Tag Archives: Mother’s Day

Righteous Mothers

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Motherhood should be encouraged and celebrated. However, righteous motherhood should be honored, praised, and encouraged even more. Except those who have prohibitive medical conditions, all women are naturally capable of becoming mothers. What’s more, they are expected by their God and Creator to become mothers to rear and nurture His children in this mortal existence. All women, then, regardless of age, should have their eyes fixed upon the goal and potential of not only becoming mothers, but becoming righteous mothers. 

The first command ever given to mankind, to our first parents Adam and Eve, has never been rescinded and is in full force today: 

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:27-28). 

Men and women are supposed to procreate and multiply. Making families is not merely an incidental part of the Plan of Salvation, it is a central tenet. From the very beginning, the family unit has been the most fundamental and important unit in society. It is the mainspring of all virtue and vices, Freedom and slavery, righteousness and iniquity. And it is the fundamental unit of government and civilization revealed by Heaven. 

The patriarchal pattern and order of marriage was established at the time God joined man and woman together in the covenant of marriage and commanded them to multiply: 

“[T]he Lord God . . . made . . . a woman, and brought her unto the man. 

“And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 1:22-24). 

Both man and woman were created to complement each other and to be helpmeets to one another. The man was given specific duties, talents, and proclivities, and the woman was given other duties, talents, and proclivities. While men and women share the same basic human nature and desires for good, our male and female microchip has been programmed differently for the Lord’s special purposes. 

Subsequent scriptural declarations describe the type of relationship that should prevail within the sacred and holy bonds of marriage. The Apostle Paul taught the Ephesian Saints: 

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

“Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh” (Ephesians 5:21-31). 

This is the pattern for a superb marriage. A Christian marriage is founded on love, mutual respect, holiness, careful care for one another, selfless sacrifice for the other’s wellbeing, faithfulness to the Lord, and a harmonious working relationship between the husband and wife in their separate and respective duties. 

There is not a word in this passage about either domineering or servile behavior. Men are not intended to rule as tyrants and women are not required to slavishly comply with every word and demand uttered by their husbands. Yet, the fact is that God choose the man to lead. He is supposed to lead in love, respect, and righteousness. He is supposed to nourish and cherish his wife. In his inspired role as patriarch, he is to provide, protect, instruct, discipline, and uplift his family. 

Likewise, the woman was chosen by God for special purposes. She is to follow, assist, and help her husband in the work of founding their family on the rock of the Redeemer Jesus Christ. She is meant to be a shining example of virtue. She is designed to be the heart of the home, the light of the family, the one who warms the hearth with her sweet spirit, the one who nurtures and exudes love and comfort, and the blessed homemaker who turns a house into a home. 

Through a barrage of slanderous teachings, distortions, and propaganda, modern feminist society has successfully convinced women that motherhood, homemaking, and good old-fashioned wifery are boring, outdated, unproductive, less valuable than “a man’s work,” mundane, a waste of talent, and even oppressive. These malicious myths have prodded many women into the workforce. Instead of being the housewives, homemakers, and mothers God, nature, and all true men want them to be, they are now workplace pawns slaving away in 9-5 jobs and wasting their talent on things that no one will remember or care about in the eternities. 

Let’s dispel a massive myth right now; namely, the idea that you can successfully be a full-time mother and a full-time employee. This is logically impossible. If you work full-time with little children shipped off to day care, a babysitter, or a relative’s, how can you possibly believe you are a full-time mother? Delegating your duties makes you something of a surrogate mother. The one who cares for, feeds, changes, plays with, and teaches your child is more of a mother than you are. 

I want to quickly clarify that I don’t condemn those who must work to help support their family. There are many good women who, because of financial difficulties or a husband’s injury or some other extenuating factor, have to work outside the home. God bless you for the righteous desires. These mothers are still doing their duty and should be helped in their challenging circumstances. 

There are tens of millions of women, however, who work as a matter of course or who choose to put their families second after their careers. That’s exactly what is happening – they prioritize work, career, personal advancement, money, status, reputation, or physical things over the wellbeing of their family. Such is the opposite of righteous motherhood. 

In 1981, a great man of God, Ezra Taft Benson, gave a sermon titled “The Honored Place of Woman.” In it, he warned women of prioritizing incorrectly. He emphasized the prime importance of women in the home. He gave counsel on how women can help save the souls of God’s children and claim a crown of eternal happiness in Heaven. I hold his talk close to my heart and consider it the most poignant and powerful address ever given on motherhood and womanhood. I therefore quote generously from its inspired declarations. President Benson taught: 

“We must ever keep in mind that it is the design of Satan to thwart the plan of our Eternal Father. The plan of the adversary is to destroy the youth of the Church . . . and to destroy the family unit. 

“In the beginning, God placed a woman in a companion role with the priesthood. God said, “It was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him.” (Moses 3:18.) 

“Woman was given to man as an helpmeet. That complementary association is ideally portrayed in the eternal marriage of our first parents—Adam and Eve. They labored together; they had children together; they prayed together; and they taught their children the gospel together. This is the pattern God would have all righteous men and women imitate. 

“Before the world was created, in heavenly councils the pattern and role of women were prescribed. You were elected by God to be wives and mothers in Zion. Exaltation in the celestial kingdom is predicated on faithfulness to that calling. 

“Since the beginning, a woman’s first and most important role has been ushering into mortality spirit sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven. 

“Since the beginning, her role has been to teach her children eternal gospel principles. She is to provide for her children a haven of security and love—regardless of how modest her circumstances might be. 

“In the beginning, Adam was instructed to earn the bread by the sweat of his brow—not Eve. Contrary to conventional wisdom, a mother’s place is in the home! 

“I recognize there are voices in our midst which would attempt to convince you that these truths are not applicable to our present-day conditions. If you listen and heed, you will be lured away from your principal obligations. 

“Beguiling voices in the world cry out for “alternative life-styles” for women. They maintain that some women are better suited for careers than for marriage and motherhood. 

“These individuals spread their discontent by the propaganda that there are more exciting and self-fulfilling roles for women than homemaking . . . They also say it is wise to limit your family so you can have more time for personal goals and self-fulfillment. . . . 

“It is a misguided idea that a woman should leave the home, where there is a husband and children, to prepare educationally and financially for an unforeseen eventuality. Too often, I fear, even women in the Church use the world as their standard for success and basis for self-worth. . . . 

“Some Saints are deluded into believing that more and better circumstances will improve their self-image. A positive self-image has little relationship to our material circumstances. Mary, the mother of our Savior, was of most modest circumstances, yet she knew well her responsibility and took joy in it. Remember her humble exclamation to her cousin Elisabeth: “He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48; italics added.) Her strength was inward, not from outward material things. 

“It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. 

“We become enamored with men’s theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother’s influence. 

“Too often the pressure for popularity, on children and teens, places an economic burden on the income of the father, so mother feels she must go to work to satisfy her children’s needs. That decision can be most shortsighted. 

“It is mother’s influence during the crucial formative years that forms a child’s basic character. 

“Home is the place where a child learns faith, feels love, and thereby learns from mother’s loving example to choose righteousness. 

“How vital are mother’s influence and teaching in the home—and how apparent when neglected! 

“I do not wish to wound any feelings, but all of us are aware of instances of active Latter-day Saint [i.e. Christian] families who are experiencing difficulties with their children because mother is not where she ought to be—in the home. . . . 

“The seeds of divorce are often sown and the problems of children begin when mother works outside the home. You mothers should carefully count the cost before you decide to share breadwinning responsibilities with your husbands. It is a truism that children need more of mother than of money. . . . 

“Years ago, a son wrote to his mother and asked her what she did to successfully rear her children—all nineteen of them! She wrote him this reply: 

““The writing anything about my way of education I am much adverse to. It cannot, I think, be of service to anyone to know how I, who have lived such a retired life for so many years, used to employ my time and care in bringing up my own children. No one can, without renouncing the world, in the most literal sense, observe my methods; and there are few, if any, that would entirely devote above twenty years of the prime of life in hopes to save souls of their children, which they think may be saved without so much ado; for that was my principal intention, however unskillfully and unsuccessfully managed.” (Franklin Wilder, Immortal Mother, New York: Vantage Press, 1966, p. 43; italics added.) 

“That mother was Susannah Wesley, and the son who wrote was John Wesley, one of the great reformers. Twenty years of the prime of life in the hopes of saving the souls of her children! Such a task required skill, competence, courage, intelligence, and ingenuity far above any career. 

“Do you want a principle for successful motherhood? Make time to teach your children the gospel and principles of gospel living when they are young. It may be that you too will need to “renounce the world” and “devote above twenty years of the prime of life in hopes to save the souls of [your] children.” 

“No accomplishment transcends the building of the character of a son or a daughter of God.” 

Women, mothers, do you understand how important you are in God’s Plan for the salvation of His children? You are essential! Your role is no lesser than a man’s because it takes place in the home away from the eyes of the world. Your efforts are not wasted because you don’t receive a paycheck in dollars and cents. Your talents are not squandered because they are not on public display. Quite to the contrary! Your talents can be fully used and perfected only in the home! 

Ladies, the home is where you were designed to shine! Only as mothers do you fully fulfill the measure of your creation. If you remain single or childless through no fault of your own, yet remain faithful to your covenants with God, all of these blessings will be bestowed upon you in the eternities. However, if you neglect or intentionally put off your opportunity to marry, have children, and experience the joy of motherhood and traditional homemaking, you will reap regret. As President Benson said, you may even forfeit your exaltation in Heavenly Father’s Kingdom. 

A woman’s place in the home is a place of honor and eternal reward. A righteous mother is a benefit to her family, community, nation, and world. Her influence is far greater than the influence of CEOs, scientists, realtors, bankers, or news anchors. Climbing the corporate ladder doesn’t get you one inch closer to Heaven, while raising little boys and girls to become faithful and upright men and women and remaining virtuous in the process will write your name in the book of life. 

When women embrace detrimental philosophies, like feminism, and live the type of life that prevents them from embracing marriage or motherhood, or from fully participating in them as first priorities, they heap upon themselves judgment. If women would be honored by God, they must honor Him by obeying His commandments to become one flesh with a man, submitting to that man as a helpmeet and full partner in the work of creating a family, raising righteous posterity, and turning a house into a home by their sweet, feminine influence. 

We have pointed out that men are appointed by God to lead their families. But where, pray tell, does a child’s obedience and willingness to follow his father’s direction originate? It comes from the mother’s example! Why would a little toddler listen to his father if he sees his mother ignore or disobey him? Why would a little girl respect her father if her mother doesn’t respect him? 

The pioneer leader Brigham Young often gave counsel to women on how to magnify their divine calling as wives, mothers, and homemakers. On one occasion, he said: 

“What faults do I discover in my neighbors’ families? I can see their women go off visiting, riding on horseback, attending parties, while their little ones are neglected, and left to run at large in the streets, exposed to the pernicious examples of vile company. Hear it again! The blood of these wicked children will be required at the hands of their mothers! Should your husbands be called out to fight the Indians, or go to the islands of the sea to gather the poor, it is none of your business, when it is their calling to be away from home. 

