Mother's day

[Indy Coug]

Our branch had 5 youth talk about their mothers. One of them said he was asked to "eulogize" his mom (who was sitting on the back row and looked a bit worried when he said that). The branch president notified him that he was "paying tribute" and not eulogizing.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by marsupial

As a mother, I didn't feel any less valued just because the woman sitting on my row yesterday also received a flower even though she does not have children.

In Relief Society we talk a lot about having a mother's heart. Not all women can be mothers, but most women in the church long to be. The Primary is dominated by women as are daycares and elementary schools. What's wrong with celebrating women and their impact on children whether or not they've had their uterus stretched to make room for one of their own.

I whole heartedly agree. If you've ever spent any time with an infertile woman (or woman with an infertile husband), you know what heartbreak it can cause. I don't see it as political correctness at all.

And from a gospel perspective, take some time to read J. Reuben Clark's talk explaining the similiarities between Priesthood and Motherhood.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by marsupial

As a mother, I don't feel any less valued just because the woman sitting on my row yesterday also received a flower even though she does not have children.

In Relief Society we talk a lot about having a mother's heart. Not all women can be mothers, but most women in the church long to be. The Primary is dominated by women as are daycares and elementary schools. What's wrong with celebrating women and their impact on children whether or not they've had their uterus stretched.

I don't have a problem with that. Then call it Woman's Day and celebrate it in June (it can take the place of Father's Day). The day is about Mothers. Why do people make it about themselves?

When we honor everyone we honor no one.

Wow, that sounds harsh. I must be channeling Rush.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Tex

I whole heartedly agree. If you've ever spent any time with an infertile woman (or woman with an infertile husband), you know what heartbreak it can cause. I don't see it as political correctness at all.

And from a gospel perspective, take some time to read J. Reuben Clark's talk explaining the similiarities between Priesthood and Motherhood.

Wow. Tex is sounding more compasionate than me.

I don't know what to think.

[marsupial]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

I don't have a problem with that. Then call it Woman's Day and celebrate it in June (it can take the place of Father's Day). The day is about Mothers. Why do people make it about themselves?

When we honor everyone we honor no one.

Wow, that sounds harsh. I must be channeling Rush.

In my last ward (and possibly your next ward) all men received a little gift on Father's Day, whether or not they were fathers. They usually got a candy bar or some kind of baked good. I always thought it was nice.

[Indy Coug]

On Father's Day, I'm just happy with not being yelled at.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I wonder why we feel the need to talk about mothers as a subject of talks on mother's day. Why not labor on labor day? Or the presidents on president's day?

My talk on "how to get into college" was very secular. The talks on appreciating people with disabilities were fairly secular. Although both subjects are tied back into the gospel, somewhat.

What do you guys think of tackling the topics that sit on the secular/religious boundary?

The last time I spoke in Church was about thirteen years ago. The Bishop came over to my house and asked me to do it. (We are both lawyers, have done battle, and used to ride the Bainbridge Island ferry together.) I'm not sure what the hades got into me or I was thinking, but I agreed. I suppose I wanted to show them that I was capable as anyone of spirituality even though I had rejected the creed of my fathers.

On a previous visit the Bishop had loaned me a book called A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, which he said he found in an airport. I read it and liked it and later we discussed it. A Lesson Before Dying is a novel about a black man who received the death sentence in a southern town in the middle of the last century for a crime he didn't commit, and how he and the local black community must process this event. The white judge who sentenced him said he was no better than an animal, and in fact when the condemned man was sentenced he behaved much like one. The protagonist is a young educated black school teacher raised by his aunt. When the novel opens the teacher is angry and pitiless about the condemned man, embarrassed by his conduct in court. So the old aunt convinces him to establish a routine visiting the concemned man, who could not be saved mortally, to give him a lesson on dying with dignity, so the white folk would see he was not an animal. I won't give away the spoiler.

Anyway, the bishop said he had to know the theme of my talk, and I said it was on charity. I took took what I thought might be a cue from him and worked the novel into my talk. I began reading that wonderful passage from 1 Corinthians 13:13, King James Version of course (where it is most beautifully rendered, not even close), and then used the novel's plot to illustrate the meaning of charity, and how the protagonist himself was given a lesson in it by his old aunt and the condemned man.

People came up to me and claimed they liked the talk, even though I did not reference the Book of Mormon, D&C, Pearl of Great Price, restored gospel or any of that stuff. Of course, they may have just been trying to make me feel good since I was hard core inactive and they may have suspected I was an apostate.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

On Father's Day, I'm just happy with not being yelled at.

Ditto Priesthood Session.

[MikeWaters]

SU, do you think "apostate" applies to you. Meaning if someone called you an apostate, you'd agree?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

SU, do you think "apostate" applies to you. Meaning if someone called you an apostate, you'd agree?

Well, you prompted me to look up the dictionary meaning of apostate:

a·pos·tate (ə-pŏs'tāt', -tĭt)
n.
One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.

I think the first clause does apply to me, yes.