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Mothers' Day

The 8th of May. All around the world, a special day it is. Mother's day.

An opportunity for each of us to stop for a moment and think about motherhood and reflect on what our mothers mean to us.

They are patient, bear hope, stand close through challenging times and remain a mother even long after their children are of age.

Speaking about motherhood at a conference in 1997, Elder Jeffrey R Holland, one of the twelve Apostles of The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints quotes lines attributed to victor Hugo an accomplished poet;

“She broke the bread into two fragments and gave them to her children, who ate with eagerness. ‘She hath kept none for herself,’ grumbled the sergeant.

“‘Because she is not hungry,’ said a soldier.

“‘No,’ said the sergeant, ‘because she is a mother.’”

How well depicted in these lines a mothers attribute of care above self.

As he continues in his talk Elder Holland says;

“As prophets have repeatedly taught from this pulpit, ultimately “no blessing shall be withheld” from the faithful, even if those blessings do not come immediately. In the meantime we rejoice that the call to nurture is not limited to our own flesh and blood”

In Uganda due to the prevalence of extended families, a significant number of children are raised by women not of their own biological decent. This much needed role of motherhood is provided by Aunts, Sisters, grandmothers or even friends of the family.

Speaking at a later conference in 2015, Elder Holland further says of mothers;

“No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child”.

He says;

“When Isaiah, speaking messianically, wanted to convey Jehovah’s love, he invoked the image of a mother’s devotion. “Can a woman forget her sucking child?” he asks. How absurd, he implies, though not as absurd as thinking Christ will ever forget us”.

“This kind of resolute love “suffereth long, and is kind, … seeketh not her own, … but … beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Most encouraging of all, such fidelity “never faileth.” “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,” Jehovah said, “but my kindness shall not depart from thee.” So too say our mothers”.

“You see, it is not only that they bear us, but they continue bearingwith us. It is not only the prenatal carrying but the lifelong carrying that makes mothering such a staggering feat. Of course, there are heartbreaking exceptions, but most mothers know intuitively, instinctively that this is a sacred trust of the highest order. The weight of that realization, especially on young maternal shoulders, can be very daunting”.

In the Ugandan country side it not uncommon to see a young mother with a baby strapped to her back, walking or riding a bicyle to a health facility several kilometers away, to ensure that her child gets treatment for malaria, typhoid or some other common ailment. 

Others may be seen tiling the ground with a hand hoe for several hours with a baby tied to her back, only stopping occasionaly to breast feed or lay the child to sleep in a shade under a tree while she continues to work. They give their all, save the little they have for their child, and can only be happy when their child is happy.

In units of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints in Uganda, Mothers were given special due recognition.Some  did special musical presentations and in others they were given special treats of candy which put big smiles to their faces.

As part of this year’s mother’s day celebration, LDS Charities, a humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, launched a new video to celebrate mothers and women around the world. The video, titled “Help Make a Mother’s Day Beautiful,” depicts mothers from various countries and how LDS Charities helps mothers overcome challenges so they can focus on what matters most — being a mom.

It is hoped that the celebration of mothers day will not be a one day event, but that all year round it will remain in our hearts; that we will always be mindful of their profound role, that we will express gratitude, treat them with kindness and respect at all times, and do everything possible to support them in any way we have an opportunity to .

#whatdomormonsbelieve  #LDS.org

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