Sunday, May 29, 2011

April’s Mother’s Day Talk 2011



Mother's Day Talk 2011

On WOMANHOOD:

**What I think Womanhood means is to highlight the good. Point out the lovely. Emphasize the virtuous, and decorate the plain. What a boring place the world would be without women to make it more beautiful!

President Hinckley has eloquently captured what the Lord has said of His precious daughters:

"Woman is God's supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.

"Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth."

James E. Faust, "Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor," Ensign, May 2000, 95 :

Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Happiness, Your Heritage," Liahona, Nov 2008, 117–20:

"To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.

You might say, "I'm not the creative type. If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe."

**For some this means writing, others painting, music, some organizing, finding patterns in business, being a liaison, observing and research, fashion and highlighting our best physical aspects, and on and on.

On MOTHERHOOD: Sheri L. Dew, "Are We Not All Mothers?," Ensign, Nov 2001, 96 :

"Motherhood is NOT what was left over after our Father blessed His sons with priesthood ordination. It was the most ennobling endowment He could give His daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. declared, motherhood is "as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself."

Russell M. Nelson, "Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women," Ensign, May 1999, 38:

"During my professional career as a doctor of medicine, I was occasionally asked why I chose to do that difficult work. I responded with my opinion that the highest and noblest work in this life is that of a mother. Since that option was not available to me, I thought that caring for the sick might come close. I tried to care for my patients as compassionately and competently as Mother cared for me.

Many years ago the First Presidency issued a statement that has had a profound and lasting influence upon me. "Motherhood," they wrote, "is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels."

**My mind certainly has been overwhelmed by the immediate joy and work of a newborn baby. I've often thought again and again about the treasure spoken of by President Packer, when he gave the parable of the two keys unlocking eternal inheritance. Because my husband and I have been faithful in keeping our covenants, we have been able to access priceless treasures (our children) together. There have been many moments over the last few months where I have gazed upon our newborn son and cried tears of joy, overwhelmed with the immenseness of the gift we have been given.

In our small inner-city New Haven Branch I was called up to the stand in Sacrament Meeting about 11 years ago, just minutes after Colleen was blessed as a newborn. I was asked what I could say about motherhood. I don't remember a lot of what I said, but I do remember saying that I had only been a mother a few weeks, and that I really didn't know a lot about being a mother yet.

I do remember a moment at our Stake conference a few weeks later, when the congregation sang together, "I am a Child of God". I looked down at a sleeping infant Colleen while sitting in those metal overflow chairs, likely because we were late in arriving, and thought, "I'm the one who will Teach and Guide. I'm the Parent, Kind and Dear." It felt as if I had stepped into a new era of life, and that I never could, or want to, go back.

I have since related to those I taught Sunday School or Young Women lessons to that there have been two times in my life when I felt especially grateful for my own mother and father. One was when I moved out of the house to begin college. Not only did I realize all the small daily things that they did for me while I grew up, but I missed the feeling of wholeness that our family made together – the influence of our home life and the fortifications it offered.

The second time in my life I was grateful for a mother was when I first became a mother myself. Scott and I had the luxury of staying home for at least 10 days in our comfortable apartment by ourselves, changing, feeding, rocking, dressing, and then cleaning, laundering, wiping, and somehow doing the other necessaries of life for ourselves during the time that baby Colleen slept. Then the morning came for Scott to go back to work, only for a half of a day. I cried as I sat in bed, still in pajamas, and I remember saying, "I don't know how I will do all of this by myself".

I had come to the realization that someone, at some time, had certainly done all of those many tiring services for me over a long period of time. That someone was my mother.

One of the blessings of being here in Connecticut for this unexpectedly extended time has been that many people out in public have watched our family as we have, well, mostly gone out to eat. Many have given kind comments, such as, "You have a beautiful family," or "You are so brave to have so many children," or sometimes even, "you are so good at taking care of your children. How do you do it?"

I have to answer with the realization that I'm not the same mother that cried when Scott left me for just a few hours when Colleen was two weeks old. Just like any other Divine Calling from the Lord, my strength and abilities have been enhanced, my capacity has been expanded, and my efforts and service have been blessed to be enough when they were given in faith. My work hasn't been perfection, but instead of pointing out my faults or shortcomings, the Lord has blessed me with understanding.

One of the things I feel is important for me as a mother is the ability to quietly recall events of the day or week after emotions are calmed. These are times when, if I'm able to humble myself and seek the Lord's help, I'm blessed with the guiding Spirit of Truth to find or try ways to lead each child toward their Divine Potential. I couldn't feel successful at all without constant Inspiration from a source that knows and loves my children even better than I do.

I'm grateful for my experience being a mother and I feel as though my greatest blessings are the members of my family. I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.