Mormon Mothers on the Move
Mormon Mothers on the Move
7 May
2011
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — This Sunday
mothers across New Zealand will enjoy breakfast in bed and
other gifts from their husbands and children. Many of us
will pause to thank and say “I love you” to our wife,
mother, sister, aunt or grandmother, for all they do and
are.
We visited with three women who belong to The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to find out what
matters most to them, how they feel about being a mum, how
they juggle their many roles, and how their faith helps them
remain optimistic and upbeat. Here are their
stories:
Pamela is married, a
mother and a grandmother. Some of her other roles include
businesswoman, author, and church leader.
How would you describe
yourself?
I’m a very happily married 55 year-old
Latter-day Saint wife, and mother of five children and 10
grandchildren. I am actively involved with my family in an
educational entertainment business where I am responsible
for public relations, designing and making costumes,
working as the stage manager for concerts and feeding the
masses. I love writing and have published seven novels and
12 children’s books.
Describe a normal day in your
life.
A normal day is never normal and full of a
variety of things to do. I usually wake very early, around
4 am, and I often do sewing projects for people or my
writing. Between 6:30am and 8:00am I exercise and do
scripture study. Housework until 10:00 then I work on our
family business until dinnertime (I work at home). I prepare
dinner then work with the young single adults in my church,
or do more sewing, writing or maybe watch a TV
program.
What are your biggest
challenges?
When there is much to do and such a
variety of things, it is possible to feel a bit overwhelmed
at times and to wonder if I’m up to the task.
What
inspires you to do what you do, and where do you draw your
strength?
My family inspires me. I want to be the
sort of person my grandchildren would want to be and I want
them to have really lovely memories of me alongside a very
sure knowledge of my testimony of Jesus Christ. I read the
scriptures and other faith promoting works. When I read
the particular promises the Lord has made to me, I feel
great strength and power and I have absolute faith that my
prayers are heard and answered. My husband is also a great
source of strength.
What is your idea of a woman’s
role in the home?
I love what it says in the Relief Society Declaration [a Latter-day
Saint statement] that we “dedicate ourselves to
strengthening marriages, families and homes and delight in
service and good works and that we find nobility in
womanhood and joy in motherhood.” My husband and I made
a commitment when we married that I would be an
‘at-home’ mum and I now have the advantage of hindsight
and seeing how important that was in raising our family. I
have contributed financially with work I could do at home
but my priority has always been to be there for my husband
and children and to make our home their sanctuary. I love
being a wife and mother and now delight in being a
grandmother.
Melanie runs a family business with
her husband, is a busy mother of five, and holds a
leadership position in her church.
How would
you describe yourself?
I’m L.D.S. [a member of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], and a mother
of five. I’m active in church and the community,
professional, family-focused. I like to play netball
(still), to prepare and eat good food (not quite MasterChef
standard), like to do well, help others and spend time with
positive people.
Describe a normal day in your
life.
Well, busy but good. We plan each week with
the kids to make sure everything is covered, and that the
kids know what is happening, especially if my husband or I
are traveling out of town for work. Yesterday: family
scriptures; breakfast; prayers; school drop off; respond to
emails; study and prepare presentation; go to university;
pick up kids; take daughter to buy laptop; pick up tea on
the way home (not typical but necessary this day); eat;
take son to rubgy weigh in; discussion time with kids before
bedtime; watch DVD; sleep (between night time visits from
various children).
What are your biggest
challenges?
Sometimes I have to slow down. I get on
a roll and tend to think through things quickly due to the
different plates I need to keep spinning. I need to remember
to take time to pause and consider others and their views
and give them a chance to process what they need
to.
What inspires you to do what you do, and where do
you draw your strength?
I saw a quote on a billboard
when I was about 21 years old. It was by Shakespeare and
it said “I would rather die of thirst than drink from the
bitter cup of mediocrity.” I think about that a lot. I
have a desire to serve and believe if it is worth doing then
it should be done well. I think about how I need to live
and dedicate my time and talents to serving others. I know
I am a daughter of a loving Father in Heaven. I have a
purpose and an acute awareness that I have a responsibility
as a wife and mother to do certain things in ways that are
for the long-term benefit of our family unit.
What
does your marriage commitment mean to you?
I read
today on a Church website that “every temple wedding is a
royal wedding,” and that is how I feel. [Mormons who
marry in Latter-day Saint temples are married for
eternity.] Your relationship with your spouse is
paramount, to be able to fully trust and be secure in that
eternal partnership. Eternity is a long time so it needs to
be a joyous time — and that is as much about trying to be
the right person as marrying the right
person.
Eileen is married, a mother of five and a
former marketing consultant. In addition to being a wife
and mother she is responsible for community, media and
interfaith relations for her church.
Give
us a brief description of some of the important things in
your life.
I’m a mother of five and former
marketing consultant. I’ve been married for over 17
years and we have seen many great times as well as some
tough ones. We spend as much time together as possible on
the weekends working and having fun around home. Our
family is really into music and you often hear instruments
and voices echoing in our home, all hours of the day. We
also love getting out into nature together on foot or by
bike.
Describe your role as a community
volunteer.
I love my husband and kids but also enjoy
doing things that I love. Our church has been a great
vehicle for me to get involved with our community in many
projects, large and small, from a handful of women baking
cookies for a night shelter, larger groups cleaning the
soup kitchen, helping women’s refuge and food banks, to
280 volunteers making over a local school and park. I love
making a difference in my community and in the lives of
others, but the most important difference I’ll make in
life is in the lives of my kids.
How has your faith
helped you cope with the challenges of life?
My
husband and I were married for eternity in the Latter-day
Saint temple in Switzerland. Knowing we’re married for
eternity gives a completely different perspective when
difficulties arise, such as when our two-year-old boy died
eight years ago. An eternal perspective gave us the
strength to grieve and still have peace. To love him and
miss him and still have hope. To know we’ll see him
again. May is a really hard month for me. The anniversary
of our son’s death is coming up and it is always a sad
time for me. But we know that we’ll be together after we
die, and need to work out whatever difficulties we have
with the Saviour as our guide and mentor. We love each
other and we know that God loves us.
These remarkable
women share common values such as being dedicated and loyal
to their families, wanting to contribute to their
communities in meaningful ways, and using their talents to
fill many roles and serve others. They have a direction for
their lives and feel certain the work they are doing has
meaning and purpose, especially their commitment to marriage
and family. Their faith and spiritual knowledge is
strengthened by scripture reading and prayer and gives them
hope for the future, peace of mind, and strength to overcome
the challenges they face.
We at www.ldschurch.org.nz wish these women of
faith and good works and remarkable mothers everywhere a
happy Mother’s Day for this Sunday.
In New Zealand,
there are around 50,000 women who belong to The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These women face the
same challenges as all women, but do so with the unique
perspective of their belief in Jesus Christ, His teachings and
example.
To read about and watch videos about other
Latter-day Saint women, click here.
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