I chuckled, but was not surprised when I saw that chocolate was the most popular! Young Latter-day Saint priesthood . So for over a decade, Ive loved Mothers Day, just because I know it wont end with all of us crying. could have had us all come to earth as adults, but instead we came as infants needing 24 hour care to survive; there must be something we need to learn from being dependent on parents, and 4) share some motherhood quotes. So I will be going to church on Sunday, even though I never go to church, so I can remember my mother, who was never a Mormon. Mothers Day was pure torture and the only time I ever serious entertain thoughts of staying home. We got the story about women blessing their cows a couple of years ago. It makes my heart sad to see that the men arent recognized and given something however small it may be. Most seemed to realize bishoprics are trying and they appreciate any effort. 1 Dead, 1 Injured in Shooting During LDS Sacrament Meeting in Nevada. Pres Hinckley and apparently Mark has it right. Evry cry of pity heeding, I wonder if a member of our bishopric reads this blog? I was dreading it, but I was rescued by my sister coming to town for the next 3 days yayyyy. Mothers Day was open so I said ok, I will come up with something appropriate. The worst talk I ever heard came from a woman who described how her mother used to sit by her during piano lessons. What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? It is a simple answer, and it is trueThe most important thing a father can do for his [daughter] is to love [her] mother.'. Not a perfect example but I was striving for some other options besides stripling warriors moms. Why was she an ideal? Ere the sun goes down: Partaking of the sacrament is a witness to God that the remembrance of His Son will extend beyond the short time of that sacred ordinance. There was nothing you could do that would ever make you feel like she didnt love you, but she always told you the truth about your behavior and was not afraid to be entirely real with you even when you wanted to lie to yourself. Just after she became a beehive, her mother had an affair. I dont remember all 18 things, but two of them stuck with me, even 15 years later. Just to be clear - I meant 'written/given' by women (aka musical number "O My Father" written by Eliza R Snow, conf talk by Reeve/Oscarson/Okazaki). Thats why youve been my cyber-crush for years. We got a response from172 females and 51 males. She was not a perfect mother, but I loved her. Ere the sun goes down. So Im on for Mothers Day and have been assigned Julie Becks talk on the history of Relief Society as topic. This talk by Elaine S. Dalton helps fathers understand the importance of loving and cherishing the women in their life. I have seen women leave the meeting in tears, and I know others who have learned, through sad experience, that it is best for them to take a break from church on Mothers Day. I'd had a challenging morning, but somehow, my 3-year-old-daughter was decked out and ready for church on time. I believe the best thing a man can do is not to love his wife in word, but to help her find and be and become whatever she truly wants to be and become outside of her role as mother. In this case it will likely be mothers, and the Primary kids will sing, too. Lewis moments ago which speaks directly to those thoughts: This year in my ward the emphasis was shifted slightly from being a mother to our mothers. This is brilliant, Mark. I just pray that the spirit can convey the message that seems so exciting in my heart. It falls short when it is not delivered with love, patience, acceptance, humility, an understanding of the limitations of REALITY, and the the Gift of the Holy Ghost. There are diabetic men, arent there? Replies to my comments Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever.. #93 Ruth Inevitably they would be instructed that the gifts were for all women, so theyd try hard to give me one. The second is about a mother who diligently loved her son as he struggled with same-sex attraction and labored him through his despair. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities.. I like the post. On Sunday Morning my sister and I drove almost 2 hours each way to go visit my maternal grandmothers grave. (just kidding). Listen to her. from Pres. Seriously, no one is going to be pleased. On this site you will find a variety of arrangements for ward choirs, solo piano, vocal duets and more. He also addressed many different groups of women separately with distinct advice for their situation, including women with small children, older women, and women who never marry. Dont take us out of Primary to go eat Treats! I actually feel it is not so dissimilar on fathers day, particularly since the disparity between them can demean men. I think its terribly sad that growing up Mormon, I never heard anyone make any serious attempt to talk about Heavenly Mother on Mothers Day. I have attended other Christian churches enough to realize why it is much less likely that they have painful mothers day talks. The good news is, most sisters want chocolate from their ward family and most sisters usually get chocolate. Yea like all of you My Mother sucked too. #109 Rayloved the roller coaster quote on motherhood. Maybe the Hallmark channel should use some of his conference clips as fillers when movies end early. Really? Just a thought. I dont like the sappy talks about the perfect mothers. Too much idealism masks reality and can quickly become propaganda and lies. Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. Classic! Any suggestions as to what you would truly and realistically appreciate being presented? No fuss, no muss. On Mothers Day. But alas, Mother's Day 11 years ago will forever be known as the day I landed face down on the floor of the chapel, on top of my 3-year-old, in the middle of sacrament meeting, with my skirt flung over my head. A small gift for Mothers Day is fine, but if you give chocolate to a diabetic or a piece of pie to someone with gluten intolerance, what have you given? Our current ward celebrates Mothers Day with the obligatory talks. The kids sang the first verse and the adults the second. I think its good to have something to air at! This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you (Luke 22:1920). I exchanged the word "guidance " for the word " mothers " in this verse to help it go with the Mother's Day theme. Since my mom has unacknowledged mental health issues, this is my oldest sister and a lady in L.A. who I still keep in contact with. Disciples of Christ know what they want and there is not need to celebrate Christmas in front of others that are not faithful. In the mean time, please, PLEASE, dont go hunting the sisters. I only mentioned Mothers Day once, and I said how much my mom hated the hypocrisy of Mothers Day, and that we should treat women right every day of the year, not give platitudes one day of the year. If it is unique to us, I wonder why we have a corner on the Mothers Day anxiety market. The perfect sacrament meeting talk? Could someone remind of what the day is for after all? We changed the lines to "Mother Do You Love Me". Great post, Mark! Being Both a Disciple & a Daughter: Balancing Formality in Prayer. I know they happened fairly regularly in my own adolesence and early adulthood, but I cant remember one Ive heard personally in quite a while. You then leap to classifying it a family celebration rather than a national holiday. I dont know how that worked out for him. Families are good about this but public acknowledgement is hard to come by. I didnt realize Mothers Day was so close. On the night before His Crucifixion, Jesus Christ met with His Apostles and instituted the sacrament (see Luke 22:1920). Nice post Mark, I think we do need to be careful about how we say some of the things we do in church, and elsewhere. Some women think that you dont talk enough about mothers while other people think you talk too much about them. The Problem with Mother's Day Gifts at Church - LDS Living I agree Ray. I still dont understand it, which is probably why Im still very nervous about having kids. Why Women, Especially Mothers, Working Outside the Home is an Abomination Unto the Lord. I may have to borrow that. He gets points for effort and most humorous and memorable! Ugh. Our ward always does flowers, right after Sacrament meeting, and this is a real problem for me because of my allergies. "I am a sociopathic perverted mess emotionally and mentally thanks to the influence of my insane codependent mother.'". But Ive also read this: 40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. My best friend (unmarried, childless at 51) has been asked to speak. A friend once proposed a thought experiment. Id really love to see the fathers acknowledged on Fathers Day. We know very little about HM and HF really. Mark, very good advice IMO. Best Mother's Day Topics, Scriptures, Conference Talks, Etc. (Although I love the song idea for the Primary #65) Marys life is always appropriate, Lucy Mack Smith, Hannah & Samuel, etc. I have no aversion to motherhood being spoken of in church. Integrate how Jesus takes care of his mother's future well being while hanging on the cross with the scripture John 19:26-27. Very useful counsel, Mark. Tony, thanks! I havent had a bad Mothers Day since I divorced my ex and the day stopped being about making my kids miserable so that he could appear to be a good husband. Now, I detest it. I just spent two hours reading all the comments, viewing the video mentioned in #90, and taking notes. Let us also posit that, even if the average woman is more nurturing or righteous than the . No one tries to probe for subliminal meaning in the choice of Fat Boys. Kristine, thank you again. Latter-day Saints to Attend Sacrament Meeting Only on Christmas Day Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. Thank you to everyone! Perhaps it shouldnt be mothers day, but be Womans day and celebrate the contributions of women of faith in their families and communities. Personally, I like cookies. Is this our Sharon Haynie from DN branch? I spoke about her one year. Gospel Q&A: Do We Really Have the Spirit With Us All the Time? Mormon women are harder on themselves than any other group of ladies I have associated with. I dont want to hear Sister Becks controversial mothers who know talk, or president bensons talk come home talk. I agree with #15youth speaker, song and chocolate and the rest of the meeting devoted to Christ. Well, counselor x/counselor y is in charge of May, I dont know what hes doing for sure . The Spirits constant companionship is one of the greatest gifts of mortality. I was initially surprised he went that way, but I have to say although Ive occasionally heard people say they wish something were did, I heard many complaints every previous year that something was done about what that something was. You can still give the women the day off. But arent mothers also sweet, like cookies? In the UK, my experience has been that sacrament has at least one talk and often a few. Watching the Primary children singing to their mothers in Sacrament meeting was the hardest. Last year we did two songs for the Mother's Day sacrament meeting, and they turned out beautifully, so I thought I would share them with you. Im sorry too for the harshness In my expression in a previous thread regarding your views of sacrament meeting. How about honoring our mothers by not just focusing on what they do or have done for us (guilt trip for those that feel they never do enough) but focus on ways the members can help their mothers throughout each stage of their life. The Mother's Day Talk PSA - By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog I get really tired of hearing the stripling warrior passages on Mother's Day. Just asking. Speechless. It was the service ofthe sisters that made the talk memorable. Mother's Day: My talk | Times & Seasons Then the clincher, it is only for women to celebrate and they need to be left alone to celebrate it as they demand and see fit. I love this. Mothers Day theme, is the spirit is trying to witness to us at what a dumb idea it is. I meant to type rebellious children in #90. Members have now learned to accept it. 2) If your outfit doesnt match, no one who matters will notice. She loved us unconditionally heart and soul. Submitting to the will of the Father, He suffered more than we can