The music . Too often folks with food allergies, diabetes, and similar challenges are left feeling like second class saints in our food-laden church culture. I also really like Kristenes suggestion and everything like unto it as EOR suggested. What would happen, if, at the start of sacrament meeting on Mothers Day, the bishop announced that there would be two separate meetings. The worst talk I ever heard came from a woman who described how her mother used to sit by her during piano lessons. and read for the dayLOL, isnt that a nice dream?? I have some ideas of speaker topics but I thought I would start a thread for suggestions of topics, scriptures, conference talks, etc that would help make a great Sacrament Meeting that honors Motherhood while also keeping a focus on Christ. She never got her kids back and they never forgave her, and she died of some incurable stress induced disease. Please Please Please! I cant remember the last time I heard a bad sacrament meeting talk, period. It seems like awareness and knowing your audience as mentioned before, is half the battle. To be fair, diabetics can eat chocolate. 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. I had some ideas but didn't want to repeat anything that had already been done from the Primary. . Oh, great. we have never ceased head-shaking about his, well, completely horrific timingand choiceoif topicand general ignorance and intolerance (and sheer bovine stupidity). God still loves her, and her life still had value and meaningTHE END!! I dont remember all 18 things, but two of them stuck with me, even 15 years later. Mothers Day was open so I said ok, I will come up with something appropriate. Trust her. Why in the church is there such a strong, almost secular aversion to motherhood? Part of this ordinance is a promise to remember Him always and a witness of individual willingness to take upon oneself the name of Jesus Christ and to keep His commandments. Just asking. We've gathered five inspiring gifts for Latter-day Saint women to help them feel cherished and celebrated. I guess mothers also die, just like plants, but not usually at our own hands. My husband told me to stop focusing on myself and think about who mothered me instead. In return, the Lord renews the promised remission of sin and enables Church members to always have his Spirit to be with them (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). My Mother will one day reach the godstage with my Father and will have there own planet. I was reading about the origins of Mothers Day. Honestly, considering how touchy this subject is (women w/out kids, abusive moms, separated/divorced men who don't want to be, moms who've passed, etc), I'd focus on Womanhood. I still dont understand it, which is probably why Im still very nervous about having kids. Honoring Fallen Parents: The Fifth Commandment and Romans 3:23 The Fifth Commandment enjoins: "Honor thy father and thy mother." My wife spoke on Mothers Day (which I originally thought was a bad choice, because she herself appears to the outside world to be the perfect mother) about her own mother and some of the simple things her mother had done for her that made a big difference in her life and how grateful she was. I am confident that a poll ofactive Mormons would show that Mothers Day sacrament meeting is, hands down, the one meeting of the year most fraught with difficulty for the people who attend. Yea like all of you My Mother sucked too. I think Emma and Naomi are very neglected women in our teachings (understatement considering the general neglect). Why are women so disenchanted with motherhood when we value it so highly? I am on the Speakers Bureau for the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) and we would welcome the donations too. Put me in the column of those who think Sacrament Meeting should be about Christ. Thank you. The bad ones tend to deal withthe big generalities, praisingmotherhood without even pausing to define whether we are speaking of women who have given birth, or womanhood in general. Forgive me for not understanding the blessing part of it. Well, count me among the lucky ones who are speaking this coming Sunday. I have been avoiding the mother's day sacrament meeting for the last couple of years. Let us also posit that, even if the average woman is more nurturing or righteous than the . 30 Inspiring LDS Quotes About Mothers & Motherhood, Church Leaders Honor Mothers Over the Holiday Weekend, Church Releases Tribute to Mothers, You Are Enough, FREE Happy Mothers Day Coloring Page Printable, The Family is a Divine Blessing | 6 March 2023, Come Follow Me Recap Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee | 5 March 2023, Miracles Come Through Fasting | 4 March 2023, Young Latter-day Saint Missionary Passes Away in Georgia, 5 Things You Didnt Know About the Day the LDS Church Was Organized. I did this for five years and the sisters seemed to enjoy sitting, chatting, and not having a child demanding a bit of their pie. Thats why youve been my cyber-crush for years. Not using individual's names, I told stories of selfless service performed by sisters in our ward that I had observed during my time as bishop. Come on. 