My goal...continued.

So I have finished my book for February. "If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard" by Sheri Dew. There are two portions of the book I would like to share.

"Elder Neal A. Maxwell put the contribution of mothers in perspective when he said, "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?"

It is no wonder that Satan has declared war on motherhood. He understands full well that those who rock the cradle can rock his earthly empire, or Babylon. And he knows that without righteous mothers loving and leading the next generation, the kingdom of God will fail. When we understand--when we even catch a glimpse--of the magnitude of motherhood as God intended it to be, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of a woman's most sacred role.

President Joseph F. Smith taught that women, and particularly mothers, have such profound influence because "the love of a true mother comes nearer to being like the love of God than any other kind of love". And President Boyd K. Packer elaborated even further on the extent of a righteous woman's influence: "However much priesthood power and authority the men may possess... the safety of the family, the integrity of the doctrine, the ordinances, the covenants, indeed the future of the Church, rests equally upon the women".

How profound! I loved this part of the book. It helped me ponder what my role as a mother actually is and how important it is that I teach my kids the ways of God. I believe that the future of this generation and generations to come, rests on the shoulders of mothers as teachers to their children.

The other quote I really liked from this book, I decided to make a picture for our home as a good reminder:


"Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come" (D&C 68:6).

I've seen what happens to men and women who embody this truth--meaning, whose lives and attitudes and even faces reflect the good cheer borne of testimony. My first trip to Africa was life-changing in this respect. From our first day there, my traveling companions and I commented on how happy the people were--particularly the women. We saw them walking alongside the road carrying bundles and burdens bigger than they were, and they were always smiling. Though the privation with which many of them dealt was obvious, they spoke readily about the joy of their lives: their testimonies of Jesus Christ.

An episode in Accra, Ghana, is unforgettable. I had asked a large group of women, all Church leaders, to help me understand the unique challenges they faced. They were slow to respond and seemed to struggle with the question. Finally a beautiful African woman raised her hand and said, "Sister Dew, we do have challenges here, but we believe in Jesus Christ, and so we are happy."

How simple that statement is. If we will believe in Jesus Christ, we will be happy. And we will be happy because we will know why we are here on this earth. Despite all of the horrible things going on around us, we will be happy because we will know that he is not only looking after us but is willing to help is in our journey here on the earth.

I really liked this book.