Ten Things I Love About Motherhood

These are in no particular order.  I guarantee that there's more than these ten.  This is just what came to my mind today.

1. Witnessing Life - I get a front row seat to watch little lives unfold before my eyes.  I get to watch my children experience things for the first time.  It's fascinating!

2. I get to watch my favorite shows and read my favorite books again and instill the love of these to my children.

3. I get to watch Joe in action as a father.  He's so wonderful and unselfish.  He knows how to handle situations in ways I never would have dreamed of.  I fall in love with him over and over again as he goes about being the best dad for our children.

4.  I get to have second chances.  There's the aspect of getting to relive my childhood through my children, but that's not what I initially thought of.  Instead I was thinking of all the mistakes I make as a mom.  My children forgive me so readily.  Over and over again they offer me a second chance to be a better mom to them.  This offering comes without hesitation.  I'm so thankful for their loving forgiveness toward me.  I hope they feel that I'm offering them the same opportunity,

5. Being a mother has offered me a special gift.  It has helped me to realize the things I used to take for granted like a full nights sleep without being interrupted.

6. Knowing that I have three best friends forever.  We may not always get along, but I know we are always there for each other.

7.  Hugs and Kisses and the newly acquired High Five that Jacob has recently adopted.  We need each other.  We love each other.  And even those of us who are entering the tween years love the affection that comes from this special bond that will last forever.

8.  Getting to tell them stories about my childhood.  Really my life as a child wasn't very fascinating at all.  But they love to listen and I love to share.  It works out perfectly.

9. Learning about things that interest them.  There are so many things that I have learned because they are interested in a certain topic or game.  My children keep me well rounded.

10.  There's never a dull moment.  I'm often tired, worn out and wondering if I'll ever get a chance to have some time all to myself - like go into the bathroom and complete my business in private. However, I know that someday when they've grown up and moved on, the house will be quiet and I will yearn for these busy, loud and jam-packed days.

Motherhood is what you make of it.  I hope I can look back and say that I've given it my heart and soul.  I'm far from perfect.  How grateful I am for this opportunity to learn and grow from my biggest blessings - my children.

-Angie Center

Families

Today, I would just like to testify of the importance of families. One of the main reasons we are here on this earth is to get married and have children and teach them the ways of our Heavenly Father. I have wonderful parents who did that. I was raised by a mother who was virtuous and taught me to be proud I am a woman. I was raised by a father who demonstrated righteous dominion in our home. He displayed characteristics that I wanted in a future spouse and taught me to value the priesthood. 

I grew up and got married and I married a wonderful priesthood holder who takes care of us and helps us all be better. I try my best to be a virtuous woman, like my mother. I want my children to grow up and be glad that they had righteous parents. I recognize that not everyone has that, and it breaks my heart. But whatever your background is, I challenge you to improve on it. Make your home better than the one you grew up in. Satan knows how crucial the family is and we have to be ever stronger than previous generations to keep him out of our homes. With the lack of structure in families that exist in our society, we can see that our society is headed down a dangerous path. 

People have commented to my husband and I about not wanting children. They say that they are too much work and it isn't worth it. But to those who choose not to have a family, I say "It is worth it!" There are hard days but it is worth every long night, every snotty nose, and every tantrum to see your children choose righteous paths and learn the things that you try so desperately to put in their heads. Children are a blessing from God. Families are central to His plan. I challenge everyone to create a stronger family shield against the Evil One and put in more effort to teach your children righteous ways. 

---Jashley

Complimentary Opposites

Last week I was visiting my family in Provo, and my lovely younger sister who lives there invited me to attend a meeting she was hosting in her home with the mayor and many of the women in her neighborhood.  The topic she wanted to address was the role of women in city politics.  I was curious to see how the meeting would unfold, because my sister is pretty into the feminist movement, and quite vocal in her opinions.  The meeting had originally come about because she had seen a photo on the mayor's blog of a large breakfast gathering where there were ONLY white males in attendance.  She had expressed concern via email to the mayor that women and minorities did not appear to be adequately represented in city councils and events.  I was pleasantly surprised at how delightful the meeting turned out.  There was a great turnout, the questions were well thought out, and there was a general feeling of goodwill and mutual respect, and a desire to bring about positive changes without being overbearing.  I came away from the meeting feeling inspired and empowered as a woman.

For the past several months, as women and their roles have become a more prominent topic in the media and within church circles, I have pondered a lot about what truly empowers a woman, and the benefit and gift her God-given role as a mother offers to humankind.  While volumes could be written on this topic, I would just like to share a few of my thoughts.

First, what empowers a woman?  I think the most important thing is to truly recognize, deep down, that we are daughters of God, who wants the same blessings and gifts for each of His children, regardless of gender.  He has endowed us as women with unique gifts and talents, which can either be stifled and pushed aside (which our society seems to be trying to do), or it can be rejoiced in and embraced.  I still remember from college something one of my religion professors said.  This particular professor was fluent in Hebrew and had advanced degrees in the subject.  He had also been to the Holy Land many times.  He pointed out that the word "helpmeet" in the Genesis account of the creation was "Ezar Kinegdo" in the original Hebrew.  (Isn't it weird that I remember that?!)  Its literal translation is "complimentary opposite."  I remember our professor explaining that roles of men and women were much like the wings of a plane--they are definitely NOT the same, but both are necessary for complete functionality. Complimentary opposites.

