One of my favorite talks ever wasnt a Mothers Day talk but was given by a mother talking about mothering (we were on vacation, so didnt know the woman speaking). I was initially surprised he went that way, but I have to say although Ive occasionally heard people say they wish something were did, I heard many complaints every previous year that something was done about what that something was. Not at church anyway. Im sure that attendance in RS would be higher on that day though. Next, it is always very specific so as to not offend anyone. Mtg. Well give you an honest deal! I am understanding your POV. Not wordingthat well. I have some ideas of speaker topics but I thought I would start a thread for suggestions of topics, scriptures, conference talks, etc that would help make a great Sacrament Meeting that . #16 They asked him to speak again?! Why..thank you! Don't subscribe Sacrament meeting is a time for us to renew our covenants, it is a sacred ordinance. Is this our Sharon Haynie from DN branch? It is awkward for those who are NOT mothers and I don't think fathers get their due comparibly. Especially for those women that aren't mothersbut, a big but, these women are mothers to villages, pets, and extended family all the time! It would just be nice to complete our idealism with a good dose of reality. I want to hear about the mother who lost all her children, because she made a lot of mistakes. What does that say about us as a people? So Im on for Mothers Day and have been assigned Julie Becks talk on the history of Relief Society as topic. Mothers day will likely be about Gods unconditional love for us and how it pains Him to see us struggle And how even mothers cannot quite reach that level of love, but we understand the concept because most of us love our children in much the same way (but n, Focus your talk on how much we ALL need Jesus (even mothers) because we are all sinners (read the Bible It tells us so). Not within an hour of reading this post did I get a call from a member of our bishopric asking me to speak on Sunday. 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. 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. #109 Rayloved the roller coaster quote on motherhood. Honestly, considering how touchy this subject is (women w/out kids, abusive moms, separated/divorced men who don't want to be, moms who've passed, etc), I'd focus on Womanhood. The Puritans werent big on celebrations, so they dropped it when they colonized Massachussetts. You can still give the women the day off. Personally, I go to church to learn about Jesus and Christ like attributes. I havent had a bad Mothers Day since I divorced my ex and the day stopped being about making my kids miserable so that he could appear to be a good husband. In this talk, Elder Holland focuses on three different experiences that reflect the majestic influence of mothers. The first is a cautionary tale, where a friend who was drifting away from the Church expressed he could not stand the thought of facing his deceased mother. I would love tohear from you. What does that say about the role of motherhood? Why do *we* have to have an ideal? You can guess how well that went over. 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. Identifying ideals is somehow so treacherous for the psyches of women that that must never be mentioned? Love for mothers is good, but sometimes there is a fine, fine line between love and dysfunction. How about we don't celebrate either at church, but celebrate it in our homes with our mothers and fathers? It was so honest and hopeful all at once. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities.. Gospel Q&A: I Feel Guilty That I Cant Fast Because of Medical Reasons. Intent matters, and I dont believe the idealism we are fed is meant to hurt, but rather to uplift. Loverboy was gone, she was outside of the church, and she had no means of support. So be kind to her. It is even worse when women are so enthused with Father's Day that they want to ignore it completely - as in absolutely not mention it. Oh, great. A day focused on mothers is hard enough for many women, and much more so when thats all they hear about at church. 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. It was my missionary farewell, back when such things were acceptable. Cant we just give praise and gratitude for the atonement, and human goodness and resiliance inspite its adversity and imperfection? 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. I spoke about her one year. And this is all in addition to the everyday problems like getting the bills paid and the laundry done. I agree with the chocolate, lack of talks, and the third hour refreshments! I would also love all quotes, conf talks, songs be from women to reinforce the value/insight/talent women have. Even men who are on diets. 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). Well done! How cool someone reading my rambling! I have nine children, eight grown, am temple divorced and remarried to a nomo. The fathers dont seem to feel as guilty about things as the mothers do,,,. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. Have all the talks be by women. Nuts. The best Mothers Day talk Ive ever heard was an illustration of this principle. Well, count me among the lucky ones who are speaking this coming Sunday. Mother's Day became the hardest day of the year for me. A year later he died in a car accident, and the children went back to mom, whose life was now very different. Seriously, no one is going to be pleased. Great survey. They can eat whatever they want, in fact. I also really like Kristenes suggestion and everything like unto it as EOR suggested. I don't understand it, but it is your logic. Mothers Day was open so I said ok, I will come up with something appropriate. I already have felt many of the concerns expressed, and approach this assignment with fear and trembling. The answer has been taught by the Lords prophets. especially when there are clear re-phrasings and clarifications. At least half the ward was so embarrassed for her at this point that they looked as if they wanted to crawl under the benches. I just read that talk again; and I see nothing wrong with it. Beautiful. Available Now: 2023 Temple Calendar. So He can be ideal AND real. At one point they cut down a tree and paraded it into town to symbolize the mother of the Gods (Asherah, anyone?). Where everyone else is happy and interested in celebrating motherhood - those terrible males and those rancorous children in particular - they need to be denied for "me" and "what I want". Put me in the column of those who think Sacrament Meeting should be about Christ. 