What Good Men Do

By Alison Moulton

From slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce to Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell, great men throughout history have left an example for us to look to. Elder David S. Baxter takes a closer look at the characteristics and attributes of good men so that you can apply them too. He acknowledges that there are no perfect men, but the works and attributes of good men have profound effects. There is no end to the good that a man can do!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781462109524

Book preview

– Preface –

It has been said that the world should be a little better because a man has lived. [1] This is a total truism. Without discounting the role and contribution of good women, of which there are many, the actions and character of men, good or ill, largely shape the world in which we live, whether it be in families, communities, organizations, or nations.

As Joseph Smith, the founding prophet and first President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said to the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1840: A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world anxious to bless the whole human family.[2]

While on an assignment in Southern California, I was privileged to meet Peter Vidmar, the US gymnast who won gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and was twice inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Due to a campaign initiated because of his stand on a moral issue, he had just resigned from a position that represented one of the highest accolades that could be bestowed upon an athlete by any Olympic association. Throughout hate-filled lobbying against him, Peter remained faithful to what he knows to be true and retained his personal integrity. Sadly and ironically, those who constantly scream for tolerance can often prove to be maliciously intolerant of those who disagree with their position. Peter Vidmar courageously rose above it all. Though small in stature, he is truly a giant among men.

The influence of good men spreads far and wide. When a man’s heart is in the right place and his actions are honorable, all who know him are blessed. Conversely, when a man is dishonorable, seeking the pollutions, position, and plaudits of the world, his influence can demean and cause unhappiness in the lives of others. In some cases it can even bring tragic consequences.

Perhaps the greatest thing a man can do on Earth is to be a loving, faithful husband and an outstanding father. Too many wives cry into their pillows at night because of the actions and behavior of the men who should be protecting and providing for them. Too many children have to grow to maturity without the nurturing care and example of good fathers.

Academic research increasingly demonstrates the importance of, and the need for, good men, especially good fathers.[3]

Although elsewhere I have paid tribute to the achievements of single mothers,[4] it is nevertheless a fact that the best prospects for children—especially boys—are achieved when fathers step up and do their duty.

To achieve their full impact, the noble characteristics of good men must be deployed and always present, at home and in public. Good men are constant and reliable.

In Great Britain, seaside resorts usually offer cylindrical rock candy, with their origins in the one-hundred-year-old tradition in Blackpool in the northwest of England and its famous stick of Blackpool rock.

The interesting feature of this solid tube of candy is that the name of the resort is generally found all the way through, from end to end, in red print. Wherever the rock is broken, the name appears and reads the same: "This is illustrated in Brighton Rock, a novel by Graham Greene. The character Ida says, It’s like those sticks of rock: bite it all the way down and you’ll still read Brighton."[5]

Noble characteristics of good men should become deeply ingrained, as if a part of their DNA. Like the rock candy, we should be able to say, Look at this man at every point in his life, and in every circumstance you’ll still see good.

From the song Stout Hearted Men, cowritten by Oscar Hammerstein II and performed by Nelson Eddy, come the words:

Give me some men who are stout-hearted men

Who will fight for the right they adore.

Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men,

And I’ll soon give you ten thousand more.[6]

In this book, I discuss the characteristics and attributes of good men. I also provide brief biographies of virtuous men from history who accomplished great things. These are, by no means, perfect men, but their works and attributes have had profound effects on others. Generally speaking, their lives characterized noble attributes. Unfortunately, none of us are without our faults and inadequacies.

Each reader may well compile his or her own list of good men. This book merely reflects on some good men whose lives have inspired me. Of course, many men have achieved great things and yet have feet of clay because their personal lives do not reflect their public persona. I have avoided these men.

Although I serve in a leadership position in the Church, this book is not an official Church publication, nor should it be considered as being endorsed by the Church or reflect the Church’s position on these matters. This work is entirely my own, and I take full responsibility for its content. If there be faults, they are totally mine.

My appreciation goes to the righteous men who have been a great influence in my life. Over the years, I have seen the good that virtuous men can do. My life has been richly blessed—even transformed—by the example, care, and selfless service of good men, including missionaries who were messengers of peace, branch presidents and bishops who were loving shepherds, a mission president who exemplified dedicated discipleship, friends and colleagues who are true and steadfast, quiet men without guile who live the gospel day by day, and apostles and prophets who long ago gave up any self-interest and personal ambition.

