  One of his jobs was cutting prairie
grass as hay for the horses that pulled the graders that moved earth.
One cold fall day while cutting hay he accidentally cut his elbow. He
wrapped it as best he could, but soon his elbow was became stiff.  He
built a fire to warm himself.  The wind caught the fire and soon the
prairie was a blaze.  Work was stopped on the canal to fight the fire.
 As the last flames were put out, an old timer suggested he get on a
horse and flee across the border to the U.S.  to avoid arrest.
Instead he chose to stay and face whatever consequences the law would
require.  Several weeks later he met the Mounties who believed his
story and cleared him of any wrong doing.  After that he always had
great respect for the red coats.
Elder Perry said, "When we received the special blessing of knowledge
of the gospel of Jesus Christ and took upon ourselves the name of
Christ by entering the waters of baptism, we also accepted the
obligation to share the gospel with others."
Missionary service had been established as a tradition in Peirce's family.
Harvey Peirce was 19 when he entered the Salt Lake Valley with the
first company of pioneers on July 24, 1847.  Ten years later he was
among 70 men who were called as hand cart missionaries who left Salt
Lake pulling handcarts to the eastern United States.  Three years
later he returned from his mission sick and never recovered, leaving
his children fatherless.
His son, Eli Harvey Peirce Jr., was born in 1851.  In 1875 Eli was
working for the railroad.
"On the fifth day of October, 1875, at the Semi-annual Conference of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, I was called to
perform a mission to the United States. Just why my name was suggested
as a candidate for this mission, and presented at conference for
approval or rejection by the people, I cannot say. My mind prior to
that time had been entirely given up to temporalities. I had never
read to exceed a dozen chapters of the Bible in my life, and little
more than that from either the Book of Mormon or Doctrine and
Covenants, and concerning Church history was entirely ignorant. Had
never made but one attempt to address a public audience, large or
small, and that effort was no credit to me. Had been engaged in the
railroad business for a number of years, and this occupation would
have deprived me of meetings and religious services even had my
inclinations led in that direction, which I frankly confess they did
not. I had become almost an inveterate smoker, and bought cigars by
the wholesale, a thousand at a time. Was addicted to the use of
language which, if not profane, was at least vulgar, and
reprehensible."
"One of my fellow employees was at the conference; I was not, because
I did not care to be. He heard my name called, abruptly left the
meeting and ran over to the telegraph office to tell me the startling
news. This was the first intimation I had received that such a thing
was contemplated. At the very moment this intelligence was being
flashed over the wires, I was sitting lazily thrown back in an office
rocking chair, my feet on the desk, reading a novel and simultaneously
sucking an old Dutch pipe, of massive pro- portions, just to vary the
monotony of cigar smoking. As soon as I had been informed of what had
taken place, I threw the novel in the waste basket, the pipe in a
corner and started up town to buy a catechism. Have never read a novel
nor smoked a pipe from that hour. Sent in my resignation the same day,
to take effect at once, in order that I might have time for study and
preparation."
Remarkable as it may seem, and has since appeared to me, a thought of
disregarding the call, or of refusing to comply with the requirement,
never once entered my mind. The question I asked myself a thousand
times, and which seemed so all-important, was: "How can I accomplish
this mission? How can I, who am so shamefully ignorant and untaught in
doctrine, do honor to God and justice to the souls of men, and merit
the trust reposed in me by the Priesthood?"
I was rebaptized, confirmed, set apart, ordained a Seventy and started
on my mission, all within a month from the time I was called. And was
on my way to Pennsylvania.
Three years later he gave the following recapitulation: Baptisms, 108:
ordinations, 11; children blessed, 37; branches organized, 5; branches
re-organized, 1; marriages, 1; meetings held, 249; miles traveled,
9870; total cost, $1320. ELI H. PEIRCE.
One story that Eli told was about administering to a baby.
