Mother’s Day

1. Happy Mother’s Day
   1. Hannah and Eli

1 Samual 1:9-14

9 ¶ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

1. Worry about saying the wrong thing
2. This talk is for me.  From my perspective.  Lots of time pondering memories, of which I will only share brief moments of a few.  I was the one that needed the lessons.
3. Most church assignments are for the assignee.  That includes missions.

1. My childhood
   1. Fall of Saigon
      1. Story of my birth
   2. Washing my mouth out with soap
      1. What did I do wrong?
      2. Defiance.  The punishment was not going to change my behavior.
   3. Felt poor
      1. Felt bad asking for anything
      2. Worked  since 9.
      3. Walked home 5 miles from an argument
   4. Perspective
      1. 25 years of parenthood.  Owen on a mission.  Jacob getting married.  Might think I’ve gone through the full cycle.
      2. My mother has 55 years of parenthood.  It changes, but never ends.
      3. Memories come with all the emotions you had at the time.  What would be a small dip or wrinkle now is often a chasm of emotion for a child.  Memories retain those strong feelings.
      4. I was defiant, stubborn, precocious, seemingly unteachable.
   5. Things I learned
      1. There are standards; appropriate behavior was expected
      2. Work ethic, value of money
         1. Was taught to save, had multiple financial vehicles
         2. Could do my own taxes
      3. I was taught the Gospel
         1. I have always known there is a God; I’ve always known I am His child.
         2. Parents 50th Wedding Anniversary
            1. Brother asked my mom to share her testimony; how she got it
            2. I was surprised, but I should not have been
            3. An aside about “I know” statements.  I believe, I know enough, I have experiences that lead me to believe, etc
         3. As a parent, few things we want more than for our children to have a testimony, and have their own relationship with Jesus Christ
            1. All testimonies grow over time.
            2. A commitment to do what you know is true grows over time.
            3. There are many things that I didn’t fully understand or know until I was on my mission, until I was a parent, until recently.  Hopefully that never stops.
            4. Helaman’s Stripling Warriors

Alma 56:48

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

1. I have the same heritage from my mother
2. Many anchoring spiritual experiences as a child
   1. Experiences I would have never had if I had never felt hurt; if I had never felt anguish.

1. Even a perfect child…
   1. I was a difficult child, Jesus was perfect, but that doesn’t mean it was easy for Mary
      1. Jesus was missing when traveling home, found him at the temple
         1. Jacob lost at IKEA
         2. Josie hiding under a table
      2. Worry as he taught new things, upset the authorities of the time
      3. Her innocent child, falsely accused, whipped, executed
      4. Where was his body?
   2. To be a mother is to know heartache, anguish, and pain.
      1. Jesus was perfect; imagine being a mother to difficult and imperfect children like us

1. Sariah
   1. She mourned for her sons as they went to obtain the Brass Plates

1 Nephi 5:1-3

1 And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.

2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.

1. Sariah felt like any mother would.  Her babies were out doing something very dangerous and she worried.
2. Lehi tried to comfort her, but the scriptures say she wasn’t comforted until her sons returned.
3. Nephi needed that experience
4. Do you think Sariah ever gave up on her wayward sons?
5. Do you think she ever stopped worrying about them?
6. Do our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother ever give up on us?

1. I have seen Rachael grieve and mourn as our children experience their own trials
   1. We want to fix them so badly.
   2. My children should have no doubt how deeply their mother loves them.
   3. Josie being teased about cats.
      1. 1st reaction
      2. I would never give her that experience, but at the same time, I want her to experience those hard things.  I want her to figure it out without me preventing things or saving her from things.
2. A mother’s heart aches because a mother’s heart loves so deeply

1. The joys and blessings that come from being a parent
   1. Seeing milestones, knowing they are progressing in their lives, can overfill our hearts with joy
      1. Rachael and I see the struggles each of our children have.
      2. But we are so proud of each of them.   We receive such great joy when we see who are children have become, and who they are still becoming.
      3. First time as a youth leader see a young man advance to be a Priest.

1. Just as church assignments are often ways for the person given the assignment to grow, the same is true of parenthood and motherhood.
   1. Unconditional love
   2. Patience
   3. Selflessness
   4. Perseverance
   5. Forgiveness
   6. Perspective
      1. A tiny glimpse of how our Heavenly Parents feel about us as their children
      2. Can see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ works in your own life, but also in the lives of our children.
      3. Deepens our own relationship with God

1. Conclusion
   1. We are here on Earth to learn and grow.  We have Heavenly Parents whose work and glory is to give us everything they have.
   2. The work and trials that come from parenthood are important lessons we need in this life.
   3. The joy we have from our children is a tiny glimpse of the joy experienced in the Eternities.
   4. As a mother, you have a profound impact helping your children have the experiences and lessons they need as we all journey on this path together.

George Washington

“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

1. Interesting to me that George Washington hit 3 of the 4 areas of the youth program.

1. I conclude with, I believe in Jesus Christ.  I believe the promise of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that through Him, we may all return to our loving Father and Mother in Heaven.  I say these things…