When I was growing up and participating in the Young Men organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there were two important programs that comprised the complete, holistic structure of development. On the temporal side, we had the Boy Scouts of America. Weekly activities at ‘scouts’ as we called it reinforced skills and behaviors like caring for our health, surviving in the outdoors, technical and career aptitudes, citizenship and community building, and other important things a young man needs to lead a productive and effective life. On the more spiritual side, we had the Duty to God program. The Duty to God program, complimentary to the Personal Progress program for the young women, involved a series of requirements outlined in a small booklet, that young men were encouraged to complete as they progressed through the Aaronic priesthood offices. In addition to a series of requirements that echoed things we were doing as Boy Scouts, things like scripture study, regular church attendance, speaking and teaching, participating in service assignments, and keeping a journal are things I recall doing to bolster my faith and give purpose and meaning to my spiritual and religious development as a youth. Between these two programs, in theory, a young man would outfit himself with the skills and habits requisite to a fulfilling and productive life as a student, missionary, husband, father, citizen, and most importantly, follower of Jesus Christ.
In 2010, when I was within one year of completing the Duty to God program, the Church unveiled a revised and updated Duty to God program for young men around the world. In the new booklet, the young men were presented with a much more consolidated set of requirements. In just one booklet to be used for the duration of the program (as opposed to the previous program with a different booklets for each of the three offices of the Aaronic priesthood a young man advances through), the young men cover themes rooted in spiritual strength and Priesthood duties paralleled with the physical health, education, and family and friends sections of the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. The underlying purpose of these emphases was a pattern known as Learn, Act, and Share. The young men were to learn their duty, act on what they know, and share their experiences with others.
Last year, my friend Wade Fox was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease attacks the neurons and muscles of the body resulting in the decreased functionality of processes like walking, swallowing, breathing, and talking. There is no known cure, and a diagnosis means imminent death or severe debilitation, degenerating over time.
But Brother Fox is the man for the challenge. This man has been our home teacher since we moved into the ward in early 2015, and he hasn’t missed a month. He is a man of true American grit, raised on the land as a cattleman working sun up to sun down. With physical strength the stuff of legend, the story goes that once, in a fit of frustration, accidentally killed a restless cow with one punch to her head. As a business man drawing from skills learned on the ranch, he traveled the whole world over providing services in livestock management. He has always been that guy at every church activity, every service project, fulfilling every responsibility given to him and making those feel welcome by getting them involved as well. This is someone who knows what the most important things in life are, no matter the cost.
Anyone in our congregation and community wouldn’t hesitate to identify or describe Brother Fox as a man of mighty influence, testimony, and subtle demonstration of Christlike attributes. A man of few words, he speaks volumes with his example and character. His quiet persistence and spiritual strength is probably comparable physically only to that of…well…a rancher. His stalwart commitment to the work of God goes without comparison, but many will agree that the heaviest weight of his legacy in the Church is with the young men. Having spent years in the young men organization, attending countless camping trips and scouting events, weekly activities and leadership trainings, Brother Fox never failed to let anyone observing him know what, or better who, his priority was. It is the influence he had on young men over the years that causes so many to revere his efforts. Not one young man standing before the ward before embarking on his mission left Brother Fox off of their list of people to thank for mentoring them on their path in life.
Awhile back, Brother Fox was specifically called as a Duty to God mentor in the ward. His responsibility was to encourage the young men and help them work at fulfilling the requirements to advance in the program. Because of his dedication, many of the boys took the activities more seriously than they may have otherwise, and have completed the requirements and received their advancement certificates. But in addition to that, Brother Fox takes the time to make each of them who achieve advancement a small wooden block (about the size of a brick) with a carving on each of the four sides. On one side, it has their name, and on the other three it has in bold letters the words LEARN, ACT, and SHARE. It’s a tangible reminder of the underlying purpose and principles of the Duty to God program that they should be carrying on throughout their lives into adulthood.
Since I graduated from the Young Men organization in 2011 with both the Duty to God (I opted to stick with the old version I had started rather than start the new program) and Eagle Scout awards, and having since served a full-time mission and began fulfilling other Priesthood responsibilities as an adult, I have come to understand more fully the impact my involvement in those programs has had on my life. I learned invaluable truths and developed essential skills. Much of what I accomplished in the mission field and succeed at today is built upon the spiritual foundation I developed as part of the Duty to God program. Perhaps the young men don’t fully understand the value what they are doing now will have for their future lives, but that’s normal. If they do their part now, I am confident that one day they will look back as I have and realize the importance of it all.
Brother Fox’s disease has escalated rapidly in the past several months. When he was once teaching us from a Church magazine or sharing an experience from his life, he now carries a whiteboard to write down his thoughts because he has lost his ability to speak due to muscular atrophy in the throat. Since I have been able to see Brother Fox in action for quite some time now, both in his duties at church and in my own home as a home teacher, I have come to understand that his voice isn’t necessarily one of volume or clarity, but of example and action – sharing the gospel as he lives his life and lifts where he stands. His previous lessons given in our home were always meaningful, but now I feel like his teachings are all the more profound seeing him fighting this disease and still coming around to do his ‘Duty to God.’ Each month, he leaves a printed summary of his thought that we can keep on the fridge as a reminder of what he shared. It’s been a profound example that I will never forget.
It’s uncertain how much longer Brother Fox will continue his battle with ALS. We don’t know how much longer he will be in his pew on Sunday or how many more monthly visits he will make to our home with his whiteboard and printouts. We don’t know how much longer he will be there in Priesthood meetings or loading his truck for service projects or other assignments. We don’t know how many more young men in the ward will receive their LEARN, ACT, and SHARE bricks upon completing their Duty to God requirements. For that reason, though I’m not a youth in the ward, I asked Brother Fox if he would make a brick for me with my name on it. I requested it not just to serve as a reminder of my Duty to God, but of a man who actually did his. I will always have it as a tool to aid me as I act and share messages throughout my life.
My experience knowing Brother Fox has allowed me to better comprehend what it means to learn, act, and share. He has truly taught me what it means to “seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness,”1 and the essence of selfless service. My testimony of the truths taught in the Duty to God program has increased, and I know that if the young men take those things to heart and apply them in their lives, they are only setting themselves up for success in the future. I can only hope to one day be as Brother Fox is. He may have lost his vocal voice, but his spiritual one speaks even louder still.
Wade Fox passed away at his home after an 18-month battle with ALS on October 22, 2016.
The Duty to God and Personal Progress programs for young men and young women, respectively, was replaced with the Children and Youth program in 2020.
References
- Matthew 6:33
Dillon Boss 