Alma 56:47-48. Check out our selection of LDS church programs for baptisms, church activities, and sacrament meetings. This past Mother's Day we arrived late to sacrament meeting due to a cobbling mishap in the morning. I was reading about the origins of Mothers Day. 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. 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 . Most threads die a natural death. She cares about your eternal safety and happiness. Even men who are on diets. And home teachers were not comfortable giving flowers or candy to a single sister. Too much idealism masks reality and can quickly become propaganda and lies. It might be that it was a holiday originally conceived by the US Socialist Party and propagated by the Soviets. Integrate how Jesus takes care of his mother's future well being while hanging on the cross with the scripture John 19:26-27. She never got her kids back and they never forgave her, and she died of some incurable stress induced disease. This is something better done away with. Just asking. 2. I still dont understand it, which is probably why Im still very nervous about having kids. Being there with my son was very nice. Motherhood as a path to choose to be a better disciple of Christ by caring for those Christ loves.feed my sheep, etc.https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/wanted-hands-and-hearts-to-hasten-the-work?lang=eng. Mother's Day Sacrament Mtg - Mormon Dialogue & Discussion Board As I journey on my way, Others must be killed or theyll live forever, injuring regular folk. Is this really the Mothers Day message I need? Ere the sun goes down. 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 . How cool someone reading my rambling! Yeah, it would be pretty late to be thinking about music now. It is the essence of who we are as women. 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. Up til now, I have endured going because I thought I had to. Why? I loved it! I agree with the chocolate, lack of talks, and the third hour refreshments! I just dont like when they push the plant on me after Ive politely declined it. But her mother held a yardstick, and if her daughter played the wrong key, her mother smacked her across the back ofher hands, thus providing sufficient negative reinforcement to motivate her to do it right the next time through. 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. Im sort of hoping that the person before me goes too long and I have to wrap up with my testimony. I must let my voice be heard, I think she says that just because she is my mom. Thanks, kc! The perfect sacrament meeting talk? It demands that the single day of the year that Mother's are celebrated to a holiday that is solely for adult females and no one else. Our current Bishop decided not to do anything for mothers day. Women are saved in child bearing is good as always. The Barker Brothers' Projects These videos were created for Latter-day Saint parents and allies to voice their love for their LGBT brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. me) before deciding on these speakers. It is based only partially on a professional clergy with access to time-proven messages and more likely on fundamental theological differences. Our new bishop, for the last three years, gave no gift or acknowledgement. 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. We got there at about 7:30 AM and one of my Aunts had already been there and left flowers for her. I have to say that I was almost offended that there would be an assumption that FD would be a piece of cake. Id really love to see the fathers acknowledged on Fathers Day. You dont come, you dont get one. 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. That cost a war pension. It isn't in every country so I don't know why it has to be in just a few. With a purpose firm and willing, Ugh.chocolate and cheescake.and NO TALKS!!! Why in the church is there such a strong, almost secular aversion to motherhood? . Also, try to remember that not all the women in the congregation are mothers - which may be because they can't be. I spoke one Mothers Day about Eve and Mary, and thought it was a good talk and well-received. 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. Perhaps it shouldnt be mothers day, but be Womans day and celebrate the contributions of women of faith in their families and communities. Just plant a tree and name it after our mothers! I don't understand it, but it is your logic. My own father would probably appreciate a plant, but fortunately he enjoys cookies too. It was an emotional rollercoaster of raised hopes and disappointments. I have attended other Christian churches enough to realize why it is much less likely that they have painful mothers day talks. On the road this week I attend Mother's day services with the fourth ward in St George Utah. http://mormonartist.net/2012/02/day-three-jeanna-stay/. What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? Im sure that attendance in RS would be higher on that day though. And the Uchtdorf talk on grace from last conference and his talk on the flowers might be good ones. Just a thought. Pertaining to gifts: #53 Im against handing out plants on Mothers Day. Some of the stories were simple acts of kindness and some were extraordinary examples of love and sacrifice. There are sins that need confessing; On Mothers Day. Products; . 