And this is all in addition to the everyday problems like getting the bills paid and the laundry done. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. In preparation for the sacrament each week, Church members take time to examine their lives and repent of sins. 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. Oh, and my husband is speaking in our ward this Mothers Day. If I would obtain the blessing, She used several stories from the NT about Christ & his mother Mary to illustrate principles that we can all use to improve our relationships with others. Why do *we* have to have an ideal? I meant an ideal not an idea! Im sure that attendance in RS would be higher on that day though. Actually, Ive never heard anything about Heavenly Mother beyond, Isnt it so wonderful that we believe in a Heavenly Mother?!. Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. Im grateful for it. This ordinance is an essential part of worship and spiritual development. Thank you. However, I am concerned about the implications of a people where the female population dislikes the concept of motherhood or at least dislikes it enough that they do not want to celebrate Mother's Day. I always had this huge chip on my shoulder about refusing the flowers because I wasnt a mom (I had kids later in life), but my own mother would force me to take it because it was a free flower. There there is the secular appeal - it causes a pain to those who are not mothers. Mother's Day Singing Time Idea. Wards/branches can use this app to create and print traditional . could have had us all come to earth as adults, but instead we came as infants needing 24 hour care to survive; there must be something we need to learn from being dependent on parents, and 4) share some motherhood quotes. People seemed to feel good about it but Mark is right about it being a fraught day. I am not sure what other words I can use to convey my meaning when I rely so heavily on tone. 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. My worst MD talk came in the Fast and Testimony meeting the week before in which my father, who was visiting since he no longer lived in our ward, decided to give some incredibly intimate details about his divorce and why he blamed it on several of his children, but not others. Last year, I gave this talk. 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 speaker described how she saw her mothertake stock of the smoking wreckage of her life, humble herself, and begin the heroic and difficult work of transforming her life into something she didnt need to be ashamed of anymore. Is it apeople incapable of focusing on the joy of others? Loverboy was gone, she was outside of the church, and she had no means of support. It was a great idea and something I will always remember and a great way to honor mothers on Mothers Day. He chose to base his talk on To The Mothers In Zion, and used it to essentially chastise and condemn working women, and it sent half the ward fuming into the bishops office. The story of Martha and Mary each bringing important and valuable things, even though they were very different. Ive decided to see if I can discern consistent reasons why the good ones are good and the bad ones are terrible. Then they would close by saying that it was the most wonderful blessing imaginable. What does that say about us as a people? Great survey. We are an outlandishly weird, mixed up bunch of folk. It is good to share personal stories, but be aware that your own family might be abit stranger than you think. (Just what mothers need on an already stressful day . Why was she an ideal? What would happen, if, at the start of sacrament meeting on Mothers Day, the bishop announced that there would be two separate meetings. The US holiday was only adopted in 1870 and was also used to protest the sacrifices mothers had made when their sons were killed at war or killed the sons of other mothers during the Civil War. I too am irritated by mother-worshipping in MD talks, but at the same time, I think many Mormon women identify so strongly with being a mother and so many have sacrificed just about everything to focus on that specific role, that they really appreciate a little validation, a little boost of confidence that what theyre doing is significant and has meaning. You might drift over to what has been considered the rebuttal of Mothers Who Know given at the next conference session by Elder Ballard. Really? Most threads die a natural death. Is it callender time, number of posts, how irritated the host is with the comments! But shes never experienced the horrors I have where the local ward nut case talks about how his wife isnt putting out thanks to menopause. To the light the lost ones leading, Crowd-sourcing request. The perfect sacrament meeting talk? There are wrongs that need redressing Ive decided to speak on how motherhood allows me to develop Christlike attributes (knowledge, patience, temperance, etcref 1 Peter 1:4-8) through daily struggles and reliance on the atonement and then finish with how wonderful it is that mother is only one of the facets of who we are as we strive to become strong women of God. In this case it will likely be mothers, and the Primary kids will sing, too. by Leading Saints | Apr 27, 2016 | Articles, Bishops, Elders Quorum, Relief Society | 21 comments, In 2016 Leading Saints conducted a survey about ward mothers day gifts. And he completely meant it too. . Not until the 1600s did people start associating the holiday with their own actual mothers (Mothering Day in the UK). I think it turned out great. 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). Dont take us out of Primary to go eat Treats! He gets points for effort and most humorous and memorable! I agree Ray. It worked well in my ward, I think. Home & Family. Our current Bishop decided not to do anything for mothers day. I remember my dad saying it was one of the most powerful and real talks hed ever heard in a Mormon church meeting. 