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. Could someone remind of what the day is for after all? It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us.. Honest! Isnt it reasonable to think that Abe is trying a little too hard, and might be overcompensating for something? Just sharing those times with women in the scriptures and what we can learn from them - and NOT have a focus on mothers. We are confabbing about how to turn the tables on Hallmark. I dont envy you people who have been called togive talksnext week. I give, is it supposed to be about mothers or not? Feelings of guilt, shame, loneliness, anger, disappointment, abandonment, and not measuring up to impossible expectations are prevalent. Finally, Elder Holland offers his thanks to mothers around the world. I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation.. Even men who are on diets. Just asking. At a certain point, their best has to be enough. I think Emma and Naomi are very neglected women in our teachings (understatement considering the general neglect). Ive been jinxed. Most detested thing, 3rd hour chatting and eating. Thanks for the reminder. Motherhood as a path to choose to be a better disciple of Christ by caring for those Christ lives.feed my sheep, etc. For years the tradition in my ward was a simple gift for all sisters 18 and older. Really perfect for MD! Yesterday I enjoyed another Mother's Day sacrament meeting, typical with its children's songs, a talk from a young man about how wonderful mothers are, a talk from a sister about how wonderful women are, and a tearful talk from a brother about all the incredible mothers in his life. Although I like the idea of them as well! Home & Family. 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! So I would personally prefer if they didnt do those honor-mothers meetings. Identifying ideals is somehow so treacherous for the psyches of women that that must never be mentioned? 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. 1 Dead, 1 Injured in Shooting During LDS Sacrament Meeting in Nevada. Were here to help! The two adult speakers should center their talk on Jesus; if you want, assign a youth speaker to speak on Mothers, the Primary sings a song, and pass out the flower at the end. However, the restored gospel is true and is a steady guide for us in nagivating the oftimes foggy seas of life. Our old ward in NY would take the funds normally used to purchase flowers, chocolate, etc. So our ward did 3 talks on Christ with each one saying one sentence of gratitude about their individual moms right before bearing their testimony. They seemed to love the tradition and I never received negative feedback. I know I dont have any say on when the thread closes, but it would be interesting to hear feedback from how each persons respective wards handled MD, and how the people assigned to talk felt their messages were delivered and/or received. 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. 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. Its impossible to please everyone. 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. Clap my hands and shout for joy! Oh, we also get candy bars with the flowers, music in sacrament and the 3rd hour social time. I must let my voice be heard, The music . I have to say that I was almost offended that there would be an assumption that FD would be a piece of cake. I had some ideas but didn't want to repeat anything that had already been done from the Primary. I have heard good talks and bad talks, and really dislike the sacralizing of the universal and perfectly average activity of mothering. But arent mothers also sweet, like cookies? Im catching up on the comments, but Kristines suggestion in #72 is perfect. 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! 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). He had returned from his mission and married (as did I), and he was asked to give the main Mothers Day talk. It isnt uncommon for LDS women to be dealing with some combination of the following factors: a difficult marriage, no marriage, no children, difficult children, health problems, loss of faith. You might drift over to what has been considered the rebuttal of Mothers Who Know given at the next conference session by Elder Ballard. Trust her. 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. 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. Im sorry too for the harshness In my expression in a previous thread regarding your views of sacrament meeting. Until I see a longer lasting cease fire, Im staying home MD (with my mother and daughters). 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). This is what I need for . After His Resurrection, He instituted the sacrament among the Nephites (see 3Nephi 18:111). At my ward the angel mothers were to aspire to. rockpond 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. Perhaps it shouldnt be mothers day, but be Womans day and celebrate the contributions of women of faith in their families and communities. Some years it gets a nod, other years the talks are unrelated. We can all sound harsh at times, but this seems to be a community of sorts and following through on the different dicussions helps put context to opinions expressed. Mothers Day was open so I said ok, I will come up with something appropriate. On the road this week I attend Mother's day services with the fourth ward in St George Utah. The meeting isnt about me or you, or a missionary, or mother, its about the Savior and His atonement. How can a father raise a happy, well-adjusted daughter in todays increasingly toxic world? Can they not celebrate their own mothers? That being said, my ward will be nice and quiet next Sunday, one of the joys of the YSA wards. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized. It seemed to strike just the right tone. I am glad you had a good father, but honestly, that attitude is what keeps me away. 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. So, just an FYI to the LDS people here Non-denominational Christian churches focus EVERY day (especially Sunday) on God/Jesus Christ Generally the take home message (this would apply to mothers day s well) is that we are human so we are sinners and if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior then we can hand him our trials (very difficult to do) but when we dont and we are struggling He still loves us. Not wordingthat well. Your comment was excellent, especially this part: Jesus the Messiah wasnt just sinless, He was God. . Ugh ugh ugh. Sometime in the mid-1990s, I went to the ward library after sacrament meeting to obtain materials for teaching a lesson. Bear in mind thatmost of women in the congregation havelives that havent turned out the way they expected. 