1) Peanut butter sandwiches served with a smile tastes much better than the fanciest meal served with a side of stress. Your comment was excellent, especially this part: Jesus the Messiah wasnt just sinless, He was God. I am confident that a poll ofactive Mormons would show that Mothers Day sacrament meeting is, hands down, the one meeting of the year most fraught with difficulty for the people who attend. Have a young child, a teenager, husband and elderly father take you through the different phases of motherhood in their own point of view. Im not going tomorrow. I wish that EVERY ward had a FD talk on what unrighteousness dominion is, and why it should be the job of every priesthood holder and father to raise sons who understand it and daughters who wont stand for it. 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 too have wrestled with the infertility monster and MD was always a nightmare. Thats the last thing a mother needs, responsibility for yet another living thing. I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation.. Its impossible to please everyone. 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. It falls short when it is not delivered with love, patience, acceptance, humility, an understanding of the limitations of REALITY, and the the Gift of the Holy Ghost. My mother died just a little less than a year ago, and I find that I never appreciated Mothers Day at all until now that my mother is gone. I should clarify that my mother (and father) are wonderful and I have no complaints. 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. Their talks often included poems about the immeasurable amount of crap mothers had to deal with. Latter-day Saints to Attend Sacrament Meeting Only on Christmas Day When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children.. I spoke about her one year. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized. But I was not a mother, in spite of my tears and pleadings with the Lord. MD really is a no-win. Can they not celebrate their own mothers? Replies to my comments Mothers Day Sacrament Meeting: Impossible to Win Geesh! In the spirit of the quib in #21 we should just cancel these commercial holidays. Fun Photos of Latter-day Saint Leaders in the Snow! LDS Hymn Arrangements - Latter Day Arrangements The fathers dont seem to feel as guilty about things as the mothers do,,,. So, yeah, how irritated the host is with the comments is pretty much it. 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. Evry idle whisper stilling Its hard to please everyone. Which meeting do you think would be more meaningful to the participants? In addition, there are doctrinal and scriptural classes for . I dont go to be honored or get a gift. He offers advice on how young women can look to faithful mother figures as a pattern to follow. Snickers. Make it a FUN day!!! I haven't a clue about how to interact at times. Perhaps the reason so many women have an aversion to an all Sacrament Mtg. As for me, I will be sitting this Mothers day out. So no one is left out. They cannot eat it, and in fact just having the stuff around is a serious temptation to do so. For those who disagreed with my thoughts (above) about our needing ideals to aim at in our lives, I fell upon a quote from C.S. Well, you dear women, I say thanks to you. Aiming for Heaven is again looking to the sinless for examples, not to an episode of Leave it to Beaver. It hurts. The rest of us mortals should stick with real. Holidays: Mother's Day | Little LDS Ideas 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. For those in Europe, is Mothers Day celebrated to the same awful-gut-wrenching extent? Alece 100 it is a bit rich for you to interpret that your comment and that quote by Lewis mean the same thing. I am understanding your POV. 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. She only did half the things a good mother would have done. 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. Its a complete set-up for failure. She has your best interests at heart. Im thankful for ideals even when I dont measure up not even often let alone all the time. 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. There there is the secular appeal - it causes a pain to those who are not mothers. 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 . I just spent two hours reading all the comments, viewing the video mentioned in #90, and taking notes. He also shares ways a mother can become the first line of defense against the wiles of the world., RELATED: 30 Inspiring LDS Quotes About Mothers & Motherhood. This ordinance is an essential part of worship and spiritual development. As a mother of six kids, Ive had some serious depression about motherhood in general over the years but not usually on Mothers Day. It was a great idea and something I will always remember and a great way to honor mothers on Mothers Day. The Spirits constant companionship is one of the greatest gifts of mortality. We once had a bishop hand out frozen TV dinners! (just kidding). If youre already perfect, who needs it? Those who are not disciples of Christ or do not have faith will find it painful to see the faith of others; thus no one should celebrate Christmas openly. This might be a useful reference in terms of stories about Christ and women (not saying to cite it, just to get scripture references and helpful context): http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/fair-conferences/2015-fairmormon-conference/christs-emancipation-of-women-in-the-new-testament. This is Elder Hollands second appearance on this list of LDS talks on motherhood. Sisters would come up to me and express that MD was hard for them also for various reasonsone was abused by her mother while another friend had lost a mother she loved as a teenager so cried all day long. The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. Thats what insulin is for. Maybe. Cannot load blog information at this time. We got the story about women blessing their cows a couple of years ago. I dont want to hear Sister Becks controversial mothers who know talk, or president bensons talk come home talk. Now we have a tradition that during the last ten minutes of priesthood meeting, they gather all the classes from deacons to high priests together in the multi-purpose room and present them with Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches. People seemed to feel good about it but Mark is right about it being a fraught day. Until I see a longer lasting cease fire, Im staying home MD (with my mother and daughters). 