Motherhood is the most dynamic and powerful role on the earth. Mothers are the nurturers of the family. They give life, the most precious gift of all, to each child. They give love. They serve vicariously. They constantly do things for others that these can’t do for themselves: give birth to their children, love them, teach them, serve them, and perform myriad other things only mothers can do. Yes, society rests on the contributions and sacrifices of mothers. Elder ElRay L. Christiansen stated: “So far, no worthy substitute has been found for good mothers. Without them, civilization is doomed to decay.” According to a Jewish proverb: “God could not be everywhere; therefore, he made mothers.” Abraham Lincoln articulated the sentiments of virtually all mankind when he said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
May we thank God always for our mothers and pay homage to them. May we praise them, respect them, honor them, and enthrone them for their vicarious sacrifices on our behalf in doing things for us that we could not do for ourselves. May we strive to lift them up and appreciate them for who they are: an embodiment of the godly principles of life, love, and leadership in sustaining vitality and empowering kindness forever. In this article we want to share things that many mothers do in their quintessential role here on earth.
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Genesis 3:16). The “sorrow” in child-birth is more correctly to be understood as hardship and difficulty. Just as the Savior gave birth to our immortality in a magnificent vicarious act [the Atonement], so likewise do mothers bring forth mortality in a magnificent vicarious act of service. Christ had sorrow for our sins, as well, in His anguish and suffering while in Gethsemane. Mothers should have a desire to be one with their husbands, just as the Savior does with us all. In all families, groups, and organizational entities there is one who presides. In the case of eternal matters, God the Father presides over our Savior and over all of mankind. In mortal families, the father has that responsibility. In a marriage and family there should be a oneness of parents in purpose, cause, and action, the parents being equally yoked together in bringing forth a righteous family.
“The true strength that is America’s, the true strength of any nation, lies in those qualities of character that have been acquired for the most part by children taught in the quiet, simple, everyday manner of mothers. What Jean Paul Richter once declared of fathers is even more true of mothers—and I paraphrase it just a little to make the point—‘What a mother says to her children is not heard by the world, but it will be heard by posterity’” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 386).
“Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother’s image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child’s mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world. True, there comes a time when Father takes his place as exemplar and hero of the growing boy; and in the latter’s budding ambition to develop manly traits, he outwardly seems to turn from the more gentle and tender virtues engendered by his mother. Yet that ever-directing and restraining influence implanted during the first years of his childhood linger with him and permeate his thoughts and memory as distinctively as perfume clings to each particular flower” (David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953], 452).
Here is just a small list of things that mothers do—and the list could go on forever:
Give life—Mothers give life; they instantly love their children, for they have already served and sacrificed by giving birth.
Care—Mothers tenderly care for their newborn babies with sweetness, tending to all their physical and emotional needs.
Teach—Mothers begin the teaching process, from language to proper behavior, and carry it on with love and patience.
Listen—Mothers listen with focus, without distraction, without impatience, without crossness or unkindness.
Understand—Mothers seek to understand their children’s needs and concerns.
Serve—Mothers are always there in times of routine as well as in moments of crisis. Someone once said, correctly, “Every mother is a working woman.”
Are devoted—Mothers know that their role is non-transferable.
Praise—Mothers honestly and generously praise their children regularly.
Honor—Mothers never abuse or make light of their children in any way.
Are humble—Mothers seek forgiveness of their children when the mothers are not at their best.
Give—Mothers always give their love and their time. Their children always know that they are loved and important to their mothers.
The list of what mothers accomplish could go on forever. The point seems clear: Mothers are the key to the lives of their children. Fathers must always do their part. We need both. We are all indebted to our mothers for life itself and for all of their love and kindness expressed through service. It is interesting to see the gratitude of a young mother for her own mother after she has given birth to a child. Yes, we all owe to our angel mothers a righteous life of service and charity—that their lives will not have been in vain. Mothers of the world today need to remember that there is no success outside the home that can equate to the success of raising a child with love and devotion. Mothers are truly the queens of the earth. Their realm is the heavenly commission given them to bring up their children in truth and see to their nurture and well-being. Motherhood is the essence of life. May life be sweet for all families as mothers and fathers and children work together in harmony and love.
This article has been adapted from What We Need to Know and Do, by Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen.