Mothers and Mother's Day

As I contemplate womanhood on this Mother's Day
I think of my own mother. She lived a long and,
for the most part happy life. Yet in her final years
and in her final hours she struggled with failing
health and a deteriorating body. Now she has been
gone for more than two years and sometimes I still
shed a tear and miss her so, but more often than not,
I think of her as the beautiful young woman she was
when I was born and as the wonderful mother who
nurtured me as a child, who encouraged me when I
was down and discouraged at times as a teenager
and who guided me even as an adult as I faced the
challenges of life. I knew I could always count on her
unconditional love and her unfaltering example of
faith in the great eternal plan of our Father in Heaven
and that everything would be alright in the end. I
never had a doubt that she knew who she was, "A Child
of Royal Birth", and why she was here and where
she was ultimately going.

I feel much like Abraham Lincoln must have felt ,
when he said: "All that I am or ever hope to be,
I owe to my angel mother."

I still feel her influence in my life and am so grateful
for all she has done and continues to do for me.

The picture below of Greg Olsen's "Heavenly Hands"
painting has often come to my mind and reminded
me of the love and guidance I received as a youth
and continue to receive even to this very day from
my wonderful mother.


There are other women who also have played a
very significant role in my life. I will mention some
of those who have been most important to me.

My thoughts go now to a wonderful mother in Georgia,
who brought my dear wife into the world and nurtured
her, much as I was nurtured by my own mother. She
taught Iris the important principles of the gospel and
helped her to establish a faith,which would be unshakable.
She allowed her enough freedom to come out west, where
I was fortunate enough to meet her and persuade her to
marry me. Because of my sweet and faithful mother-in-law
I have had the happy lot and honor to be married to one of
the choicest daughters of God. I will be forever grateful for
her love and her faith as she, with "Heavenly Hands" and
heart raised Iris to be the woman I love and the mother of
our seven wonderful children.

The next woman on my list is, of course, my eternal
companion, Iris. I feel that our meeting and life together
was inspired by our Father in Heaven. Somehow it just
seems that all that has happened over these years of our
life together was meant to be. There have been many
good times, a few difficult ones and even some that have
caused heartache and tears, but together we have
weathered the worst and learned from our experiences
and together we have relied on the Spirit, which has
brought comfort to our souls and has caused us to grow
and develop in faith and understanding as we have
raised our own family. Often I have seen Iris with
"Heavenly Hands" and heart reach out to comfort a child
and bring peace to our home. No words of gratitude will
ever suffice for all that she has done and is to me. I love
her with all my heart and rejoice in the prospects of
eternity together with her.

Next, I would like to mention seven other special women,
the mothers of my 23 and soon to be 24 grandchildren.
Our grandchildren are very precious to us and we share
a similar concern for them as we did for our own sons and
daughter. It gives us great comfort to know that each of you,
Rene, Shana, Chalisa, MEgan, Alison, Candice, and Samatha,
that you too, love your children unconditionally and
that you too, with "Heavenly Hands" and hearts nurture and
care for your own children, our beloved grandchildren, and are
raising them up to be good people ,who care for others and
have faith in the things of most worth. I see each of them
developing in their own way with the aid of sincere and loving
mothers, who take the time to nurture and provide the things
of most importance as they develop attributes of character
which will serve them well in this life and in the eternities.
We feel very fortunate, that our sons chose great wives, who
not only wanted children, but who also take the time and have
the patience to teach them and to love them. We are grateful that
our daughter, Alison, is a loving mother and that she sets such a
great example to her own children and others.

We rejoice that each of you wonderful women are mothers, and that
you are all a part of our family. We look forward to an eternity of
wonderful associations and love with each of you, who are, wonderful
daughters of our Father in Heaven.

Here's wishing all of you a very HAPPY MOTHERS DAY and many
more to come. We love you all very much.