I am going to do what is best on behalf of my children, even if it is unpopular, abnormal, and my children hate me for it.  It would be a disservice to my children to do otherwise.  When my children and I stand before the Judgement Seat, I honestly want to say “I tried everything I could” and “They made it back in spite of my personal flaws”.

Heartbreaking Choices

Due to my own health concerns, and some added short term stress at home and work, we made the difficult call to have one of my children live with my parents for a short time.  Not only did they enroll my child in the local school, but when COVID-19 quarantines started my parents ended up homeschooling my child.

They are amazing. I am so grateful for their support. There is nothing easy about teaching this child, and I will leave it at that.  Utterly exhausting.

I don’t quit or admit failure very often.  Thankfully, I don’t often fail.  But having to, in a way say, “Um, help please.  It might be my parenting.  I might be failing here.”  Knowing all the things my siblings could be saying about the situation.  Knowing I probably look crazy to outsiders, who don’t live with this child day in and day out.  All of it ran through my head.  

And yet my love runs so deeply for my baby, that it didn’t matter.  I would do absolutely anything to get through to either of my kids.  We didn’t know if it would work or if it would backfire terribly, but it was worth taking a chance.  Again, “win at all costs, take no prisoners”, including my pride or my heartache from being separated.

Long Road

I worked hard to get to be a mother. With one of my children, it took 2 years to be approved/found worthy to adopt. Then we waited one year to get the call “there’s a baby boy born this weekend, do you want him?”, and 7 months to finalize his adoption and have him sealed to us “for time and all of eternity”.  

With my daughter, it was 2 years for approval, 1.5 years to get the phone call “there was a baby girl born this weekend …”, and 2 years to finalize and have her sealed to us.  I can only guess the numbers of years these plans have been in motion on God’s project table.  

What I learned through those years of waiting and years of infertility treatments, is that my first job was to fight for my kids.  Fight to bring them to earth, fight for their health, fight for them to be raised in a Gospel centered home with two loving parents.  Fight to keep my marriage and sanity intact through all those trials, for their sake.  A real mom fights for the best interest of her children .. whatever home that may lead them, to.

Keep Fighting

I realized early on that I would need to keep fighting.  Sometimes this meant fighting with my husband as we tried to get on the same page about discipline and other issues.  Sometimes this meant fighting with teachers and doctors to get heard, and get our concerns addressed.  

Knowing that they had broad experience over a wider sample size of children, but that I had in-depth experimental evidence as I had watched every breath, word, twitch, and gesture my child made since the day they were placed in my arms.  And most of all, following my “mom gut” until I was satisfied with answers.

Which Fighting?

Often fighting for my children means fighting with my children.  Fighting so that they understand the importance of and the right way to do chores, why our home shouldn’t be a pig sty to invite rodents or flies, and why they shouldn’t cut corners on their schoolwork.  Fighting with them and this crazy world we live in to preserve sanity, respect, work ethic, honesty, and kindness in our home.  And fighting to show them that lying isn’t normal, and burping in each other’s faces isn’t respectful or kind.  

I don’t care if the assignment is only 2 points, we do all of our assignments and we don’t just skim chapter books for Language Arts.  And “if you don’t manage yourself, I will step in and manage your life and you won’t like it”.  It is a non-stop, daily battle fighting for the eternal being inside that very temporal, fallible body.  It is the ongoing prayer of my heart, that my children will someday “get it” … even if they still criticize my delivery methods.

To read more of Molly’s articles, click here.

Gratitude

I am grateful to have parents who sacrificed for me, and have sacrificed for my children — even when my parents are supposed to be retired.  And I am grateful to know what that looks like.  I am grateful to my friends who let me vent in person and on social media for a few minutes, knowing that my love for my children still runs deep.

Happy Mother’s Day/Month, may you see some unexpected maturity in your children, and have to fight for your children a little less.

Molly A. Kerr

Molly is on a life long quest to figure herself out. Born to be and educated as an aerospace engineer she is also blessed to be a wife and a mom of two in the present, previously served as a full-time missionary, is consistently called to teach the youth in her ward, is eagerly though slowly doing home improvement as money and time allow, all while gradually learning how to be herself and find peace and balance somewhere in between.

Despite her attempts to make “the right” decisions in her life, she has learned to deal with some unexpected challenges over the last two decades. Total tornadoes, really. What she has discovered is that her career has taught her a lot about the Gospel and being a better mother, and the Gospel, when applied to challenges at the office, has made her a better professional. She has also learned that it is okay to be herself, and God still loves (and forgives) her for it.

Then a scripture changed all of my imaginings.

But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me;

I Am in Your Midst and Ye Cannot See Me

I imagine Him beside us, aware of every detail.

He cheers at the successes a newly homeschooling woman feels. He also sees and understands her overwhelm as tasks build on her shoulders.

He hears a woman praying for court cases, put on hold, to finalize the adoption of a foster child. He knows the strain and emotional drain of the journey she’s traveled.

He whispers ideas into the ear of the newlywed navigating compromise and understanding. He’s aware of her eager anticipation and fears as she faces her new life.

He stands by the woman who, while supporting her husband through medical school, now gets to sell their home and move across the country. He’s been there through all the moves and all of the single-handed parenting as they’ve determined to achieve this goal as a family.

He rejoices at victories with the woman who’s potty training a precocious toddler. And gives extra super-strength during the moments of frustration.

He embraces the woman with an active mind trapped in a non-functioning body and he strengthens her angel mother who surrenders comparative “normalcy” to be her daughter’s advocate.

