Our family consisted of our parents and six children. The three oldest were girls and three youngest were boys. My brothers and I shared the same bedroom. As we advanced in age we graduated from prayers at Mother’s knee to personal prayers at our bedside. Mother continued to supervise the process until she was certain we were sufficiently mature to handle it on our own. As we retired, we always had a consciousness of the nearness of Mother. She would stand outside our door until the right combination of sounds verified the fact that her sons had been on their knees to thank the Lord for his blessings of that day. If we were forgetful we would hear her voice, “Boys, have you said your prayers?” If we had remembered, then after prayers were completed and we jumped into bed, we would hear her footsteps going downstairs to complete her day’s activities.
Mother assumed the responsibility each morning of turning the backs of the chairs toward the table as a reminder to have family prayers before partaking of the first nourishment of the day. How we enjoyed hearing our father pour out his heart to the Lord asking for the protection of his family! It was as if a special shield had been placed around us by a father bearing the priesthood as we would embark on our daily activities at the beginning of each day.
L. Tom Perry, “Knowing and Accepting Answers to Prayer,” Prayer. Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, UT. 1978. P.53
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