The Sacred Responsibilities of Mothers

Display the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson:

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President Russell M. Nelson

During my professional career as a doctor of medicine, I was occasionally asked why I chose to do that difficult work. I responded with my opinion that the highest and noblest work in this life is that of a mother. Since that option was not available to me, I thought that caring for the sick might come close. …

Many years ago the First Presidency issued a statement that has had a profound and lasting influence upon me. “Motherhood,” they wrote, “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 (1975), 6:178]. (“Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” Ensign, May 1999, 38)

• What stands out to you in President Nelson’s statement, and why?

• How would you explain the eternal nature of the role of motherhood?

• How does the role of motherhood relate to all women, including those who have not had children? (If needed, invite students to review the statements by Sister Sheri L. Dew and President Nelson in section 1 of the preparation material. Help students identify a truth similar to the following: Every woman is a mother by virtue of her eternal divine destiny [see Russell M. Nelson, “Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 68].)

• What does this truth mean for you and women you know?

Consider bringing to class or displaying images of a healthy plant and a wilted plant.

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a healthy rose

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wilted roses

Invite students to think about what might have been done for the healthy plant that wasn’t done for the withered plant.

• How can caring for plants be compared to nurturing people? (As needed, review with students the definition of nurturing provided by President Susan W. Tanner in section 2 of the preparation material.)

Display the following statement from the family proclamation: Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children (see ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

• What gifts has Heavenly Father given to women to help them fulfill this sacred responsibility? (As part of the discussion, you might review with students the statements by Sister Neill F. Marriott and President Henry B. Eyring in section 2 of the preparation material.)

Explain that Jesus Christ is the perfect example of nurturing. Invite students to review the scripture passages they studied in section 2 of the preparation material, looking for what they can learn about nurturing from the Savior’s example. Invite a few students to share their thoughts.

Invite the women in class to respond to the following question:

• What thoughts, feelings, or worries do you have about being a mother?

Then ask the class the following questions:

• What pressures in our culture might a woman feel related to motherhood?

• What differences can you see between how some people view motherhood and how God views motherhood? (As part of this discussion, you might refer students to the statements by President Nelson and Elder D. Todd Christofferson in section 3 of the preparation material. Help students identify a truth like the following: Bearing and caring for God’s children is integral to God’s work and glory.)

• Why is bearing (when possible) and caring for children important in Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness?

Display an image of the stripling warriors. Invite students to share what they know about the faith of these young men (see Alma 56:45–48; 57:21–26).

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Two Thousand Young Warriors, by Arnold Friberg

• What impact did the mothers of the stripling warriors have on the lives of their sons and on the security of the Nephite nation?

In preparation for class, students were invited to send a note to their mother or a mother figure who has blessed their life. You might invite a few students to share how the women they wrote to have impacted their lives. Or, if most students did not write a note, you could invite them to spend a few minutes writing a text message or an email during class.

Ask students to choose one of the following examples that describe opinions or attitudes they could come across on social media. Invite them to write a hypothetical response that they think could effectively address this sentiment. (If students have a real-life example they would prefer to use instead, invite them to use that example.) Encourage students to use what they have learned in their study of the preparation material and from personal experience, as well as to share their testimony, as they formulate their response.

• A friend portrays motherhood as a waste of a woman’s true potential, saying that choosing to have a family instead of a career would limit what a woman can do and accomplish in life.

• A friend feels unappreciated—she feels that what she does for her children doesn’t matter and that she isn’t good enough as a mother.

• A friend worries, “What if I’m not the nurturing type? How could I ever be the kind of mother the Lord wants me to be?”

• A friend feels deep sorrow because she and her husband have not been able to have children.

After students have had sufficient time, invite a few of them who would like to share what they wrote to do so.

Consider showing the video “Just a Mom” (1:02).

To conclude the lesson, you might invite students to consider what they can do to either fulfill their sacred role as mothers or to support the women close to them in this role. Encourage students to rely on the Lord’s help as they make these efforts. Testify, or invite a student to testify, of the importance of motherhood in Heavenly Father’s plan.