He knows the hopes, dreams and concerns of the woman who has sent her child out into the world during a pandemic. He promises He will fulfill the promises He covenanted with her.

He kneels with the empty-nester woman as she pours out her soul for her children and grandchildren. He shines extra light as she endures extra loneliness.

He sits with the exhausted woman whose baby wakes up multiple times during the night, every night.

He opens the curtains of the woman living in the darkness of sin.

He holds the woman sobbing over unmet expectations and broken promises.

He cherishes the woman struggling with addiction.

He stays with the woman alone at the end of every day.

Despite Difficulty and Weakness, There Is a Plan

His eyes are upon us—all of us.  And in the midst of mortality’s difficulties and our weaknesses,  He has a plan for us! For our eternal reward.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord…

He says He is there…as near to us as He possibly can be.  He is in our midst, but we cannot see Him.  Can we ever see Him?

Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

I Nothing Lack If I Am His

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

Women of God, we are His and He is ours forever.

The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine forever.

 

Where streams of living water flow,
my ransomed soul he leadeth;
and where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.

 

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me;
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.

 

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill,
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.

 

Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth;
and oh, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!

 

And so through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house forever.

Even if we can’t see Him yet, may we always know He is with us, always.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

You see, I grew up watching my mom cook out of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It had a red checker tablecloth print on the cover. So, after I moved out, I bought one for myself. It’s a great cookbook for making just about anything you want to from scratch. But I needed more guidance about what ingredients were better for me, and how to get my family on board with eating good food.

Then, just when I needed it most, my friend Amy Carter posted on Facebook that she had written a cookbook! Amy is a certified nutrition, fitness, and personal development trainer. I knew that if Amy put it together, it was worth a look.

So, I bought the digital version on Amazon, and I started to experiment. I was so thrilled with the results — both nutritious and delicious foods — that I decided to do a book review and give you all a treat as I introduce Amy’s cookbook, Balance Is Sweet, to all of you.

Real and Easy Cookbook

Before I go on, I must stress how real and easy the recipes are in Balance is Sweet. I used to be a Martha Stewart subscriber (before she went to jail). The dishes she made always looked pretty, but making them required access to gourmet ingredients picked on a July full moon. They were difficult to get and impractical for my family. My son is still convinced that macaroni and cheese is the height of gourmet pasta. So I stopped looking to Martha for advice.

When I opened Balance is Sweet, the first thing that hit me was that this food not only looked good, but it had real ingredients. I could find them in my own cupboards! And my son would recognize this stuff as real food and not lawn clippings or something totally foreign. I was impressed enough that I reached out to Amy for an interview. And I want to share some of her inspiration and insight that helped her create this book.

Amy’s Interview

Amy told me:

When my husband was in grad school, I found the Sneaky Chef and started hiding veggies in the food I made for our family. At first I was really excited and thought “Oh! This is cool! I am going to sneak vegetables into their food.”

But then my husband made a good point. He said, ‘Don’t you want them to know they are eating good food so when the when the time comes to eat that food again, they don’t assume they hate it?” I realized he had a point. Okay, yes, I want to be honest with my kids, but I DO want them to eat more veggies. 

So I started making them smoothies and added a bit of greens and eventually made them green smoothies. And they realized that things may look different than they taste. Now they enjoy eating these things and know they are going to taste good.

Helping Kids Eat Healthy

Now it’s not always easy to get a kid on board with eating his vegetables, especially children with sensory issues. But I have found ways around that. My son Enzo has Down syndrome. And with him, I like to try new things with something he already likes.

Especially with sensory issues, if you give them a new option in a form that they already like, you are more successful. For Enzo, he loves dip. So I know I can give him carrots and peppers, and if he has his dip, he is comfortable trying it because there is something on his plate that he knows he likes.

I take a familiar dish that has rice in it and make it the next time with couscous. The texture may be a little different, but they recognize the smell and they know they like the meal, so the texture isn’t too off-putting. Then I go from putting couscous in the dish to adding quinoa. And because I took small steps to get there, I am not shocking my kids, and the meal is not so foreign to them.

Baby Steps

You can do that with other dishes and ingredients too. You can make tacos, but instead of ground beef, you can use sausage or pulled pork. And you can make spaghetti and meat balls, but instead of ground beef in the meatballs, you can use ground turkey instead and slowly add spinach to the meat balls.

And eventually the kids are like, “Okay, yeah. I like the green meatballs. It’s different, but I like meatballs.” Our kids need to be able to recreate their good diets once they get out into the world.

For Moms

Amy also had some great insight about taking care of yourself as a mom.

We talk about our personal cup being full, and some women feel guilty or selfish putting themselves first. But the first thing we need to focus on when we are taking care of our family should be taking care of ourselves.

It isn’t so we can flaunt ourselves. We help ourselves gain more energy because our energy goes into taking care of our families. You as the mom lead the pack. Regardless of who is in charge, you are preparing and buying and making the food, and you have a vital role.

As the mom, we set the mood in the house. We are being watched. If we reach for chips and ice cream, then our kids are going to assume that is what they are supposed to do. And even though they may feel gross when they do it, they are going to think that is how they are supposed to feel and how their life is supposed to be.

Health Journey

When I was in college, I gained 40 pounds. And then when I went on my mission to Germany, I lost it. So, when I got married and I was the one making the meals, I found out that diet is a major influencer in how I feel and in my weight. That was when I started creating my own recipes.

