Oh, we also get candy bars with the flowers, music in sacrament and the 3rd hour social time. In partaking of the sacrament and making these commitments, Church members renew the covenant they made at baptism (see Mosiah 18:810; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37). Sacrament meeting is for honoring and remembering the Savior, its not Fathers Day or Mothers Day, its the Saviors Day! Beautiful. I am 70 years old and have never been a mother, but I had one. When we speak of mothers as people who are incapable of gross sin, they know we are lying. The third tells of a mother who helped her daughter with a disability at a temple dedication. Beware the philosophies of Hallmark, mingled with scripture. Very useful counsel, Mark. As a mother of six kids, Ive had some serious depression about motherhood in general over the years but not usually on Mothers Day. We need ideals especially ones who arent ideal, so we can redefine ideal. Just a question here, since I am new to this blog. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. Which isnt necessarily a bad thing. Motherhood as a path to choose to be a better disciple of Christ by caring for those Christ lives.feed my sheep, etc. My Mother will one day reach the godstage with my Father and will have there own planet. Sadly, though, it probably caused a lot of pain to the listeners. Or any talk. Ive taken as the Ward Music Chair person and conductor to pick hymns and have a couple special musical numbers, but does anyone have any ideas for a small token we could pass out to the men? 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. I hope none of you mind if I quote from this. Talk topics could be: - examples in the scriptures (Eve, Ruth, Naomi, Esther, Sarah, Mary, Sariah, etc), - early Saints (Lucy Mack, Emma, Eliza R Snow, Aurelia Rogers, etc), - influence of (teachers, nurses, aunts, grandmas, etc). Even though Mothers Day is now a reasonably happy day for me personally, I still find that my mind is focused on how other women in my ward might be experiencing it. The other auxiliaries are free to do something, its just the bishopric that doesnt. I want to hear about the mother who lost all her children, because she made a lot of mistakes. Wow! we have never ceased head-shaking about his, well, completely horrific timingand choiceoif topicand general ignorance and intolerance (and sheer bovine stupidity). Not wordingthat well. In one of my wards, the women of the congregation were given wooden spoons as their gifts at the end of the meeting. At one point they cut down a tree and paraded it into town to symbolize the mother of the Gods (Asherah, anyone?). 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. Families are good about this but public acknowledgement is hard to come by. The first consideration is that you, the speaker, need to begin with your audience in mind. This talk by Sheri Dew focuses on how motherhood is for all women, regardless if they have children or not. To all of you giving talks, good luck on navigating the mine fields! My mom still to this day says it was the best Mothers Day talk ever. 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. Church meetings Sacrament Meeting Overview To find a ward near you, try the Meetinghouse Locator, which will also provide sacrament meeting times, driving directions, and contact information. This year in my ward the emphasis was shifted slightly from being a mother to our mothers. Mark did as well in his postminus the saccharine and accent. I cant quite get them right and they would certainly be expunged by the moderators anyway. End of rant. I dont remember terribly well, but at the Episcopal church I attended for a while, I dont think Mothers Day was nearly as emphasized as it is in the LDS church, because its not part of the liturgical calendar. Avoid speaking of angel mothers. Really? Focus on womanhood and examples of strong women, not on a perfect homemaker mother. My mother died just a little less than a year ago, and I find that I never appreciated Mothers Day at all until now that my mother is gone. I agree with the chocolate, lack of talks, and the third hour refreshments! 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. I love your idea of wearing different color of flowers. 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.. Too much idealism masks reality and can quickly become propaganda and lies. This blog post is the result of my musing. Just after she became a beehive, her mother had an affair. You can guess how well that went over. 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. The rest of us mortals should stick with real.. How did your Mother's Day Sacrament meeting turnout, Rockpond? It would just be nice to complete our idealism with a good dose of reality. Although I have the suspicion that he had an ulterior motive of hoping never to be asked to speak again. They are there, you just have to do a little digging. 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. more guilt and more controversy.). Yeah, it would be pretty late to be thinking about music now. It worked well in my ward, I think. By Did they not have mothers? I am infertile, though I now have three children through adoption. Have all the talks be by women. 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. Uchtdorf. Ere the sun goes down. I would expect him to give a talk like that because he is so utterly black and white in his thinking and he never heard a strict utterance over the pulpit that he did not love. The worst talk I ever heard came from a woman who described how her mother used to sit by her during piano lessons. But I realize others prefer plants. and read for the dayLOL, isnt that a nice dream?? I was honored to have known her, and to have been able to claim her as my own. Dont take us out of Primary to go eat Treats! My own father would probably appreciate a plant, but fortunately he enjoys cookies too. Why are women so disenchanted with motherhood when we value it so highly? And, as your mother, I will miss the delicious pie during a relaxing third hour of church. 