Was called in to administer to the youngest child of one of the branch
presidents. The mother, an apostate, seriously objected to anything of
the kind in her presence, and she refused to leave the bedside of the
dying child. Not wishing to intrude, we retired to an upper room to
pray, and she, designing our motives, sent her little girl to spy upon
us. In a secluded chamber we knelt down and prayed earnestly and
fervently, until we felt that the child would live and knew that our
prayers had been heard and answered. Turning round, we saw the little
girl standing in the half open door gazing intently into the room, but
not heeding our movements. She stood as if entranced for some seconds,
her eyes fixed immovably upon a certain spot, and did not stir until
her father spoke. She then said, "Papa, who was that other man in
there?" He answered, "Brother Peirce." She said, "No, I mean that
other man." He replied, "There was no other, darling, except Brother
Peirce and myself; we were praying for baby." She shook her head, and,
with perfect composure, said, "Oh, yes, there was; I saw him standing
between you and Mr. Peirce, and he was all dressed in white" This was
repeated to the mother, who tried every means in her power to persuade
the child that it was a mere delusion, but all to no purpose.
Entreaties, bribes, threats and expostulations were alike unavailing.
She knew what she had seen and nothing could shake that conviction.
The baby was speedily restored to perfect health.  Eli Peirce had
gained a testimony.
Writing in the Ensign this month President Monson stated this about
Learning the Lessons of the Past.
"In the search for our best selves, several questions will guide our
thinking: Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savior today than
I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage
to change for the better? …
"The years have come and the years have gone, but the need for a
testimony of the gospel continues paramount. As we move toward the
future, we must not neglect the lessons of the past."
My grandfather Peirce Fisher met my Grandmother in Canada. They
married the 16 January 1901, traveling several days by train to Salt
Lake where they could be sealed in the temple. He never left the
mission field.  In the 1950s, he asked a general authority for a
release so he could return to live near his family in Salt Lake.  "Who
called you on your mission?" the general authority asked.  "Lorenzo
Snow."  "Then he will have to release you."
Peirce Fisher served as a patriarch for 36 years until his death in
1962.  When I was 10, before we left to live in Europe, I received my
patriarchal blessing from him.
Your patriarchal blessing is your Personal Liahona, writes President Monson.
"Your patriarchal blessing is yours and yours alone. It may be brief
or lengthy, simple or profound. Length and language do not a
patriarchal blessing make. It is the Spirit that conveys the true
meaning. Your blessing is not to be folded neatly and tucked away. It
is not to be framed or published. Rather, it is to be read. It is to
be loved. It is to be followed. Your patriarchal blessing will see you
through the darkest night. It will guide you through life's dangers. …
Your patriarchal blessing is to you a personal Liahona to chart your
course and guide your way. …
"Patience may be required as we watch, wait, and work for a promised
blessing to be fulfilled."3
We need to set high expectations for ourselves and for our children.
Missionary service was set early in our home as a high expectation.
President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: "So many of us look upon
missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this
work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of
the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator,
there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of
the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his
investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress
in learning the gospel."
My father's brother Jim drowned at 21 and his insurance was used to
send my father on a mission to the Northwestern States Mission.  He
was called in 1939 before Canada went to war and served until 1941.
He made the mistake of going across the border to the temple in
Cardston and was required to spend 6 weeks in the midst of his mission
in boot camp.  During WWII he spent two years in England and while he
was there he did genealogy and sent the names home to his mother who
had the work done in the Cardston temple.

President Monson wrote we need to build on A Foundation of Faith.
"If we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of
truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy
winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us.
"Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to
return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order for us to be
tested, we must face challenges and difficulties. These can break us,
and the surface of our souls may crack and crumble—that is, if our
foundations of faith, our testimonies of truth are not deeply embedded
within us."
Come unto Him
"Remember that you do not walk alone. … As you walk through life,
always walk toward the light, and the shadows of life will fall behind
you. …
"As I [have] turned to the scriptures for inspiration, a particular
word [has] stood out time and time again. The word [is] 'come.' The
Lord said, 'Come unto me.' He said, 'Come learn of me.' He also said,
'Come, follow me.' I like that word, come. My plea is that we would
come to the Lord."
Sources:
Thomas S. Monson, "On Being Spiritually Prepared," Liahona, Feb 2010, 4–6