But the biggest clincher that made me realize that I needed to write this cookbook was when I developed a heart condition. It was a year and a half ago, and I had heart problems because I was too focused on diet and exercise. To meet my goals, I decided to eat a Keto diet and train for a half marathon to lose that last 5 pounds.

I was working my body too hard. I wasn’t recovering properly and wasn’t feeding my body correctly. And since my heart was made to work so much harder, I ended up needing heart surgery. It took me about six months to recover after the procedure, so I had normal energy. And it made me realize that there is more than diet and exercise that is essential to our health.

Honest

The most important thing is that this cookbook doesn’t cut out all sugar. I sweeten things with natural sugars. And we don’t have to eat nothing but chicken and broccoli every day and be miserable. You shouldn’t limit yourself, because that limitation is not healthy for you.

Enjoy life and enjoy food! You don’t have to spend hours in the gym and eat only avocados and oil like the Keto diet. Our strict regimens are driving us insane. We need to find a healthy balance where we can eat chocolate every day. And that is what I try to teach my clients — that we need a balance.

Balance

These trials have taught me so much. I wouldn’t change anything because it taught me so much. Being thankful for everything changes your perspective. I want everyone to know that they are capable of doing more than they think they can.

My favorite quote is “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Sleep is the number one key to weight loss. I don’t count calories. They don’t matter, it’s all about hormones and having balance within our body so we can tap into the fat energy burning system.

To read more of Patty’s articles, click here.

Different programs help you create your own recipes. I help you create a whole month of meal plans by putting things in different categories and making sure there is a balance.

Free Cookbook!

Amy finished our interview by offering all of you a free copy of her cookbook. Amazon has increased the price to $8. It’s a Kindle version. But Amy offers a free digital version that you can print off (like I did) at Balanceissweetbook.com/free. I love this book! And I love how Amy’s focus of balance is so in line with the Word of Wisdom.

Patty Sampson

Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.

Everyone’s family looks different. Even in my nuclear family, some of our journeys are vastly different from each other. Testimonies are connective and the value of sharing testimony is immense—even if it’s written or expressed to ourselves and for ourselves.

MY TESTIMONY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON 

by Darla Bushman, February 6, 2020

The “Come Follow Me” lesson for this week asked a question that spurred me onward to something I have been thinking of doing for a couple of weeks. The question is, “If you knew your life was coming to an end, what final messages would you want to share with those you love most?”

I had already decided that I should write down my testimony of the Book of Mormon. Delisa asked me to share it on the day of Asher’s football game, but for some reason, I declined to do it then. I do want you all to know for sure I have that testimony, and not hide it, so I will do my best to share it with you in writing.

It was on Saturday, January 18th that our bishop called late and asked me to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon the next morning in sacrament meeting along with others. I was happy to say yes, but I was surprised when I was one of only two he asked to do that along with our stake president who was also going to speak. I had thought about what I might say but didn’t write anything down.

So now I’ll write as much of what I said as I can remember (with maybe further explanations and any other bits I want you to know).

I mentioned that I didn’t know why the bishop asked me or how he knew I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but I do have one and I knew that my Heavenly Father knows I do.

I said that it is my pleasure to join the other witnesses of the Book of Mormon, even those whose testimonies are written in the book and the millions of others whose are not, especially our Savior Himself who declared to us as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 17:6 about the Book of Mormon, “…as your Lord and your God liveth, it is true.” 

I told that I have been privileged to have the Book of Mormon in my possession all my life. Many of my ancestors sacrificed greatly to join the Church and gather with the Saints. I know that some of them were among the Gentiles Nephi saw who came forth “out of captivity” across the waters to this land, as described in 1 Nephi 13:13-20. I feel that I too would be willing to make a journey or pilgrimage or trek if I had to to be able to worship God as the Book of Mormon recommends, and I can testify of its truthfulness because of things I have seen and felt and know.

I explained that as a child growing up, I did not read the Book of Mormon with my family very much, and we weren’t so often admonished from the pulpit to read it every day as we are now. I learned about it and referred to it a lot and finally read it in seminary, but my testimony is founded on an experience I had when I was 18.

In 1965 my parents and five of their children went on a vacation, traveling all across this beautiful land of America. It was a long road trip in a crowded sedan from Idaho to New York to attend the World’s Fair, but it was wonderful! We stopped along the way at many Church history sites, including the Hill Cumorah Pageant. My father enjoyed the pageant so much that he changed our plans and we stayed over to watch it again another night.

That gave us the opportunity to be there on Sunday morning to attend a sacrament meeting held on the grounds at the foot of the Hill, and we sat on benches where the audiences would sit to watch the pageant. Several General Authorities were in attendance, but I remember only three: Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, who at that time was an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder N. Eldon Tanner, an Apostle, and Marion D. Hanks, an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They all spoke and bore testimonies about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and also about the fact that the final battles of two great nations written about therein occurred all around where we were sitting—that the Nephites and Jaredites walked, and fought, struggled and died right there in that expanse of land next to the Hill. The Spirit bore witness to my soul that their words were true and that is a feeling I can’t deny or ever forget.

After about 20 years, in 1985 or so, my husband and I and the six children we had at the time decided to follow the counsel of our bishop and read the Book of Mormon every day as a family. We tried hard, but for many months we only managed to read about 15 days out of 30, as I kept track of the days we read and what page we were on. Still, it became part of our daily lives and I can testify that there is a power in the Book of Mormon that can bring families closer to God than any other book.

As we kept trying to read every day, I could feel how good it was for us—some of our children learned to read with the Book of Mormon and one son who was in seminary asked and was given permission to leave a family campout and drive 45 miles home to get a Book of Mormon so he could read every day and not miss a single day.