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. When her dad found out that there was a whole lottashakin goin on without him, he summarily divorced his adulterous wife and took the children to live with him. We do need to have some kind of an ideal, even if we may not measure up to it occasionally, or even ever! *As I type this, I know for a fact that someone out there is going to respond that their ward gives men plants for Fathers Day every year. Alma 56:47-48. Ours, like most, has its strengths and its weaknesses. Why can't we let women celebrate it how they want at home and focus on Christ at church? Thats the last thing a mother needs, responsibility for yet another living thing. lol! Our HC speaker will be talking about forgiveness this Sunday at the special request of our Leadership. 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. It is a simple answer, and it is trueThe most important thing a father can do for his [daughter] is to love [her] mother.'. 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. Its a complete set-up for failure. Thanks. My own plan of attack: 1) lay some knowledge on people (see above), 2) talk about our own mothers and that they are real people who faced real struggles, 3) the Plan of Happiness (is that what were calling it now?) I meant an ideal not an idea! The Mothers Day talks in my singles wards have been quite sensitive to childless women, but still pretty women-on-pedestalsy. This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you (Luke 22:1920). 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. Nice meeting. Thanks! 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). Because school is out in June, Fathers get the bum end of the deal when it comes to recognition. More importantly, which meeting do you thinkwould be more likely to provide meaningful support? She talked about how her convert mother negotiated church attendance with her inactive husband, how she brought the gospel into the home to the extent she could while maintaining close family ties and coping with her own faith struggles, and how her example and choices blessed her home. I know that traditionally it has been men and children who honor mothers. All women should strive to be strong, and can become strong. What does that say about the role of motherhood? I am not sure what other words I can use to convey my meaning when I rely so heavily on tone. 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 . 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. Tracy M posted an amazing video that deals with the general concept of this post in a really insightful way. Listen to her. JUST kidding. 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! On this site you will find a variety of arrangements for ward choirs, solo piano, vocal duets and more. Thank you for writing this blog post. Which meeting do you think would be more meaningful to the participants? It was perhaps the best talk I gave as a bishop. don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging. Well, counselor x/counselor y is in charge of May, I dont know what hes doing for sure . Regular G.A.S. So far, so good. I miss her something terrible, and being at the grave-site really brought all of those emotions to the surface. 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. Why shouldn't women be those who teach about the glory of god that is woman? Mothers Day for me is when my children and Grandchildren call me. But from my description, it sounds like the typical platitudinous MD talk. 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. So this year we are setting up tables and chairs in the gym, hauling in meat and cheese and veggies and chocolate, and the Bishop will talk for five minutes and then we will let everybody socialize while I play the tuba for the entire primary. It just screamed, whoops, we forgot to order flowers in time and ran out to walmart last night and bought up whatever womanly thing we could find. Now, I detest it. How can a father raise a happy, well-adjusted daughter in todays increasingly toxic world? Its never the men. Ere the sun goes down. I've done this in past years but always enjoy the new ideas from the participants here As I plan our Mother's Day Sacrament Meeting, what have been your favorite talk topics for Mother's Day? Some women think that you dont talk enough about mothers while other people think you talk too much about them. Integrate how Jesus takes care of his mother's future well being while hanging on the cross with the scripture John 19:26-27. iPhone. I still dont understand it, which is probably why Im still very nervous about having kids. I am glad you had a good father, but honestly, that attitude is what keeps me away. Ive decided to see if I can discern consistent reasons why the good ones are good and the bad ones are terrible. Don't subscribe
