I spoke in sacrament meeting today. This was my third time to speak on Mother's Day. What a treat! Since this talk has taken up all my free time from the last couple weeks, I am posting it here.
MOTHERS WHO KNOW
Several years ago Pres. Hinckley quoted E.T. Sullivan in the Ensign as saying
“When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies.”
This has become one of my favorite quotes because although I may consider my efforts as of little consequence, when I think of all the faithful mothers around the globe I realize the great force for good we can be. I am both humbled and proud to be a part of that group. I am grateful for this divine role. This is a role that was bestowed to each and every righteous woman premortally. Sister Sheri L. Dew said in general conference in Oct. 2001 that “both God the Father and Adam called Eve “the mother of all living”—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.” Sister Dew appropriately titled her talk “Are We Not All Mothers?”
So as I speak today of mothers, I am speaking to every woman here.
In the book of Alma we read of a great army of righteous young men whom we commonly refer to as the 2,000 stripling warriors. In Alma 56:48 they tell their leader Helaman “we do not doubt our mothers knew it.” I love this tribute these young men made to their mothers. Some of you may remember Sister Julie B. Beck’s talk a few years ago referencing this tribute by speaking of “mothers who know.” I would also like to speak of “mothers who know.”
Women and mothers who know understand that by serving God they are serving their families. Part of what I was asked to speak about today is how women in the church can learn to balance their lives. When I think of balancing my life I imagine myself being pulled in different directions. Yet I shouldn’t have different goals that pull me in different directions. I have one goal and that is to serve God with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.
One way mothers who know serve God is by standing strong and immovable in their testimony of Christ and sharing that testimony with their families.
My great great great grandmother Nancy Naomi Alexander Tracy joined the church in 1834 with her husband Moses Tracy. They were in Kirtland, Far West, and Nauvoo. While in Nauvoo Nancy lost two toddler sons and while crossing the plains to Utah she lost an eleven year old son. She never wavered in her faith and to me her actions speak of a testimony that is strong and immovable and has blessed her posterity for many generations. If it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be here today.
I don’t feel I have taken every opportunity to share my testimony. But I do remember a couple years ago as I was saying my morning prayers and asking the Lord what He would have me do today, I had a distinct impression to bear my testimony to my children. Later that morning after we had read scriptures together I told my children that I knew what we were reading was true and that I knew Jesus was our Savior. My young daughter looked up into my eyes and said, “I know you’re telling the truth.”
Let us declare and live our testimonies so that our families know that we know, as Christ said: “that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” I would like to go ahead and take this opportunity to bear my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know he willingly came to earth to take upon Himself our sins. I know he suffered in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. I know that he was resurrected and that because of His resurrection, we will all be resurrected at the last day.
Secondly, mothers who know understand that their outlook on life doesn’t change with their circumstances. They know that they serve God by being of good cheer.
Elder Holland recently spoke to a group of missionaries in Brazil and told them that one of the most broken commandments in the church is Christ’s command to “be of good cheer.” This is something that I have had to work on. We have lived in 6 different wards in the almost 9 years we’ve been married and consequently we have spent much of our time “being new” in our wards. While I am grateful for the friends I did make and the tender mercies of the Lord to me during those times, I have spent many months feeling very lonely. This loneliness is easily turned to depression. As I struggled with the Lord over this, I would argue that it’s not my fault that I don’t make friends easily, that I don’t have a vehicle to go visit people, or that no one is reaching out to me. Then my husband would kindly remind me that happiness is a choice. I have counted at least 11 instances in the scriptures when the Lord tells us something to the effect of “be of good cheer.” While I am not talking about grieving a loss, or true clinical depression that may need professional counseling or medication, I don’t believe the Lord qualifies his command only for when we are in good circumstances.
My heroine is Eve. In Moses chapter 5 we read that Adam and Eve have been driven out of the Garden of Eden. They have had to work for the first time in their lives. They have had the trials, the joys, and the heartaches of raising children. And in verse 11 it says, “Eve was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” I love her sweet, cheerful testimony.
When Elder Holland visited those missionaries in Brazil he said sometimes when he is giving a talk, his wife will sit in the back of the church and make signs to him to smile because he has a serious-looking face. He said he will tell her afterwards “I am happy!” And she will reply, “Then tell that to your face!” When we love the Lord and are of good cheer, it should show in our face, just as Alma 5 says “have you received His image in your countenance?” Do you know someone that has received His image in their countenance? I can think of a couple people that always have a smile on their face and I always feel better after being around them.
Thirdly, mothers who know serve God by measuring their success by the Lord’s standards.
I think as women we are blessed with the desire to do good. Unfortunately, many times we place unrealistic expectations on ourselves because of those righteous desires. Instead of feeling good for what we can and do accomplish, we end up constantly feeling guilty and inadequate.
Not only do I feel guilty because I’m not doing all the important things my neighbors and visiting teachers are doing, I sometimes base my self-worth on my checklist. I have envisioned my perfect day. It would include: a clean house, baking bread, giving service, spending quality time with my kids, spending quality time with my husband, working on my calling, working in the garden, making 3 meals, checking my email, doing some family history work, calling my mom, reading a book, taking care of paperwork, going to the temple, and the list goes on. What makes you feel you have succeeded at the end of the day?
In the last general conference Bishop Keith B. McMullin said, “Duty does not require perfection, but it does require diligence. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ, our path of duty is keeping our covenants in daily life.” I love his phrasing that duty does not require perfection, but diligence. We need to let go of our perfectionism and focus on what’s important. Instead of relying on my checklist, I need to ask myself: Am I keeping my covenants?
And the truth of the matter is, we are inadequate. And when we stand before the bar of God, we will be judged guilty. Yet an Advocate has been provided for us. It is only through Him, who encourages and rewards our efforts, that we will be cleared of guilt and found worthy to be in the presence of God.
Finally, Mothers who know serve God by becoming handmaids of the Lord.
I recently made a list of my heroines. Some of them included my mother, Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley, Eve the mother of all living, and Corrie Ten Boom who wrote the book “The Hiding Place.” In my opinion, these mothers are all worthy to be called the “handmaids of the Lord.” What are some of their characteristics? Among other Christ-like qualities, they have strong and immovable testimonies of Christ, they are of good cheer, and they measure their success by the Lord’s standards. Who are your heroes? What characteristics do they have that you would like to emulate?
In Matthew 27:55 it says “many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him.” In contrast, Paul describes the perilous times of the last days in 2 Timothy and uses the phrase “silly women.” I have to say, although we have only been in the ward a few months, of all the women I have met in this ward, all of them are handmaids of the Lord, not “silly women.” I hope I will be known as a handmaid of the Lord. I want to minister to my Redeemer and Savior. I have a testimony that God the Father lives. That he sent His Only Begotten Son to be born in a simple stable and of some obscure mother. I have a testimony that as faithful women and mothers serve God, our families will be blessed for generations. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that we have a living prophet today. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I have a testimony that temples are the house of the Lord and that we come closer to Christ as we attend the temple often. I say this in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
And as added bonus here's a link to some of my favorite talks on womanhood and motherhood:
Are We Not All Mothers?
Mothers Who Know
A "Mother Heart"
"Are You the Woman I Think You Are?"
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