"Who can probe a mother’s love? Who can comprehend in its entirety the
lofty role of a mother? With perfect trust in God, she walks, her hand
in his, into the valley of the shadow of death that you and I might come
forth unto life...
"May each of us treasure this truth: one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one." - Thomas S. Monson
"May each of us treasure this truth: one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one." - Thomas S. Monson
Motherhood
(Taken from http://motherhood.mormon.org/)
It’s the highest, holiest service assumed by
humankind. It’s the definition of selfless service. It’s both a
daunting responsibility and a glorious opportunity. The divine role of
motherhood is a gift from God, and key to His plan of happiness for all
His children.
Who helped you tie your shoes or learn a new piece on the
piano? When you forgot your science project was due the next day, who
made a late-night run for poster board and glue? It was Mom.
Every Christmas, even though money was always tight, who consistently pulled off a miracle and made Christmas morning magical and memorable? It was Mom.
Now that you’re a parent, you may scratch your head wondering how she did it all. Each day is filled with toys to put away and noses to wipe, dinners to make and work to squeeze in. You can’t remember when—if ever—she took time for herself. But now you feel what your mom must have felt as you watch your toddler fall asleep and listen to his giggles in the other room.
You now understand better than ever that mothers are gifts from God. In fact, motherhood is the “highest, holiest service . . . given to mankind.”
Every Christmas, even though money was always tight, who consistently pulled off a miracle and made Christmas morning magical and memorable? It was Mom.
Now that you’re a parent, you may scratch your head wondering how she did it all. Each day is filled with toys to put away and noses to wipe, dinners to make and work to squeeze in. You can’t remember when—if ever—she took time for herself. But now you feel what your mom must have felt as you watch your toddler fall asleep and listen to his giggles in the other room.
You now understand better than ever that mothers are gifts from God. In fact, motherhood is the “highest, holiest service . . . given to mankind.”
“MOTHERS ARE ENDOWED WITH A LOVE THAT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER LOVE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.”Marjorie Pay Hinckley
You are a child of God who He entrusted to your mother’s care,
her hands substituted for God’s as she bandaged a skinned knee or wiped
away your tears. Her words of love and wisdom guided you through rough
patches, instilling in you the confidence to succeed. The things she
taught you became the lessons you now teach to your own children.
Being a mother is so much more than a biological process. It’s a heavenly job created by God before this life. In heaven, all of us who live now and all who have ever lived on earth lived with God as His spirit sons and daughters. God has a plan that allows all of us to come to earth, acquire physical bodies, and grow through life’s experiences, eventually returning to Him again after we die.
Being a mother is so much more than a biological process. It’s a heavenly job created by God before this life. In heaven, all of us who live now and all who have ever lived on earth lived with God as His spirit sons and daughters. God has a plan that allows all of us to come to earth, acquire physical bodies, and grow through life’s experiences, eventually returning to Him again after we die.
“There is no limit to what a mother can accomplish. Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so.”Julie B. Beck
God chose mothers to bear the responsibility of providing
physical bodies for His children through the miraculous process of
pregnancy and birth. Being a mother means participating in the miracle
that is God’s greatest work. Thomas S. Monson, a modern-day prophet,
said, “One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two
sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in
sacrifice, in service, are as one.”
The divine role of motherhood is exhibited in all women, whether they’ve born children or not. It is important to remember that the call to nurture is not limited to our own flesh and blood. Whether it’s an aunt, a teacher, a friend, or a community leader, we are all deeply indebted to the moral, steadying influence of good women in our lives.
The divine role of motherhood is exhibited in all women, whether they’ve born children or not. It is important to remember that the call to nurture is not limited to our own flesh and blood. Whether it’s an aunt, a teacher, a friend, or a community leader, we are all deeply indebted to the moral, steadying influence of good women in our lives.
JESUS CHRIST SHOWED US THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO TREAT OUR MOTHERS.