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. MD really is a no-win. This has been a big concern for me, as there are many women in the ward who are very sensitive to the Perfect Mother talks, and I didnt want to heap on to their burdens. The good news is, most sisters want chocolate from their ward family and most sisters usually get chocolate. Classic! What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? So He can be ideal AND real. Find another way to show appreciation to Mothers! Get plenty HPs and Elders. Now we have a tradition that during the last ten minutes of priesthood meeting, they gather all the classes from deacons to high priests together in the multi-purpose room and present them with Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches. Local leaders are ministering to them at this time," Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said. Every week they strive to prepare for that sacred ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit (see 3Nephi 9:20). I like the post. I dont know why that would be, unless people are just assuming we ache for something more to nurture. 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. Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. THE major Mothers Day talk in Sacrament Meeting in our ward this week, I have forwarded all of this discussion on to him! Personally, I like cookies. At first I was wishing that I wasnt, but after thinking and praying about it for a few weeks and speaking with friends and family, Im rather excited about it. Sorry for the sacrilege I think all women want massages but not sure the church is the right place for it. Thanks for clarifying. I loved it! Julie B. Beck reminds women what it means to be a mother who knows listing a number of attributes, including the principles of bearing children, honoring sacred covenants, nurturing others, doing less, teaching, and leading. Celebrating motherhood somehow demeans mothers by making them feel guilty for not having been "good" mothers. Just sharing those times with women in the scriptures and what we can learn from them - and NOT have a focus on mothers. Can they not celebrate their own mothers? Primary kids singing, oh, 12 songs, and then someone real standing up and talking about the incredible power of hope, even when we feel that we dont measure up, and the wonder of the atonement and Gods love for us. ( Bonus: You get to visit Relief Society and YW! Ive decided to see if I can discern consistent reasons why the good ones are good and the bad ones are terrible. We got there at about 7:30 AM and one of my Aunts had already been there and left flowers for her. The first speaker was a single father, then the bishop spoke, then the stake president spoke. After observing and empathizing with three generations of mothers and thinking of my own dear mother, I surely know that there is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.. Questions and Answers about the Sacrament, Remember Jesus Christ during the Sacrament, The Restoration of the Sacrament (Part1: Loss and Christian Reformations), The Restoration of the Sacrament (Part2: A New and Ancient Covenant), Sharing Time: Be Grateful for the Sacrament, Viewpoint: The Sacred Ordinance of the Sacrament, Young Men, Teach about the Sacrament, Brother Beck Says. Required fields are marked *. Well at least I know what not to talk about. This is Elder Hollands second appearance on this list of LDS talks on motherhood. Diversity and Unity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Environmental Stewardship and Conservation, Joseph Smiths Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women, Peace and Violence among 19th-Century Latter-day Saints, The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage, Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham. I dont think it would occur to anyone to give a man a plant for Fathers Day *, but its very common to give women plants for Mothers Day. It demands that the single day of the year that Mother's are celebrated to a holiday that is solely for adult females and no one else. Thanks for reminding me so I can stay home. What is the trigger to close the thread? Geesh! After His Resurrection, He instituted the sacrament among the Nephites (see 3Nephi 18:111). They would eat honey cakes and give flowers. When I was bishop, my bishopric would always serve pie during the third hour and Id invite my mom to attend. Pres Hinckley and apparently Mark has it right. #109 Rayloved the roller coaster quote on motherhood. I want to hear about the mother who lost all her children, because she made a lot of mistakes. I am the wife of a bishopric member, and I used to love Mothers Day. I totally agree. No talk is necessary, but a simple acknowledgement of our love for all the women in our lives is nice. I would be totally okay if they did nothing for Mothers Day at church. Then it gives them the option to (1) print traditional paper programs, or (2) give members access to a digital version of the program on their phones. All Latter-day Saint Youth Need to Hear Ready to Rise, Popular Rapper Says He Wants to Be Baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FREE I Can Do All Things Through Christ Sheet Music + Music Video, Latter-day Saint Missionaries Perform Is There Room, Official 2023 Youth Theme Music Video: I Can Do All Things Through Christ, Popular Rapper Says He Wants to Be Baptized into The Church. . Drunk as he could be. Thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! She talked about how when she was single she was very shallow, only cared about clothes and makeup and boys, didnt prepare herself spiritually, didnt have much of a testimony, and then upon marrying found herself extremely immature and woefully unprepared to be a spiritual leader in her home. She was not worthy of any review from me. #28 Love the song choice of I Have Work Enough To Do as a tribute. 