“I want education to commence here. I wish you strictly to follow out this principle, and when children are old enough to labor in the field, then the father will take them in charge. If children are not taught by their mothers, in the days of their youth, to revere and follow the counsels of their fathers, it will be hard indeed for the father ever to control them. I know it is so, for it is too true. Mothers will let their children go to the Devil in their childhood and when they are old enough to come under the immediate guidance of their fathers, to be sent out to preach the Gospel in the world, or to learn some kind of mechanism, they are as uncontrollable as the winds that now revel in the mountains. . . . 

“Let education commence at this point, you mothers! . . . Let mothers commence to teach their children while in their laps, there do you learn them to love the Lord, and keep His commandments. Teach them to keep your commandments, and you will learn them to keep the commandments of your husbands. It is not the prerogative of a child to dictate to his mother, or his father; and it is not the prerogative of the father to rise up and dictate to his God whom he serves. Is it right that my wife should dictate to me? It is just as reasonable, and as right, as it is for your children to rise up and dictate to their mother. It is not their business to dictate to you, their duty is to obey, and not to dictate. . . . 

“I wish to impress my lecture more particularly upon the minds of mothers. Am I not continually exhorting the brethren to be kind to their families, and never to ill use a human being on the earth? I exhort you, masters, fathers, and husbands, to be affectionate and kind to those you preside over. And let them be obedient, let the wife be subject to her husband, and the children to their parents. Mothers, let your minds be sanctified before the Lord, for this is the commencement, the true foundation of a proper education in your children, the beginning point to form a disposition in your offspring, that will bring honor, glory, comfort, and satisfaction to you all your life time. To the mothers who may be here today, who have not the experience they will have, and young women who are perhaps just entering upon the stage of life, let me say (and I wish you always to keep it in remembrance, even you younger females who have newly entered into the sacred state of matrimony), fulfil the commandments of Eloheim, fill up the measure of your creation, that the joy of your hearts may be full in the day of the resurrection, in that you have done all you could to fulfil His law, and bring to pass the purposes of the Lord. Always keep your minds pure before the Lord. You may say it is impossible, because of your temptations, but let me inquire, Do you pray? Did you pray this morning, before you left your houses? Did you pray last evening, before you laid your bodies down to rest? Did you pray that the Holy Spirit might rest upon you, so that your sleep might be sweet and refreshing? Some of you may reply, that you have children, and have not time to pay attention to this duty in the morning. Some of you may have sick families, and others of you may be afflicted in other ways, and you will offer these facts as reasons for similar neglect. In these circumstances the mind must be centered upon the Lord, and upon His work, continually. When you embark to fill up the end of your creation, never cease to seek to have the Spirit of the Lord rest upon you, that your minds may be peaceable, and as smooth as the summer breezes of heaven. Never cease a day of your life to have the Holy Ghost resting upon you. Fathers, never cease to pray that your wives may enjoy this blessing, that their infants may be endowed with the Holy Ghost, from their mother’s womb. If you want to see a nation rise up full of the Holy Ghost, and of power, this is the way to bring it about.” 

Righteous motherhood begins with personal righteousness. Prayer, scripture study, service, worship, charity, fidelity, love, and all other virtues, are necessary. It is hard for a woman, as a mother, to teach her children virtue, chastity, prayer, or devotion to God if she herself does not live, or try to live, them. From birth, children should be taught about their Father in Heaven, His Plan of Salvation, their Savior Jesus Christ and His redemption, and the other teachings of the Gospel. Who better to teach children at this tender age than mothers who spend the most time with them? 

Another time, Young observed the powerful influence women have over the affairs of the earth. In a mighty sermon to Christian sisters, he declared: 

“When I reflect upon the duties and responsibilities devolving upon our mothers and sisters, and the influence they wield, I look upon them as the mainspring and soul of our being here. It is true that man is first. Father Adam was placed here as king of the earth, to bring it into subjection. But when Mother Eve came she had a splendid influence over him. A great many have thought it was not very good; I think it was excellent. After she had partaken of the fruit she carried it to her husband, saying, “Husband, a certain character came to me and said if you will eat of this fruit you will find it excellent, and it will make you as Gods, knowing good from evil; and I have tasted it, and I assure you it is excellent.” Her influence was so great with Adam that he also partook of it, and his eyes were opened. You know the result—they were both driven from the garden. Before this, however, they were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth and thus fill the measure of their creation. 

“Now, I say the women have great influence. Look at the nations of the earth. Any nation you like, no matter which, and you enlist the sympathies of the female portion of it and what is there you cannot perform? If the government wants soldiers, they are on hand; if means, it is forthcoming. If you want influence and power, and have the ladies on your side, they will give it you. You take a nation that is going to war, whether our nation or any other; in the late struggle, for instance, between the Northern and Southern States, suppose all the mothers, sisters and daughters of the Republic had set their will and determination that no soldiers should go to the field, how many do you suppose would have been obtained? A few Irishmen and Germans might have been hired, but that is all. This is the influence the ladies hold in the nations of the earth. It is true that they are not allowed to go to the ballot-box, but let the females in any district be united and say that such a man shall not go to Congress, and I reckon he cannot go. He may make up his mind to stay at home and make shingles, raise potatoes, or do something else. If he is a lawyer, he may try to get a living by pleading law, but he cannot go to Congress. And when the ladies say send such a man, he is pretty sure to go if they are united and determined that it shall be so. The ladies may not know that they wield so much influence as this, and they would probably want some outward sign before they could be convinced, but it is nevertheless true that their influence is as powerful as I have stated. 

“Now, a few words directly to my sisters here in the kingdom of God. We want your influence and power in helping to build up that kingdom, and what I wish to say to you is simply this, if you will govern and control yourselves in all things in accordance with good, sound, common sense and the principles of truth and righteousness, there is not the least fear but what father, uncle, grandfather, brothers, and sons will follow in the wake. . . . 

