Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 83:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 83:2
"Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken; and if they are not found transgressors they shall have fellowship in the church."

This makes me think of the sad situation many families find themselves in. It takes two incomes now to provide for a family. That was not always the case. It is my generation that brought this curse upon our children. I remember back in 1987 when the women of the church gathered in the stakes of Zion to attend a fireside by President Ezra Taft Benson. Women were counseled to not go out to work, to stay home and raise their children. Of course, if there was no father in the home or the father was unable work that would be the mother's responsibility. We would be blessed if we followed this counsel.

After the fireside the women in my stake discussed what was said. I was sickened as I listen to woman after woman get up and say how the prophet didn't understand they needed to go to work. Working provided the money to develop their children's talents. It would give them dance and piano lessons, etc. They weren't working to be rich, they just wanted some nice things. I was a young mother and the whole thing made me ill. They just heard a prophet of God and then the majority of women dismissed everything he said. I bore my testimony that I knew what President Benson said was true. I felt like a lone voice that day. Years later I see what these women did. Now their children that they though needed piano lesson so badly to thrive are mothers of their own, forced to go out to work because of the rising cost of living. We brought this curse upon the generations that came after us. It just breaks my heart.

Day 3672

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 32:17-18

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 32:17-18

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;"

These verses made me think of my mother. One of her favorite things to say is all she wanted was "peace and quiet". I'm afraid as kids it was the one gift we could never give her. Now that she is on the other side of the veil I'm sure that gift has been given to her.

Day 2870

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 21:18-21

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 21:18-21

"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."

This is the law that gives meaning to the parable of the prodigal son given by Jesus..

"And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."

(Luke 15:13, 20)

The father runs to his son, thus preventing him from being stoned to death. We no longer hold dishonoring parents as a capital crime. Yet the commandment to honor our father and mother has never been revoked by the Lord.

Day 2333

Today's Favorite Verse: Micah 2:9

Today's Favorite Verse: Micah 2:9
"The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever."

This reminded me of a talk by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1987 speaking "To the Mothers in Zion" in a fireside for parents. At the time I was a young mother at home raising two small children.  It was the most shocking thing I ever experienced. He dared to tell mothers to come home to their children and not work outside of the home. Here are some of the quotes.

"The Lord clearly defined the roles of mothers and fathers in providing for and rearing a righteous posterity. In the beginning, Adam--not Eve--was instructed to earn the bread by the sweat of his brow. Contrary to conventional wisdom, a mother's calling is in the home, not in the market place.

Again, in the Doctrine and Covenants, we read: "Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken" (D&C 83:2). This is the divine right of a wife and mother. She cares for and nourishes her children at home. Her husband earns the living for the family, which makes this nourishing possible. With that claim on their husbands for their financial support, the counsel of the Church has always been for mothers to spend their full time in the home in rearing and caring for their children.

We realize also that some of our choice sisters are widowed and divorced and that others find themselves in unusual circumstances where, out of necessity, they are required to work for a period of time. But these instances are the exception, not the rule.

He quoted President Kimball and said: "Too many mothers work away from home to furnish sweaters and music lessons and trips and fun for their children. Too many women spend their time in socializing, in politicking, in public services when they should be home to teach and train and receive and love their children into security" (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 319)."

Now the reason this talk was so shocking to me was not at all what he said. I agreed with him. It was instead the reaction of the mothers in attendance. They were angry at the words coming from the prophet. I remember the women in our meeting later saying how the prophet didn't understand the reality of life. That they needed to work to help develop their children's talents and such things. I sat there as a young mother looking at these older sisters and wanted to cry. To me these were words of apostasy. I left that meeting trembling and have thought of it often over the years.

I have witnessed what became of my generation not heeding the prophet's counsel and warning. With two parents working we raised the standard of living and with that the cost of housing, etc increased. Now instead of two parents working providing luxuries in the home, it has become a sad fact of life that the majority must work. We are in bondage now, and the mother's in Zion that were in opposition to the prophet did it. This is the legacy from my generation and it still makes me upset.


Day 1470

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 44:16-17

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 44:16-17
"As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee.
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil."

Now something makes sense to me that I didn't understand. I would always feel rather anxious when I would hear people speak of a mother in heaven. Oh I understand the words to the hymn "O My Father" by Eliza R. Snow. "Truth is reason; truth eternal; Tells me I've a mother there." I do believe if I have a Heavenly Father that I must have a Heavenly Mother. But, I do not think of her. I just feel Heavenly Father has a very good reason why she is not addressed in the scriptures. I'm ok with that.

I have seen other women get rather obsessed about a Heavenly Mother. Going in length about their feelings about her. Often I wonder where are they getting this supposed doctrine from? They seem more involved with her than with Heavenly Father. To the point I totally wish to excuse myself from their discussions, for it troubles my soul. Now in this chapter I think I see a connection to those feelings. There is a reason why we don't create our own impressions about a Heavenly Mother. Just like in Jeremiah's time it was the women that started this fascination and worship of a mother in heaven. In speaking about the apostasy this was a downfall to the early church too.

"The Archontics, who believed in seven heavens, each one presided over by a prince; they also believed in the Supreme Mother in Heaven, a faith condemned in Jeremiah, chapters seven and forty-four."
(Mark E. Petersen, Apr 1979 General Conference, "Signs of the True Church)

It is interesting to see that in Jeremiah's time those that worshiped the "queen of heaven" thought she brought them blessings, and when they stopped evil came upon them. Not understand how they had this twisted. It was because of their worship of her that it angered God and this is why they now suffered. I think Jeremiah is very much so warning us in our day, of not taking up this same practice. It is God the Father that we love with all our hearts, mind and soul. The temptation to create another god is very real. Even if it is to make it in the image of a mother in Heaven.

Day 1364

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 22:3

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 22:3
"He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly."

This made me ponder on the responsibility and stewardship of a mother. How the Lord counts on us to raise and teach our children in righteousness. Ahaziah had none of that from his mother Athaliah. In fact she taught in contrary to the ways of God. We had a discussion recently in family scripture study on the sins being upon the head of the parents. Though honestly everyone has the light of Christ within them to know right from wrong. Totally cannot judge how unaccountable anyone is. All I know is that I need to teach my children the ways of the Lord or I will account for it.

I recently was reading the Oct 2017 LDS General Conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks "The Plan and the Proclamation" and this quote struck me.

"Forty years ago, President Ezra Taft Benson taught that “every generation has its tests and its chance to stand and prove itself.” I believe our attitude toward and use of the family proclamation is one of those tests for this generation. I pray for all Latter-day Saints to stand firm in that test."

I cannot help but think how important right now it is to teach and council our children from the family proclamation, and the scriptures. I truly fear for the coming generation if we fail in this test.


Day 964

Will This Generation Fail the Test?

I was reading the Oct 2017 conference talk by Dallin H. Oaks "The Plan and the Proclamation" and found this:

"Forty years ago, President Ezra Taft Benson taught that "every generation has its tests and its chance to stand and prove itself." I believe our attitude toward and use of the family proclamation is one of those tests for this generation. I pray for all Latter-day Saints to stand firm in that test."

I believe my generation for the most part failed the test given us by Ezra Taft Benson, that mothers stay in the home, and today I see the results of that failure and the bondage our daughters are in. For we moved the standard from one income supporting a household to two and most mothers are now forced to work. As a mother in Zion I implore the mothers today to not fail in the test for your generation. Teach your children the family proclamation. The coming generation will need it, or they to will find themselves left in bondage by their mothers.

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