Hello blogging world! I hope all you moms had a wonderful mother’s day. My daughter, husband, and I talked in sacrament meeting. 3 years ago we adopted our girl and were sealed to her in the Salt Lake Temple. It was so heartwarming to hear my three year old talk and sing “Families Can Be Together Forever.” I am very grateful to have the knowledge that we can be a forever family!
I want to share some excerpts from my talk… Maybe it will help someone out there who is struggling with infertility.
“My husband and I were married almost 12 years ago in the Salt Lake Temple. Through years of countless tests, endless amounts of praying and fasting, about 6 years ago we received the devastating news that we would most likely never have biological children. Several years of hoping and believing if we just had enough faith crashed down on my weary heart.
Like many mothers in the scriptures we were given the trial of infertility. In the first chapter of Luke we read about Zacharias and Elisabeth and how they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren and they were both well stricken in years. An angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that his prayer was heard and he would have a son, and his name would be John. An angel later appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and told her about her cousin Elisabeth’s pregnancy despite her age and boldly declared “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” That scripture has come to mean a lot to me. John, as we know, was the one who baptized Jesus Christ.
We can also look at Sarah, the wife of Abraham. In Genesis chapter 18 we read that Abraham was visited by 3 holy men who told him that Sarah would have a son. In verses 11-14 we read :
“Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age….
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself….
And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Abraham and Sarah did have a son, which they named Isaac. This very Isaac’s wife Rebekah struggled with infertility. In Genesis 25 verse 21 we read
“And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.”
Rebekah later had twins- Esau and Jacob. Jacob’s wife Rachel was also barren and watched as Leah had many children. In chapter 30 of Genesis we read in verse 1:
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
and in verse 22:
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Joseph”
Hannah, who, before she had Samuel, had a grieving heart, and she wept and prayed and poured out her soul before the Lord for the opportunity to be a mother.
These mighty men- John the Baptist, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Samuel had mothers who waited and prayed and struggled with the trial of barrenness.
Jeffrey R. Holland has beautifully said “ Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”
In the words of Maureen Hawkins:
Before you were conceived, I wanted you
Before you were born, I loved you
And before you were here an hour
I would have sacrificed everything for you.
If you were to ask me today about my definition of the word motherhood, I would be able to sum it up in just one word….joy.
(2 nephi 2:22, 23, 25)
And now behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen,
but he would have remained in the garden of Eden.
And they would have no children, wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy
Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy.
It is my prayer that we can celebrate the joy in our lives.”
Take a few minutes to hug those little miracles. Motherhood is truly a sacred blessing and privilege!
Happy TEACHing!
Happy Teaching!