President Ronald Reagan wrote, There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.[7] A wooden block bearing these words was always on his desk in the Oval Office in the White House. I have a replica of it on my desk.

It is an eternal truth that families, societies, and nations are much poorer when men are bad instead of good. The world desperately needs solid men who exemplify masculine goodness. The fact remains that there is no end to the good that a righteous man can do!

I am most grateful to my eternal companion, Dianne, whose Christlike influence has made me a better man than I would otherwise have been, and my thanks goes to Alice Ann Weber, who typed this manuscript.

NOTES

Frances Hodgson Burnett, Little Lord Fauntleroy (Avenel, New Jersey: Gramercy Books, 1995), 428. This edition was published in the same volume as two other novels by Burnett: A Little Princess and The Secret Garden.

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Joseph Smith to the Twelve, October 1840, in Joseph Smith Jr. Collection, 1805–1844, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, 19th Century Western & Mormon Manuscripts, 1130 Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. See http://sc.lib.byu.edu/.

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Fathers for Good, www.fathersforgood.org; accessed March 12, 2014.

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David S. Baxter, Faith, Fortitude, Fulfillment: A Message to Single Parents, Ensign, May 2012, 37.

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Graham Greene, Brighton Rock (New York: Penguin Classics, 2004), 216.

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Frank Mandell, Sigmund Romerg, and Oscar Hammerstein, Stout Hearted Men, sung by Nelson Eddy in the movie New Moon, 1940.

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Michael Reagan, Jim Denney, Newt Gingrich, The New Reagan Revolution (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2011), 177.

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– Prologue –

In the mind of him who is pure and good will be found neither corruption nor defilement, nor any malignant taint. Unlike the actor who leaves the stage before his part is played, the life of such a man is complete whenever death may come. He is neither cowardly nor presuming; not enslaved to life nor indifferent to its duties; and in him is found nothing worthy of condemnation nor that which putteth to shame. Test by a trial, how excellent is the life of a good man—the man who rejoices at the position given him in the universal lot . . . just in all his ways and kindly minded toward all men. This is moral perfection—to live each day as though it were the last; to be tranquil, sincere, yet not indifferent to one’s fate. [1]

—MARCUS AURELIUS

NOTES

Marcus Aurelius, in Elbert Hubbard’s Scrapbook (New York: William H. Wise, 1923), 118.

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– CHAPTER 1 –

The Need for Good Men

Iam convinced that the world does not need more bad men. It has more than enough of them already. We need more good men—men of integrity, sound character, and sheer goodness.

Such goodness is developed by constant righteous living, by obedience to the Lord’s commandments, and by setting our minds, hearts, and ambitions on heavenly things. As Paul encouraged, it is to Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2).

Being gentle and kind, seeking to cultivate cultural enlightenment, and striving to serve others at all times enhances goodness.

Some may object to my use of the term bad men. While it may be regarded as a somewhat harsh and over-judgmental statement, it is nonetheless descriptive of those men who cause havoc in the lives of others and bring heartache to their wives and children, even to the fracturing of families and the breakup of homes, which ultimately affects many generations to come. Instead of a legacy of faith and discipleship, such men leave bad examples for those who follow and divorced wives who never signed up for the destructive influence of the men they trusted and gave their lives to. In effect, these good women were sold a false prospectus.

I have experienced through the actions of my stepfathers the traumatic effects of what bad men can do. I wish I could find a better description, but I cannot. They were simply bad men and remained so until their deaths.

The generational consequences of the conduct of these men cannot be overestimated. The Lord said in the Ten Commandments that he would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me (Deuteronomy 5:9). Such a penalty resulting from the iniquity of a father is not as much the retribution of a vengeful and vindictive God as it is a statement of fact that the deeds of a bad man have far-reaching impacts on the lives and opportunities of his children and grandchildren, and that God will not interfere to prevent the resulting consequences. Lives can be forever affected by the foolish and sinful actions of a single man.

Some years ago, a good friend of mine whose actions were destroying his family visited me in hopes of selling me life insurance. Part of the pitch was that I needed to adequately provide for my family when I die. Knowing of his circumstances, I turned over the insurance illustration and mapped out the eternal consequences of what he was providing for his children and grandchildren through his actions. I drew a family tree, showing his children, the likely number of their children, and so on. It was not long before we reached over a thousand people.

I suggested that because of his actions, his entire posterity would, in all likelihood,