“One thing is very true and we believe it, and that is that a woman is the glory of the man; but she was not made to be worshipped by him. As the Scriptures say, Man is not without the woman, neither is woman without the man in the Lord. Yet woman was not made to be worshipped any more than man was. A man is not made to be worshipped by his family; but he is to be their head, and to be good and upright before them, and to be respected by them. It is his privilege to walk erect, to converse the same as God, in fact he is made in the express image of his Heavenly Father, and he should honor this position. Yet he is not made to be worshipped, but to be the head and superior, and to be obeyed in all love and kindness, and the woman is to be his helpmeet. Woman has her influence, and she should use that in training her children in the way they should go; if she fails to do this she assumes fearful responsibilities. 

“We have instances in this Church of mothers full of faith and good works, and if you mark their children you cannot find one that is froward in his ways; I do not remember an instance among the children of such mothers but what believed in and delighted in the Gospel. We have also here the children of mothers of an opposite character—mothers who have been careless and indifferent about the Gospel or the kingdom of God, and, if you mark their children, they are the same, and they stray away from the kingdom of God and from the ordinances of life and salvation. This is the result of the influence of the mother; I am an eyewitness of it. 

“If our sisters comprehended the power they bear and the influence they wield in the midst of the people it does appear to me that they would consider their condition a little more than they do.” 

While many women seek a false form of “liberation” from their God-given duties and the roles for which they were designed, righteous women recognize their power and influence. In seeking for power and influence outside the home, feminist women have abdicated their greatest potential for influence – motherhood. 

Godly women embrace their powerful influence not by living a single and “independent” life, as they suppose it is, but by becoming righteous mothers in the home who raise faithful posterity to the Lord. Nothing is more important to society and the world than righteous motherhood. And women have been called by God Almighty to fulfill this all-important role. What a blessing! What privilege! 

Women, what more could you want? What can a career in an office give you in terms of things that matter most in eternity that motherhood and molding the minds and manners of the rising generation can’t? If you find motherhood drudgery, might I suggest you’re doing it wrong or have the wrong attitude. Speaking as a man, I guarantee you that if God wanted me in the home instead of providing for my family, nothing could keep me away. What better life could I desire than to be in the home with my spouse and my children?  

Finally, of women’s innate influence over their children and, thus, over society, President Brigham Young stated: 

“I know that mothers can teach their children; and they ought to teach them, and this is my duty to tell you what to do in this case. Remember to traditionate your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teach them as they ought to be taught, that they will have faith from their youth up, and the Spirit of the Lord to direct them, that they may never lose sight of this faith in Christ, and our Heavenly Father; and when they are old they will not depart from the good path. I am firm in the faith, and verily believe, that if mothers will bring up their children aright, and give them that early training that they should have, their children will grow up and never depart from the path of rectitude and truth. 

“The mothers are the moving instruments in the hands of Providence to guide the destinies of nations. Let the mothers of any nation teach their children not to make war, the children would grow up and never enter into it. Let the mothers teach their children, “War, war upon your enemies, yes, war to the hilt!” and they will be filled with this spirit. Consequently you see at once what I wish to impress upon your mind is, that the mothers are the machinery that give zest to the whole man, and guide the destinies and lives of men upon the earth.” 

It is a proverb that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. In a very real sense, it is true. The training mothers give their children in one generation becomes the principles and policies of adult men and women in the next generation. Many women complain about the conduct of men, yet they decline to be mothers – nullifying the validity of their arguments and marking them as hypocrites. The quiet, unsung, humble women who cheerfully embrace motherhood are the ones who are doing the most to shape the future, fix society’s problems, and raise the leaders, husbands, prophets, warriors, and statesmen of the next generation.  

I honor my own mother and her selfless devotion to our family and home. I also recognize her firm faith in our Father in Heaven and in His Son’s Gospel. She is a righteous woman and a righteous mother. Whatever else my mother may have accomplished in life, such as becoming an EMT and CNA since her children left home, it takes a back seat to her decades of loving, tireless service as a full-time mother and homemaker committed to the rearing of her sons and daughters in holiness. I love you, Mom. 

To the other women, I would say continue being mothers even though your children may have left the nest. You can love, encourage, and nurture them now as before. You can continue being a beacon of light and love for them. Encourage them in their motherly duties, instruct them, and provide a worthy example for them. 

To all the young women, I say prepare for the day when you will become a mother. After serving God in faith, make becoming a righteous mother your number one priority. Nothing you ever do will be as important and impactful. If you don’t feel a desire to be a mother, pray to receive it. Being a mother will bless your life and you will be in a greater position to bless the lives of others and your community more by being a mother than by going into the workforce. Generations of those yet unborn will remember you and praise your name if you do your best to be a righteous mother who raises children to the Lord. 

To all the mothers currently raising children, which includes my wife and my sisters, I say God bless you! You are doing what the world despises. You are swimming against the current. You are enduring the mocking and scoffing of Babylon, but you are fulfilling the commandments of your Eternal Father. You are a partner with Him in raising His precious sons and daughters. Nothing is more important in this life! 

Now and in the eternities, your roles as wife and mother are the highest and holiest callings you will receive. In mortality, it is rare to find an old woman without children who doesn’t regret not having them. It is equally rare to find an old woman with many children and grandchildren who isn’t grateful for them and who doesn’t think they are their biggest blessing. 

Stay strong, mothers. Step into your critical role more fully. Use your myriad of talents and abilities, your God-given gifts and skills, to better our world by molding its next generation. If you work outside the home by choice, go home and make it your sanctuary and abode and devote your life to your family and children. Be full-time mothers and watch the blessings flow. If you work because you are compelled to, may the Lord ease your burdens and assist you in finding a way back home and keeping your children on the straight and narrow per your righteous desires. In all cases, mothers, your selfless sacrifices are noted in Heaven and by those who love you and who are indebted to you for so much. 

