mother&#39;s day 2016

I can't remember the last time I was home for Mother's Day but I hope that some year soon I will be able to share this special day with my mom. But even though I wasn't able to spend time with her, I was able to think an awfully lot about her. As with everyone else, I'm pretty convinced that my mom is the best mom in the entire world and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise.

The truth of the matter is I would love nothing more than to be just like her, but hard as I try, I will never be able to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich like she does, or make a bed like she does, or organize the dish washer like she does. Among more important things, I haven't been able to diligently study the gospel like she does or put others above myself like she does, or even listen to people like she does.

I heard a quote about mothers this week that I felt described my mom perfectly, but I can't find it, so I just found some other ones I liked.

I've always loved this one because I feel like we live in a world that is disintegrating in values and clearly attacking the family and the role of women.

"Women of God can never be like women of the world.

The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender.

There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind.

There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined.

We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith.

We have enough greed; we need more goodness.

We have enough vanity; we need more virtue.

We have enough popularity; we need more purity"

-Margaret D. Nadauld

"When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children."

-Julie B. Beck

My mom knows who she is. She lives a life full of love and service to all those she comes in contact with. She is constantly strengthening her testimony and has established the necessary habits to have a continuous conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She is an amazing teacher who teaches the things that matter most; not only to her children but to the friends of her children and to the young women that she serves at church. She values education. She never had a formal college education but I am so impressed by how she constantly takes it upon herself to learn all that she can about literally everything through a wide variety of experiences. She does this through reading books, going to museums, traveling, talking with others, and doing research. She is an example to me every single day of how one should live life to the fullest and focus on the truly important things.

Like all of us, she sometimes has feelings of self-doubt or inadequacy or failure. But she knows who she is. And like Sister Beck said, those women of God have great power and influence over their children. I often find myself reflecting on what my mom would do in a certain situation or thinking about how excited she would be about some beautiful scenery or a handwritten letter. I think about how when I want to call her first thing in the morning, she's probably awake and not only that, she's probably doing the laundry or writing a letter to someone or studying her scriptures. I try to live every day doing the things that I know she would be proud of and hoping that in some way I can repay her for the countless hours she gives to me. Whether that's listening to me, or praying for me, or making a sacrifice financially. Her influence runs deep and she deserves to be told that more often.

I love the talk by Sister Beck titled "Mothers Who Know". Here are a few of the highlights from the talk.