This Mother’s Day feels different somehow. Maybe it’s because I am a grandmother now. Maybe it’s because circumstances are different from many other Mother’s Days. Maybe it is my outlook. In the past, I have thought of Mother’s Day as a day off, or as a day to be honored, which it can be those things. But this year I see it as a chance to be grateful and embrace the opportunity I have to be a mother. I know part of that has to do with my preparation leading up to this day. I am a counselor in the Relief Society in our branch here in Kansas and for our lesson today we wanted to discuss the Family Proclamation and how it relates to motherhood and womanhood. I was to cover the middle part, paragraphs 5,6, & 7. As I was studying and trying to feel through the Spirit what might be needed to discuss with the sisters, I had a lot of ideas and nothing was coming together until I was sitting in Relief Society and I was listening to my friend who is moving away give her last lesson here, or at least her portion. And the Spirit witnessed to me in such a powerful way that I am a daughter of Heavenly Parents and I have a purpose here. And I knew what needed to be shared in the time that I had. I had read over a couple of talks. One entitled A “Mother Heart” by Sister Julie B. Beck given in the April 2004 General Conference. The other was Turn on Your Light by Sister Sharon Eubank given in the October 2017 General Conference. Both are amazing, but there were portions of the first one that really stuck out to me. And I can’t get the last part out of my head. Sister Beck said,
“Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so, and their influence with spread and grow exponentially throughout the eternities.”
This made me remember another quote that I had read somewhere so I searched it up. Here it is.
“When God wants an important thing done in this world or a wrong righted, He goes about it in a very singular way. He doesn’t release thunderbolts or stir up earthquakes. God simply has a tiny baby born, perhaps of a very humble home, perhaps of a very humble mother. And God puts the idea or purpose into the mother’s heart. And she puts it in the baby’s mind, and then – God waits. The great events of this world are not battles and elections and earthquakes and thunderbolts. The great events are babies, for each child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with humanity, but is still expecting goodwill to become incarnate in each human life.”
Edmond McDonald
Words cannot convey the many thoughts and feeling that went through my mind and heart today, but I know that God’s plan for us, His children, is so marvelous. He has sent us to earth in families because it is the best way for us to learn and grow both as children and as parents learning to teach children in the best ways. As a woman, I have a divine role to help create bodies for some of God’s Spirit children, and I can nurture and help them and His other children through the gifts and talents with which He has blessed me. But most especially that Jesus Christ was able to fulfill the demands of justice when He atoned for you and me and all mankind. He offers us mercy and a way to return to our Heavenly home if we will look to Him. He can succor us in whatever circumstances we are in. And He can help us turn our weaknesses into strengths. I know these things are true.