The Doctrine of Motherhood and its Partnership with Priesthood Power

The Doctrine of Motherhood

Keys and A Doorway

Imagine standing in a room with loved ones, family and friends. There is a doorway in this room that leads to the next life and eternal salvation. One person has the keys but it is up to the rest of us to invite, lead, guide and help others through the doorway. If we are only focused on the keys and not the doorway we will not make it and we will lose opportunities to help our loved ones. The keys offer no additional wealth other than the service they provide. They benefit all of those in the room and all partake of the blessings of the keys even though in this scenario there is only one that holds them.

Overall Message-

Women and Men are equal before the Lord but they are given different tools of service. Motherhood is a tool of service and a divine calling. To officiate in the the keys and ordinances of the priesthood is also a tool of service. Motherhood allows entrance for spirit children of our Father in Heaven into this mortal existence. Priesthood keys and authority allow for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Both men and women have equal and intertwining roles in helping Heavenly Father's children reach and enter the doorway.

The main message of my talk is- The Doctrine of Motherhood and its partnership with Priesthood Power

I will describe in part the importance of Women and Mothers and how it applies to the priesthood by using three points.

• The Lord loves Women
• Motherhood is Symbolic of Charity
• Women have access to priesthood power and blessings

The Lord loves Women

It is interesting to me that one of the last things the Savior did on earth was make sure his mother was taken care of. Usually people in their last moments talk of those things which are most important to them. After he died and was resurrected one of the first things that he did was he showed himself unto Mary.

The scriptures are FULL of examples of the Savior Jesus Christ teaching and administering unto women. There are also several stories in which the Lord used examples of a woman to teach his disciples important lessons.

One of the few recorded times that we have of the Savior weeping is when Lazareth had died and Mary came out to meet Jesus. She cried and said “My Lord if you would have been here he would not have died.” Although Jesus knew that he had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead he wept as he felt compassion towards Mary and Martha.

Although I feel like this topic could be explored so much more I would like to move to a topic which I feel is especially exciting and majestic and has personally left me in awe.

Motherhood is Symbolic of Charity

First of all what is the “hood” in Motherhood? We also hear it in priesthood, sisterhood, brotherhood, neighborhood. It is a suffix that brings together a group of people with shared a characteristic. In the case of motherhood we are not only talking about mothers but those who have the potential to become mothers no matter what their circumstance. Sheri Dew points out in her book of Women and the Priesthood that Eve was called “The Mother of All Living.” even before she had a child.

This brings us to the topic of charity. When I used to think of charity I thought it meant taking casseroles to the neighbors but the scriptures teach us that it is so much more. Do not underestimate the meaning of this word. Do not. For in it is the very purpose of our existence and by it all things are.

Basically charity in my view is the purpose of life; for us to learn the meaning of this love. Charity is described as the Pure Love of Christ. Charity is very profound and is waiting for all to learn of it’s meaning in the scriptures. I once took a year of my daily scripture study and only studied charity. By the end of that year I had only scratched the surface of this amazing topic.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that you can have faith to move mountains, you can have prophecies and great revelations, you can give all you have to the poor, you can give your body to be burned but if you have not charity ye are nothing!

Let us not forget the “greatest commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and the second is like unto it to love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the others.”

We also learn that out of faith, hope and charity, that charity is the greatest and that it never faileth. I used to think that meant that you can never go wrong with Charity, although I still believe this I feel like there may be another layer to this meaning. It may be that charity is one of the few things that we will take with us into the eternities, a type of power (this is my own opinion and interpretation). The scriptures say that faith and hope will not endure. I’m not sure exactly what that means but I am guessing that we may not need the same kind of faith and hope that we have now in the future when we know everything and when we have moved into the next level of our existence. Charity however, will stay with us. Charity never faileth. (Moroni 7:46, 1 Corith 13:8, 1 Peter 1:9)

I love the language that the scriptures use when talking about charity “possessed of charity”, “clothed with charity.” “put on charity.” It doesn’t sound like giving away casseroles to me, although that could be a fruit of charity. Charity changes our very natures. It is a gift from God. It affects the perception of how we see, forgive and love others and interpret their actions. Women seem to be blessed with this gift naturally and divinely and in some ways in more abundance. Perhaps as a tool to help in their role of service of helping others through the doorway and caring for spirit children of our Heavenly Father. I am not sure if this works the same for him but I know that if I trust my children into the hands of someone else I want them to have all the tools they need to care for them in my absence. Men also have access to this gift and some of the most charitable people I know are men as well as women. -Moroni 7:48 and Mosiah 4:9-16 give us the formula of how to align ourselves with the will of God in a way that we will be worthy or this gift of charity and again, it is a gift.

So how does motherhood apply to charity?

The Savior liked to teach in parables. He used examples that were familiar to the people that he taught. Whether he taught about principles of farming, olive trees, the wind or how lilies grow. He used familiar examples which seem to spectacularly have layers of meaning which were only truly discerned by willing hearts.

