What I wish for Mother's Day

[Joni]

I was just thinking about my wish list for Mother's Day sacrament meeting. I'd like to see any or all of the following:

1. something said about Heavenly Mother other than "she is too special for us to talk about"

2. a woman to be talked about who is not the wife or mother of a prophet or other prominent LDS man

3. the closing speaker to be a woman

I'm laying the odds at 0%, 50%, and 0%, respectively.

What are you hoping for in your ward? What do you think will actually happen?

[mom3]

What I wish for - We would sing Oh My Father, because Heavenly Mother is guaranteed there. And in my area we never sing it.

I also hope and wish that the Stripling Warrior's Moms won't show up again. They visit too often. They are great ladies, but they need a break.

What I'd really love is Women's Day. It covers all Women - whatever circumstances they are in. We could have killer talks from Women in the Scriptures - From Angelic to the Prostitute who saved Prophets/Missionaries.

In the end sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" because Women are and have been the movers and shakers of the human family. And I'm not being feminist. Without women, none of this would have happened.

I have no odds on it. It will be same old, same old.

[Joni]

We actually sing O My Father almost every Mother's Day - it kind of annoys me that we always have to sing a song that's literally got the word Father in the title just because it's the only hymn that gives the least glancing reference to HM. Plus at the speed we Mormons tend to take it, that song is a death march.

We'll probably also sing Love At Home. That song makes me want to throw things.

Ooh, I thought of something else I'll probably never see in my lifetime: a talk on motherhood delivered by a woman who works outside the home.

[Curt Sunshine]

Joni, fwiw, all three of your wishes have been part of quite a few of the Mother's Day services I've attended in multiple wards in multiple states for the last 10-15 years.

That might not be any comfort if you are in an area where they aren't part of the service, but I've heard at least as much from friends with similar experiences than from friends without it.

[Ann]

As one of the commenters said, "Best Mother's Day post ever!"

Thought people reading this thread would enjoy it:

http://bycommonconsent.com/2014/05/05/h ... thers-day/

[DarkJedi]

FWIW, Joni, it's very difficult to say much about Heavenly Mother because we know almost nothing about her. Anything said would probably drive me nuts because it would of necessity be nothing more than speculation and supposition and not doctrinal. That said, I do understand where you're coming from and agree with your other two. I don't actually recall a talk in the places I have lived where the subject was the mother of a prophet or whatever. Ours do tend to be much more generic, and we do get woman speakers on Mother's Day. Music wise, I'm doubting we'll hear "O My Father" but I could be surprised. Primary will sing some song. I'm with Mom3, also - I'd like to see it be a Women's Day, I always feel for those who are not mothers and who are not going to be mothers in our ward. They are given the flower or whatever, but it's weird, actually. We have a couple older unmarried sisters who have never had children and we have an openly lesbian member.

[Joni]

FWIW, Joni, it's very difficult to say much about Heavenly Mother because we know almost nothing about her. Anything said would probably drive me nuts because it would of necessity be nothing more and speculation and supposition and not doctrinal.

Exactly. It's total wishful thinking. Revelation about Heavenly Mother will only come from the top, and it will only come if we ask for it, which I don't see happening in my lifetime.

I'm sure we will have a woman speaker, but the final speaker will be a man. My ward has an abysmal track record when it comes to that.

Mothers Day Sacrament Meeting isn't a total wash, however. The Primary kids will sing (no matter how glurgy the lyrics, I always enjoy watching their faces) and the women of the ward usually end up with some form of chocolate.

[nibbler]

We'll probably also sing Love At Home. That song makes me want to throw things.

For me the song is Called to Serve. Not because it's a bad hymn mind you, it's just that we sing it all. the. time. Me when they announce we're singing Called to Serve.

Joni, fwiw, all three of your wishes have been part of quite a few of the Mother's Day services I've attended in multiple wards in multiple states for the last 10-15 years.

Yeah, one thing I will say is that we regularly have women as the closing speaker. I do recognize that we're probably an outlier though. Still ever since they made that change a long time ago where one family gives all the talks in SM I've seen women give the closing talk more and more often.

I also hope and wish that the Stripling Warrior's Moms won't show up again. They visit too often. They are great ladies, but they need a break.

lol, good luck with that happening.

[mom3]

Joni - As a Sunday appetizer, maybe you should hit the theater.

http://momsnightoutmovie.com/

[Curt Sunshine]

"There is beauty all around, when there's no one home. There is joy in every sound, when there's no one home."