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

I finally noticed that we had reached my goal of family scripture reading every day for a month when I counted over two months of daily reading just a few weeks before our fourth child left for her full-time mission, 17 years after we started this.

Is there a power in the Book of Mormon? I know there is! All eight of our children chose to serve missions, they all went on to graduate from college, and all eight will be with us in the Payson temple next week when our last child is married!

Now, we live in the days when many physical evidences are coming forth from the world to support the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I have read DNA studies that support it. I have walked on mounds that were built anciently with the same fortifications described by Captain Moroni. I have seen a ship that was built after the fashion of those built in 600 BC that made a voyage around Africa that showed how Nephi’s ship could have traveled. 

I know the latitude of the southern United States is the same as that of Jerusalem and that the seeds and plants and animals necessary for living the Law of Moses could grow where Lehi and his children could use them. These and other evidences strengthen my already strong testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and powerful. I know it is God’s tangible “visual aid” given to help us spread His gospel, to teach and bring souls to Christ in these latter days. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

But being constantly on alert—being concerned and aware 24/7—can leave our nerves raw and frazzled. Mothers need to take time out.

A time out for mothers means three things to me: time to be holy, time to rest, and time to grow.

Time to Be Holy

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, time spent focusing on the things of God is one of the most important ways to take time out—it allows us to rejuvenate, prioritize, ponder, and become happier.

Prayer is a source of power; the ability to communicate with a loving Father in Heaven who has our best interests in mind. He knows our struggles, talents, and weaknesses. He knows what we are trying to do for our family to support and love them.

Prayer is the way I share my victories, ideas, and inadequacies. My days are better when I begin them with prayer. Prayer sustains me and help me focus on having a productive and purposeful day. My days are best when ended with prayer. I can report about what I experienced throughout the day. I love the description of prayer in the Bible Dictionary:

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7: 7-11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.”

If prayer is said to be our way to share our thoughts with God, the word of God (the scriptures) is said to be the way He speaks back to us. They give direction and guidance.

“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Nephi 32:3)

Reading the words of God every day is centering and calming. It reminds us of the truly important things on this earth. The scriptures put prestige, wealth, fame and power into their proper perspective — unimportant and fleeting. They put righteousness, charity, obedience and character in their proper perspective as well — essential and eternal. (See Nephi 9:51)

The Sabbath day is another way to take time to be holy. I can’t do without the Sabbath day. When our Creator made the earth, He too rested on the seventh day.

What a perfect time to stop the busyness of everyday life to worship our Father in Heaven, recommit to keep the commandments, and remember the atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. We can worship, rest, spend time with family, recharge and renew for the coming week. Our family chooses not to shop or pursue entertainment or recreation on Sundays. Because of this, we spend the day at home and are able to take time to be still. What a great blessing to be still one day a week in this whirlwind of a world.

Time for Rest

Sleep is a rare commodity in today’s world. Why did we forego this vital element to get ahead and compete in this 24-hours-a-day world? When I stay up too late to get things done in a quiet house, I pay for it the next day with cloudy thinking and low energy. We are counseled to:

“..retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary: arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated” (D&C 88:124).

There is a good reason for this advice. Our Father in Heaven knows that mothers need time for sleep!

Time to Grow

With days full of service, mothers have to carve out time to become a better person. We want to and need to develop our talents, interests, and personal relationships. It seems impossible to make the time to do this, but it is needful.

The apostle M. Russell Ballard gave us this counsel:

“…find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children” (M. Russell Ballard, “Daughters of God,” April 2008).

I hope our time outs can be planned, worthwhile, and renewing. Mothers need the spiritual strength, sleep, and personal enjoyment to do all we are meant to do and all that we are so good at doing for our children.

This post was originally published in July 2008. Minor changes have been made.

Jenny A

Elisabeth descended through Aaron’s priestly lineage. I love the description of Elisabeth and her husband Zacharias:

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

Elisabeth is one of the few women with recorded speech in the Bible. It’s short, but conveys her depth of faith and pain.

And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

 

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

After Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, he concluded by saying Elisabeth had also conceived a son. Elisabeth was her second witness that “with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Mary hastened to visit Elisabeth. As Elisabeth greeted Mary, John leapt in her womb. Filled with the Holy Ghost, Elisabeth prophesied.

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

 

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

 

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

 

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

After Zacharias doubted Gabriel’s message, Elisabeth had to defend the command Gabriel gave to Zacharias.

At John’s circumcision and naming, family and friends tried to name John after his father.

And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

In that moment, Zacharias regained his voice and prophesied about John’s ministry. Ironically, in the Biblical setting, in that same moment, Elisabeth’s voice went silent.

Each time we heard her, she testified of God and His plan. She recognized His mighty power in her life’s trial. She welcomed the mother of the Son of God into her home and, being full of the Holy Ghost, immediately recognized them as such and prophesied of the Savior’s mission. She firmly withstood pressure by those who, without understanding, were trying to help. She spoke full of power and according to God’s will.

Elisabeth’s Age—Mandaean Gospel of John

The Mandaean Gospel of John the Baptizer delineates Elisabeth’s age as 88 when she gave birth to John.

Elisabeth Protects John While Zacharias is Killed—Protoevangelium of James

One of the most heart-wrenching stories in the New Testament is Herod’s slaughter of Bethlehem’s children. John fell into that same age range. Elisabeth fled her home to save his life.