We often hear about Faith and how it is like a seed. As I have studied Charity I feel like Motherhood is a type, example or a symbol of Charity. Let me illustrate with a personal example:

When I was 18 I had a job as the “voice” over the intercom at a large department store. You don’t hear these voices as much any more because there are better ways to communicate in these stores now. At this time however I was the store operator and center for communications.

When children were lost a parent would often come to me and ask me to announce for the associates to look for the child. One day a mother came in looking for her 2 year old son who had wandered away from her in the store. She was somewhat calm at first but as the clock ticked by she became more agitated. I watched as her face turned red and as she fidgeted with her hands. Her shoulders shook. Associates usually found children quickly but this was taking much longer than normal. After a certain amount of time we were supposed to call the police and it was possible that the child had gone out into the parking lot, other areas of the mall or was taken.

I was young and at only 18 I did not entirely understand what this mother was going though but with my limited understanding it was heart wrenching and I became very anxious as well. After what seemed like a long time an associate found the child and rounded the corner of the office with the two year old in tow. This blond haired mother ran to her child and the child ran to his mother and both embraced. The mothers face was still red and the tears flowed freely. The mother shook as she embraced her once lost child.

As I watched this scene unfold a scripture came into my mind from Isaiah “Can a woman forget her sucking child (so in other words can a woman forget her nursing child) that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hand…” Isaiah 49

So in other words as amazing and as strong as a mother's love is the Love of Christ is greater.

The closest thing that we have to understanding the love pure love of Christ is the love of a mother.

President Joseph F. Smith said “The love of a true mother comes nearer to being like the love of God then any other kind of love.”

Bradley Foster of the quorum of the Seventy stated in April 2010 general conference “Perhaps the reason that we respond so well to the love of our mother’s love is because it typifies the love of the Savior.”

After the great destruction of the Nephites a short time before the Savior's appeared to them a voice came out of heaven repeating “How oft would I have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her chicks…” Indicating yet the love of a mother in nature.

As Nephi was being led by the spirit in a vision of his father Lehi’s dream he was taken on a tour of the Savior’s life. As he went through the vision he learned the interpretations of the things that his father saw. He saw Mary the mother of Christ and she was taken out of his view. When she returned carrying the Christ child it was like something clicked for Nephi. The spirit chose this time to ask Nephi what the tree in the dream meant and Nephi knew it was “the love of God.” It was very much the condensation of God that he saw as explained in the scripture but I can’t help but think that a mother holding her dear child was part of this thought process in understanding what this love was.

Although the love of a mother to her child is not exactly the same as the love of God it is the closest thing that we can compare to it that we can completely comprehend. Motherhood is symbolic of the love of God. Perhaps when we can approach this love and love others as a mother would love her own child we can understand more the true meaning of the gift of Charity.

When I review the characteristics of charity I tend to cringe because I don’t completely measure up.

1 Corinthains 13- Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity wanteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked…

When I think of these characteristics as a mother I am much more closely aligned to these things. In motherhood we seem to be less selfish more compassionate and more fit in the service of the Lord more qualifying for this gift as are those who follow the formula of the scriptures in order to be clothed with charity.

I believe this glimpse of Charity is naturally given to many women but not uniquely given to women. After all the Savior himself was full of this love.

I love what sister Sheri Dew shared in a conference talk in 2001 titled “Are we not all mothers.”

She states “Motherhood is not what was left over after our Father Blessed his sons with priesthood ordinations. It was the most ennobling endowment he could give his daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate. As President I Reuben Clark Jr. declared, motherhood is “as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself.”

Women have access to the blessings and power of the priesthood

Recently there have been questions raised by very few members of the church about women receiving the priesthood. Unintentionally this discussion has led to specific attacks from outside the church. One of the main sentiments has been “Women are held back in the LDS church.”

In my opinion nothing could be further from the truth.

Sheri Dew relates a story of when she met with a publisher who stopped her almost mid sentence and said something to the effect of “I’m sorry I was expecting a Mormon woman to be so much different than you are.” If you don’t know who Sheri Dew is you should. She has a very commanding presence. She has served on the general relief society board and authored various books. She is someone who I personally look up to, a well educated woman both in the gospel and academically.

She pointed out that roughly half of the teaching positions of the church are held by women. We teach sermons, gospel doctrine, seminary, serve fulltime missions and teach both youth and adult classes. We hold leadership callings, and actively participate in councils of the church. Women in other churches would need ordination to do the same.

My husband used to teach Stephen Covey Workshops among other leadership workshops. On one occasion while teaching a workshop in the midwest someone asked “Why are Mormons so involved with leadership training? (I am supposing he was referring to Stephen Covey) There seems to be a lot of Mormons involved in this trade.” It came out in their discussion that our church is all about leadership. Even from a young age youth have the opportunity to lead in our congregations.

Although I have no girls my 4 yr old boy has talked now twice in primary and has had many other opportunities to pray, share scriptures or perform in front of church members. Little girls his age also teaching, praying and singing as he is.

I was 12 years old when I was called to be the Beehive President of my ward. I remember the bishop asking me to pray about who my counselors should be. I did and I received a very powerful feeling about who was supposed to be called. Can you imagine? A 12 year old girl already receiving revelation about leadership?

