So last week I was asked to give a talk in church on Mothers Day and thought I would just record this tribute to my mom. Love ya mama xoxo.
Good afternoon brothers and sisters. As you might have guessed, my topic has been connected with the themes of the other talks given this Mother’s Day on that of Mothers. My specific topic is “How do we honor mothers, ours and others?” In preparation for this talk I was thinking of some kind of intriguing story or funny joke to tell. However, the only thing that kept popping into my mind was “yo mama” jokes. Since that’s not happening, I’ve decided to scratch that idea and just get on with my talk.
Ironically, this is the 3rd time in 5 years that I’ve given a Mother’s Day talk. I’ve come to the conclusion that our bishopric and past bishoprics can see right through me and they all know that I’m a “mama’s boy.” It’s true—I am a “Mama’s Boy.” In fact, when I was in 7th grade my Language Arts class was given the assignment of making a “mentor doll” in honor of a mentor in our life. I know what you’re thinking; making dolls is more of an Arts and Crafts class assignment and not a Language Arts project. I promise, it didn’t seem that weird at the time. Plus, there were some other assignments that went along with this mentor project including poems and other writing assignments. So anyway, it turned out that I was the only boy in the class that chose my mother as my mentor, instead of a dad, athlete, or other influential male figure. I am proud to say that to this day, she is still my mentor and friend.
I understand that there may be some of you here today who perhaps have lost your mother or might not have the best relationship with them. I want you to know that the following message today is just as applicable to you in that we all have mother-like mentors or role models in our very own lives and the topic is not just on honoring our mothers, but other mothers as well and womanhood as a whole. Our church teaches the sacredness of motherhood and places it as the highest honor in human life. In a General Relief Society Meeting held some years ago Mary Foulger stated:
“We all stand in “awe:” at Mary’s assignment to be the mother of the Lord, but women, too have been called to be the mother of future gods. A humble responsibility and blessing. The very purpose of creation depends upon earthly mothers to bring His children unto eternal life.”
D&C 64:33 says, “be not weary in welldoing, for ye are laying the foundation for a great work” Indeed, there is none greater. President Heber J. Grant said, “Without the devotion and absolute testimony of the living God in the hearts of our mothers, this Church would die.”
We know from the 10 commandments that we need to “honor thy mother.” So, how do we honor mothers, ours and others?
A famed officer from the Civil War period when asked to name the incident of the Civil War that he considered the most remarkable for bravery, said that there was in his regiment a man whom everybody liked, a man who was brave and noble, who was pure in his daily life, absolutely free from dissipations in which most of the other men indulged. One night at a champagne supper, when many were becoming intoxicated, someone called for a toast from this young man. He arose, pale but with perfect self-control, and declared: “Gentlemen, I will give you a toast which you may drink as you will, but which I will drink in water. The toast that I have to give is, ‘Our mothers.’”
Instantly a strange spell seemed to come over all the tipsy men. They drank the toast in silence. There was no more laughter, no more song, and one by one they left the room. The lamp of memory had begun to burn, and the name of Mother touched every man’s heart.
Men turn from evil and yield to their better natures when mother is remembered. As a missionary there’s a saying to "be the missionary that your mother thinks you are” I propose that the way in which we honor mothers is by being the son or daughter they think we are. One certain way each can honor mother is to live the truths our mother and/or motherly role models so patiently taught.
President Hinckley once gave a talk entitled, “Lessons I learned as a Boy.” I wish to join him in my purpose of showing ways in which we honor mother by living the truths they taught.
The first lesson I wish to share is of Service and Charity. It is no mistake that the Relief Society motto is “Charity Never Faileth.” My mom is constantly serving. She has always been one to not only give rides to church for investigators and recent converts, but she also fellowships them. Growing up our house was known as “Hotel Hansen” because my mom was continually hosting random guests that needed a night or two to stay.( and in some instances-months!). I have also seen her selflessly give up her bedroom, and instead sleep on a blowup mattress in the hall. Another story that comes to mind was once while at an inner-city Burger King drive thru, my mom began chatting with the teenage boy at the register and she got to know him a little bit. After finding out that he had a lot of brothers and sisters and came form a less fortunate family, my mom grabbed my little brother’s X-BOX that happened to be in the car, and asked him if he thought he and his siblings would enjoy it. The young man's face lit up and gladly accepted it.