Ladies, please remember that the home is where you were designed to shine! You will find infinitely more fulfillment, joy, peace, Freedom, and influence as a wife, homemaker, and mother than you ever can in the corporate or business world. Your names will be remembered and blessed by your posterity for all time. Being a righteous mother of virtue, loving service, and firm faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, will not only make you infinitely valuable to your community, but will also earn you a crown of glory in the world to come. God bless you! 

Zack Strong, 
May 14, 2023

Blessed Motherhood

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there all around the world. Please know that your hard work is not in vain, that it is recognized, and that it is the greatest work in the world. You are engaged in the lofty task of bearing, nurturing, and raising the children of Father in Heaven. Your posterity, as well as Almighty God, will honor you for eternity for your selfless service and humble sacrifices in the home as mothers. This holiday, I want to offer words of general encouragement and praise to mothers and to remind you how valuable and essential your calling really is.

I first turn to the holy scriptures. From Eve, the mother of all living, to Jochebed, the mother of Moses, to Mary, the mother of Jesus, good mothers have always been praised by the Lord and His prophets. Their good deeds, valor, uprightness, humility, and service have been highlighted and noted. Virtuous women generally, and mothers specifically, are held up high by the Bible as examples. 

In both the Old and New Testaments, women are designated as mothers whom we are to honor (Leviticus 19:3) and who should multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28), as wives who should cleave to their husbands (Genesis 2:24), and as “keepers at home” (Titus 2:5) who should help raise their children in righteousness (Deuteronomy 6:1-9). We are taught that virtuous women have a value “far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). 

Though they are usually the side characters throughout the scriptures, think of all the great things that could not have happened without good women and mothers. Without Jochebed’s quick action to save her son Moses, and her extreme faith that the Lord would preserve her son, Pharaoh would have killed him. However, her faith was honored and Moses was found and taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter. 

What’s more, Moses’ sister, Miriam, watched as little Moses was discovered. She interjected herself into the situation, asking Pharoah’s daughter if she could help by getting a Hebrew woman to nurse the crying child. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed and Miriam got her mother Jochebed to nurse Moses, for which she was paid. It is amazing how the Lord blesses the faithful actions of His people – and even more abundantly than they expect. 

We all know of faithful Father Abraham who was promised that his posterity would be as numerous “as the sand which is upon the sea shore” (Genesis 22:17). The chosen house of Israel, through which came most of the prophets and the Savior of the world, came through Abraham’s lineage. However, Abraham could not have fulfilled his part in this covenant alone. His wife, Sarah, was by his side the whole time. She bore Abraham a child in her old age, Isaac, who was the father of Jacob, renamed Israel, who was the father of the tribes of Israel. Without Sarah’s part in this story, the great Abrahamic covenant would have come to nothing. 

Many take offense when I honor Mother Eve for her sacrifice and goodness. She, with Adam, chose to fall so that the could bring about God’s higher purposes – the peopling of the earth and the redemption of the world through Jesus Christ. In an inspired text that is sadly not considered worthwhile by most Christians, Adam and Eve were visited by an angel, taught of the coming of the Redeemer, and made joint pronouncements that give precious insight into their noble souls: 

“And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. 

“Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. 

“And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will. 

“And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. 

“And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. 

“And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters” (Moses 5:7-12). 

We should likewise make these things known to our children, teaching them of the goodness of Adam and Eve and their blessed souls. They should be honored as our first parents. Mother Eve was imperfect, like all of us, but she helped complete a crucial mission and did her part in fulfilling God’s higher purposes. Without her decision to become more like God in knowing good and evil, she and Adam would have never had children, which includes the Holy One, Jesus Christ. 

And that brings us to Mary, the mother of the Son of God. No doubt she was a special woman for the Lord to have chosen her to be His earthly mother. We know that the angel Gabriel came to her, explaining that she had a unique mission, praising her in these words: “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). 

Two additional Hebrew prophets likewise described her as a “virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white,” a “virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins” (1 Nephi 11:13,15), and as “a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel,” (Alma 7:10). 

The thing that is most remarkable is not that she was a virgin or that she was apparently beautiful or that she was highly favored. The most special thing about Mary is how willing and quick she was to obey the will of God. A true willingness to do the will of God is somewhat rare in this fallen world of ours. It is also the hallmark of a true disciple of Christ and follower of the Almighty. 

Good mothers are those who unbegrudgingly embrace the will of the Lord for their life and for their family. When circumstances allow, they happily embrace life in the home. When the Father favors them with children, they happily raise them, understanding the great trust that has been placed in them. They live virtuously, teach their children in the ways of God, and try as best as imperfect mortals can to lead by example. These types of mothers are cherished by right-thinking people and have earned the honor of future generations. 

Many modern servants of Christ have raised their prophetic voices to honor mothers and exalt motherhood. I share just a few of them. The eloquent Elder Neal A. Maxwell once stated: 

“Just as certain men were foreordained from before the foundations of the world, so were certain women appointed to certain tasks. Divine design—not chance—brought Mary forward to be the mother of Jesus. . . . 

“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this. 

“No wonder the men of God support and sustain you sisters in your unique roles, for the act of deserting home in order to shape society is like thoughtlessly removing crucial fingers from an imperiled dike in order to teach people to swim. 

“We men love you for meeting inconsiderateness with consideration and selfishness with selflessness. We are touched by the eloquence of your example. We are deeply grateful for your enduring us as men when we are not at our best because—like God—you love us not only for what we are, but for what we have the power to become” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “The Women of God,” General Conference, April, 1978). 