And when Herod knew that he had been mocked by the Magi, in a rage he sent murderers, saying to them: Slay the children from two years old and under. And Mary, having heard that the children were being killed, was afraid, and took the infant and swaddled Him, and put Him into an ox-stall. And Elizabeth, having heard that they were searching for John, took him and went up into the hill-country, and kept looking where to conceal him. And there was no place of concealment. And Elizabeth, groaning with a loud voice, says: O mountain of God, receive mother and child. And immediately the mountain was cleft, and received her. And a light shone about them, for an angel of the Lord was with them, watching over them.

 

And Herod searched for John, and sent officers to Zacharias, saying: Where hast thou hid thy son? And he, answering, said to them: I am the servant of God in holy things, and I sit constantly in the temple of the Lord: I do not know where my son is. And the officers went away, and reported all these things to Herod. And Herod was enraged, and said: His son is destined to be king over Israel. And he sent to him again, saying: Tell the truth; where is thy son? for thou knowest that thy life is in my hand. And Zacharias said: I am God’s martyr, if thou sheddest my blood; for the Lord will receive my spirit, because thou sheddest innocent blood at the vestibule of the temple of the Lord. And Zacharias was murdered about daybreak. And the sons of Israel did not know that he had been murdered.

 

But at the hour of the salutation the priests went away, and Zacharias did not come forth to meet them with a blessing, according to his custom. And the priests stood waiting for Zacharias to salute him at the prayer, and to glorify the Most High. And he still delaying, they were all afraid. But one of them ventured to go in, and he saw clotted blood beside the altar; and he heard a voice saying: Zacharias has been murdered, and his blood shall not be wiped up until his avenger come. And hearing this saying, he was afraid, and went out and told it to the priests. And they ventured in, and saw what had happened; and the fretwork of the temple made a wailing noise, and they rent their clothes from the top even to the bottom. And they found not his body, but they found his blood turned into stone. And they were afraid, and went out and reported to the people that Zacharias had been murdered. And all the tribes of the people heard, and mourned, and lamented for him three days and three nights. And after the three days, the priests consulted as to whom they should put in his place; and the lot fell upon Simeon. For it was he who had been warned by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he should see the Christ in the flesh.

Mary Equates Elisabeth to Truth—Pistis Sophia

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

In this passage from the Pistis Sophia, Mary connected herself to Elisabeth in fulfilling prophecy. Mary and Jesus typify grace and Elisabeth and John typify truth.

And Mary, the mother of Jesus, again came forward, fell down at his feet, kissed them and said: “My Lord, my son and my Saviour, be not wroth with me, but pardon me, that I may once more speak the solution of these words. ‘Grace and truth met together,’–it is I, Mary, thy mother, and Elizabeth, mother of John, whom I have met. ‘Grace’ then is the power of Sabaōth in me, which went forth out of me, which thou art. Thou hast had mercy on the whole race of men. ‘Truth’ on the other hand is the power in Elizabeth, which is John, who did come and hath made proclamation concerning the way of Truth, which thou art,–who hath made proclamation before thee. And again, ‘Grace and truth met together,’–that is thou, my Lord, thou who didst meet John on the day when thou hadst to receive the baptism. And again thou and John are ‘Righteousness and peace kissed each other.’–‘Truth hath sprouted forth out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven.’

In every recorded instance of her life, Elisabeth—righteous, obedient, humble, prophetic, strong Elisabeth—inspires me.

This article originally appeared at patheos.com: The Christmas Story’s Elisabeth.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

Daylen and Scarlet Bushman family

Three-year-old Rockwell didn’t seem convinced that you could love mean monsters into kindness even with his amazing powers as a superhero. But I emphatically promised he could.

“Well, what if the monster does this to me?” He proceeded to pretend to scratch his face ferociously.

“Grab the monster and give it a big superhero hug!” I responded.  He looked like I’d lost my mind.  His mom Jill chimed in, “We are kind to everyone! Even monsters.  Maybe the monster is sad because he doesn’t have a friend.”

I confirmed that many monsters I knew just needed someone to be kind to them and to feel needed in a good way.

Knowing a person’s story engenders love for them. Bitter, angry reactions seem so obviously understandable against terrible backdrops of life’s experiences. Even monsters.

I mentally flashed to monsters in my own life who I never, ever imagined I’d give a hug. But because of the Savior’s atoning grace, forgiveness made relationships possible. Not all of my monsters and I are best friends, but the fear and heartache of the relationships are gone. Most of the scars are even gone.

Not convinced, Rockwell reemphasized the ferociousness of the monster’s facial attack.

“You are right.  Some monsters really are monsters.  You don’t have to stand and try to fight those kinds of monsters.   Use your superhero powers and run away.”

Rockwell laughed.  “Yes!  Run away sooooo fast!”  Now that was an answer he felt was really doable and he demonstrated possible escape scenarios.

There are some kinds of monsters that you really should run away from. There really is evil.  Instead of being scratched by evil, running away is a really good option.

But I’ve realized that I’ve made things monstrous and scary and unapproachable. For two decades, one of those monsters has been motherhood.  I’ve been bruised and battle-scarred in my relationship with this monster.

Elevating Motherhood

Donovan and Jenny Bushman family

In February, my cousin shared an interesting experience. She’s the Relief Society President of a mid-singles ward in Utah. The Relief Society General Presidency invited her participation in a focus group with them and other single adult Relief Society presidents. Their two topics? Increasing unity and elevating motherhood and womanhood when others are trying to degrade both.

Fascinated that motherhood would dominate this particular focus group conversation, I asked my cousin to tell me every detail she could remember. Months later, I don’t remember all of those details.

