An Example From His Parents

►Elder Hales had a wonderful example of service shown to him by his parents.  He grew up seeing them serve in various callings in their ward and was raised in a home where the gospel was at the center of their lives.  As soon as he received his driver’s license he remembers helping his mother deliver food to the poor and needy. His father served in the bishopric, but always made the time to give his children personal attention. Elder Hales recalls, “When I was a deacon, my father took me to the Sacred Grove.  There we prayed together and dedicated our lives.  Then he talked to me of sacred things.  When we got back home, my father, who worked as an artist in New York City, painted a picture of the Sacred Grove for me.  I’ve always hung that picture in my office, and when I look at it, I remember my father and our talk that summer afternoon.”