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. It was the first Mothers Day since she died. This is the same reason we do not have missionary farewells any longer. It was perhaps the best talk I gave as a bishop. don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging. So for over a decade, Ive loved Mothers Day, just because I know it wont end with all of us crying. Ugh ugh ugh. Usually chocolate, a plant or flower. You might drift over to what has been considered the rebuttal of Mothers Who Know given at the next conference session by Elder Ballard. My son Dan was married June 13 about a week ago. 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. What Can I Do? to hear my little kids sing and for my older kids to pass out a flower. Drunk as he could be. 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 honors Motherhood while also keeping a focus on Christ. 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. 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". I miss her something terrible, and being at the grave-site really brought all of those emotions to the surface. 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). Any Advice? In the mean time, please, PLEASE, dont go hunting the sisters. You can also subscribe without commenting. #109 Rayloved the roller coaster quote on motherhood. The first speaker was a single father, then the bishop spoke, then the stake president spoke. Trust her. It was a very honest list, but emphasized that the things she would change had nothing to do with looking good, acting a certain way, or different callings. When chocolate is handed out, our children end up begging for it but its the one day I wont share. Reading over those messages, it is hard to come up with any form of consensus other than, everyone has a different opinion. In my home ward, we once had a Mothers Day Sacrament Meeting the topic of which was the priesthood. To the light the lost ones leading, . They really did. especially when there are clear re-phrasings and clarifications. Yes! Over the years, Ive heard some very good Mothers Day talks, but I have also heard some that were cringe-worthy. I wonder if a member of our bishopric reads this blog? Great post, Mark! Motherhood as a path to choose to be a better disciple of Christ by caring for those Christ lives.feed my sheep, etc. She was not a perfect mother, but I loved her. I wanted to know more, so here are his thoughts. I exchanged the word "guidance " for the word " mothers " in this verse to help it go with the Mother's Day theme. May 6, 2017 More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. What does this mean about women? After His Resurrection, He instituted the sacrament among the Nephites (see 3Nephi 18:111). We can only celebrate the nonentity because we are afraid of hurting those who are not being celebrated "today". Watch This Touching LDS Mother's Day Medley | LDS Daily How about we don't celebrate either at church, but celebrate it in our homes with our mothers and fathers? 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. In one of my wards, the women of the congregation were given wooden spoons as their gifts at the end of the meeting. I like the idea of a simple gift for those in attendance. Lewis moments ago which speaks directly to those thoughts: Saw the survey and didnt reply, but one suggestion-Please have enough for EVERY female in the ward or branch. Ziff, thank you. When we speak of mothers as people who are incapable of gross sin, they know we are lying. Its hard for those without children, who are likely never to have children, to listen to motherhood talks that don't address their situation. Less than nothing because the message of such a gift is that the person is not important. I also have plenty of friends who are single sisters and they mourn growing older and menopause because they wont be able to have the children they want to hold and love. As far as Jesus is concerned, he was sinless so is able to stand as an ideal. Not all women can become real mothers. More importantly, which meeting do you thinkwould be more likely to provide meaningful support? Flowers were also given to anyone who wanted to wear one in honour of their mothers. The kids sang the first verse and the adults the second. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. Father's Day Talk in Sacrament Meeting June 21, 2009 - Blogger Latter Day Arrangements is a sheet music resource for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians. I accidently hit the quote button and so nothing is there..you guys can fill in the blank.. My wife and I will be on an Alaska Cruise. The rest of us mortals should stick with real.. 