However, I do remember the intense emotion I felt as I realized I had made motherhood a monster.

It’s not like I loathed mothers or motherhood. It’s not like I denigrated it. But I shrunk away from it, built a wall around it, cried like a baby during talks about it, and dreaded Mother’s Day. I questioned my worth and my purpose. I doubted opportunity and even grace. Instead of elevating it, I made motherhood a monster.

It hurt me. It tore at my face and soul. I fought “motherhood” over and over and over again. I perpetually lost. Bruised and battle-scarred, I gave up. The monster I created won.

Destinee with our dad, Darrell Bushman

Ultimately, the Savior’s grace filled my heart with peace and contentment. But I still rarely talked about motherhood—even while celebrating new babies, fiercely praying for foster miracles, and listening to the mothering successes and woes of others—if that makes sense.  If you’ve felt a breach in your life, perhaps that does make sense.

I think the realization felt so shocking because of my particular calling. I’ve spent two plus years advocating the unique purposes and divine characteristics of women I love and admire.  I’ve celebrated life successes with them and cried with them and on their behalf.

But I haven’t elevated motherhood.

What does that even mean?

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Daciana and Mark Washburn family

“Sisters, we, your brethren, cannot do what you were divinely designated to do from before the foundation of the world. We may try, but we cannot ever hope to replicate your unique gifts. There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman. … All women have within their divine nature both the inherent talent and the stewardship to mother.”

Sister Julie B. Beck taught about the role of nurturing:

“To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow...Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women.”

Are We Not All Mothers?

I revisited Sheri Dew’s seminal talk “Are We Not All Mothers?”  I remember where I sat in the chapel when she gave her talk on motherhood. I’d recently turned 30—the age 14-year-old me told friends I’d probably be dead by because it was sooo old.

Desiree and Kurt Johnson whose family grows by fostering children

We didn’t have children. She used a phrase used in my patriarchal blessing that stood solemnly without any connection to children—”mother in Israel.”

Will you stand steadfast and immovable as a mother in Israel and a woman of God?

 

I listened all the more because she described questions, confusion, and heartaches I felt and I knew she felt them, too! As a childless Latter-day Saint woman, Sister Dew elevated motherhood because she truly understood what motherhood was.

She gave me a glimpse of what she knew. I latched on to what I could, but still had a lot more suffering to endure before I glimpsed the clarity she offered.

Have you ever wondered why prophets have taught the doctrine of motherhood—and it is doctrine—again and again? I have. I have thought long and hard about the work of women of God. And I have wrestled with what the doctrine of motherhood means for all of us. This issue has driven me to my knees, to the scriptures, and to the temple—all of which teach an ennobling doctrine regarding our most crucial role as women. It is a doctrine about which we must be clear if we hope to stand “steadfast and immovable” regarding the issues that swirl around our gender. For Satan has declared war on motherhood. He knows that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire. And he knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of God will fail.

 

Dionna and Ben Chiarolanza family

When we understand the magnitude of motherhood, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of woman’s most sacred role. 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”—and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Just as worthy men were foreordained to hold the priesthood in mortality, righteous women were endowed premortally with the privilege of motherhood. 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.

President Gordon B. Hinckley stated that “God planted within women something divine.” That something is the gift and the gifts of motherhood. Elder Matthew Cowley taught that “men have to have something given to them [in mortality] to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women. [They] are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls … and the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.”

 

I repeat: We are all mothers in Israel, and our calling is to love and help lead the rising generation through the dangerous streets of mortality. …

 

And if the day comes when we are the only women on earth who find nobility and divinity in motherhood, so be it. For mother is the word that will define a righteous woman made perfect in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, a woman who has qualified for eternal increase in posterity, wisdom, joy, and influence.

Dannen and Claudia Bushman family

Hugging the Monster

A simple, basically random, conversation proved nurturing to my soul. I realized my subconscious, fully operating, bias “protecting” myself from the pains and heartache of my experience of non-“motherhood.” I asked the Lord to teach me more of its “layers of meaning.”  And the Lord has taught me.

Our mother, Darla Bushman

For the first time in many years, I joyfully anticipated Mother’s Day as a day to celebrate the divinity of all of those layers with my sisters in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and every other woman everywhere.

“I testify that the Lord has blessed us, as women who live in these perilous times, with all of the power, gifts, and strength that are needed in order to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that we may all see our true potential and rise up to become the women of faith and courage our Father in Heaven needs us to be.” Bonnie L. Oscarson.

I finally hugged my fear and lack-based, self-created motherhood monster. And it vanished. I am enough and you are enough. We are perfect in our creation. And because of who we are and Whose we are, we can “Rise up, and stand forth in the midst” and say “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

                   ~President Russell M. Nelson

As I listened to our prophet speak these words during this past General Conference, I was struck by the word ‘fearlessly’. Within the walls of my home, I am outspoken and confident in my role as mother and wife. My husband and I counsel together often and pray for guidance for our children. I study my scriptures and trust the impressions of the Spirit in regards to my stewardships here at home.

However, over many years of church service, I have learned to be cautiously careful in speaking out in meetings. I have learned to phrase my counsel carefully, diplomatically, so as not to offend priesthood leaders and others I serve with. Experience has taught me, painfully, that speaking too forthrightly in a church setting offends.

