My Mother Knows It

As a missionary, I can call home twice a year. And neither of those times are intended to wish your
mom a happy birthday. Luckily, since I am allowed to do internet proselyting, I can wish her a happy birthday via a blog post about what kind of a mother she is! Yay!

In the Book of Mormon, the most commonly read chapters about mothers are the mothers of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors. These young warriors (keep in mind, they are being described as young to a Captain Moroni who was only 25 when called to head the entire Nephite army) "were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God to walk uprightly before him." (Alma 53:20-21.)

They were taught. From the beginning of mankind, the home has been the first church. Adam and Eve didn't exactly have a bishop to go to for advice. They were solely responsible for the righteous upbringing of their children. Think about that: there weren't any great teachers at school or very attentive Young Men's leaders for Adam and Eve's kids to get the real nurturing they needed. It was the parents or nothing.

In the New Testament, Paul comments on Timothy's "unfeigned faith," but then specifies that that faith "dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice." (2 Timothy 1:5.) Look at what that righteous example of the women in Timothy's life accomplished! An Apostle of the Lord, all starting with the unquestionable faith of the women who raised him.

Back to the Stripling Warriors, though. How did they learn to be such upstanding men? "They had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." (Alma 56:47.)

The very next verse says something else really interesting, that I don't know if we look at as much: "We do not doubt our mothers knew it." (Alma 56:48.)

Who did they learn from? Their mothers. How were they taught? By the simple fact that they could tell their mothers really knew what they were teaching.

I can't even begin to describe the example my mom has been to me, nor can I really show what it has done for me. After a year on my own at Utah State University and now almost ten months on my mission, I am so thankful that I had a mother who "knew it."

She knew that I needed scouting. She knew that I needed sports. She knew that I was ADHD and needed to chew gum in class (haha, long story on that one....). She knew that even though my teacher had to call home to explain how loud I was in class, I wasn't really  trying to be bad. Even more, she knew that the gospel had been restored on the Earth, and that obedience to the commandments of that gospel would be a strength to our entire family.

I remember once upon a time, I was really, really dumb. I was only about 15, but I decided the church really wasn't for me. How I could decide that when I was 15, I don't know. But I was convinced. I had what I thought was just the perfect freshman in high school life, and I was all set. I didn't care about seminary or mutual or Duty to God or anything along those lines. But my mom knew that those would be important. I wasn't allowed to sleep through a single day of early morning seminary. The "I'm too tired" excuse after football practice didn't work to keep me out of mutual. Then you know what? When I finally fell (go figure... 15-year-old Elder Allen really wasn't all he cracked himself up to be!), I had something to fall on. All because my mom "knew it."

Then came my senior year. My dad had been through years of career grief, and finally had an ideal job lined up in Wyoming. Neither of my parents wanted to take me out of school in the middle of my final year of high school, so my dad headed up to Wyoming while my mom stayed down in Tucson with my sister and me. Man, did I learn a lot about watching her.

The Family: a Proclamation to the World reads, "The family is ordained of God.... Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." My mom didn't hold anything back there. Even in the midst of the havoc of that senior year, she still made sure she was at every soccer game, tennis match, awards banquet, or church activity. We were still always at mutual and seminary. All the while, she was taking care of the entire house and getting it all ready for us to move just as soon as the school year was over. Bear in mind, she was a teacher, so she had to wrap up her own school year, as well. When I got on my mission, she explained to me a little bit of the behind-the-scenes to that stressful year, and just how important it was that she and my dad relied on their loving Heavenly Father. She looks back and doesn't just see stress, but countless tender mercies from trusting in God so much. That there is a mother who "knows it."

Julie Beck, who was at the time the General Relief Society President, said, "Female roles did not begin on earth, and they do not end here. A woman who treasures motherhood on earth will treasure motherhood in the world to come, and 'where [her] treasure is, there will [her] heart be also.' (Matthew 6:21.)" How grateful am I to have a mom like mine for all of eternity!

As a side note, did YOUR mom ever get you a cake with your face on it??? Yes, you in fact SHOULD be jealous. :)

Happy birthday Mom!! You're the BEST!!