Priesthood Striving for Motherhood

After observing the Savior preach about salvation and the way thereto, Nicodemus approached and asked that which weighed upon his heart, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

After further discussion pertaining to the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, Christ finally answered, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Again…

Again...

Though a man must be born again before entering the Kingdom of God, do we stop often enough to commemorate the original miracle: that man was born at all?

Watching each pregnancy as it was celebrated and endured by my wife filled me with wonder. As Adam saw that his wife was the mother of all living, I noted an equivalent with my companion. Week after week, flesh combined with spirit and grew into a living soul. How wonderful the opportunity must be—trusted by heaven, as a mutual partner, to be the vessel in which water, blood, flesh and spirit combine to create life!

As weeks turn into months, and little cells become eyes, limbs, torso and head, the womb changes from a place of celebration to one of distress. During the final days before delivery, many mothers experience a period of anxious suffering.

Analogously, during the final days of His ministry, in order also to bring about life, Christ suffered.

Mathew recorded, “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

In the final hours of each pregnancy, I watched my wife, heavy and tired, wish for some relief—even some other way that the little life within her could be delivered without such pending anguish to her mind, emotions and body.

Like Christ asked, she too wished for me to tarry near, it was too much for her to bear alone.

As He felt the pending anguish hasten nearer, He continued to seek for support, both from His sleeping friends and from Heaven.

Comfortless, my wife asked me to be awake with her while we waited hours into the night, and like the apostles, I felt helpless and never knew how to provide calm or comfort.

Then came the suffering of our Lord from within the garden. Only He can describe it thus, “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink… how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.”

Moments before each life arrives, as the womb contracts and the body prepares for delivery, many mothers endure such suffering and distress, as to cause tears, sweating, and pain to such extreme that only a woman knows—how sore, how hard to bear, man will never know.

After impossible suffering, the shedding of much blood, even unto death, Christ then rose from the tomb; having delivered himself from all peril to then provide life, with rejoicing and great joy.

Is it any wonder that women saw Him first? Who else, besides a woman or a mother, could ever appreciate that righteous suffering brings forth life triumphant?

How wonderful, amazing, inspiring and awe striking can it be?

As a man, I will never know. While standing along side my wife and observing the birth of my son, I learned a profound truth: I would never empathize with the Atonement of Christ as much as the mother of any child would--for I have never suffered great pains to bring forth life.

When testifying of His work and His glory, it is of little surprise then when He compares his love and concern to that of a mother's, “For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? … I will not forget thee, O house of Israel.”

As a child grows, will the mother disregard him? Never. It seems that it is always the mother that drops everything, every time, to ensure for the well being of her child.

What then is left for the man to do? 

It is for him to learn to be as loving and as full of charity and service toward each child sent from heaven as the mother of that child is. How is it to be done? By obtaining the Priesthood—for Priesthood and Motherhood are directly related.

Just like a mother, the priesthood holder assumes the obligation and opportunity to care for all of God’s children. It is not until the priesthood bearer willfully drops everything, including the cares of the world, and cares for all mankind that he becomes like a mother. Just like she was chosen and called from the foundation of the world to play an intricate role in the Plan of Salvation—namely to bring spirits from heaven to earth, so too, a man ordained with the Priesthood should strive to not only be called, but to be chosen to play his role—namely to bring God’s children safely back to heaven.

Christ did not shirk His calling in the Plan of Salvation.

Mothers do not shirk their calling in the Plan of Salvation.

Would that every priesthood holder attended to his calling, even in the face of pending distress and grief, as well as the mother does to hers or as the Savior does to His.

Many men are called, but few are chosen.

Why are they not chosen?

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and [they] aspire to the honors of men…rather than learn this one lesson: Christ cares for His church as a groom cares for his bride. Men, in like fashion, should care for God’s children, as do their mothers.

If a man desires to do this, he will learn to behave like a mother and will understand that “no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood,

only by persuasion,

by long-suffering,

by gentleness

and meekness,

and by love unfeigned;

by kindness,

and pure knowledge,

which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost;

and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men,

and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly;

then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God;

and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. (D/C 121)

If a man does this, he will finally feel toward others like a mother feels toward her own. This is what every priesthood holder should strive for.

Elder Jeffery Holland taught, “The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever… Mothers, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are, better than you are, and better than you have ever been. And if, for whatever reason, you are making this courageous effort alone, without your husband at your side, then our prayers will be all the greater for you. Know that in faith things will be made right in spite of you, or more correctly, because of you. We thank all of you, and tell you there is nothing more important in this world than participating so directly in the work and glory of God.

May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.’”

Though I have the priesthood, I seek the attributes of MOTHERHOOD.