Joseph F. Smith said:
"Charity, or love, is the greatest principle in existence. If we can lend a helping hand to the oppressed, if we can aid those who are despondent and in sorrow, if we can uplift and ameliorate the condition of mankind, it is our mission to do it, it is an essential part of our religion to do it"
Not only is my mom great at giving service but she’s also a little too good and volunteering her children to serve. Some examples include: volunteering my sisters for babysitting in the neighborhood and church. She would also sign me up to go work with the missionaries. Once, I remember coming home from a long day of work the summer before I left on my mission and before I had time to eat or rest she told me that she told the neighbor I would come help move some furniture for her. Just a few weeks ago, my little brother updated his facebook status and it read, “Some random lady just called and asked what time would be good for me to cut her grass. She said mom told her I would be more than happy to do it. REALLY MOM?!?!?” hahaha. That made me laugh when I read it and it made me happy to know that my mom was teaching my youngest brother just as she had taught each and every one of my siblings to serve. I am truly grateful for the lessons that were instilled in me while growing up and for the most part to this day it comes as second nature. A great way for us to honor mothers is by doing that which they do so well—Love and Serve.
Another lesson I learned as a boy was to not pass over things for the next person to do and to leave things better than you found it. I recall one Saturday morning (or maybe it was more than one), my sisters and I were all woken up and directed to meet my mom in the guest bathroom downstairs. Supposedly one of us had forgotten to replace the toilet paper on the empty toilet paper holder. I guess this was a recurring incident in our household. My mom then made each of us take turns putting on the toilet paper roll then taking it off and repeating it 10 times. I know that may seem weird, but it was a simple message that has stuck with me. Do not pass over things for the next person to do. I also recall when on vacations my mom would not let the maids pick up after us during our whole stay. She would make us make the beds and tidy up. Who does that?
In The October 2011 Priesthood Session President Uchtdorf said:
“This very hour there are many members of the Church who are suffering. They are hungry, stretched financially, and struggling with all manner of physical, emotional, and spiritual distress. They pray with all the energy of their souls for succor, for relief.
Brethren, please do not think that this is someone else’s responsibility. It is mine, and it is yours. We are all enlisted. “All” means all—every Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood holder, rich and poor, in every nation. In the Lord’s plan, there is something everyone can contribute.”
Brethren, please let us not pass over problems that we can help with. Let us not assume that it is someone else's roomate, friend, neighbor, or hometeachee. Let's man up and take responsibility.
In closing, I would just like to share examples of two exemplary representatives that we can learn from of what it means to honor women. The first, is our current prophet, Thomas S. Monson. We are all aware that as a young bishop he brought it upon himself to visit each and every of the 80+ widows in his ward during the holidays. He literally lives, as James states, a “Pure religion” by “visit[ing] the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”
D&C 81:5: reads “Succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” Elder Wirthlin stated:
“At the final day the Savior will not ask about the nature of our callings. He will not inquire about our material possessions or fame. He will ask if we ministered to the sick, gave food and drink to the hungry, visited those in prison, or gave succor to the weak. When we reach out to assist the least of Heavenly Father’s children, we do it unto Him. That is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
President Monson has been a great model of how we should honor mothers/women. The last and greatest example I would like to talk about on how to honor mothers is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. During the last moments of his mortal life while on the cross, Christ sees his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by. He speaks: “Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!”
Of this scripture, President Monson says,
“From that awful hour when time stood still, when the earth did quake and great mountains were brought down—yes, through the annals of history, over the centuries of years and beyond the span of time—there echoes His simple yet divine words, “Behold thy mother. As we truly listen to that gentle command and with gladness obey its intent, gone forever will be the vast legions of “mothers forgotten.” Everywhere present will be “mothers remembered,” “mothers blessed,” and “mothers loved”; and, as in the beginning, God will once again survey the workmanship of His own hand and be led to say, “It is very good.”’
“May each of us treasure this truth: One cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.”
Testimony (We can honor mother by living the truths they so patiently taught.)
