The saying goes that if you give a man a fish, you have fed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, you have fed him for a lifetime. Ezra's father certainly did the second.
However, Ezra learned much more from his father than how to fish. He learned that he could rely on his Heavenly Father. This knowledge will serve him throughout his life even better than his ability to fish.
Knowing how much he needs his Heavenly Father's help, Ezra is careful to worthily fulfill his responsibilities as a priest, the office to which his father ordained him the week before he died. He also schedules his fishing so that it doesn't conflict with school and seminary.
What's more, he is saving what money he can from fishing so that one day he can be a fisher of men (see Matthew 4:19).
"During one family home evening, my father expressed his desire that we all serve missions," Ezra says. "That is my utmost goal."
Ezra remembers that the Lord answered him when he called. "I want to be able to answer Him when He calls me."
Ezra and his friend Fetu return in an outrigger canoe from pulling in their nets.
Ezra plans to serve a mission. He remembers that Heavenly Father answered him when he called. "I want to be able to answer Him when He calls me," Ezra says.
Having to take over his father's role as provider, Ezra says, "I found it difficult the first time to walk in the steps of my father."
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Photographs by Adam C. Olson, except as noted
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