Sister Sheri L. Dew once discoursed on motherhood, sharing these thoughts: 

“Prophets have repeatedly answered this question, as did the First Presidency six decades ago when they called motherhood “the highest, holiest service . . . assumed by mankind.” 

“Have you ever wondered why prophets have taught the doctrine of motherhood—and it is doctrine—again and again? I have. I have thought long and hard about the work of women of God. And I have wrestled with what the doctrine of motherhood means for all of us. This issue has driven me to my knees, to the scriptures, and to the temple—all of which teach an ennobling doctrine regarding our most crucial role as women. It is a doctrine about which we must be clear if we hope to stand “steadfast and immovable” regarding the issues that swirl around our gender. For Satan has declared war on motherhood. He knows that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire. And he knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of God will fail. 

“When we understand the magnitude of motherhood, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of woman’s most sacred role. 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. Just as worthy men were foreordained to hold the priesthood in mortality, righteous women were endowed premortally with the privilege of motherhood. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits our Father gave us. 

“President Gordon B. Hinckley stated that “God planted within women something divine.”6 That something is the gift and the gifts of motherhood” (Sister Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?” General Conference, October, 2001). 

President Ezra Taft Benson emphatically declared the importance of homemaking and motherhood in God’s Plan and to the salvation of women: 

“Before the world was created, in heavenly councils the pattern and role of women were prescribed. You were elected by God to be wives and mothers in Zion. Exaltation in the celestial kingdom is predicated on faithfulness to that calling. 

“Since the beginning, a woman’s first and most important role has been ushering into mortality spirit sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven. 

“Since the beginning, her role has been to teach her children eternal gospel principles. She is to provide for her children a haven of security and love—regardless of how modest her circumstances might be. 

“In the beginning, Adam was instructed to earn the bread by the sweat of his brow—not Eve. Contrary to conventional wisdom, a mother’s place is in the home! 

“I recognize there are voices in our midst which would attempt to convince you that these truths are not applicable to our present-day conditions. If you listen and heed, you will be lured away from your principal obligations. 

“Beguiling voices in the world cry out for “alternative life-styles” for women. They maintain that some women are better suited for careers than for marriage and motherhood. 

“These individuals spread their discontent by the propaganda that there are more exciting and self-fulfilling roles for women than homemaking. . . . 

“It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. 

“We become enamored with men’s theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother’s influence. . . . 

“It is mother’s influence during the crucial formative years that forms a child’s basic character. 

“Home is the place where a child learns faith, feels love, and thereby learns from mother’s loving example to choose righteousness. 

“How vital are mother’s influence and teaching in the home—and how apparent when neglected!” (President Ezra Taft Benson, “The Honored Place of Woman,” General Conference, October, 1981). 

A powerful advocate for mothers, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once remarked:

“Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that 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. When Isaiah, speaking messianically, wanted to convey Jehovah’s love, he invoked the image of a mother’s devotion. “Can a woman forget her sucking child?” he asks. How absurd, he implies, though not as absurd as thinking Christ will ever forget us. 

“This kind of resolute love “suffereth long, and is kind, . . . seeketh not her own, . . . but . . . beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Most encouraging of all, such fidelity “never faileth.” “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,” Jehovah said, “but my kindness shall not depart from thee.” So too say our mothers. 

“You see, it is not only that they bear us, but they continue bearing with us. It is not only the prenatal carrying but the lifelong carrying that makes mothering such a staggering feat. Of course, there are heartbreaking exceptions, but most mothers know intuitively, instinctively that this is a sacred trust of the highest order. The weight of that realization, especially on young maternal shoulders, can be very daunting” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Behold Thy Mother,” General Conference, October, 2015). 

Elder L. Tom Perry said: 

“Please allow me to reminisce for a few moments and share a few of the lessons I learned from my mother about teaching the gospel in the home. My mother understood the value of teaching her children about standards, values, and doctrine while they were young. While she was grateful to others who taught her children outside the home at either school or church, she recognized that parents are entrusted with the education of their children and, ultimately, parents must ensure that their children are being taught what their Heavenly Father would have them learn. My siblings and I were quizzed very carefully by our mother after we had been taught away from the home to be certain the correct lessons were reaching our ears and shaping our minds. 

“I used to think some days as I ran home from school that I was through learning for the day, but this illusion was quickly destroyed when I saw my mother standing at the door waiting for me. When we were young, we each had a desk in the kitchen where we could continue to be taught by her as she performed household duties and prepared supper. She was a natural teacher and far more demanding of us than our teachers at school and church. 

“The scope of Mother’s teaching included both secular and spiritual lessons. She made sure none of us were falling behind in our schoolwork, which she would often supplement. She also would practice her Relief Society lessons with us. We, of course, received the unabridged versions found in her notebooks, not the abridged versions that had to fit in a single class period. 

“Part of our learning at home also involved memorizing scriptures, including the Articles of Faith, and the words of prophets, seers, and revelators. My mother was someone who believed a mind would become weak if it was not constantly exercised. She taught us as we would wash the dishes, churn the butter, and help in many other ways. She did not believe in letting idle thoughts enter her children’s minds, even when they were engaged in physical labor. 

“I am not using my mother as a role model for parents in today’s world. Times are very different today, but while times may change, a parent’s teaching must never be devalued. Many activities link the values of one generation to the next, but perhaps the most central of these activities is parents teaching children in the home. . . . 