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. Ohand did you say you had an extra ticket??? Well we could have it like the Sacrament Meetings for Father's Day and have it be your usual every Sunday meeting and not even talk about women or mothers. 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. Sorry for the sacrilege I think all women want massages but not sure the church is the right place for it. According to our teachings, Jesus the Messiah wasnt just sinless, He was God. The best MD talk I ever heard was given by my neighbor. 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. (i.e. 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. And out the door I flee. Are you looking for the best LDS talks on motherhood? 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. And, even worse, we are also cutting them off from the grace and redemption that Jesus offers. Christian churchs teach that you are inherently bad, that it is not entirely your fault and that Christ has already saved you and after He gets around to telling you (if He hasnt already) that you forgiven and are His, you will do nonspecific good things he directs because you will naturally want to do them. Too often folks with food allergies, diabetes, and similar challenges are left feeling like second class saints in our food-laden church culture. We are an outlandishly weird, mixed up bunch of folk. 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. I am glad you had a good father, but honestly, that attitude is what keeps me away. Very useful counsel, Mark. I had some ideas but didn't want to repeat anything that had already been done from the Primary. I dont want to hear Sister Becks controversial mothers who know talk, or president bensons talk come home talk. That feels a little thin still, so Im glad this post exists. . Thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! All And this is all in addition to the everyday problems like getting the bills paid and the laundry done. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies. But I realize others prefer plants. . Alece, its usually when the admins sense that the conversation is no longer productive, or when we dont have time or patience to keep monitoring the thread. Its hard to please everyone. No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.. . Thank you to everyone! Dont twist the knife; let them come to you if they want it. The broken bread is a reminder of His body and His physical sufferingespecially His suffering on the cross. Based on the comments it seems to be prevalent everywhere in the US church. Just a thought. 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?) Especially since whoever asked him to speak didnt learn their lesson and he said the exact same talk a year later. We got the story about women blessing their cows a couple of years ago. Focus on womanhood and examples of strong women, not on a perfect homemaker mother. The story of Martha and Mary each bringing important and valuable things, even though they were very different. Reading over those messages, it is hard to come up with any form of consensus other than, everyone has a different opinion. The other auxiliaries are free to do something, its just the bishopric that doesnt. Which also makes me wonder about why we Americans dont recognize International Womens Day. A cookie in a baggie? at all.. Tell the moms that you'll be playing a game with the kids on Mother's Day and that . We speak about it nearly every Sunday. 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. My best friend (unmarried, childless at 51) has been asked to speak. Or should we just not celebrate anything or any role that a person may fulfill in life? A break from the primary room!) I love your idea of wearing different color of flowers. For the injured interceding, from Pres. If they give out a plant that I can put in the ground, Ill be sad to miss that, though. Gag. Flowers were also given to anyone who wanted to wear one in honour of their mothers. I was reading about the origins of Mothers Day. Did they not have mothers? 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. 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 ;)). Women have mothers too! 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.. I have not attending other churches that have mothers day services aimed at mothers. And Im batting clean up. Aiming for Heaven is again looking to the sinless for examples, not to an episode of Leave it to Beaver. Mrs. Gui, All the little Guis and their little Guis, the violin, photography, Prokofiev, Mahler, Terry Pratchett, Patrick OBrian, Umberto Eco, sci-fi and fantasy, Brigham Young, playing Bluegrass with real Kentuckians. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. 2) If your outfit doesnt match, no one who matters will notice. Finally, Elder Holland offers his thanks to mothers around the world. Why in the church is there such a strong, almost secular aversion to motherhood? Not a perfect example but I was striving for some other options besides stripling warriors moms. For example, look at how Mothers Day and Mothering Day each have a religious as well as a secular component to them, and have even merged: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothering_Sunday. Men tended to speak about angel mothers who bore no resemblance to mine. . Those who are solely focused on their own selfish desires? I have suggested the donate-money-to-the-shelter thing for about four years now; it gets a blank stare, followed by a startled, oh! An ideal is fine to have in your own life, but imo it is dangerous to attempt to have one for a worldwide religious organization. I come to church to be fed spiritually, and sappy poems and stories are never ever going to measure up to the meat that scriptural examples can provide. Over 70 countries observe Mothers Day, but some of them still retain these spiritual roots whereas in the US its mostly a commercial holiday. When chocolate is handed out, our children end up begging for it but its the one day I wont share. 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. Just after she became a beehive, her mother had an affair. I just spent two hours reading all the comments, viewing the video mentioned in #90, and taking notes. Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. Just sharing those times with women in the scriptures and what we can learn from them - and NOT have a focus on mothers. The first consideration is that you, the speaker, need to begin with your audience in mind. Actually, Ive never heard anything about Heavenly Mother beyond, Isnt it so wonderful that we believe in a Heavenly Mother?!. We need ideals especially ones who arent ideal, so we can redefine ideal. Theyre all very good, and not being critical, but Hallmark w/ scripture would seem to be one way to describe the style of Pres. Needless to say he was not asked to speak in sacrament meeting for a long, long time. Not all women can become real mothers. Ere the sun goes down, first adult speaker: Motherhood is like a roller coaster: there are lots of ups and downs, and sometimes you just have to close your eyes and scream., second adult speaker, quoting a Native American proverb: The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears., benediction, by a former Bishop: Heavenly Father, we speak with thee every day, and we look forward to the day when we can renew our relationship with Heavenly Mother.. This has been a great reminder to be sensitive to all in the congregation with the Holy Ghost as a guide. Evry cry of pity heeding, I get really tired of hearing the stripling warrior passages on Mother's Day. Most seemed to realize bishoprics are trying and they appreciate any effort. I cant remember the last time I heard a bad sacrament meeting talk, period. Submitting to the will of the Father, He suffered more than we can comprehend: Blood [came] from every pore, so great [was] his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people (Mosiah 3:7). I dont envy you people who have been called togive talksnext week. I also choose to focus on the women in the scriptures like #30 has mentioned. Not using individual's names, I told stories of selfless service performed by sisters in our ward that I had observed during my time as bishop. Thanks for thinking of me, my youngest bishop son! You can still give the women the day off. Some of the stories were simple acts of kindness and some were extraordinary examples of love and sacrifice. I pray the Spirit will be with me today as I give this talk. More importantly, what impact does this conscious attempt to devalue motherhood within our community have on the future of the family? She only did half the things a good mother would have done. Any suggestions as to what you would truly and realistically appreciate being presented? MD is a day I prefer to play hookey, especially now that my mother is currently lost in alzheimers disease. The kids sang the first verse and the adults the second. Last year, I did an arrangement of "I Often Go Walking" for the Primary children and our ward choir to perform together. Make it a FUN day!!! Ere the sun goes down. Motherhood as a path to choose to be a better disciple of Christ by caring for those Christ lives.feed my sheep, etc. This talk teaches us how rearing up children in righteousness can help keep them safe in an increasingly wicked world and how what happens in the home can benefit communities and nations. It was given by one of my high school friends. Mark, This post was positively Uchtdorfian! 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). Our current ward celebrates Mothers Day with the obligatory talks. End of rant. On the other hand, women tended to speak about motherhood as the most emotionally-exhausting and time-consuming chore imaginable. I find women in general to be compassionate and sensitive to other people and a joy to be around. 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. Wards/branches can use this app to create and print traditional . A nod to moms but no pedestal worshiping. I am not sure what other words I can use to convey my meaning when I rely so heavily on tone. 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. So for over a decade, Ive loved Mothers Day, just because I know it wont end with all of us crying. Christmas is not a universal holiday and thus we should not celebrate one day a year, We focus on Christ every day and every Sunday so there is no need to celebrate on Christmas. The good talks that I have heard tend toaddressthe details ofan individual womans life, in all its messiness and particularity. The good news is, most sisters want chocolate from their ward family and most sisters usually get chocolate. Something else for me to kill.. Until I see a longer lasting cease fire, Im staying home MD (with my mother and daughters). And I did use some of the suggestions here. 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. 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. For the past two years, I have been passed over because other women tell the youth passing out the gift, that they need to take one for so-and-so, shes ill today,without looking for women in the room that havent received one yet. Aleah Ingram May 3, 2021 Entertainment. Over the years, Ive heard some very good Mothers Day talks, but I have also heard some that were cringe-worthy. We got there at about 7:30 AM and one of my Aunts had already been there and left flowers for her. At a certain point, their best has to be enough. Keep in mind, this is from a male perspective, andmy opinions might be worth exactly what you paid for them. lesson about prayer. Someone explain this. Primary kids sang Im so glad when Mommy comes home refreshing change. Families are good about this but public acknowledgement is hard to come by. Im asking this out of genuine curiosity/responsibility for handing stuff out. 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. Yeah, it would be pretty late to be thinking about music now. This is the same reason we do not have missionary farewells any longer. 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. So no one is left out. Diabetic others, for example. In my home ward, we once had a Mothers Day Sacrament Meeting the topic of which was the priesthood. Im catching up on the comments, but Kristines suggestion in #72 is perfect. Many times, it seems bishoprics want to put women on a pedestal for a day, while trying not to offend anyone. Which isnt necessarily a bad thing. (If you want to see an example, search mormon tax exemption on Twitter.) Because children can be wayward we should not celebrate parenthood. (did I mention he and his wife were not parents yet?). Not necessarily mothersjust women. Ive endured (and thats the right word) too many Mothers Days that were awful, meaningless, and unrealistic. Its a complete set-up for failure. As always, Kurt, I was happy to give you a hand with this! My kids are way too distracting.
lds mothers day sacrament meeting