Mary had humbly listened to an angel tell her that she, a
virgin, would carry and give birth to the long-awaited Messiah. How
would she explain to her betrothed, Joseph, what God had asked her to
do? Despite her unanswered questions, she had said, “Behold the handmaid
of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).
All of the feelings of inadequacy that mothers sometimes feel must have rested on Mary, who knew that Jesus was meant to become something far greater than a mere carpenter. She watched her son confound older men in the temple and, later, turn water to wine. She heard firsthand His transcendental teachings and saw the outcome of His innumerable miracles—the blind seeing, the dead living, and the dumb speaking. She wondered at all of it.
But nothing—not scripture or miracles or prophecy—could have prepared her to watch her son die. Mary’s heart broke as Jesus was sentenced to the cruelest death imaginable. As Jesus hung from the cross, Mary looked up into her son’s tortured face and wept.
Jesus never forgot His mother, even as His crucified body trembled with indescribable pain.
From the cross, He saw His trusted disciple, and said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son!”
And to the disciple, He said, “Behold thy mother!”
He never forgot, even in His anguish, the woman who cared for Him even before she could hold Him in her arms—the earthly mother who had prepared Him for a divine mission.
All of the feelings of inadequacy that mothers sometimes feel must have rested on Mary, who knew that Jesus was meant to become something far greater than a mere carpenter. She watched her son confound older men in the temple and, later, turn water to wine. She heard firsthand His transcendental teachings and saw the outcome of His innumerable miracles—the blind seeing, the dead living, and the dumb speaking. She wondered at all of it.
But nothing—not scripture or miracles or prophecy—could have prepared her to watch her son die. Mary’s heart broke as Jesus was sentenced to the cruelest death imaginable. As Jesus hung from the cross, Mary looked up into her son’s tortured face and wept.
Jesus never forgot His mother, even as His crucified body trembled with indescribable pain.
From the cross, He saw His trusted disciple, and said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son!”
And to the disciple, He said, “Behold thy mother!”
He never forgot, even in His anguish, the woman who cared for Him even before she could hold Him in her arms—the earthly mother who had prepared Him for a divine mission.
“THERE ARE FEW THINGS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE PRAYERS OF A RIGHTEOUS MOTHER.”Boyd K. Packer
Most mothers know that whenever life is overwhelming, they can
turn to God. Because motherhood is a divinely appointed calling, mothers
are enabled by help from above in times of need. Through sleepless
nights, dark days, and seemingly impossible and difficult circumstances,
the prayers of righteous mothers have been a source of unparalleled
divine power in homes, communities, and entire nations.
“ALL THAT I AM OR EVER HOPE TO BE, I OWE TO MY ANGEL MOTHER.”Abraham Lincoln
So this Mother’s Day, let your mom know she’s important. Write
her a card, create a tribute, send some flowers—because when you think
about it: who was the champion and cheerleader for nearly everything in
life you cling to with all your heart?
It was Mom.
For Those With Empty Arms
Please read "Celebrate Nurturing" by Rosemary Thackeray, in the April 2014 Ensign, pages 62-65. I'll quote only parts of it here.
"As a single woman in her 40s who has never given birth to or reared children, I do not pretend to understand the experience of motherhood and the joys, pains, sorrows, and many emotions that accompany that calling. At the same time, it is possible that women who have the privilege of motherhood do not understand the heartache that comes from knowing that one of the greatest blessings that life has to offer will have to wait for eternity. Yet as sisters in the gospel, we should strive to be empathetic."
"We should consider speaking more frequently not only of motherhood but also of nurturing and its impact on our lives. We should celebrate nurturing as often as with as much jubilation as we do motherhood."
Sheri L. Dew has said, "While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve 'the mother of all living' [Moses 4:26] - and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born... Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature, and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us." see Ensign, Nov. 2001, 96.
And please, please, whether our arms are empty or overflowing, let us all show love and respect for each other this day and ALWAYS. We need each other. We belong to each other.
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