“According to “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the principles I have taught about teaching in the home apply to both parents, but they are especially crucial to the role of a mother. Fathers most often spend much of their day away from home in their employment. That is one of the many reasons so much of the responsibility for teaching the child in the home falls on mothers. While circumstances do vary and the ideal isn’t always possible, I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation” (Elder L. Tom Perry, “Mothers Teaching Children in the Home,” General Conference, April, 2010). 

President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., gave these lofty thoughts about the eternal scope of motherhood: 

“[T]he greatest glory of true womanhood has been motherhood. 

“What a miracle is motherhood; how nearly infinite is mother. She fashions in her womb the most complex structure known to man. . . . 

“This is wife’s and mother’s task and opportunity; and did she fail . . . then the great plan would fail and God’s purposes would come to naught. . . . This must never change. . . . 

“But the full glory of motherhood is not yet reached when her child comes forth into this world of trial. . . . She feeds not only, but clothes it. She cares for it by day and watches over it by night. . . . She gently leads its faltering steps, till it walks alone. . . . 

“Thus to the full stature of manhood and womanhood, mother guides, . . . instructs, directs . . . the soul for which she built the earthly home, in its march onward to exaltation. God gives the soul its destiny, but mother leads it along the way. 

“When the souls shall return to the presence of the Father of all, the worthy mothers will be there to welcome their worthy children” (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Immortality and Eternal Life: Melchizedek Priesthood Course of Study, 1969–70, Vol. 2, 24–28).

Finally, I quote only one more modern statement, once again from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. After reading from a letter written by a young mother, he editorialized thus: 

“In light of that kind of expression, it is clear that some of those Rhode Island–sized shadows come not just from diapers and carpooling but from at least a few sleepless nights spent searching the soul, seeking earnestly for the capacity to raise these children to be what God wants them to be. Moved by that kind of devotion and determination, may I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient. If you and your husband will strive to love God and live the gospel yourselves; if you will plead for that guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit promised to the faithful; if you will go to the temple to both make and claim the promises of the most sacred covenants a woman or man can make in this world; if you will show others, including your children, the same caring, compassionate, forgiving heart you want heaven to show you; if you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do. 

“Sometimes the decision of a child or a grandchild will break your heart. Sometimes expectations won’t immediately be met. Every mother and father worries about that. Even that beloved and wonderfully successful parent President Joseph F. Smith pled, “Oh! God, let me not lose my own.”8 That is every parent’s cry, and in it is something of every parent’s fear. But no one has failed who keeps trying and keeps praying. You have every right to receive encouragement and to know in the end your children will call your name blessed, just like those generations of foremothers before you who hoped your same hopes and felt your same fears. 

“Yours is the grand tradition of Eve, the mother of all the human family, the one who understood that she and Adam had to fall in order that “men [and women] might be”9 and that there would be joy. Yours is the grand tradition of Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel, without whom there could not have been those magnificent patriarchal promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which bless us all. Yours is the grand tradition of Lois and Eunice and the mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors. Yours is the grand tradition of Mary, chosen and foreordained from before this world was, to conceive, carry, and bear the Son of God Himself. We thank all of you, including our own mothers, and tell you there is nothing more important in this world than participating so directly in the work and glory of God, in bringing to pass the mortality and earthly life of His daughters and sons, so that immortality and eternal life can come in those celestial realms on high. . . . 

“You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be. 

“Remember, remember all the days of your motherhood: “Ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” 

“Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And it will make your children whole as well” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Because She is a Mother,” General Conference, April, 1997). 

I can’t add much to those glowing words of praise, comfort, encouragement, honor, and conviction. Mothers have a special place in God’s economy. Mothers have a unique role, calling, and destiny. Mothers are “highly favored” of the Lord. There are definitely bad mothers, but there are also millions who are so very good and whose deeds and hard work and teaching and loving goes unsung and unnoticed by the crass world. But these motherly deeds don’t go unnoticed by your Father in Heaven, by godly people everywhere, or by your family who will cherish your name and memory forever. 

I want to close by paying tribute to the two mothers in my life – my own Mom and my wife. My mother is the most selfless, caring, loving person I know. She taught me the best she could in the ways of the Lord. She gave me a shining example of Christian living. She was a person of passion in her principles. She always did and does stand up for what she believes is right, even if it requires her to turn around in a crowded stadium to tell a group of rabble-rousers in no uncertain terms to stop using profanity in public and around her children. She is also always there when I need someone to talk to about mundane things or about the things that afflict my soul. I love you, Mom! 

As for my wife, she is, to quote Archie Bunker’s comment about his wife Edith, “something else.” I love her. She birthed my daughter – my precious little thing that gives me such rapturous joy! I have watched and noticed as she suffered through a hard pregnancy and through tough medical challenges caused by that pregnancy and by nursing. Our daughter sleeps well at night, yet, when she needed to nurse, my wife was there willing to slake her hunger. I have watched as they have fallen to sleep together, bathed together, played and laughed together, cleaned together, surprised me with food together, and every other type of activity. My wife adores our daughter and lives for her. I respect, honor, and thank my wife for always putting our little girl first, always going above and beyond to make her happy, and always giving of herself. Thank you, Emma. I love you. 

Motherhood is a blessed calling and the greatest work in the world. Happy Mother’s Day, Mothers. You are loved. God bless each of you! 

Zack Strong, 
May 8, 2022

A Tribute to Mothers

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“Because our mothers love us, we learn, or more accurately remember, that God also loves us.” – President M. Russell Ballard

Motherhood is the highest, holiest, and most exalted calling in mortality! Mothers are co-creators with God in His divine work of peopling this earth for the purpose of being tested and, through the redeeming mercy of Jesus Christ, receiving eternal life in His Kingdom. Women bear a special responsibility as life-givers and nurturers. Motherhood is the essence of womanhood; the fulfillment of a woman’s sacred role. This Mother’s Day, I pay a warm tribute to all mothers, and especially to those who cheerfully embrace their divine calling.