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. When we speak of mothers as people who are incapable of gross sin, they know we are lying. Although with good intentions, speakers usually put mothers and motherhood on a pedestal ("Mothers are loving and caring and naturally nurturing", "A mother's love is the closest thing to Christlike love on earth", "No mother is perfect, except my mom, who is literally an . But since youre not, Im bowing out this year. I still dont understand it, which is probably why Im still very nervous about having kids. 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. Steve P, There have been one or two General Conference talks in the last couple of years that briefly addressed that situation. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/wanted-hands-and-hearts-to-hasten-the-work?lang=eng. 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. #46 That is an awesome idea for your talk. The woman described her family as she was growing up. Ive endured (and thats the right word) too many Mothers Days that were awful, meaningless, and unrealistic. I didnt realize Mothers Day was so close. It was a one day break from the 40 day Lent cycle to give a feast in honor of Mom with cakes and flowers and her grown children visiting from afar. It hasnt yet. I am the wife of a bishopric member, and I used to love Mothers Day. 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. Our new bishop, for the last three years, gave no gift or acknowledgement. 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 in no way shape or form precludes me from looking to Christ/HF/HM for ideals. especially when there are clear re-phrasings and clarifications. It hits pretty close because Im one of those lucky people who get to speak on Mothers Day this year. Only for the second time he also included a segment about how if his wife was a better homemaker maybe his kids wouldnt have such screwed up lives. Is this really the Mothers Day message I need? Probably low on the most desired list, but very creative and I will always remember that with a smile. May 2011 was the best mothers day sacrament mtg Ive ever attended. My own father would probably appreciate a plant, but fortunately he enjoys cookies too. Some of the stories were simple acts of kindness and some were extraordinary examples of love and sacrifice. I was supposed to talk two weeks ago on the purpose of the Sacrament but ended up in surgery instead, and upon returning to church last Sunday was asked to reschedule. Examples? Did they not have mothers? I thought my husband (Sonny) had already posted this, but maybe not, or Im just blinder than usual. Sharon if that is our Sharon, please PM me. But these are good points. It makes my heart sad to see that the men arent recognized and given something however small it may be. 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. 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 . It is good to share personal stories, but be aware that your own family might be abit stranger than you think. 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. Father's Day Talk in Sacrament Meeting June 21, 2009. I dont recall what the men are given on Fathers Day, but at one time in my ward they gave them nice ball point pens. But guess what?! If So, Should We Pray Out Loud? Mother's Day became the hardest day of the year for me. I love your idea of wearing different color of flowers. I would love to avoid Mothers Day meetings, just because they are usually tedious, but I love to go for the sake of seeing my kids sing. Beware the philosophies of Hallmark, mingled with scripture. lol. Reading over those messages, it is hard to come up with any form of consensus other than, everyone has a different opinion. 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. But one thing is for sure, Ill be drawing on much of this. Why does the church HAVE to be a part of it? Classic! Or should we just not celebrate anything or any role that a person may fulfill in life? But I realize others prefer plants. In honor of Earth Day, you could throw in the topic of Mother Nature also! I have work enough to do, Check out our selection of LDS church programs for baptisms, church activities, and sacrament meetings. I have no aversion to motherhood being spoken of in church. After church we can give dear old dad a cookie in a baggie and a kick in the pants, call it good for another year, and send him home. Mark, very good advice IMO. . Needless to say he was not asked to speak in sacrament meeting for a long, long time. It seems sometimes that activity organizers believe somehow that no one will participate if not bribed by pizza, pop, potato chips or pie. After the explanation, both seemed excited and accepted the challenge willingly. Well, count me among the lucky ones who are speaking this coming Sunday. Alma 56:47-48. Is it callender time, number of posts, how irritated the host is with the comments! Cant we just give praise and gratitude for the atonement, and human goodness and resiliance inspite its adversity and imperfection? Last year, I gave this talk. Just after she became a beehive, her mother had an affair. I wish you were speaking in my ward! I like the idea of a simple gift for those in attendance. I think this is one of the most confusing topics for men in the church. I am a single (divorced) old man with no children. It might be that it was a holiday originally conceived by the US Socialist Party and propagated by the Soviets. Latter-day Saints to Attend Sacrament Meeting Only on Christmas Day Church Newsroom November 10, 2022 Church The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has. Its hard for those without children, who are likely never to have children, to listen to motherhood talks that don't address their situation. Well, counselor x/counselor y is in charge of May, I dont know what hes doing for sure . Although the later version of Mothers Day in the US was to honor mothers, it retained its association with peace as carnations were given out as a symbol of peace (white if ones mother was dead, pink if alive). Someone explain this. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. Come on. One thing I would add is that somehow we need to stop telling LDS women that they need to do everything in 6 days and 90% income with smiles on their faces and do it better than their non-LDS peers. 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.