Let us also posit that, even if the average woman is more nurturing or righteous than the . 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. Every year someone has to pick up the flowers for my ward. What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? Keep in mind, this is from a male perspective, andmy opinions might be worth exactly what you paid for them. I issue a challenge to top this worst Mothers Day sacrament meeting talk. To be fair, diabetics can eat chocolate. Thank you to everyone! Measure your words with that assumption in mind. Because children can be wayward we should not celebrate parenthood. 2) If your outfit doesnt match, no one who matters will notice. Because disciples can be wayward in their faith we should not celebrate Christmas because it causes too much pain in those who remain more faithful. Theyre all very good, and not being critical, but Hallmark w/ scripture would seem to be one way to describe the style of Pres. It appears that this phenomenon is growing and becoming even more common everywhere in the US church. Personally, I like cookies. We got the story about women blessing their cows a couple of years ago. My kids are too old for primary and dont go to church anyway (and my mother died when my youngest was 2 yrs old), so I have no reason to go and hear all about how perfect someone else is, or that I should have been perfect, or the lie that all of us mothers are perfect. Women are saved in child bearing is good as always. It seemed to strike just the right tone. Classic! I am the wife of a bishopric member, and I used to love Mothers Day. His topic? No talk is necessary, but a simple acknowledgement of our love for all the women in our lives is nice. I have heard good talks and bad talks, and really dislike the sacralizing of the universal and perfectly average activity of mothering. 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. She was not a perfect mother, but I loved her. How about we don't celebrate either at church, but celebrate it in our homes with our mothers and fathers? 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 ;)). President Hinckley addressed all the women of the Church and thanked them for all the work they do in their families, congregations, and communities. Why do *we* have to have an ideal? While it addresses questions about how to raise a girl, the talk also discusses the nobility of fatherhood, the influence fathers have on children, how to cherish your wife, and why virtue is so important. I have nine children, eight grown, am temple divorced and remarried to a nomo. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies. 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. Glad as I can be . I wonder if a member of our bishopric reads this blog? Next, it is always very specific so as to not offend anyone. But these are good points. Just a thought. I do look forward to handing the kids over to my husband for the day, but Ill take a pass on sacrament meeting. Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their . Ill be checking back! It was an emotional rollercoaster of raised hopes and disappointments. 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. What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? I actually feel it is not so dissimilar on fathers day, particularly since the disparity between them can demean men. But one thing is for sure, Ill be drawing on much of this. Today the sacrament is an ordinance in which Church members partake of bread and water in remembrance of Jesus Christs atoning sacrifice. 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. Worst Moms Day talk ever: when we (and most of our friends) were newlyweds, one of our friends (a guy) was asked to give the big glory of motherhood talk. We speak about it nearly every Sunday. Thank you. Im thankful for ideals even when I dont measure up not even often let alone all the time. So no one is left out. 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. No fuss, no muss. The Primary president asked him, as Chorister, to write a new song for the kids to sing in sacrament meeting on Mother's Day. Snickers. If you take one thing away from this not-so-scientific survey, it is, when in doubt, go with chocolate. #46 That is an awesome idea for your talk. The average of the survey said their bishopric probably spends about $1 per sister for Mothers Day gifts. It can be any of those. So He can be ideal AND real. He also discussed the importance of placing motherhood first in our lives but not allowing the pressures of motherhood to sap us of joy. So be kind to her. 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. I too have wrestled with the infertility monster and MD was always a nightmare. Our ward always does flowers, right after Sacrament meeting, and this is a real problem for me because of my allergies. But arent mothers also sweet, like cookies? No, an inclusive talk will be about current and eternal womanhood, one part of which may including being a biological mother in mortal life. Crowd-sourcing request 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. How could I forget? There are wrongs that need redressing Im not going tomorrow. anon, pretty sure hearing about an old guys non-existent sex life is worse. MD is a day I prefer to play hookey, especially now that my mother is currently lost in alzheimers disease. The meeting isnt about me or you, or a missionary, or mother, its about the Savior and His atonement. Mother's Day: My talk by Kaimi Wenger May 5, 2009 23 Comments It's hard to strike the right balance, between affirming Moms who really need to be told that they made a good decision; and letting others (especially women) know that they're okay, too. 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. They really did. I meant to type rebellious children in #90. The speakers were: 70-year-old married sister w/ no children; mid-30s sister who works full-time, dh is the stay-at-home parent, and theyve adopted 2 children through the foster care system; and a single sister. 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. How cool someone reading my rambling! I think its good to have something to air at! The primary children sing and we are making a mothers day gift in primary. I explained that I was not calling any men to speak, due to their tendency to give perfect mother talks, and felt they could do a better job giving an honest uplifting talk that could be of benefit to the mothers in the congregation. Women have mothers too! ( Bonus: You get to visit Relief Society and YW! The fathers dont seem to feel as guilty about things as the mothers do,,,. 