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From the beginning, our Father in Heaven has acted through families. We are His literal children and belong to His family. We lived with Him, learned from Him, and embraced Him before we came into mortality. Here on earth, our memories of that time with our Father have been veiled and temporarily hidden from us as part of this mortal testing period. However, the Lord reminds us of our Heavenly home by placing us in families with loving parents.

Mothers play a special role in the process of life. Of course, biologically, only women can have children. But beyond this, and much more importantly, a woman’s unique sensitivities are needed to raise children into peaceable, civil, and worthy adults.

By nature, women are more childlike. They operate more on an emotional level. They tend to care more about suffering. They are often more compassionate than men. They more frequently notice when others need help, when a hug would soften someone’s burden, or when a person simply requires a listening ear. All these traits – empathy, compassion, being able to relate to children – are tailored to motherhood.

God would have been a poor judge of character had He appointed men to do the work of nurturing. Don’t misunderstand, there are plenty of compassionate men who do a wonderful job rearing their little ones and reaching out to lift others. But men are not designed primarily for that role whereas women are. Women simply surpass men in nurturing. Men similarly outstrip women in those things God has appointed to their care. Thus, in His wisdom, our Eternal Father appointed woman to bear, raise, and nurture children.

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Our Eternal God has placed such a heavy burden – that of nurturing His precious children – on women because He knows their abilities and trust them to do their work with all their hearts. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said:

“[M]ay I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Because She Is a Mother,” General Mother, April, 1997).

In our day of rampant feminism, many women have neglected their divine duties. But the Lord has nevertheless appointed them to be wives, mothers, and homemakers and to play a fundamentally crucial role in His Plan of Happiness. Those who embrace this calling – and there are plenty who faithfully do – bring light and joy into the world. They make the world a little better. Their influence sheds on others and inspired people to better themselves.

Women, the home is where you were designed to shine! It is in the home that you can do the most good for society. It is in the home where you can change society by training your children. It is in your role as a mother that you can do the most good for the world. It is also as mothers that you will find the most fulfillment and happiness and where your soul will be stretched beyond what you can imagine. The happiest people I know are those who have faithfully responded to the divine call of motherhood.

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I now wish to pay tribute to four women in particular: My wife, my Mom, Mother Eve, and our Mother in Heaven.

First, I wish to express my love to my wife, Emma. Some months ago, we found out that she’s carrying our first child. We are extremely exited to begin the journey of parenthood and to have a family of our own this summer. I honor my wife for her sacrifice in carrying our child. It’s been fascinating to see the process unfold, watch our little one grow inside her, and know that our Father in Heaven trusts us enough to send one of His special spirit children into our home. I cannot express too profoundly how much I appreciate my wife’s willingness to fulfill her role as a mother. I love you, Emma!

Secondly, I wish to honor my own mother. My Mom is the best person I know. When I think of my Mom, the first descriptor that comes to mind is “selfless.” Always and forever she put me, my siblings, and my Dad above herself. She put our needs before her own. She made us food when she was hungry. She cleaned the house that we had made messy even when she was tired. She held us when we were sad. She cared for us when we were sick. She listened when we needed to reveal the innermost secrets of our heart. She centered everything on her God and her family. For that, I love her, honor her, and pay her the deepest tribute mere words can pay. My Mom is an elect woman, a true Saint, and I love her!

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Little me and my lovely Mom

Next, I pay tribute to the most maligned woman in history – Mother Eve. I believe the Christian world stands condemned for falsely accusing and excoriating that special lady, the wife of the prophet Adam, the mother of our race. She transgressed like all of us. But she was faithful to the higher laws of God. She was loyal to her husband. She exemplified womanhood and motherhood in her willingness to fulfill her divine role as a co-creator with our Father in Heaven. May we learn to revere Eve and cease our condemnation of this tremendous Christian woman.

Lastly, I pay tribute to my Mother in Heaven. Our Father in Heaven has chosen not to reveal Her to us, perhaps out of respect for Her and to protect Her from the same indignities and insults which His disobedient children heap upon Him. If we are His children, and He is our Father, then it is the most logical and correct thing in the world to believe we have a Mother as well. This is far different from believing in the pagan conception of the “Queen of Heaven.” Rather, it is the logical conclusion of the human soul once that soul understands his true relation to his Eternal Father and the fact that we are part of His family. My heart fills with gratitude and longing whenever I reflect that I’m a child of God!

This Mother’s Day, I encourage you to honor your mother. Call her. Visit her if you can. Tell her how much you appreciate, cherish, and love her. Give her a bear hug. Let your heart beat for her and express its love in its magical, unspoken way.

In a general sense, honor all mothers. Honor those who willingly embrace their womanhood by becoming mothers to special spirits sent from Heaven. Honor those who do their best, however falteringly, to love, nurture, and care for their children. Pay your respect to the noble women who know that they are daughters of God and who live pure lives, embrace their feminine nature, and relish the high and holy calling of motherhood.

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Dear mothers, please know that you are loved. Real men everywhere honor you. Real men appreciate you. Real men would die to protect you. Also know that your children, though they might not always show it, need you, remember you, and love you. The greatest work you will ever do will be in home. The greatest calling you will ever have is as a mother. The greatest joy you can experience will be to watch your own children grow in righteousness and put into action those things you so painstakingly taught them as you nurtured them in your home.

God bless you mothers! God bless you prospective mothers! God bless you young women who know that your destiny – your sacred calling – is to follow the path of Mother Eve and your own mother in bearing children and raising them to serve the Lord. Happy Mother’s Day!

Zack Strong,

May 9, 2020

Read my tribute to fathers here.