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. I agree! (Just what mothers need on an already stressful day . Elder Ballard lists three ways mothers can do that; first, is realizing joy comes in moments, second is to not overschedule children, and third, to find time to cultivate talents and interests. It is also a reminder that through His mercy and grace, all people will be resurrected and given the opportunity for eternal life with God. What do you think when you see a used car lot with a sign like this: Honest Abes Used Cars! My mother was an ideal, and she is schizophrenic, couldnt cook water without burning the pan, never cleaned a thing in the house while we were children, had rebellious to some degree or another, etc. No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.. Its a complete set-up for failure. For those in Europe, is Mothers Day celebrated to the same awful-gut-wrenching extent? Yes, the rhetoric has calmed down, but is certainly still present. please please please please dont pull us teachers from Primary for pie or talking. I have an aversion to bringing my family's celebration intochurch and causing other women pain. Ive never objected to any Mothers Day program, and in my ward, all women get a gift, married, single, divorced, widowed, with or without children. 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 do look forward to handing the kids over to my husband for the day, but Ill take a pass on sacrament meeting. You then leap to classifying it a family celebration rather than a national holiday. Not that I am anything special, but I gave a Mother's Day talk when I was a bishop that was so well-received even my own mother loved it. I'm fascinated by these two suggestions because I was leaning toward only having youth and men speak so that all the mothers had the day off. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Excellent suggestions, Mark. Last time I spoke on Mother's Day I was texting during my talk. Have You Discovered the Love of The Everyday Christ? Last year, I did an arrangement of "I Often Go Walking" for the Primary children and our ward choir to perform together. At one point they cut down a tree and paraded it into town to symbolize the mother of the Gods (Asherah, anyone?). Integrate how Jesus takes care of his mother's future well being while hanging on the cross with the scripture John 19:26-27. from Pres. I would love tohear from you. Some women think that you dont talk enough about mothers while other people think you talk too much about them. Our ward always does flowers, right after Sacrament meeting, and this is a real problem for me because of my allergies. Said she, If you havent convinced your mother that you love her the other 364 days of the year, nothing you say on Mothers Day is worth a damn.. The second is about a mother who diligently loved her son as he struggled with same-sex attraction and labored him through his despair. "The ordinance of the sacrament," taught then Elder Dallin H. Oaks in 2008, "makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church." 21 Accordingly, in 2015, Church leaders called for a renewed emphasis on Sabbath worship centered on partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. I had assumed it was a greeting card holiday of commercial origins, but it is actually (like Christmas) based on Roman pagan traditions. I agree with #15youth speaker, song and chocolate and the rest of the meeting devoted to Christ. I have nine children, eight grown, am temple divorced and remarried to a nomo. She was a wonderful example for motherhood, womanhood, and peoplehood. So no one is left out. If you take one thing away from this not-so-scientific survey, it is, when in doubt, go with chocolate. Latter-day Saint Life. My grandmother is my ideal of both a woman and a mother, but she was married to an alcoholic so I understand if she is not the ideal for others. After living with me for almost 17 years, hed better get it right! It is as if we cannot celebrate anything because if we focus on single day to celebrate one person then we have decimated everyone else. 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? I am not sure what other words I can use to convey my meaning when I rely so heavily on tone. Christmas is not a universal holiday and thus we should not celebrate one day a year, We focus on Christ every day and every Sunday so there is no need to celebrate on Christmas. Inevitably they would be instructed that the gifts were for all women, so theyd try hard to give me one. Products; . . Just wondering. It was a nice meeting. But from my description, it sounds like the typical platitudinous MD talk. Women have mothers too! President Hinckley addressed all the women of the Church and thanked them for all the work they do in their families, congregations, and communities. Let's apply your logic standard to other holidays. My oldest, the musical and noisy one, composed parodies of many favorite primary songs about a