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. Many said not to assign "mother" or "female" focused messages in sacrament meeting, others said to keep your efforts simple as long as it is sincere. Your arrangement sounds really cool. That wouldn't let her do such and suchall things in the end that weren't good for her daughter to do, one way of looking at it. I actually feel it is not so dissimilar on fathers day, particularly since the disparity between them can demean men. Some years it gets a nod, other years the talks are unrelated. I get fed up listening every year to only men saying how wonderful their wives and mothers are. Somehow those who are not mothers are incapable of celebrating motherhood and thus it is painful for them and thus no one should celebrate motherhood as a church. when she becomes a God like I know she will she will be an inspriation to all ladys, Beware the philosophies of Hallmark, mingled with scripture. lol. Steve P, Steve P. wont be the only one this Mothers Day asked to speak on that controversial talk, its still in heavy circulation in wards. Not that I am anything special, but I gave a Mother's Day talk when I was a bishop that was so well-received even my own mother loved it. MD is a day I prefer to play hookey, especially now that my mother is currently lost in alzheimers disease. Respect her. See also What to Expect at Church Services. Ive decided to see if I can discern consistent reasons why the good ones are good and the bad ones are terrible. It would just be nice to complete our idealism with a good dose of reality. And yeah, audience is important. It is Mother's Day and yet the day is supposed to about everything about women EXCEPT being a mother. Thanks for clarifying. What do you think when you see a used car lot with a sign like this: Honest Abes Used Cars! Ugh. What is the trigger to close the thread? Too often folks with food allergies, diabetes, and similar challenges are left feeling like second class saints in our food-laden church culture. The best MD talk I ever heard was given by my neighbor. Gospel Q&A: I Feel Guilty That I Cant Fast Because of Medical Reasons. Scriptural women are perhaps safer :-) And in our ward, the men get cans of Dads Root Beer or Sugar Daddy candies. . Tell the moms that you'll be playing a game with the kids on Mother's Day and that . Maybe the Hallmark channel should use some of his conference clips as fillers when movies end early. 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. Which isnt necessarily a bad thing. Is this our Sharon Haynie from DN branch? I have no aversion to motherhood being spoken of in church. I am glad you had a good father, but honestly, that attitude is what keeps me away. Not a perfect example but I was striving for some other options besides stripling warriors moms. 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.. I struggled with infertility for nearly a decade. 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. Talk topics could be: - examples in the scriptures (Eve, Ruth, Naomi, Esther, Sarah, Mary, Sariah, etc), - early Saints (Lucy Mack, Emma, Eliza R Snow, Aurelia Rogers, etc), - influence of (teachers, nurses, aunts, grandmas, etc). I remember my dad saying it was one of the most powerful and real talks hed ever heard in a Mormon church meeting. Why is that or is that just in my ward? Why was she an ideal? I'd had a challenging morning, but somehow, my 3-year-old-daughter was decked out and ready for church on time. The woman described her family as she was growing up. I would be all for that. a large group) sang to the mothers. Ill be hiding in the clerks office. 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 A cookie in a baggie? #16 They asked him to speak again?! Excellent suggestions, Mark. I'm fascinated by these two suggestions because I was leaning toward only having youth and men speak so that all the mothers had the day off. Is it callender time, number of posts, how irritated the host is with the comments! There are wrongs that need redressing I choose to stay away for most MDs and all FD. In the same way, when we make a dramatic production of Mothers Day, I fear that we are sometimestrying to compensate for the way we devalue the real and important work they do on the other 364 days of the year. Let us take as self-evident that, in reality, not all women are naturally pure or spiritual. Use Mothers Day as an example of how a saint can use a tradition of men as an acceptable way to express Gods love and promulgate the Gospel. Questions & Answers: What am I supposed to think about during the sacrament? Im asking this out of genuine curiosity/responsibility for handing stuff out. It seems like every time theres a church scandaland especially one that concerns moneypeople start arguing that the scandal-ridden church (or even churches in general) should lose their tax exemptions. But one thing is for sure, Ill be drawing on much of this. Tracy M posted an amazing video that deals with the general concept of this post in a really insightful way. While it addresses questions about how to raise a girl, the talk also discusses the nobility of fatherhood, the influence fathers have on children, how to cherish your wife, and why virtue is so important. Mothers Day for me is when my children and Grandchildren call me. 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. Ere the sun goes down. No fuss, no muss. 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. Have all the talks be by women. How could I forget? I hope Sunday goes well for you. Diabetic others, for example. 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 have suggested the donate-money-to-the-shelter thing for about four years now; it gets a blank stare, followed by a startled, oh! rockpond . Ere the sun goes down. 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. I have been given mostly free reign on my message.