I have noticed an interesting trend in the world. Granted, while I work from home, I live in Utah, and most of my contact with the "outside world" is through the internet, I can't say this is a "random sample" from which I have drawn my observation. However, having studied the people of this world at length and being the sociologist that I am, I will apply my observation and understanding of this trend to the general population. I believe it is accurately representative.
Today is Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers! Whether that is biologically true or practically true or socially true according to your situation and desires, you deserve honor and celebration this day and all days. Motherhood is one of the most honorable and desirable professions because being a mother is a godly calling. "Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels" (In James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Vol 6: pg 178).
The interesting trend I have noticed is that people still care about mothers.
It is rather sad that I feel I have to draw attention to something that, frankly, should be seen as "duh". But what has happened to the family over the years? What has society been doing to the family? The definition of family has been altered and changed drastically merely in the last ten or fifteen years, though there was plenty of evidence to foreshadow that in the decades beforehand. Marriage is under attack. Divorce is rampant. Divorce rates are technically lower now than they were in the 1980s when they reached their highest peak, but not by much. And with the marriage rate falling as well, this shows even more how little we as a people value the institutions of marriage and family. Abortion rates are frightening. Birth rates are low. Single parenting is commonplace. The prophets have taught us that "Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity." Yet approximately half of all children are born out of wedlock and have no chance to experience family life as God intended.
(Please bear in mind that I am sharing these statistics from my memory of my academic study in sociology over the last several years, which is why I do not quote studies specifically as reference. If you are disinclined to believe any of them, please ask me and I would be more than happy to confirm them with reliable sources of data.)
What has happened to the family? Societal evidence shows that it is literally falling apart. And yet, people continue to celebrate mothers and motherhood.
On this Mother's Day, I have observed an outpouring of Facebook statuses, blog posts, quotes, phone calls, and more, all honoring mothers. What intrigues me about this is that I have observed a greater appreciation for mothers on Mother's Day through these means than I have seen for any other holiday of late. This includes such holidays as Easter and Christmas. Considering to the commitments and attentions of the circle of people in my little corner of the world, I believe this is more than merely a manifestation of religious preference and the holidays one chooses to observe. And with the prevalence of electronic devices and ease of updating a status from wherever you are, I also believe it is more than a matter of having time or access to post something online. From what I have seen today, people are literally putting more focus today on celebrating their mothers than on any other holiday or reason for celebrating it, including even those holidays dedicated the Savior of the world.
Why is that?
I believe that the answer is simple: because there are some eternal truths that cannot be ignored. Mothers are given the task of raising precious souls in this increasingly dreadful and wicked world, to bring light and hope into their lives so that they can go out into that world and strive with all their might to make it a better place for their own children one day. Abraham Lincoln is quoted to have said, "All that I am and hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." Mothers touch our hearts in ways that cannot be ignored or unappreciated. The sacrifices that mothers give for their children cannot even be described. The love they have for their children cannot be measured. Motherhood is so powerful that the impact mothers have on our lives cannot even be put into words. And the world knows this. People can choose to ignore any and all the evidence of a loving Heavenly Father, a God who has given them all things, merely because they can't see Him. But they can see their mothers, and they can't ignore them.
No matter how sick the world gets, no matter how much the devil attacks God and the family, mothers cannot be forgotten. Their influence is too monumental, too widespread, too tangibly visible to ignore. And because of that, I believe there is hope for this world. Often of late, I have felt sickened by the evils proliferating in this world like a deadly pandemic from which there is no protection. I wonder how people can do the things they do, rationalize what they rationalize, ignore what they ignore, and neglect what they neglect. After all that God has done for us, how can we forget Him so quickly? How can we forget the One who created us? But as the Lord's prophet Thomas S. Monson has taught us, "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."
Despite the other disturbing trends we find in the world today, this rings true. The godly traits of motherhood resonate within our hearts and within our souls. We know of the goodness of mothers, and their constant selflessness, sacrifice, virtue, and love compels us to honor them. And seeing how we honor our mothers on this day, I feel more at peace. There is still much that needs to be done for good in this world, but I am well pleased to observe the dedication of this people to their mothers because it means that despite their claims, they have not forgotten their God. Motherhood is near to divinity. The Lord does not leave us without types in this world -- He has filled it with symbols and signs so that the believers might recognize Him in all things, and mothers are perhaps the greatest symbol of God that we have in this world. While we have fallen far, there is still hope for humanity. I am grateful that we still recognize the value of mothers.