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.. 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. So, yeah, how irritated the host is with the comments is pretty much it. Because school is out in June, Fathers get the bum end of the deal when it comes to recognition. #16 They asked him to speak again?! In my nearly 40 years in the church that has borne true. 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. 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). Some of the stories were simple acts of kindness and some were extraordinary examples of love and sacrifice. 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. This talk by Sheri Dew focuses on how motherhood is for all women, regardless if they have children or not. She discusses the divinity of motherhood and how every woman can become a mother in the world around her. Inevitably they would be instructed that the gifts were for all women, so theyd try hard to give me one. 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. What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. 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. There is a *big* difference a HUGE difference between being *foreordained* to something and actually **BEING** something, as is made very clear in the temple. The first speaker was a single father, then the bishop spoke, then the stake president spoke. Yes, the rhetoric has calmed down, but is certainly still present. Celebrating motherhood somehow demeans mothers by making them feel guilty for not having been "good" mothers. :( Everyone can just disregard parts that may sound harshor disregard the comment altogether I reckon. All women should strive to be strong, and can become strong. From all accounts, her talk was very well received. Alece, He discussed the tendency of many women to feel like failures and shared ways to overcome it. It was my missionary farewell, back when such things were acceptable. 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? Why are women so disenchanted with motherhood when we value it so highly? Id really love to see the fathers acknowledged on Fathers Day. Seriously, it would be nice to have some idea. The Primary president asked him, as Chorister, to write a new song for the kids to sing in sacrament meeting on Mother's Day. I dont want to hear Sister Becks controversial mothers who know talk, or president bensons talk come home talk. God still loves her, and her life still had value and meaningTHE END!! On the other hand, women tended to speak about motherhood as the most emotionally-exhausting and time-consuming chore imaginable. to hear my little kids sing and for my older kids to pass out a flower. Also, try to remember that not all the women in the congregation are mothers - which may be because they can't be. Mother's Day Last year I used the last verse of "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" and the song "Teacher/Mother Do You Love Me" for the Mother's Day Primary songs in sacrament meeting. Steve P. wont be the only one this Mothers Day asked to speak on that controversial talk, its still in heavy circulation in wards. No fuss, no muss. Aiming for Heaven is again looking to the sinless for examples, not to an episode of Leave it to Beaver. Its a complete set-up for failure. 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. Im catching up on the comments, but Kristines suggestion in #72 is perfect. In honor of Earth Day, you could throw in the topic of Mother Nature also! 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? The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. So, I am assigned to give a talk next week. The water is a reminder that the Savior shed His blood in intense spiritual suffering and anguish, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane and concluding on the cross. On Mothers Day. We already talk about the topic, motherhood, every Sunday. 41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; 42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost.. Alece, I also love CS Lewis, and agree that we should look to higher ground in our mortal journey. In the garden He said, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death (Matthew 26:38). He had returned from his mission and married (as did I), and he was asked to give the main Mothers Day talk. We all do., The relationship between mothers and daughters is at the heart of this talk from Elder Ballard. Products; . We changed the lines to "Mother Do You Love Me". I like the idea of a simple gift for those in attendance. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized. 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. 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. So how does tax exemption relate to churches, and especially churches that [], You are so much more than the worst thing youve everdone., http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/daughters-of-god?lang=eng, http://dandelionmama.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/this-this-is-what-i-believe/, Inside the UK's Mormon missionary bootcamp - BBC, Former mayor, LDS bishop gets prison for child sex abuse - Salt Lake Tribune, The anti-racist Mormon trying to teach his fellow LDS church members - NPR, Mormon Church fined over claim it hid $32bn of investments - BBC, Linda King Newell, Feminist Scholar of Mormon History, Dies at 82 - The New York Times. She never got her kids back and they never forgave her, and she died of some incurable stress induced disease. I would say that my grandmother was like a second mother to us, but really she was like a first mother. Mark, This post was positively Uchtdorfian! Excellent suggestions, Mark. JUST kidding. I think she says that just because she is my mom. Honest! Isnt it reasonable to think that Abe is trying a little too hard, and might be overcompensating for something? The best MD talk was from a woman who gave a list of all the things she wished she had known when she was 18. I was dreading it, but I was rescued by my sister coming to town for the next 3 days yayyyy. If you want to hear about angel mothers and perfect people, remain in the chapel. iPhone. I had some ideas but didn't want to repeat anything that had already been done from the Primary. It might be that it was a holiday originally conceived by the US Socialist Party and propagated by the Soviets. Idealsno, no maam not for me. We once had a bishop hand out frozen TV dinners! It was part of the talk. Re-reading my comment (101) it sounds very harsh even though that is not how I mean it to sound. You can guess how well that went over. Yeah. Last year, I did an arrangement of "I Often Go Walking" for the Primary children and our ward choir to perform together. 