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. Latter-day Saint Missionary Hospitalized After Stabbing in Colombia, A Slam Dunk of a Service Project: The NBA and Church of Jesus Christ Feed the Hungry, All Missionaries Accounted for in New Zealand After Devastating Cyclone, New Zealand Latter-day Saints Urged to Prepare for Cyclone, Latter-day Saint Artists Paints Uvalde Shooting Victims, Delivers Portraits to Families, Tender Advice from President Monson Trends on Instagram Reels, Church of Jesus Christ Releases Statement of Support After Earthquakes in Turkey, Syria, Try Faith: A 30-Day Challenge Shows How Four Young Vloggers Built Faith in Jesus. Those were the kinds of talks I gave, and thats what I would rather listen to. Not an official website of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This past Mother's Day we arrived late to sacrament meeting due to a cobbling mishap in the morning. The first speaker was a single father, then the bishop spoke, then the stake president spoke. To find a ward near you, try the Meetinghouse Locator, which will also provide sacrament meeting times, driving directions, and contact information. This post should be required reading for all Mothers Day speakers. Kind of it takes a village/ward to raise a child philosophy. Excellent suggestions, Mark. Watching the Primary children singing to their mothers in Sacrament meeting was the hardest. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/daughters-of-god?lang=eng, Ray (#58) Steve Ps post is evidence that a talk from 2007 which has been essentially corrected is still being recycled today. This is a tradition of man, and sometimes it is just a bad idea. Wards/branches can use this app to create and print traditional . 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. Pertaining to gifts: #53 Im against handing out plants on Mothers Day. Deep gratitde is owed to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for the Atonement which allows us each to recover from any missteps, no matter how far off the path one may stray. Maybe Ill get a pizza and tell the kids to cook it for breakfast when Sunday morning comes. However, the restored gospel is true and is a steady guide for us in nagivating the oftimes foggy seas of life. It was a great idea and something I will always remember and a great way to honor mothers on Mothers Day. Please Please Please! Thanks for thinking of me, my youngest bishop son! She has your best interests at heart. As I journey on my way, Your ward contains women at various stages of their lives, including some who dont have children and never will. Ere the sun goes down. Motherhood as a path to choose to be a better disciple of Christ by caring for those Christ loves.feed my sheep, etc.https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/wanted-hands-and-hearts-to-hasten-the-work?lang=eng. The primaries (100 of them? So that no woman felt left out. After a lot of thought and prayer I called two sisters to speak on some of the blessings and also the challenges of raising children in the gospel. When I was bishop, my bishopric would always serve pie during the third hour and Id invite my mom to attend. This talk was named after a phrase from Victor Hugo who gave all her food to her children, not because she is not hungry, but because she is a mother. Elder Holland talks about the central role motherhood plays in the gospel of Jesus Christ and gives many principles of comfort and courage for mothers who may be struggling. I guess plants are pretty and mothers are pretty. April 24, 2015 in General Discussions. Local leaders are ministering to them at this time," Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said. What a nice gift for a Mom..hey, you guys have a great time!! Latter-day Saints in a contemporary congregation partake of the sacrament. Sacrament meeting is a time for us to renew our covenants, it is a sacred ordinance. 3. The Barker Brothers' Projects These videos were created for Latter-day Saint parents and allies to voice their love for their LGBT brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. My kids are way too distracting. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. They can eat whatever they want, in fact. 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? That wouldn't let her do such and suchall things in the end that weren't good for her daughter to do, one way of looking at it. Any suggestions as to what you would truly and realistically appreciate being presented? on Mothers Day and donate it to a womens shelter. Use Mothers Day as an example of how a saint can use a tradition of men as an acceptable way to express Gods love and promulgate the Gospel. Id also like a break from a poem in the EFMormons which says that no painting, no book, no song penned by a mother could be as great as a worSocrates by their children in the future, so spending your time raising the next generation is the greatest thing you can do. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. Most seemed to realize bishoprics are trying and they appreciate any effort. But I still think the Dove bars our bishop chooses rock the holiday. Maybe. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. a large group) sang to the mothers. Actually now that I do have children, the primary song Im so glad when Daddy comes home has taken on a new meaning for me. . . Tony, thanks! I dont mean to be rude, but I know I will have anxiety over killing it and then I *will* kill it and then I will have to look at its dead body. Mother's Day Singing Time Idea. Oh and starting with Anthropologist Hrdys observations on what a plane full of chimps rather than humans would look like. My preference is for a talk focusing on women of the scriptures. You then leap to classifying it a family celebration rather than a national holiday. 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.