Our Guest Post is by Katie Mangus. She writes:

 

For Mother’s Day, I had the privilege of attending a mother daughter luncheon where Sister Elaine Dalton, the General Young Women’s President, spoke. Sister Dalton spoke on virtue, divine nature, and individual worth; enhancing our softer, feminine side. She said multiple times how we are each daughters of our Heavenly Father. Her spirit and her words inspired me.

“The Family, A Proclamation to the World” teaches us vital principles, including that our eternal role and purpose is not just for this life, but the next. It states:

“All human beings-male and female- are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose.”

From this we know that we have both a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother whose children we are. We know that we each have a divine nature, and that we have always been women.

The Proclamation goes on to teach us that “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave”. Thus our time, influence and efforts as mothers is eternally important.

I was waiting in line, at a market, and watched as the cashier asked the woman in front of me if she was a mother. The woman responded yes, and the cashier handed her a large sunflower and said “Happy Mother’s Day!” I was next in line and was already feeling a little sad that she was going to ask me if I was a mother, and I was going to have to say no. But as I was being wrung up, the store manager stopped by our lane. I heard her tell the cashier, “Be sure to give every woman that goes through the line a flower; because every woman is a mother”. I then happily took my sunflower as she wished me a Happy Mother’s Day.

I agree. As women our divine nature includes the qualities and attributes of motherhood. Although we might not have children on this earth, we have the chance to be motherly figures. I realize now that my motherly characteristics started to be shaped from a young age, as I started babysitting, and continue, as today I am able to work with children in my profession. My ultimate role model of being a mother has come from the best mother I know, my own.

My mother has shared a journal entry about me, dated February 18, 1988, when she had 3 young children.

“The past few weeks we have had a lot of sickness and I have been anxious to get back on schedule and put my life in “order”. So Monday night I got geared up to have Tuesday run just like I thought it should. I sorted the laundry so I could put the first load in before going to aerobics. Then, when the kids were in Joy School I was going to run errands. Since I had not been to aerobic for a few weeks I was really quite anxious to go again.

Well, I went to bed and things went well from10:00pm until 11:00pm and then Jonnie woke up really coughing. Then he had a bloody nose, and then he threw up. Well, we finally settled him down at 1:00am and I thought to myself, “maybe I can still make it to aerobics at 5:45am”. Then at 3:00am Katie woke up quite upset, so I took her into the family room and began to rock her, but she wouldn’t go to sleep. So, I decided to put her to bed. Well, she did not like that idea and really made a fuss! I went and got her again and was rocking her and I found myself getting quite frustrated. I was frustrated because I realized how tired I was, and how I wasn’t going to be able to make it to aerobics, and I wasn’t going to be in the state of mind to do a lot the next day. Then I looked up and saw our picture of Joseph Smith kneeling in the grove and this overwhelming feeling came over me and I thought, “Heavenly Father wants me to rock my baby”. I realized he didn’t care if I made it to aerobics the next morning, or if I did this or that. He wanted me to rock my baby and take care of this precious little spirit He had entrusted me with. Although I did not get her to sleep until 7:00am, I had been spiritually fed, and I had learned a great lesson”.

My mother recognized her divine role as a mother and my individual worth as a child of God.

I have the best job in the world. I am a pediatric occupational therapist, so I help children to function in everyday life activities. Two days a week I travel around and go into families’ homes and work with babies 0-3 years old. I am able to work with and teach the parents ways to promote skills and independence in their child. I want to tell you about what these mothers have taught me as I have spent time with them.

I know a young mother who is beautiful, stylish and whose home is uniquely furnished. She fondly talks to her 18 month old girl, Lily, and tells her how beautiful she is. She dresses Lily up in girly outfits and puts bows in her hair. This mother deeply loves her little girl and anyone can see and feel it. This same mother prays for the day when her little girl will be able to crawl, follow her around the house, and “get into things to make a mess”. Lily was born with two syndromes that cause global developmental delay, and abnormalities in her face and mouth. Lily does not look like her parents, but this little girl will always know she is beautiful, and of great worth, because she feels it strongly from her mother.

I know another mother who has three children, manages a home, serves in her calling, and fights for her children’s well beings. Each of her children has Epileptic seizures. I am working with her youngest son, Danny who is 2 years old.  Just like any 2 year old he is cute, spunky and always on the go.  Danny has seizures constantly throughout the day and night. He wears a helmet and has hemiperesis (partial paralysis) on his right side because of a complication from his seizures. Danny requires constant care, protection, and attention. His mother researches, finds doctors, sleeps next to him, and comforts him. Many times I have seen her wrap her arms around to comfort him, as he seizes, and calm him with loving words of peace as he comes out of it. This mother cannot stop the seizures from happening. She can only comfort him, love him, and have faith in him.

I know my grandmother Afton, who was married during World War II and spent her life raising 12 children. She had all of the qualities you could imagine in a grandma. She made sure you were happy, well fed, and loved. During the last year of her life I was able to show some of that love back to her. She moved in with my parents and I was able to take care of her full time on the weekends. Afton had a scary fall in the night when she got up to use the restroom. So, we decided that I would sleep in her room and get up with her to keep her safe. The first night of this plan, I pulled in a mattress, and put it on the floor next to her. We got ready for bed and I laid there very tired and ready to go to sleep. But Grandma Afton kept asking me things like “Are you comfortable, Katie?”, “Do you have enough blankets?”, “Do you need anything?” Here I was thinking that I was there to take care of her, yet she thought she was there to take care of me! It did not take long for me to just climb in bed next to her, so she knew I was well.

My church calling is at an assisted living facility. These women are of great faith and individual worth. I thought I was called to serve them, but I have learned, just as I did with my Grandmother Afton, that they think they are there to serve me. They show me their motherly love by sincerely asking how I am doing. They share their testimony of being a woman with me as they tell me about their lives and their pride in their children. The spirit of individual worth is seen in the pictures on their walls and how they value each child, grandchild, and great grandchild.

All these mothers I have known, and many others, have taught me through examples like Sister Dalton taught me. Their examples can remind us all that we are daughters of a Heavenly Father and Mother who love us; and we love them. May we remember our divine nature of being a woman. May we try to be a little softer, a little kinder and may we remember to “rock our baby”.

 

The painting is entitled “Whither Thou Goest.” The artist, and her paintings can be found at www.sandyfreckletongagon.com  She states, “My desire is to serve the Lord through my paintings.” Her work is beautiful.