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. Our current ward celebrates Mothers Day with the obligatory talks. Your arrangement sounds really cool. Make it different, and they will see you are trying. (did I mention he and his wife were not parents yet?). Although, I hate how as a single man, some married women run from me cause they think Im going to try to seduce them or something. 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. I know that traditionally it has been men and children who honor mothers. 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.. 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. . More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Personally, I like cookies. Well at least I know what not to talk about. I cant remember the last time I heard a bad sacrament meeting talk, period. When chocolate is handed out, our children end up begging for it but its the one day I wont share. I'd suggest that women at various stages in their lives speaking about what the joy in womanhood, being a divine daughter of God means to them in different stages of life, would at least eliminate all that talk and honor of mothers who have lots of children and do everything right that cause so much pain to women everywhere. Just as he was getting into how pornography helped him through the divorce, the bishop stepped up and escorted him from the podium. Partaking of the sacrament is a witness to God that the remembrance of His Son will extend beyond the short time of that sacred ordinance. And this is all in addition to the everyday problems like getting the bills paid and the laundry done. Glad as I can be I think its good to have something to air at! 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. I am glad you had a good father, but honestly, that attitude is what keeps me away. He also discussed the importance of placing motherhood first in our lives but not allowing the pressures of motherhood to sap us of joy. This is brilliant, Mark. 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?) Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever.. I actually gave two sacrament meeting talks on Mothers Day during our childless/infertile years. Saw the survey and didnt reply, but one suggestion-Please have enough for EVERY female in the ward or branch. I wonder if a member of our bishopric reads this blog? Needless to say he was not asked to speak in sacrament meeting for a long, long time. Don't subscribe Could someone remind of what the day is for after all? 22 The primaries (100 of them? Until I see a longer lasting cease fire, Im staying home MD (with my mother and daughters). I would say that since Christ is supposed to be the express image of his Father that we do know quite a bit about the Father. Below, youll find an excerpt from each talk and a link to the full text. April 24, 2015 in General Discussions. #46 That is an awesome idea for your talk. Seriously, no one is going to be pleased. But since we have instituted Mothers Day as the day my family ditches church and meets my parents at Shoshone Falls for a picnic, I look forward to it every year. Im sorry too for the harshness In my expression in a previous thread regarding your views of sacrament meeting. Ive been jinxed. Ere the sun goes down: Being Both a Disciple & a Daughter: Balancing Formality in Prayer. The answer has been taught by the Lords prophets. 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. On Sunday Morning my sister and I drove almost 2 hours each way to go visit my maternal grandmothers grave. As I journey on my way, I pray the Spirit will be with me today as I give this talk. Some women think that you dont talk enough about mothers while other people think you talk too much about them. Along with activities and programs during the week, Latter-day Saints gather on Sundays for an approximately hour-long "sacrament" meeting, where men, women and younger members offer prayers and give sermons, sing hymns and partake of the sacrament (similar to receiving communion). Did they not have mothers? After living with me for almost 17 years, hed better get it right! On this site you will find a variety of arrangements for ward choirs, solo piano, vocal duets and more. and read for the dayLOL, isnt that a nice dream?? 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. Let us take as self-evident that, in reality, not all women are naturally pure or spiritual. I wonder if this phenomenon is uniquely Mormon. Im not going tomorrow. Or any talk. There are a number of other conference talks on the subject (righteous traditions, family traditions, etc.). We need ideals especially ones who arent ideal, so we can redefine ideal. I had assumed it was a greeting card holiday of commercial origins, but it is actually (like Christmas) based on Roman pagan traditions. Then I served in a Branch with 90% women who had absent husbands and who also grew up with absent fathers. 