Friday, May 10, 2013

Children are the Hands by which we take hold of Heaven


...A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place
no one else can take.


Motherhood is the symbol of love, in its highest and purest form. Motherhood is the symbol of compassion, forgiveness, unselfishness, patience, long-suffering, faith and fortitude. Motherhood is the cardinal point in God's intelligent plan, the keystone of His glorious creation, the purest channel of His magnificent handiwork. To revere motherhood is to worship God. He who holds in his heart the greatest love, the highest esteem and the deepest reverence for motherhood, walks closest to God.

Harry Halsey Starett

"Too frequently, women underestimate their influence for good. Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: 'Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God'.
"In such a house will be found happy, smiling children who have been taught, by precept and example, the truth.....not simply tolerated, but welcomed; not commanded, but encouraged; not driven, but guided; not neglected, but loved."
Thomas S. Monson
“Why is our being virtuous so important not just to our earthly parents but to our Heavenly Father as well? Virtue brings peace, strength of character, and happiness in this life. Our Heavenly Father knew that we would be faced with many choices and challenges, and virtuous living would prepare us to succeed.”
Mary N. Cook
Children are the Hands by which we take hold of Heaven
 
As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy 12 at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will.
We just can’t let the Lord down. And if the day comes when we are the only women on earth who find nobility and divinity in motherhood, so be it. For mother is the word that will define a righteous woman made perfect in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, a woman who has qualified for eternal increase in posterity, wisdom, joy, and influence.
I know, I absolutely know, that these doctrines about our divine role are true, and that when understood they bring peace and purpose to all women. My dear sisters, whom I love more than I know how to express, will you rise to the challenge of being mothers in these perilous times, though doing so may test the last ounce of your endurance and courage and faith? Will you stand steadfast and immovable as a mother in Israel and a woman of God? Our Father and His Only Begotten Son have given us a sacred stewardship and a holy crown in their kingdom. May we rejoice in it. And may we be worthy of Their trust. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Sheri L. Dew

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