Leading up to Sunday, May 11 — celebrated as Mother’s Day in several parts of the world — Church leaders shared messages of appreciation on social media to recognize the contributions of the mothers and women in their lives.
“I am deeply grateful for the remarkable women in my life who have enriched and mothered me, my family and countless others in life-changing ways,” posted President Russell M. Nelson Sunday morning.
He invited women to consider the relationship Jesus Christ had with His mother, Mary. He repeatedly gave her special care and attention, like heeding her request at a family gathering in Cana and asking His apostle John to care for Mary after His death. The Savior also compared His concern for wayward brothers and sisters to that of a mother.
“Every woman is in a position to help build and change lives. May you each know that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son know you, see you and love you. Happy Mother’s Day!”
President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, applauded faithful sisters for their charity and “divine capacity to love.” His mother, for example, showed the Lord’s love in the simple things she did. And his late wife, Sister Kathleen Eyring, embraced the sacred role of a mothering influence for many hundreds, both family members and not.
“This Mother’s Day, I express heartfelt gratitude to the mothers who love with Christlike charity, who strengthen faith, and who build the rising generation with hope and tenderness. You are the heart of the Lord’s work.”
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson recounted how a new grandbaby, Frank, was born nearly eight weeks early last February. One nurse who cared for Frank in the neonatal intensive care unit would put notes in Frank’s bassinet to encourage the family as they watched the baby over video.
“I was so grateful for the kindness, the compassion, the charity that was shown to my family and to my new grandbaby by that wonderful NICU nurse and all of the nurses and doctors that attended him during that critical, very critical, first month of his life. Thank you to all of the women out there who nurture and care for children who are not their own.”
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote, “Oh, how grateful I am for the love of a mother.” He expressed gratitude to his mother for teaching the importance of the covenants and ordinances received in the house of the Lord, like by taking him to the construction site of the Oakland California Temple and later to its dedication in 1964.
“I am eternally thankful for my mother,” he said. “Because she loved me, she taught me, while in my youth, about our Heavenly Father’s plan, the Lord Jesus Christ’s Atonement and the importance of the house of the Lord.”
Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman celebrated her daughters and all they do to raise their little ones — lift them up, mold greatness and share their love for Jesus Christ. Their sacrifices don’t go unnoticed, she said.
“And when it all feels like too much, when you drop into bed at the end of a long day, just remember this: When you are doing the work of God, you can expect Him to show up in your workspace.”
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reflected on his mother, a “profound example to me of trusting in the Lord during hard times.” When he was 5 years old, Elder Cook found his mother kneeling in prayer after she received word of her younger brother’s death in World War II.
“A great peace came over me because she had taught me to pray to Heavenly Father and love the Savior. This was typical of the example she always set for me,” he said. “Mothers and fathers praying with children may be more important than any other example besides the life and ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ.”
As Primary General President Susan H. Porter thinks of her mother, the phrase ”steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works” (Mosiah 5:15) comes to mind. Her mother married a nonmember, and they moved to western New York, which had not many Latter-day Saints.
Despite great personal sacrifice, President Porter’s mother taught her children through word and example. “I am grateful for women and mothers who are steadfast and immovable in their testimonies of the Savior and always abound in good works,” said President Porter.
Quoting the statement in Proverbs 15:1 that “a soft answer turneth away wrath,” Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, said: “A soft answer feels like empathy, warmth, compassion and kindness. And women do this so well, looking to see each other as God sees.”
This “soft answer” has less to do with decibel level and more to do with the tenor of one’s response, she said. “So on this Mother’s Day, and every day, may we offer a ‘soft answer’ to everyone we meet.”
Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, saw her 7-month-old grandson and wondered: “Does he know that, although sometimes unseen and unheralded, there is no greater good in the world than the influence of a mother? Does he know that his dear mother does not see motherhood as a sacrifice but a sacred privilege and joy?”
This little soul knows this and much more, said Sister Wright. “It is manifest in the light in his eyes and the peace emanating from his face when only his mother’s arms can make everything right.”
In a Spanish video, Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, addressed those who find Mother’s Day a difficult day. She shared her story of patience while facing infertility, as she trusted in God, His plan and His timing.
“If you’re in the midst of this chapter in your life today, I encourage you to keep going and not give up,” she said. “Don’t lose hope. Because if we have hope, it means we trust in Christ, we trust in His ways and His timing. He will accompany you in this process of acceptance and then moving forward with an eternal vision and the necessary tools. There are very good things ahead.”
“Motherhood had not followed the path I once envisioned,” said Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency. It brought both beauty and sorrow. “Motherhood has brought me closer to God as I’ve relied on my covenant connection to Him in caring for my family.”
Sister Browning fondly remembers a morning in December 2012 when she, her husband and their two children sealed an adopted baby into their family. “My small glimpse into eternity that day has helped me continue to find reasons to celebrate motherhood and its eternal journey. ... It’s sustained by covenant promises that reach well beyond this life — an anchor in God’s eternal plan for His daughters.”