Today is Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers! Whether that is biologically true or practically true or socially true according to your situation and desires, you deserve honor and celebration this day and all days. Motherhood is one of the most honorable and desirable professions because being a mother is a godly calling. "Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels" (In James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Vol 6: pg 178).
The interesting trend I have noticed is that people still care about mothers.
It is rather sad that I feel I have to draw attention to something that, frankly, should be seen as "duh". But what has happened to the family over the years? What has society been doing to the family? The definition of family has been altered and changed drastically merely in the last ten or fifteen years, though there was plenty of evidence to foreshadow that in the decades beforehand. Marriage is under attack. Divorce is rampant. Divorce rates are technically lower now than they were in the 1980s when they reached their highest peak, but not by much. And with the marriage rate falling as well, this shows even more how little we as a people value the institutions of marriage and family. Abortion rates are frightening. Birth rates are low. Single parenting is commonplace. The prophets have taught us that "Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity." Yet approximately half of all children are born out of wedlock and have no chance to experience family life as God intended.
(Please bear in mind that I am sharing these statistics from my memory of my academic study in sociology over the last several years, which is why I do not quote studies specifically as reference. If you are disinclined to believe any of them, please ask me and I would be more than happy to confirm them with reliable sources of data.)
What has happened to the family? Societal evidence shows that it is literally falling apart. And yet, people continue to celebrate mothers and motherhood.
On this Mother's Day, I have observed an outpouring of Facebook statuses, blog posts, quotes, phone calls, and more, all honoring mothers. What intrigues me about this is that I have observed a greater appreciation for mothers on Mother's Day through these means than I have seen for any other holiday of late. This includes such holidays as Easter and Christmas. Considering to the commitments and attentions of the circle of people in my little corner of the world, I believe this is more than merely a manifestation of religious preference and the holidays one chooses to observe. And with the prevalence of electronic devices and ease of updating a status from wherever you are, I also believe it is more than a matter of having time or access to post something online. From what I have seen today, people are literally putting more focus today on celebrating their mothers than on any other holiday or reason for celebrating it, including even those holidays dedicated the Savior of the world.
Why is that?
I believe that the answer is simple: because there are some eternal truths that cannot be ignored. Mothers are given the task of raising precious souls in this increasingly dreadful and wicked world, to bring light and hope into their lives so that they can go out into that world and strive with all their might to make it a better place for their own children one day. Abraham Lincoln is quoted to have said, "All that I am and hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." Mothers touch our hearts in ways that cannot be ignored or unappreciated. The sacrifices that mothers give for their children cannot even be described. The love they have for their children cannot be measured. Motherhood is so powerful that the impact mothers have on our lives cannot even be put into words. And the world knows this. People can choose to ignore any and all the evidence of a loving Heavenly Father, a God who has given them all things, merely because they can't see Him. But they can see their mothers, and they can't ignore them.
No matter how sick the world gets, no matter how much the devil attacks God and the family, mothers cannot be forgotten. Their influence is too monumental, too widespread, too tangibly visible to ignore. And because of that, I believe there is hope for this world. Often of late, I have felt sickened by the evils proliferating in this world like a deadly pandemic from which there is no protection. I wonder how people can do the things they do, rationalize what they rationalize, ignore what they ignore, and neglect what they neglect. After all that God has done for us, how can we forget Him so quickly? How can we forget the One who created us? But as the Lord's prophet Thomas S. Monson has taught us, "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."
Despite the other disturbing trends we find in the world today, this rings true. The godly traits of motherhood resonate within our hearts and within our souls. We know of the goodness of mothers, and their constant selflessness, sacrifice, virtue, and love compels us to honor them. And seeing how we honor our mothers on this day, I feel more at peace. There is still much that needs to be done for good in this world, but I am well pleased to observe the dedication of this people to their mothers because it means that despite their claims, they have not forgotten their God. Motherhood is near to divinity. The Lord does not leave us without types in this world -- He has filled it with symbols and signs so that the believers might recognize Him in all things, and mothers are perhaps the greatest symbol of God that we have in this world. While we have fallen far, there is still hope for humanity. I am grateful that we still recognize the value of mothers.
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