A Mother Like No Other 5-14-06

Happy Mother’s Day! This is a day of general rejoicing in the U.S. and a few other places (In the U.K. Mothering Sunday was March 26^th this year). Joseph was asked to speak this morning in the family ward. It was outstanding. His Mother’s Day topic was “Love”. He referred to the statement by Joseph Smith: "Let us pour forth love. . . Cast our bread upon the waters and we shall receive it after many days, increased to a hundred fold." (HC 5:517). He said his mom had poured forth love his whole life. . . and although he was inadequate to return the hundred fold by himself, he prayed that blessing would be fullfilled for her. His concluding testimony was felt as well as heard.

Gloria always wanted to be a Mom, when we were unable to have children, we turned to the Lord and began the process of adoption. After six years of expectation (a long pregnancy) the Lord blessed us with a daughter, then four years later with a son.

Gloria’s patriarchal blessing spoke of her future as a mother: “Choice spirits will come and dwell with you”. Tim’s blessing promised: “. . . the blessings of fatherhood, when you will have established the background to support the reality and blessings of home life.” It then spoke of a future “. . . sweet companion to become the mother of your children.” Together we have seen the fulfilling of those promises, and the unfolding of Heavenly Father’s Plan for the two of us and for our two wonderful children. The two of us each saw the two of them in separate dreams before their birth. Together we all rejoice in the miracle of mothering and the joy of a family. Perhaps that is why Joseph’s accident isn’t really a tragedy just an opportunity and challenge to face together as a family, as we look forward to an eternity together with other family to follow.

President Hinckley said: "Of all those who influence our lives, none is so effective as mother. . . She it was who nurtured us. She it was who, consciously or otherwise, shaped the direction of our lives. . . And what do you do with mother love when the babies are grown and gone away? Well, another child of a new generation is born and the whole process starts over again. The caring, the loving, the nurturing. The greatest miracle of all-the assurance that life will never end. There will always be mothers, and they will always be endowed with a love that is unlike any other love on the face of the earth.”

(Gordon B. Hinckley and Marjorie P. Hinckley, The Wondrous Power of a Mother, p. 2,16)

Photo 1: Joseph meets Mom! January 1982 at LDS Social Services office in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He was obviously happy about the situation at just 1 week of age!
Photo 2: Joseph examines a flower, camping in Logan Canyon about 1985.
Photo 3: Mom and Joseph over a cup of hot chocolate. Remodeling in background.