“I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars."-E.M. Forester
Ever since the year 1911, Mother’s Day has been celebrated throughout the United States. In this year it was commemorated as an official holiday in the U.S.A. Thanks, in part, to Anna Marie Jarvis, who was a social activist, and the founder of Mother’s Day (Jarvis lived from May 1st, 1864-November 24th, 1948).
According to www.wikipedia.org Jarvis’s “Mother had frequently expressed a desire for the establishment of such a holiday, and after her mother’s death, Jarvis led the movement for the commemoration.” And so, it is that the second Sunday in May is always observed as Mother’s Day each year.
There’s no shortage of reasons to be grateful for Moms! If you’re fortunate enough to have Mom here to celebrate Mother’s Day with—take the time to collect and preserve those memories. If you’ll go to www.familysearch.org you can learn how to download the app and archive those memories whether in picture, audio recordings or written statements. It’s all part of family history and right now you can add to that from the present day.
Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from 1995-2008, said this in regards to mothers:
“Women who make a house a home makes a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations. Who can put a price tag on the influence a mother has on her children, a grandmother on her posterity, or aunts and sisters on their extended family?”
President Hinckley went onto say, “We cannot begin to measure or calculate the influence of women who, in their own ways, build stable family life and nurture for everlasting good the generations of the future. The decisions made by the women of this generation will be eternal in their consequences. May I suggest that the mothers of today have no greater opportunity and no more serious challenge than to do all they can to strengthen the [home]” (Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes [2000], 152).
There is definitely a need for strong mothers in this world. Mothers who are advocates for their children and who rise up to be the greater good. You may have many mother figures in your life such as a teacher, a mentor, grandmother, aunt, sister or friend. You might be a mother yourself—trying your best every day. You may have doubts in yourself but as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints said, “Heaven is Cheering you on…”
My own angel mother was often kneeling in prayer at the start of every morning. As a kid, I would often rush into the living room to tell her something only to be stopped short by the quiet stillness. Seeing her communicate with God, the Father, brought peace and comfort to me. Knowing she cared so much about her family to receive personal revelation from the Lord, as to how to parent us six kids, was a manifestation of her love.