Why I Am Afraid to Be Fearless

One example: I was sitting in a ward council meeting, in a stake calling capacity. During this meeting, the Elder’s Quorum President discussed a less active member and recommended that if his girlfriend would just commit to marrying him, he would come to church more regularly. The Elder’s Quorum President wanted the bishop to meet with the girlfriend. The Spirit prompted me to speak out, so I did. I suggested that we focus on developing this young man’s relationship with our Savior and leave the girlfriend out of the equation.

As a side note, I was good friends with the girlfriend in question and knew a lot about the behind-the-scenes behavior of this young man, which were causing my friend good reason for concern! Not wanting to share this confidential knowledge, yet knowing that this young man desperately needed outreach and love, I shared my thoughts about changing the approach used for this young man.

I was invited to leave the meeting.

Startled, I stood up and walked out, no expression on my face, but horribly embarrassed and shocked. I was there in my capacity of my calling! The stake presidency had asked me to attend this particular meeting. Perhaps the Lord had even wanted me at this particular discussion so that I could share my insights about this particular situation. Yet, the bishop asked me to leave.

Later, another member of this ward council meeting, a former stake president, found me and apologized profusely, saying that I should never have been asked to leave. However, I had been asked. I later asked my husband if he had ever witnessed that kind of treatment of any priesthood holder, representing the stake, in a ward council. He had not.

This experience taught me to hold my tongue in church meetings. To be very, very careful of when I spoke up.

This is not an isolated experience. I have often watched women in church meetings share their thoughts, usually couched in inoffensive apologetic terms:

“Um, I thought maybe this might be a good idea.”

“Well, Elder so-and-so said …” Rather than simply state their own thoughts about a particular subject, almost as though their own inspiration needed bolstering by an ‘official’ citing of a general authority in order to have any merit.

There have been meetings without number where the priesthood comes in and outlines how an activity will be run and then asks the Relief Society to do the work or provide the food. As though the sisters present are simply there to be delegated assignments, not to provide equal inspiration and insights in their own, divinely appointed callings.

I am a very forthright and outspoken person. In my different volunteer activities within the community, this outspokenness is an asset. I have little patience for diddlying about—I like to cut through to the heart of an issue and resolve it and move on. I will listen to others’ thoughts and then fearlessly add my own. Yet, at church, I do not always act in this fearless way.

My son is wrapping up the final months of his mission. He has learned to fearlessly say what the Lord needs him to say in a variety situations. My daughter is planning on serving a mission in a couple of years. Do I want her to be any less fearless in her declaration that Christ is our Savior? Do I want her to apologize before she bears her testimony? Do I want her to be ashamed to speak her mind because she is a woman?

No. I want her fearless and strong. And if I, an imperfectly loving mother, want this for my own daughter, how much more does my Father in Heaven want this for me, His daughter?

Moving Forward

I am going to move forward, trusting in the prophet’s words:

We see faithful women who understand the power inherent in their callings and in their endowment and other temple ordinances. These women know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen their husbands, their children, and others they love. These are spiritually strong women who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!¹ How thankful I am for them!

To read more of Emlee Taylor’s Missionary Mom moments, click here.

The Lord, through His prophet, is calling upon each of His daughters to step up to the challenge and be courageous as we minister in our various callings!

This does not mean to pick fights or to, in any way, invite contention, division, or dissension. It simply means that when the Spirit moves us to act—we act without fear. We speak without fear. We are His daughters and we need to act with the “power and authority of God” so that our daughters, our sisters, and our friends can build upon our united strength as we move the Lord’s kingdom forward.

Emlee Taylor

Growing up all over the world gave Emlee Taylor an opportunity to see the incredible differences the Lord created in humanity; and even better, the passions we all share as members of the human race: love for family, faith, & a desire to make a difference.

Emlee lives life with passion—focusing her time now on raising four children and teaching them to recognize truth and to live true to that truth, regardless of others’ expectations. Emlee is passionately in love with her bestest friend and husband of more than 20 years. 

Guilt

When I was a child my mom often told me that Mother’s Day was one full of guilt for her. She lost her mom when she was a teenager, and as you can imagine, that loss stayed with her. Moms and teenage girls frequently have conflict.

It’s part of nature’s way to help them both be ready for the teen to move out of the house when the time comes. Then, after the teen sees all her mother did for her, there is a reconciliation. When my mom lost her mother, she was denied that resolution and left only with the guilt.

She was also likely experiencing the mom guilt that many of us experience as we raise families. My family often doesn’t get the best of me. I come home tired, and still have to be the mom. And when that is paired with several other humans who have also come home tired, it can be less than the loving environment we would all wish for.

Grief

When my husband and I got married we wanted a family badly. A year into our marriage we got pregnant only to lose the baby at 12 weeks. It was devastating. It took us another 6 years before I could carry a baby to term. Our son was the miracle we prayed for. But those six Mother’s Days were pure torture.

They reminded me of what I had lost. The sweet children at church would sing about how much they loved their mothers. And I would cry, missing my baby, and worrying that I would never get the chance to have another. I stopped going to church during Mother’s Day for several years, because it was just too painful.

Now that my son is growing up a little I face Mother’s Day with mixed emotions. I will always miss the babies that would have been, but didn’t survive. But I love seeing my son thriving. His joy is my joy. And for his sake I join in all the celebrations and let go of the pain of the past.

In the years since then, I have seen many women facing Mother’s Day with similar heartache. It is a difficult time for those who want to be mothers, or who have lost their own mothers. And for that reason, I think Mother’s Day needs to be a time of sensitivity along with the celebration.

