Life Lessons From Fathers of Faith

by Gary W. Toyn, Michael K. Winder

Featuring Latter-day Saint sons' and daughters' recollections of their famous and not-so-famous fathers from all walks of life, this engaging celebration of unforgettable moments and immeasurable gifts will show any father how it's often the little things that make the biggest difference in a child's life. What is your favorite childhood memory of your father? How has he influenced who you are today? What did your father teach you that has stayed with you? Rich with unforgettable recollections, engaging anecdotes, and timeless wisdom, spending time with Fathers of Faith is like sitting down with a group friends who have remarkable tales to share about their fathers, ordinary and extraordinary men who are remembered and cherished for some of their best moments. Woven within these compelling and eloquent reflections of fatherly advice, you'll find compassion, strength, honor, discipline, and occasional eccentricity. Fathers of Faith contains more than one hundred inspiring tributes, including stories from or Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gordon B. Hinckley, Mitt Romney, J. Willard Marriott, Steven R. Covey, Greg Olsen, Jane Clayson Johnson, LaVell Edwards, Larry H. Miller, Bronco Mendenhall, Janice Kapp Perry, Academy Award winning filmmakers, Kieth Merrill and Jerry Molen, and dozens more touching true stories.

Genres: Lds, Inspirational, Religion, Nonfiction

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Gary W. Toyn is a critically acclaimed author whose work explores courage, resilience, and moral conviction in history’s darkest moments.

His latest novel, "From Malice to Ashes," was selected as a BookLife Editor’s Pick by Publisher’s Weekly and praised by Kirkus Reviews and Historical Fiction Company.

He is also the author of "For Malice and Mercy" and "The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima."

He continues to research and write about ordinary people who choose courage over fear.

He has collaborated with many notable figures like Stephen R. Covey, Harry Reid, Bob Dole, Orrin Hatch, Clayton Christensen, and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, among many others.

Reviews

[Stacey Starley · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith, I was a little disappointed. The previous book is written primarily by the children of each mother. A good portion of Father's is contexted phrasing regarding prominent leader fathers. I did love Mike Winder's essay and that was worth the rest of the book right there. Also I did quite enjoy Viriginia Pearce's relaying the Mountain Meadows experience she had with her father. These were truly beautiful but the Mother's book had such diversity right from the beginning that added as I read through. I suppose both were designed more as a coffee table book but I was rapt from cover to cover with the Mother's.

Also I personally know the father of Gary Toyn and he was such an instrumental and inspiring figure to me in my childhood that his son's memoir was unfair and harsh. I am happy he was able to kindle a spirit of forgiveness and create a bond with a man he wasn't able to respect in his youth before it was too late, but I hope he truly appreciates what a truly wonderful man his father is. I remember him in his overalls gently and kindly helping my mother see the plants in his nursery (my mother had limited sight). I remember eating cookies with his wife playing with his granddaughter in the front yard. He was my fourth grade teacher and gave me a strong foundation and love of mathematics. An absolute love of learning. He traveled from out of state to come to my wedding reception years later. A truly remarkable father that deserved to be recognized in that manner.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because I was interested in reading about the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, plus LaVell Edwards, Doug Wright, Bruce R. McConkie and many other notables. (There are at least 100 stories, maybe more.) However, after I read the stories from those people that I was familiar with, I then started reading stories from some of the other "not-so-famous" fathers, and was pleasantly surprised to find so many amazing stories. One guy would willingly endure being a Japanese POW again, just to make sure the Book of Mormon was in his life. One guy never missed a month of home teaching in his entire adult life. Another guy nearly jumped off a battleship to go rescue his father who was being held as a Japanese POW. There are funny stories, poignant stories, inspiring stories and amazing stories. It's a handsomely designed book, and even has pages in the back of the book that you can write your own memory about your father. Too bad I bought this copy, as it would love to have my own kids write their own memories of our relationship as they grew up. Overall, an incredibly good book. I highly recommended it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading about LDS people and how their fathers had an affect on their lives. It gave me a great chance to think back on how my father influenced me in everything that I do. The best part is my dad is still around and I enjoy talking to him and learning from him still. I even feel lucky enough to have a father-in-law that teaches and influences my life as well.

I am sure that there are any number of people that Winder and Toyn could have asked to write down something regarding fathers and it would have been interesting, this just happened to be from men and women that are very familiar to the LDS population.

Very simple read and actually moves quite quickly, disregard the size because there are plenty of pictures that are fun to view.

Guess I better call my dad and thank him for being the person that he is and that he had a great influence on my life!

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished the book this morning. What a great collection of honest down to life stories about fathers and father figures. The stories were so varied and honest. There were stories you could tell that the author had to really work hard to figure out what made the person they were writing about so important to them. In those instances, I could tell that it the experience of writing about that person was a journey in itself was a healing and positive experience. There were stories written by famous people and many whom I had never heard of. This book is packed with a lot of stories so it took me quite awhile to finish it. The layout of each page was also interesting to look at. Great book!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed thru it because it was due back at the library. 1/3 of the people I didn't know. It seemed to be a who's who of LDS Utah Dads. I enjoyed reading about the men I knew of...
There is one poem in there that I absolutely love and plan on sharing with my father this year for Father's Day. It's by Janice Kapp Perry and is called "My Father's Faith."

[Spencer F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed these short 2-4 page narratives about outstanding fathers. It caused me to think of my father and his contribution to my life and is an encouragement for me to be a good influence on my children. I highly recommend this to anyone.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I asked for this for my birthday and got it for Christmas some 3 weeks later. I enjoyed the diversity of experiences that are in the book.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Lot's of varied accounts of different types of father / child relationships.

[Monta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading this one to my mom. She's loving it. I'm certainly liking it more than I expected. There are actually some pretty good stories.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version and found each story to be inspiration and uplifting.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is huge but really good! I would buy it.

[Kim]

enjoyed listening to this book on CD; fascinating to learn about how these "fathers of faith" influenced their children

[Suzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching, inspiring. Made me think of what lessons my own father taught me. Well worth the time to read.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened.
I think I would've liked it better if I'd read the physical book. It was a little confusing sometimes who I was listening about, and I imagine the book has some interesting pictures. Also, I was starting and stopping (in the car) a lot.
Nice to hear about good people and how they were good parents, gave me some good ideas. Except when it made me feel guilty for what I don't do well. But, I guess everyone is given the right parents for them, to learn what they need to.

[Micah Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great stories about peoples fathers and the influence they have had in their lives. There were famous fathers and local fathers who were not so famous. It seemed to be a bit lengthy, but the stories were all inspiring.

[Aaron Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished listening to the audiobook version of the book. Wonderful stories of real ordinary men in their roles as fathers, some better known than others. While not perfect, they did their best in their divine role.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't able to finish this book all the way. But I rounded up, it would've been closer to 3.5. I appreciated the stories that were newly written and not taken from other sources and pieced together. There are a couple of stories that were very well written where the authors shared real life, personal experiences with their fathers or Father figure. These were some unforgettable stories.