comprehend: Blood [came] from every pore, so great [was] his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people (Mosiah 3:7). So, I am assigned to give a talk next week. Can I suggest NOT sending the youth out hunting all women? I loved it! They may have services on Holy Mother Mary but then again, she left her son behind in Jerusalem and didnt even notice she had forgotten him for quite some time before going back to look for him so not sure about her mothering skills ;)). I think Emma and Naomi are very neglected women in our teachings (understatement considering the general neglect). Last year, I did an arrangement of "I Often Go Walking" for the Primary children and our ward choir to perform together. Have a variety of ages speak on ideas or what they've done to help their mothers and ways they've stayed close to their mothers. Yes! What does it mean when we want to remove motherhood from Mother's Day? As I journey on my way, The first speaker was a single father, then the bishop spoke, then the stake president spoke. Actually, Ive never heard anything about Heavenly Mother beyond, Isnt it so wonderful that we believe in a Heavenly Mother?!. each year when I plan the Mother's Day sacrament meeting I feel an extra bit of pressure to make it special for our wives and mothers. when she becomes a God like I know she will she will be an inspriation to all ladys, They do not need to be perfect in order to partake of the sacrament, but they should have a spirit of humility and repentance in their hearts. But shes never experienced the horrors I have where the local ward nut case talks about how his wife isnt putting out thanks to menopause. Drunk as he could be. We were utterly gobsmacked. He had returned from his mission and married (as did I), and he was asked to give the main Mothers Day talk. Their talks often included poems about the immeasurable amount of crap mothers had to deal with. Thanks for reminding me so I can stay home. It appears that we have adopted the perverted sense of inclusion to such a degree that we cannot mention our gratitude for our mothers and motherhood without "hurting" or "marginalizing" those who are not mothers. MD is a day I prefer to play hookey, especially now that my mother is currently lost in alzheimers disease. Are you looking for the best LDS talks on motherhood? And, even worse, we are also cutting them off from the grace and redemption that Jesus offers. 3rd hour had all of the PRI & YW leaders including the YW themselves in RS with homemade lemon cakes from the teacher. The story of Martha and Mary each bringing important and valuable things, even though they were very different. No, an inclusive talk will be about current and eternal womanhood, one part of which may including being a biological mother in mortal life. Latter-day Saint Life. I agree with the chocolate, lack of talks, and the third hour refreshments! I am 70 years old and have never been a mother, but I had one. I would be totally okay if they did nothing for Mothers Day at church. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. Products; . I too have wrestled with the infertility monster and MD was always a nightmare. In my home ward, we once had a Mothers Day Sacrament Meeting the topic of which was the priesthood. One of my favorite talks ever wasnt a Mothers Day talk but was given by a mother talking about mothering (we were on vacation, so didnt know the woman speaking). Even men who are on diets. Modal title . As the son of a mother who was destroyed every Mothers Day, and seeing many similar experiences here, I plan to stick to the Christ-centric meeting next year. I am on the Speakers Bureau for the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) and we would welcome the donations too. I have to go home right after Sacrament meeting, because the Sisters all bring their flowers with them to the other meetings. If you personally need one, thats fine, but not everyone needs a model for something that is experienced differently by everyone. We should not celebrate anything unless it is universally acknowledged around the world. They seemed to love the tradition and I never received negative feedback. I do think a lot of Mormon women enjoy talks that validate their efforts at motherhood, and I think some of these talks get interpreted as angel mother talks when theyre really not. I pray the Spirit will be with me today as I give this talk. Elder Ballard mainly focused on young mothers in this talk from 2008. LDS Sacrament Meeting Talks - 34 Ideas - Nat Harward Oh, and my husband is speaking in our ward this Mothers Day. Trust her. The first consideration is that you, the speaker, need to begin with your audience in mind. Latter-day Saints to Attend Sacrament Meeting Only on Christmas Day Church Newsroom November 10, 2022 Church The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has. Daughters of God Cannot load blog information at this time. 1) Peanut butter sandwiches served with a smile tastes much better than the fanciest meal served with a side of stress. Ideals ALL! . Especially for those women that aren't mothersbut, a big but, these women are mothers to villages, pets, and extended family all the time! Especially since whoever asked him to speak didnt learn their lesson and he said the exact same talk a year later. As a member of our bishopric, I assigned the topics for this weeks talks, all motherhood focused, and I have forwarded your paragraph with Elder Eyrings quote to each of them. This ordinance is an essential part of worship and spiritual development. Or the best of both worldssend all women to RS and have the chocolate there so you get the women to walk through the door instead of to their cars, and so the kids arent begging for it? What if you brought in padded RS chairs for the YW & PRI workers, including Nursery sisters, so that they can feel a little comfort on that Sunday? Available Now: 2023 Temple Calendar. I guess mothers also die, just like plants, but not usually at our own hands. That said, I cant say I recall ever hearing a bad Mothers Day talk. And I did use some of the suggestions here. The average of the survey said their bishopric probably spends about $1 per sister for Mothers Day gifts.