Women in our church can and do receive revelation which is essentially priesthood power according to Elder Oaks recent priesthood session talk. In my different callings throughout my life I have been led and guided on many occasions in and out of my church callings.

As a visiting teacher I believe that I am added to Spirit’s list of “go-to” people for the sisters that I visit teach. One morning while preparing for church I was putting frozen rolls out to rise and making preparations for a crock pot meal. As I was preparing the food that would still cook for another 4 hours I had a distinct impression to put more food on someone needed it. I at first ignored this prompting but by the time I was on my way out the door it was almost too loud in my mind for me to think. I left my husband and kids in the car while I obeyed the prompting and I put more food on. I then left wondering who it was supposed to go to.

At church I noticed that one of the sisters that I visit teach was not there. I sent her a text asking her if I could come visit after church. She sent me back a text saying that she was really sick and a visit would be better another day. I told her that I would bring her dinner after church instead and she seemed grateful. As I entered her home I had not expected how sick she would be. She was flat on her back, sweaty and pale. She looked awful and felt awful. Her husband and young son were happy to see me and the full Sunday Roast dinner that I had brought.

As I left I pondered how miraculous the situation was. I was grateful the spirit had spoke to me. I was humbled by the opportunity to be one of the spirits go-to persons for this sister. I felt that the Lord loved her and that this was a tender mercy in her sickness. To add more to this story I found out 2 weeks later that this day had been this sister’s birthday. She was new to my list and I hadn't established her birthday yet. Sad that I had not brought her more on that day I was also grateful for the revelation that I received!

I have been amazed as I have read about the early history of the church and the role of women in its beginnings. In 1842 Joseph Smith organized what we call the Relief Society today. At this time an organization for the women in a religion was revolutionary and unheard of. Women in 1842 were not allowed to vote, could not own property and if they earned a wage that wage went to her husband. This organization would later become one of the largest women’s organizations in the world and would be recognized by presidents, leaders and kings for it’s service and aid.

Joseph Smith said the Lord told him to “Organize the women after the pattern of the priesthood.” in order to teach them and “how they would come in possession of the privileges, blessings and gifts of the priesthood.”

When asked about the women of the church Pres. Hinckley told reporters at a press conference

“People wonder what we do for our women. I will tell you what we do; we get out of their way and look with wonder at what they are accomplishing.”

Motherhood and priesthood partnership

A stake president once related to me an experience that he had when he knelt with his wife in prayer to decide who his counselors would be. He did not share specifics but bore powerful testimony of a glimpse that he had of what the priesthood would entail in the eternities and how it will encompass both husband and wife.

This idea that priesthood and motherhood are a partnership is not new. I believe it is older than the foundation of the world. I am not sure how it works but I think that though we have different roles we are equal, not the same but equal. Elder Oaks talks about the difference in the keys, ordinances and power of the priesthood. Women have ample access to priesthood power and blessings but the keys and ordination are still divinely separate.

Elder Ballard states that “In the eternal perspective both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife.”

Boyd K Packer instructs us that “ A man who holds the priesthood does not have an advantage over a woman, by her very nature who is a co-creator with God...virtues and attributes upon which perfection and exaltation depend come naturally to a woman.”

J. Reuben Clark states “ This is the place of our wives and our mothers in the Eternal plan. They are not bearers of the priesthood; they are not charged with carrying out the duties and functions of the priesthood; nor are they laden with its responsibilities; they are builders and organizers under its power, and partakers of its blessings, possessing the complement of the priesthood powers and possessing a function as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself.”

Closing

I have talked about The Doctrine of Motherhood and how it is a partnership with the priesthood by first talking about how the Lord loves Women, Motherhood as a symbol of Charity and last how motherhood relates to the priesthood. I do not understand everything and I feel like I am only beginning to gain understanding of this amazing subject. I have been extremely grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the divine role of mothers.

As we all stand at this doorway let us not focus so much on who holds the keys to open that door that we miss the many opportunities of service that are before us as both men and women to help others as well as ourselves through the doorway.

I want to leave you with my testimony of how I feel as a mother:

My role as a co-creator and co-trainer with the Heavens is a great and unmatched responsibility, the highest known to mankind. It is a refiners fire and is not for the faint of heart or those who are inwardly focused. Motherhood is a dawnless calling made in the most profound way. There may have been no earthly hands on my head that pronounced me a mother but the heavens declared it. At some point there was an exchange with the eternities and spirits crossed the barrier of heaven and earth under my care. I am accountable directly to the Maker of the Universe for my calling as a mother. There is no one between me and him only an honorable and important counselor by my side.  I am a mother placed in my position by divine design.

I know that this gospel is true and I have felt the powerful influence of the priesthood power in my life. I love the Lord and I love the process of learning about a subject with study and prayer. I am sure some of the things that I have shared are not perfect and I hope to have all understanding one day but for now it is line upon line precept upon precept. I know the Lord loves and values women and motherhood.

***I would highly recommend reading Sheri Dew's book Women and Priesthood, As well as Elder Oaks about the Keys and authority of the Priesthood. Also the topic of Charity is so interesting and abundant in the scriptures! I took references from all of these as well as other conference talks.