Happy Mother's Day!

First of all thank you to each of you who provided me with ideas and answered my question of, How you find joy in womanhood. I thought I would share my lesson with you so that you can see the outcome of your amazing input!

The Relief Society Declaration states: We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who: Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes. Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.

I believe that it is Satan’s goal to make us forget who we are and our divine nature. If we look at Moses Chapter one, Moses is visited by God the Father and he calls him “Moses, my son.” This taught Moses exactly who he is and his divinity. Shortly after this vision Satan doesn’t waste any time and he visits Moses and tries to make him forget the lesson he just learned. Satan says, “Moses, son of Man.” If Satan can make us forget our divinity not only will he bring sadness into our lives but it will affect our ability to strengthen our families. There are very few places in the Bible that speak of our divine nature. Psalm 82:6 is one of the few it reads, “Ye are Gods; and all of you are Children of the Most High.”

Sheri Dew writes in her new book, “Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way.”

How does understanding who we are bring joy and confidence into your life?

Elder Faust said, "I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the “highest place of honor” in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.”

As women we have qualities and traits that allow us to be more sensitive and nurturing. We are able to feel the spirit and act upon these promptings. We are able to be instruments in the Lord’s hands in a way that is different from the priesthood.

Elder Faust continues, “One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others."

How do your gifts help you to be a better mother and woman? I love how he said you can use your smiling loveliness to bless others and spread joy. As Elder Uchtdorf reminded us in the last general RS meeting “Happiness is your heritage.”

Sister Sheri Dew also said, “While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord’s language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve “The mother of all living,” and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than bearing children, Though it certainly is that. It is the essence of who we are as women.

I used to feel awkward on Mother’s Day because I was not a mother. The Young Men would be passing out the flowers and would pause when they got to me…did they give one to me? Now I look at Mother’s Day as a day to celebrate womanhood. A day to remember that even though I am not a mother today, I will be one someday even if it is in the next life.

Elder Faust spoke in the general RS meeting in Nov. 2005 and said, “Some of you sisters may feel inadequate because you can’t seem to do all you want to do. Motherhood and parenting are most challenging roles. You also have Church callings that you fulfill so capably and conscientiously. IN addition, many of you, besides all this, have to work as well as care for your family. My heart goes out to the widows and the single-parent sisters who bear so much of the responsibility of parenting. In general you noble sisters are doing a much better job of holding it all together and making it work than you realize. May I suggest that you take your challenges one day at a time. Do the best you can. Look at everything through the lens of eternity. If you will do this, life will take on a different perspective.”

Hilary Weeks wrote a song entitled “Who you are.” I love the lyrics to this song. I know you wonder if you’ll ever have a day when the kids stay calm, the laundry’s done, and the dishes are put away. Sometimes you feel like your days are spent and gone and the question running through your mid is what have I gotten done? When you finally have a moment to slow down at the end of your day, I know Father would say “Believe in what you’re doing. Believe in who you are. Hold tight to the truth that you’re a daughter of God. Believe in who you’re becoming. Believe in who you are.”

It may seem simple all the little things you do. But, the lives you touch matter so much and there’s noone else like you. And Father needs you to stand tall and faithful to be all you can be. Oh, if you could see what He sees, you’d believe in what you’re doing. Believe in who you are. Hold tight to the truth that you’re a daughter of God. Believe in who you’re becoming. Believe in who you are.

When it’s hard to believe in yourself and you feel like you’re beginning to doubt remember… He believes in what you’re doing. He believes in who you are. Don’t lose sight of the truth that you’re a daughter of God. He believes in who you’re becoming. He believes in who you are.

Elder Faust continues, “We want you single sisters to know of our great love for you. You can be powerful instruments in the hands of God to help bring about this great work. You are valued and needed. Other women, even though married, may not be mothers. For those in either of these circumstances, pleas be assured that the Lord loves you and has not forgotten you. You can do something for another person that no one else ever born can do. You may be able to do something for another woman’s child that she may not be able to do herself. I believe some compensatory blessings will come in this life and in the hereafter to sisters in those circumstances.”

Because we are in mortality we will not always experience joy. There will be hard times, sadness, discouragement, heartache and pain. Because we are daughters of God and He loves us, He allowed our brother to come to earth and give the ultimate sacrifice. The atonement is not just for our sins, it helps to remove our heartache, discouragement and pain. The atonement makes up for our shortcomings and makes it possible for us to become like our Heavenly Mother.

In closing I would like to play Hilary Week’s song “You Give.”

You give me sight, when I can’t see. You give me breath when I can’t breathe. And you give me love, and you give me peace, and you always seem to give just what I need.

You take my doubt and replace it with truth. You take my fear so all I see is You. You take me as I am and you take me by the hand. You see to my soul and you take just what I need.

You give and take away. And refine me day by day. As you lead me through the bitter and sweet, I am trusting You to make me complete. Though you see the heartache you’re sending your sweet grace. As you give and you take.

You give me strength and you give me life. You give me hope and you give me light. You take my pain and you take my shame. You bless me to see the give and take is just what I need.

You give and take away. And refine me day by day. As you lead me through the bitter and sweet, I am trusting You to make me complete. Though you see the heartache you’re sending your sweet grace. As you give and you take.

Please send Your perfect grace. As You give and You take.