decade ago when she was under the tyranny of those zealous but misguided young mothers. The first one we did was a modified version of "Teacher Do You Love Me". To all of you giving talks, good luck on navigating the mine fields! It very gently re-addressed several of the points that were flying in the newspapers and throughout the church in the Mothers Who Know backlash. Great survey. Most seemed to realize bishoprics are trying and they appreciate any effort. I come to church to be fed spiritually, and sappy poems and stories are never ever going to measure up to the meat that scriptural examples can provide. Are you looking for the best LDS talks on motherhood? This has been a great reminder to be sensitive to all in the congregation with the Holy Ghost as a guide. She only did half the things a good mother would have done. Latter-day Saints in a contemporary congregation partake of the sacrament. Listen to her. Mark did as well in his postminus the saccharine and accent. I have been called by God to be there and that is where I should be. If youre already perfect, who needs it? Gods commands I must obey, The only thing I might try if I were in charge would be to put out pink, white, red carnations and safety pins and invite everyone in the ward to wear a carnation to honor their mother pink/red if shes living, white if shes passed away. We do need to have some kind of an ideal, even if we may not measure up to it occasionally, or even ever! It was so honest and hopeful all at once. . Could someone remind of what the day is for after all? The talks are mostly bearable (though no picnic), but the worst is when the youth would spread out in search of women who were not holding whatever flower or chocolate. I plan to skip church on Mothers Day morning to visit my mother in the home and I will receive my Masters Degree that afternoon! Best Mother's Day Topics, Scriptures, Conference Talks, Etc. I like the idea of a simple gift for those in attendance. Snickers. Check out our selection of LDS church programs for baptisms, church activities, and sacrament meetings. Pertaining to gifts: #53 Im against handing out plants on Mothers Day. Is it callender time, number of posts, how irritated the host is with the comments! Many said not to assign "mother" or "female" focused messages in sacrament meeting, others said to keep your efforts simple as long as it is sincere. I have been given mostly free reign on my message. For the third verse, I composed a counterpoint for the choir to sing while the kids sang the melody. 10 years after my first child was born, I still detest Mothers Day. Mothers Day is celebrated, and increasingly commercialized, but my impression of the local situation is that ones obligation to honor ones mother is largely discharged at home. It appears that this phenomenon is growing and becoming even more common everywhere in the US church. I am aware of a seminary/institute teacher who is apparently of the firm and unshakeable belief that a pile of pizza must be provided each week without fail. Aim at earth and you get neither. Feel free to disagree with Lewis as well, but I feel like Im in pretty good company at this moment! Im catching up on the comments, but Kristines suggestion in #72 is perfect. On Mothers Day. The first speaker was my favorite. Respect her. I gave a MD talk one year and focused on Emma Smith, Naomi the MIL of Ruth and my daughter who was a young mother at the time. 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. rockpond Any suggestions as to what you would truly and realistically appreciate being presented? She worked during the day and took classes at night, and created a home for her children where they knew love. We are an outlandishly weird, mixed up bunch of folk. However, the restored gospel is true and is a steady guide for us in nagivating the oftimes foggy seas of life. Make it a FUN day!!! When we speak of mothers as people who are incapable of gross sin, they know we are lying. Im asking this out of genuine curiosity/responsibility for handing stuff out. It was an emotional rollercoaster of raised hopes and disappointments. Sacrament meeting is the term for a regular Latter-day Saint worship service, usually held each week on Sunday, where the sacrament (similar to communion) is offered to the members of the Church. 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 might drift over to what has been considered the rebuttal of Mothers Who Know given at the next conference session by Elder Ballard. Maybe the Hallmark channel should use some of his conference clips as fillers when movies end early. It is not a bad thing and it might be the one day that young mothers will remember and enjoy the most. Ann (#76), Im sorry to hear about your mothers passing. On the road this week I attend Mother's day services with the fourth ward in St George Utah. Alece, I also love CS Lewis, and agree that we should look to higher ground in our mortal journey. I didnt enjoy Mothers Day during my years of infertility, but Ive been surprised that I enjoy it even less now that I have children. A break from the primary room!) Make it different, and they will see you are trying. And, invariably, as soon as I would send one on his way, Im not a mother, thank you, another would pop up at my elbow, dutifully, kindly twisting the knife. . There have been one or two General Conference