Celebration

The third view of Mother’s Day, is my favorite. I have been blessed with a wonderful mother. She continues to bless the lives of all around her. Even through her challenges she has been an example of optimism and faith. Very few people have a mother as inspiring as mine.

This is why I love Mother’s Day. For me, it’s a chance to celebrate my mom, and all the hard work she put into enduring my childhood without killing me. She truly deserves more than the flowers and songs I sang in her honor as a child. There are some jobs that can never be adequately compensated. And motherhood is at the top of the list.

Even though I have seen several angles of Mother’s Day, I still love it. I love it because I get to celebrate motherhood on that day. None of us would be here without a mother. It’s a hard job!  And some moms don’t do a great job at it. But the gift of life, at the very least, is something to be grateful for.

Tips for your Mother’s Day

So as you go about celebrating this Mother’s Day, please remember that there are many who are grieving their mothers who may have passed on. There are women grieving children they miss greatly. And there are women grieving because they have yet to get to be mothers, and want to be very badly. You can share your joy while being sensitive in the following ways.

1- Allow for some tears.

We are women, we cry when we are happy and sad. Don’t let it throw you off.

2- When a friend wants to talk, let them.

Remember that not only women lose their mothers. There are wonderful men out there grieving their own mothers too. Sometimes the best way to bring a loved one close is to talk about the good times with them.

3- Remember your mom on Mother’s Day.

Those cards mean far more than you can ever know. I have kept every little Mother’s Day craft my son has ever made for me. Even when he was too young to write or draw properly, I kept them. They still warm my heart.

4- You don’t have to give large gifts.

Most of the joys of motherhood come in the little moments. The first word, the quiet times spent reading together in the evening, and the hugs on the way out the door. Mother’s Day gifts can (and should) be from the heart. They don’t need to be expensive to be cherished. So before you lament your ability to shower your mom in expensive gifts, remember she will love that you remembered her. You have been one of her greatest adventures. And every token of your appreciation matters.

5- Don’t let your own guilt get in the way.

To read more of Patty’s articles, click here.

Your children deserve the chance to say thank you. This day may require a sacrifice of you to let them celebrate motherhood. Please do your best to accept the thank yous and grant yourself the freedom to enjoy the day. Let go of the guilt, maybe make goals to be a better mom in the future, and remember your blessings.

Mother’s Day is a mixed bag of emotions for me. But it is a day that needs to be celebrated.  I often find myself having withdrawal the day afterward when the dishes are my job again. (I hate dishes.)  I’ve been extra blessed with my family. But there have been times when my relationships with them have not been what I wished. It’s not too late to reach out and mend fences. You won’t regret it.

May your Mother’s Day be a happy one.

Patty Sampson

Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.

Nights were often sleepless and there was an endless supply of diapers to change. We couldn’t afford a babysitter or a date and certainly not both in the same month! There was school to finish and jobs to find. And while all of this was going on, I was desperately trying to learn how to cook, clean, teach, and play.

But there was also joy. I remember the evenings where my husband and I would just sit together on the couch and watch our children all play together. We’d give each other that look that said we understood a little bit of heaven and wished this moment could last forever. There were Saturday mornings when all the kids came in our bed and we wrestled and watched the babies go “4-wheeling’” over all the bodies giggling and hiding in the blankets beneath them.

I figured motherhood would always be like that and was prepared and felt experienced. So I was surprised when things changed after the first decade of motherhood. By then we had 6 children. Suddenly my husband and I found ourselves experiencing our first freedoms as parents. If we took a cell phone with us, it was okay to go for a solitary walk together in the evenings—alone!

Instead of loading all the kids up in car seats in our van just to go return a movie before we were fined late fees, I could just hop in the car and drive the few blocks and get it done in half the time with none of the hassles. Most astoundingly was that sometimes we actually had money for dates and the babysitters were free and built-in!

The first time we left our kids alone for a real, night-time date where we would be gone for several hours, I admit I was worried. And coming home, I expected to face a disaster and to have to put everyone to bed. Instead, we were greeted by a quiet house that was all locked up and put to bed with blinds closed and lights off. There was a note on the kitchen table written by my oldest daughter that said:

Mom and Dad,

 

We couldn’t remember where we were reading in the scriptures before bed so we just read a chapter in Alma. That reminded us of an Article of Faith. So we recited it. We put the boys to bed at 8:30 and we went to bed at 9:00. We hope you had a good time!

I didn’t worry so much after that. They had even cleaned the kitchen.

That’s not to say that it’s always perfect now, either. Not by a long shot. The kids don’t play so much together now and the differences and contentions between the boys and the girls are exaggerated now that we are in the pre-teen/teen years. At least one daughter is already starting to display estrogen flare-ups that leave me utterly bewildered and overloaded from time to time.

It’s hard to keep up with the soccer games, dance recitals, voice lessons, cub scouts and after school activities. And there are still sleepless nights and yet more diapers I am changing.

But even with all of that, it’s still so good. I see them struggling to learn empathy and responsibility and respect as they change from children to adults. I see them turning to the Lord to make their difficult decisions and finding their own sweet testimonies. They are discovering talents and going after dreams by setting righteous goals. It’s very satisfying and such a source of rich and profound happiness.

I can see how motherhood is like Godhood. Ultimately he is our father. And when I want my children to get along and help each other, I better understand what he wants from me in my interactions with my fellow men and how he loves them and knows them just as much as he knows and loves me.

I can see how managing my family with love and kindness through tireless service is making me more like the Savior. It is hard work. But each time I am willing to make the sacrifice, I also receive a portion of those joys and blessings that are there for those who are willing to do his work.

Andrya L