Mormons and Mothers

Pacific Mormon Newsroom recently asked members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from across the South Pacific what the word “Mother” meant to them ― in one word. 

Some of the responses received were:  mentor, love, kindness, responsible, honest, exemplar, caring, cook, sacrifice, leading, righteous, encouraging, comfort, joy, worker, endurance, compassion. One respondent needed two words ― “unconditional love.”

Sunday, 11 May is Mother’s Day in many parts of the world.  According to Wikipedia, “Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Spring.”

Matthew Cowley (1897-1953), former Latter-day Saint mission president in New Zealand and Apostle, taught that “men have to have something given to them to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women.  They are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls … and the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.”

In another tribute to mothers, Latter-day Saint Apostle, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, invited mothers to “cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones.”

He continued:  “Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are, better than you are, and better than you have ever been. And if, for whatever reason, you are making this courageous effort alone, without your husband at your side, then our prayers will be all the greater for you. Know that in faith things will be made right in spite of you, or more correctly, because of you. We thank all of you, and tell you there is nothing more important in this world than participating so directly in the work and glory of God.”

For Elder Holland, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide, “motherhood is an eternal partnership with God.”

Read Elder Holland’s tribute to mothers.

In The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Latter-day Saint leaders state: “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

“The family is ordained of God,” the Proclamation continues. “Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.”

Watch videos honouring mothers.