Wendy Watson Nelson, "For Such a Time As This"

An empowering talk given at 2007 BYU Women's Conference

The Grand Truths of Eternity by Virginia H. Pearce

This beautiful life changing talk was given at BYU 2006 Women's Conference.

"Losing It," by Kersten Campbell

Sometimes I lose my perspective. I am the kind of person who gets really excited over new ideas. My husband would say “nuts” but I would say excited. That is why, awhile ago when the Relief Society teacher talked about how much spirit and strength she felt when she immersed herself in the scriptures, I thought what I always think…”If a little is great, then a lot is even better!” So I decided that I would set a goal of reading the scriptures three times a day. In my excitement and fervor to seek the spirit that I so longed for, I forgot one minute detail: I have five kids.

But, true to my personality, I thought to myself. What? Details, Schmeetails! If the pioneer women could cross the plains barefoot with ten children and a handcart then surely I, with a mere five children and a washing machine to do my laundry could read the scriptures three times a day.

Ha! I underestimated my children.

“Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, moooooooom” called my four year old from her bed, just as I was sitting down in my comfy armchair to partake of the living waters.

“What?” I answered.

“I need a story. You forgot to read me a story.”

“Okay, fine.” I got up and read her a story. As I finally put the finishing flourishes on “The Three Bears,” and made for the door, I was assaulted with a barrage of questions from the next room: questions like,

“Moooooom, I’m hungry. Can I have ice cream in my bed?”

“Can you get me my blankie, Mommy?”

“Hey mom, is it true that raccoons lay eggs? ”

“Why is your face all wrinkled? Are you old?”

Finally, after an exhausting hour of fixing complaints I sat down heavily in my armchair. Aaaah.

Then I heard the screams. “Moooooooom, he kicked me.”

“Well, she was in my bed!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

With each “Was not” I could feel my blood pressure reaching the boiling point. This was ridiculous! Why could I not even sit down and read one minute of the scriptures, let alone three times a day? What about a mother’s inalienable rights? Isn’t one of them to be spiritually nourished so she doesn’t go out of her ever-living mind?

I prepared to give my kids a talking to. I stomped mightily down the hall, self-righteous in the thought that I must not let my rights as a person be trampled and disregarded. I had a right to obtain the spirit of God through reading the Holy Scriptures! And I wasn’t going to give it up!

Then a still small voice, mightier than all of my vehement determination stopped me in my tracks, literally. I was suddenly struck with the quiet thought: “You can obtain the spirit by serving your children too.”

Oh.

Meekly, I went in and comforted and tucked and kissed and coddled.

“Mommy?” I heard a quiet little voice whisper as I turned out the light.

“I love you.”

I don’t need to tell you that I was immediately flooded with the spirit I had so desperately been seeking.

Since then I have noticed something. That mothers are entitled to special blessings. And though we may not reach the towering spiritual standards we set for ourselves, we are involved in a holy, mighty, and sacred work that is crucial to the plan of salvation. And when we do our best, we may not reach perfection, but we cannot fail…because the Lord will make up the difference.

He will.

A Mother Heart by Julie B. Beck

Here is a link to an uplifting motherhood talk given by Julie B. Beck in 2004.

Sheri Dew: Are we Not all Mothers?

Here is a link to Sheri Dew's beautiful talk, "Are we Not All Mothers?"

"It is well with my soul"

This article was posted by Earlgirl on the Peaceable Walk blog, which won our February Outstanding Mother Site Award.

Life has been a real struggle for me lately. Once again, without realizing it, I've piled on way more than I can handle. When my world and peace began to unravel, I figured there was something wrong with me. Life stopped being fun, I was running and running. I started feeling more and more desperate. I would go to sleep dreading the morning, and wake up feeling the same way. Last week was the worst. I was in the middle of an impossibly busy day, grocery shopping. I only got through half of my list, when I knew I needed to go home. I just couldn't start crying in the middle of the store! That day, I began a total and complete flake-out. No mutual, no song practice, no karate the next day. You know what? The world didn't end- it felt soooo good! Then my husband went out of town and came back just in time to start another grueling week. I had a house guest the entire time he was gone. When life got hard, I felt so alone. I felt embarrassed really confiding in anyone. I hated the thought that anyone would judge me, and wonder why I couldn't handle life. I really wanted to be able to just smile, and get everything done that I thought I should. I kept asking the Lord to bless me with that. It makes me smile now, to realize I was asking the Lord to let me run faster than I had strength. He needed to let me buckle under the weight I'd put on myself before I'd be willing to put anything down. I'm there now, I'm plenty willing! An amazing thing happened to me this morning: my visiting teacher (who is moving out of the country today) called and told me she was bringing me dinner. She woke up at three this morning, and knew what she needed to do for me. She didn't know I'd been falling apart. I came upon this song on someone's blog today, and it's just wrapped me in the peace that Heavenly Father had to wait to give me. With this beautiful song, and a loving gesture, I feel so warm, safe, and loved. Like the song says, "It is well with my soul."