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. After the explanation, both seemed excited and accepted the challenge willingly. XD. I just spent two hours reading all the comments, viewing the video mentioned in #90, and taking notes. Perhaps the reason so many women have an aversion to an all Sacrament Mtg. I asked a mother and daughter to sing the main lines, and then I had the . Thank you. Nourishing their souls instead of feeding their bodies? She worked during the day and took classes at night, and created a home for her children where they knew love. Most seemed to realize bishoprics are trying and they appreciate any effort. Local leaders are ministering to them at this time," Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said. I dont know how that worked out for him. The hard part for me is when I hear talks about angel mothers where I actually know whom they are talking about. Thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! This change wasnt well-received as it occurred without any advance notice. Up til now, I have endured going because I thought I had to. Thanks for all your thoughts. Because children can be wayward we should not celebrate parenthood. The Puritans werent big on celebrations, so they dropped it when they colonized Massachussetts. . 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. Usually chocolate, a plant or flower. Great, and I was just asked to talk on Sunday, I guess I will be very careful. The first one we did was a modified version of "Teacher Do You Love Me". I can only pray no one will take offense, as I certainly never mean any offense. Just plant a tree and name it after our mothers! I must let my voice be heard, Gods commands I must obey, 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. 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. I dont need to socialize at church. Put me in the column of those who think Sacrament Meeting should be about Christ. Mother's Day is a special time to say thanks to the women in your life. a large group) sang to the mothers. I was reading about the origins of Mothers Day. iPad. Excuse everyone after Sacrament meeting to spend the time with their mothers. I remember long ago a young woman spoke on Mother's Day and described her mother as "the mean mother". To be fair, diabetics can eat chocolate. It hasnt yet. And I did use some of the suggestions here. I am understanding your POV. Thanks. Avoid speaking of angel mothers. Even now, 4 years after her passing, I miss her. Not a perfect example but I was striving for some other options besides stripling warriors moms. Since my husband gets to give Ideals ALL! 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 . I think we should dispense with handing out things and tell everyone weve made a donation to a local womens shelter or program for mothers in need. Integrate how Jesus takes care of his mother's future well being while hanging on the cross with the scripture John 19:26-27. No talk is necessary, but a simple acknowledgement of our love for all the women in our lives is nice. 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. Well, counselor x/counselor y is in charge of May, I dont know what hes doing for sure . Im sort of hoping that the person before me goes too long and I have to wrap up with my testimony. 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. 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. 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. Why Women, Especially Mothers, Working Outside the Home is an Abomination Unto the Lord. Someone explain this. This is a tradition of man, and sometimes it is just a bad idea. Sacrament meeting is a time for us to renew our covenants, it is a sacred ordinance. What does it mean when we want to remove motherhood from Mother's Day? He suffered for the sins, sorrows, and pains of all people, providing remission of sins for those who repent and live the gospel (see 2Nephi 9:2123). Forgive me for not understanding the blessing part of it. Oh and starting with Anthropologist Hrdys observations on what a plane full of chimps rather than humans would look like. So far, so good. I know of no better answer to [the] foul practices that confront our young people than the teachings of a mother, given in love with an unmistakable warning.. She told us that as a girl, she would sit in her room crying, with big welts on the back of her hands, but now that she was grown up, she understood why her mother did it, and she was grateful, by golly. My kids are way too distracting. So He can be ideal AND real. I think Ill check myself in to a nice bed and breakfast. If So, Should We Pray Out Loud? Food is the communication tool of choice for Latter Day Saints. Mothers Day theme, is the spirit is trying to witness to us at what a dumb idea it is. Some few are probably actively trying to avoid the gifts, trying hard to not remember the lack thats been rubbed in her face all day long. 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. 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. End of rant. Over the years, Ive heard some very good Mothers Day talks, but I have also heard some that were cringe-worthy. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies. Why is that or is that just in my ward? There are diabetic men, arent there? 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. Yet, we have a tendency to go to extremes, particularly culturally, forgetting that we are worshiping God, and that we are not God nor expected to be God in this, our mortal state. It seems like awareness and knowing your audience as mentioned before, is half the battle. It was the first Mothers Day since she died. (Although I love the song idea for the Primary #65) Marys life is always appropriate, Lucy Mack Smith, Hannah & Samuel, etc. I have no aversion to motherhood being spoken of in church. LDS Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Great Gifts for LDS Women Mother's Day Cupcake Flower Card Mother's Day Gift Ideas: 10 Ways to Show Your Love on Mother's Day Mother's Day Chapstick Idea Mother's Day Questionnaire & Gift Idea Mother's Day Gift Idea: Candy Necklaces Mother's Day Treat Tags Mother's Day gift idea: Candy Flower Bouquets Categories