talks in the last couple of years that briefly addressed that situation. Ours, like most, has its strengths and its weaknesses. The main message I gathered from reviewing this survey is, keep it simple, dont try tohave specific female messages during the meetings, and then serve a fun refreshment in the third hourjust because. If you want to hear from real women who haveread scriptures andheld FHEand family prayer, but whose son is in jail or whose 16-year-old daughter is pregnant or whose husband has left her, then you should meet in the cultural hall. Oh, we also get candy bars with the flowers, music in sacrament and the 3rd hour social time. I actually feel it is not so dissimilar on fathers day, particularly since the disparity between them can demean men. Its never the men. We should not celebrate anything unless it is universally acknowledged around the world. She is buried in the same plot as my great-grandmother as well so it was nice to be able to be there with them again. Variations included a verse for when mommy comes home stoned, with descriptions of bratty violent Mormon children and a terrible version only whispered with stifled giggles including titillating, lolita overtones. The only Mothers Day event for another church Im aware of is when a friend told me that in her church the main talk is always about Christ no matter what holiday it is, but when its just the women the speaker will focus on motherhood and Christs teaching about mothers. It is the essence of who we are as women. Because school is out in June, Fathers get the bum end of the deal when it comes to recognition. Also, try to remember that not all the women in the congregation are mothers - which may be because they can't be. We need ideals especially ones who arent ideal, so we can redefine ideal. I wish that EVERY ward had a FD talk on what unrighteousness dominion is, and why it should be the job of every priesthood holder and father to raise sons who understand it and daughters who wont stand for it. He offers advice on how young women can look to faithful mother figures as a pattern to follow. Just pass out the chocolates and let all the women go to a park where buckets of KFC, potato salad and slaw are in abundance and/or veggie pizza and cheesecake. Kristine, thank you again. Saw the survey and didnt reply, but one suggestion-Please have enough for EVERY female in the ward or branch. Thanks for thinking of me, my youngest bishop son! 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. Love your mother, my young sisters. Just plant a tree and name it after our mothers! Mothers Day theme, is the spirit is trying to witness to us at what a dumb idea it is. Not at church anyway. Crowd-sourcing request. Special celebrations can and should be held at home within the family. If they give out a plant that I can put in the ground, Ill be sad to miss that, though. This is the same reason we do not have missionary farewells any longer. How cool someone reading my rambling! It was part of the talk. It might be that it was a holiday originally conceived by the US Socialist Party and propagated by the Soviets. In simple terms his philosophy was that the church is not true because it is madeconsists of people who are imperfect and therefore not always true to all of the ideals taught. Actually, Ive never heard anything about Heavenly Mother beyond, Isnt it so wonderful that we believe in a Heavenly Mother?!. End of rant. All women were given a 'present' which looked like a flower or something, I didn't inspect it; many men and women took extra ones to give to any mother or lady in the neighborhood, single, mother, any sister or non member. Kind of it takes a village/ward to raise a child philosophy. That bishop that moved his ward away from elaborate gifting was doing the right thing. Why in the church is there such a strong, almost secular aversion to motherhood? I remember something I was told many years ago by a young man in Provo, UT. Just a question here, since I am new to this blog. When chocolate is handed out, our children end up begging for it but its the one day I wont share. Alece, its usually when the admins sense that the conversation is no longer productive, or when we dont have time or patience to keep monitoring the thread. Latter-day Saint pianist Monica Scott has arranged a touching Mother's Day medley in honor of Stephanie Pope, a mother of five who recently passed away . This is a tradition of man, and sometimes it is just a bad idea. Beware the philosophies of Hallmark, mingled with scripture. Disciples of Christ know what they want and there is not need to celebrate Christmas in front of others that are not faithful. She was not a perfect mother, but I loved her. We know very little about HM and HF really. Most of us brought up to beleive that the man of the home was were it was at. Daughters of God It hasnt yet. Your ward contains women at various stages of their lives, including some who dont have children and never will. No fuss, no muss. Im sorry too for the harshness In my expression in a previous thread regarding your views of sacrament meeting. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities.. Ere the sun goes down. 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). Our current ward celebrates Mothers Day with the obligatory talks.

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