MD is a day I prefer to play hookey, especially now that my mother is currently lost in alzheimers disease. Thats the last thing a mother needs, responsibility for yet another living thing. lol! "We express our love to those in this congregation and our prayers for the victims and their families. :( Everyone can just disregard parts that may sound harshor disregard the comment altogether I reckon. No talk is necessary, but a simple acknowledgement of our love for all the women in our lives is nice. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/wanted-hands-and-hearts-to-hasten-the-work?lang=eng. Mothers Day theme, is the spirit is trying to witness to us at what a dumb idea it is. Those were the kinds of talks I gave, and thats what I would rather listen to. Or should we just not celebrate anything or any role that a person may fulfill in life? Show me a sinless mother and she can be my ideal too. Doesn't seem strange in a religion that supposedly is so family focused? Please Please Please! Just sharing those times with women in the scriptures and what we can learn from them - and NOT have a focus on mothers. He gets points for effort and most humorous and memorable! How about honoring our mothers by not just focusing on what they do or have done for us (guilt trip for those that feel they never do enough) but focus on ways the members can help their mothers throughout each stage of their life. Ere the sun goes down. we have never ceased head-shaking about his, well, completely horrific timingand choiceoif topicand general ignorance and intolerance (and sheer bovine stupidity). I dont envy you people who have been called togive talksnext week. I agree with the chocolate, lack of talks, and the third hour refreshments! I meant an ideal not an idea! I recommend that you take President Eyrings approach and assume that the women to whom you are speaking are doing their best, but that often their very best means just barely hanging on. So no one is left out. It would just be nice to complete our idealism with a good dose of reality. Every week they strive to prepare for that sacred ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit (see 3Nephi 9:20). XD. I already have felt many of the concerns expressed, and approach this assignment with fear and trembling. Even though Mothers Day is now a reasonably happy day for me personally, I still find that my mind is focused on how other women in my ward might be experiencing it. It makes my heart sad to see that the men arent recognized and given something however small it may be. For example, look at how Mothers Day and Mothering Day each have a religious as well as a secular component to them, and have even merged: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothering_Sunday. The first speaker was a single father, then the bishop spoke, then the stake president spoke. How could I forget? (Sorry to barge in madhousewife). Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. Although I have the suspicion that he had an ulterior motive of hoping never to be asked to speak again. rockpond each year when I plan the Mother's Day sacrament meeting I feel an extra bit of pressure to make it special for our wives and mothers. Latter Day Arrangements is a sheet music resource for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians. Thanks for all your thoughts. . Weve had sermons based on bumper stickers, Willy Wonka, the Grinch, and quite possibly Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc. Mtg. Its hard to please everyone. I always had this huge chip on my shoulder about refusing the flowers because I wasnt a mom (I had kids later in life), but my own mother would force me to take it because it was a free flower. Our head count was 85 sisters which is super for us. 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. Although I like the idea of them as well! My wife spoke on Mothers Day (which I originally thought was a bad choice, because she herself appears to the outside world to be the perfect mother) about her own mother and some of the simple things her mother had done for her that made a big difference in her life and how grateful she was. Then she spoke with conviction about the grace of Godthe grace that helped her forgive herself for the serious problems she caused her children that could have been prevented if shed prepared herself, and the grace that helped her achieve later in life the spiritual depth she had lacked when her children were young. If you take one thing away from this not-so-scientific survey, it is, when in doubt, go with chocolate. Ive decided to see if I can discern consistent reasons why the good ones are good and the bad ones are terrible. Kind of it takes a village/ward to raise a child philosophy. I would say that my grandmother was like a second mother to us, but really she was like a first mother. But one thing is for sure, Ill be drawing on much of this. Or any talk. Not an official website of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. at all.. 