Secondly, what do our unique roles as women as mothers and nurturers have to offer?  I had an epiphany on this some time ago, which was very enlightening to me as a mother. Think for a moment of all the major ills in our society; crime, contention, bullying, obesity, addictions, premarital sex and the resulting consequences of abortion, or single (teenage) parents, etc.  If all women everywhere embraced their roles as mothers and nurturers, all these devastating ills would be almost completely eradicated!  Think of it!  If that is not true power, I don't know what is!  Let me expound.  If all kids were to come home from school to a home with an engaged mother present, down would go the premarital sex.  Down would go our abortions.  Down would go our single teenage parent statistics.  If mothers embraced their role in the home, and made nurturing their primary concern, down would go obesity and attendant illnesses as more healthy food choices were provided, rather then the fast food/convenience store fare that is causing so much disease in our society.  As women gave their best effort in their capacity as a mother, down would go the violence that is so prevalent, as there would be less unsupervised t.v. and violent video games viewed, and more engaging and creative alternatives offered.  You get the idea.  Can you see why there is such an effort put forth by the adversary to demean and devalue the roles of women?  Can you see why he entices people with the argument that women should be the same as men?  Because he knows the astounding power that women can have!

 I deeply hope all of us as women can find ways to be actively engaged in our communities, in our churches, in our societies, in politics, and other things where our powerful and God-given roles will be recognized and utilized to bring about some amazing changes in our world.  Let us show our daughters and sons role models of powerful, good women who rejoice in being women!  We don't have to be "equal" to men--equality is not the issue here.  Let us rejoice in being "complimentary opposites!"

-Anna

The Value of Motherhood and Womanhood

We live in a time when the idea of motherhood is degraded. A lowly station, not worthy of praise or recognition. Not to be aspired to, devalued and overlooked. And yet the time, work, and effort required of mothers is without price. Who can measure a mother's worth? Who can measure the worth of a child? It is unfortunate that the insignificance of motherhood is perpetuated by men AND WOMEN alike. How can women downgrade their own eternal value and nobility?

We are often overlooked, under appreciated, undervalued, even sometimes in our own homes. We are probably all guilty of overlooking our own mother. We often don't recognize and notice everything a mother does. It is all behind the scenes.  But to be a mother, suddenly all the invisible efforts come out of the woodwork.

I am guilty of expecting praise and recognition only to be disappointed. We have to find our own value. We cannot look outside ourselves. We have to find it within ourselves, and in God. We have to be proud of our motherhood and stand for it. We can change the world one day at a time, one child at a time.  I learning this slowly.  It's hard to recognize your own value when others don't. It's hard to think you are doing a great work when your work includes piles of dirty laundry, when you wade through mess after mess, find it hard to get yourself ready for the day, and struggle with how to teach your children to whine just a little less. The tasks of motherhood are usually very mundane. We are more than our surroundings. Our work is more than the mundane daily tasks. We cannot expect others to value us if we do not value ourselves and the nobility of our work.

This past weekend I stood alongside the bed of a woman who had just given birth to a beautiful baby boy. The father had tears in his eyes, for his son was not expected to live longer than a few hours. His mother held him tightly, but smiled down at him. I expected to see grief and heartache. Although I am sure she felt an abundance of sadness, she was just so grateful to hold him for a few hours and listen to him breath, and consider the hope of raising him someday, to get a glimpse of the future. They had called many loved ones to come visit, family and friends, to come and see their son before he was to be called back home. This mother knew she was giving up her son now, but knew she was not losing him forever. He would be hers to hold again because motherhood is eternal. She has no idea, but she inspired me.

As President Monson said so well, "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...  The 'Mother forgotten' is observed all too frequently. ... 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."

I am making a resolve to daily find my own value in motherhood and womanhood, to rely less on the praise of others, and to find fulfillment with God in my sacred calling.

-Laura Morris

Mothers

Happy Mother's Day 2014!

To commemorate the wonderful women in our lives, I'd like to post a quote that I feel expresses the sentiment perfectly.  This is from a talk given at the BYU Women's conference in 2010 by Dallin H. Oaks.

"The greatest example of service, because it is so unselfish and so expressive of the will of God, is the action of a mother for her children.  In her story, 'The Invisible Woman,' Nicole Johnson likens the mother's role to that those builders made great sacrifices to build a cathedral 'they would never see finished.' Though their individual efforts were 'invisible' to the world, their actions were 'fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.' She likened this to a mother's essentially invisible work with her children.  She wrote that her own invisibility sometimes felt like an 'affliction,' but she wisely observed that this was the 'cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness.' Nicole Johnson concluded: 'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals.  We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, [but] at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."