"As in all things, the Savior set the perfect example in the love He showed for His earthly mother. In the final, most pivotal moment of His mortal life—after the anguish of Gethsemane, the mock trial, the crown of thorns, the heavy cross to which He was brutally nailed—Jesus looked down from the cross and saw His mother, Mary, who had come to be with her Son. His final act of love before He died was to ensure that His mother would be cared for, saying to His disciple, “Behold thy mother!” And from that point on the disciple took her unto his home. As the scriptures say, then Jesus knew that “all things were now accomplished,” and He bowed His head and died." -Bradley D. Foster
"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this." - Neal A. Maxwell
"When we understand the magnitude of motherhood, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of woman's most sacred role. While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "the mother of all living" - and they did so before she ever bore a child...Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature..." - Sheri Dew, "Are We Not All Mothers?" (I love this quote because Sheri Dew does not have children.)
I'm thankful to my mother for showing me what it means to truly sacrifice everything for your children. I'm thankful she taught me to be intolerant of intolerance. I'm thankful that she has always expected me, since I was very little, to be the person who stands up for others and never to be unkind. I'm thankful that even though she is incredibly busy and tired, she picks up the phone when I call 6 times a day. I'm thankful she taught me by example to be honest. I'm thankful for her thoughtful care packages. I'm thankful that because of her I always know I have support and I am never alone. I hope everyone has a mother like mine and I hope I can be at least half the mother she is.