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. iPhone. A later version of the holiday occurred in Europe where they would celebrate the Mother Church (the church as the bride of Christ and as the mother of their spiritual rebirth through baptism) and they would decorate the church with flowers and jewels. on Mothers Day and donate it to a womens shelter. I know that traditionally it has been men and children who honor mothers. Re-reading my comment (101) it sounds very harsh even though that is not how I mean it to sound. Excuse everyone after Sacrament meeting to spend the time with their mothers. The only Mothers Day event for another church Im aware of is when a friend told me that in her church the main talk is always about Christ no matter what holiday it is, but when its just the women the speaker will focus on motherhood and Christs teaching about mothers. I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation.. The sacrament provides an opportunity for Church members to ponder and remember with gratitude the life, ministry, and Atonement of the Son of God. The rest of us mortals should stick with real. We should not celebrate anything unless it is universally acknowledged around the world. Is this our Sharon Haynie from DN branch? Talking to other grownups while nice doesnt belong in 3rd hour. Primary kids sang Im so glad when Mommy comes home refreshing change. I give, is it supposed to be about mothers or not? Although Mothers Day is not fraught for me the way it is for so many, I will be watching with interest next Sunday to see which way our meeitng falls. As a member of our bishopric, I assigned the topics for this weeks talks, all motherhood focused, and I have forwarded your paragraph with Elder Eyrings quote to each of them. I like the post. Women are saved in child bearing is good as always. Then I served in a Branch with 90% women who had absent husbands and who also grew up with absent fathers. Something else for me to kill.. It was perhaps the best talk I gave as a bishop. don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging. But in Argentina, where Mothers Day is in October, they also tended to recognize International Womens Day (March 8) even in church (in addition to a wide variety of other holidays Childrens Day, Grandparents Day, etc.). Dont twist the knife; let them come to you if they want it. We know very little about HM and HF really. Someone explain this. 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 . It was a great idea and something I will always remember and a great way to honor mothers on Mothers Day. It seems sometimes that activity organizers believe somehow that no one will participate if not bribed by pizza, pop, potato chips or pie. My kids are way too distracting. This past Mother's Day we arrived late to sacrament meeting due to a cobbling mishap in the morning. Then they would close by saying that it was the most wonderful blessing imaginable. 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. And that concludes the story of how NewlyHousewife learned not to attend church on Mothers Day. Ill be hiding in the clerks office. So He can be ideal AND real. Last year, I did an arrangement of "I Often Go Walking" for the Primary children and our ward choir to perform together. I've done this in past years but always enjoy the new ideas from the participants here As I plan our Mother's Day Sacrament Meeting, what have been your favorite talk topics for Mother's Day? In preparation for the sacrament each week, Church members take time to examine their lives and repent of sins. 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. iPad. In the garden He said, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death (Matthew 26:38). Since I believe he (the Father) and my Heavenly Mother are probably equals, Id say we know a lot about her as well! Check out our selection of LDS church programs for baptisms, church activities, and sacrament meetings. Only for the second time he also included a segment about how if his wife was a better homemaker maybe his kids wouldnt have such screwed up lives. As the son of a mother who was destroyed every Mothers Day, and seeing many similar experiences here, I plan to stick to the Christ-centric meeting next year. I don't think it bodes well. Speakers arent assigned to talk on mothers day, there is no gift, no refreshments, no day off from primary. What does that say about us as a people? My own dear mother, long since gone to her reward, summed up the essence of the perfect Mothers Day talk quite nicely. It is as if we cannot celebrate anything because if we focus on single day to celebrate one person then we have decimated everyone else. More importantly, what impact does this conscious attempt to devalue motherhood within our community have on the future of the family? Im sure that attendance in RS would be higher on that day though. This is Elder Hollands second appearance on this list of LDS talks on motherhood. Ere the sun goes down. Along with activities and programs during the week, Latter-day Saints gather on Sundays for an approximately hour-long "sacrament" meeting, where men, women and younger members offer prayers and give sermons, sing hymns and partake of the sacrament (similar to receiving communion). What do you think should be handed out for Mothers Day? I just pray that the spirit can convey the message that seems so exciting in my heart.