When a mother turns her child toward the light of Jesus Christ, she gives them the greatest gift of all—a hope for eternal life.
We spoke with three Latter-day Saints about how their mothers, by example, shared with them the Savior’s unending and life-giving light.
Catherine
The night before I received my temple endowment, I felt an oppressive sense of darkness as I tried to fall asleep. Emotions of negativity and shame were pushing down on me. I hadn’t done anything egregiously wrong that needed to be taken care of—I knew that in my head. But past sins came to my mind vividly. I had the recurring thought “You are not worthy to go to the temple.”
It took real effort to throw the covers off and race upstairs to my parents’ bedroom. I woke up my mom. I told her what I was feeling and wondered if my dad could give me a blessing. She sat up in bed, took my hand, and said, “Maybe we haven’t exhausted all our resources first with prayer. Let’s find a place to pray together.”
We went out to the living room and knelt down. My mom said to me, “Jesus Christ is always stronger than any darkness.” And still holding my hand, she began to pray. With her faith and words, it felt to me like she was pulling heaven right into the room with us. She wasn’t just asking for Jesus to dismiss the darkness that I was wrestling with, but it seemed to me that she was laying claim on a promise that had already been made to her.
With her prayer, the feelings of heaviness left entirely, and eventually, I was able to pray out loud, too. My body relaxed, and I felt deeply relieved, as if a warm light were flooding my spirit. I went back to bed after that and was able to fall asleep.
It wasn’t until years later that I realized what my mom had known then: Women have access to priesthood power, and our covenants offer us a direct conduit to heaven. I’m sure having a blessing from my dad would’ve been good too, and the next day he did give me a blessing. But I think my mom wanted me to understand that I will always have a direct connection to God through prayer.
My mom passed away in 2017 after a long battle with brain cancer. During the last years of her life, she chose a faith of acceptance and submission instead of faith to see a miracle. It was one of the most sacred things I have ever witnessed. Until the very end, she knew and believed that the Lord was doing what was best for her, even though it wasn’t really what she wanted. She trusted in His ability to see further and to know more than she did.
Her love for Jesus and her testimony of Him still live on in my life and in my kids’ lives. My mom’s example continues to bless us every day.
Aman
My mom and dad are both from very small communities in North India. After their arranged marriage, they moved to the United States and opened a retail store in West Virginia. My dad was already a member of the Church, and my mom chose to be baptized about eight weeks after they arrived.
At that time, my dad spoke enough English to get by, but my mom only spoke Punjabi and Hindi. It took her years and years to become proficient in English. Even still, she sometimes struggles. But when I was growing up, she had a rule: Before we could leave the house to go to school, every single person had to read at least five verses of scripture.
It didn’t matter how late we were, how tired we were, or what time it was. My mom, brother, and I all had to read a total of at least 15 verses. And if we had enough time, we’d read even more. My dad would read with us too if he hadn’t left for work yet.
Because the scriptures aren’t written in modern English, it was sometimes challenging for my mom to read them out loud, and she would get stuck. Every few verses, she’d hit a word she didn’t know and would stare at it for about 15 or 20 seconds, trying to figure out what it meant or how to pronounce it.
As a kid, I’d been given all the tools I needed to learn to read English, so I didn’t understand why she was struggling. I remember sometimes feeling bitter and wanting her to pass me the scriptures so I could read her verses if we were running late. But she never let me. If her reading meant we missed the bus, then she’d drive my brother and me to school.
My mom taught me by example that just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. Studying the gospel in another language required a lot of diligence and effort on her part, but she was willing to give it her all. She showed me that it’s not an option to skip the tiny things that build our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those are some of my best memories from growing up.
It’s truly because of my mom that I love the scriptures and read them every day.
Adassa
My mom died for a few seconds while giving birth to my older sister. She literally flatlined in the delivery room. My parents aren’t members of the Church, but they believe in God, so my dad prayed that my mom would be OK. She was resuscitated and lived, but after that, the doctors told her that her body wouldn’t be able to handle another pregnancy. They warned her not to risk her life again.
My mom felt in her heart that she was supposed to have a second baby, though, and 14 months later, she gave birth to me. Some may see that decision as recklessness, but I see it as faithfulness. I think sometimes faith is saying yes to life when it would be easier to say no. It’s stepping forward when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. My mom knew that life is sacred, and she chose to risk her life to give me mine.
I was born a month early with a hole in my heart, underdeveloped lungs, and liver issues. When my mom held my head in her hand, my feet didn’t even reach the crook of her elbow—and my mom is only five feet tall! But I lived.
Years later, when I was five years old, my family was briefly homeless. My parents had just started a moving company, and my older sister and I slept on cardboard boxes in the back of the moving truck at night. We could have gone to live with my grandma, but my mom didn’t want to separate the four of us. She did everything she could to keep our family together, even when it felt impossible.
My mom has shown me that following Christ doesn’t always look perfect. Sometimes, it’s simply choosing to hope instead of fear, or deciding to quietly endure a trial instead of giving up. Motherhood is not easy, but life was never meant to be easy! Like a roller coaster, there are some ups and downs and terrifying parts, and others that are exhilarating and full of laughter.
I recently wrote a song called “Drink It Up.” It’s about embracing everything that life sends our way. My mom’s example helps me do that. She’s endured heavy seasons, but she’s always kept going. That kind of persistence gives me courage. It reminds me that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are involved in our stories and that They work with real people, not perfect ones. With Their help, I know we can get through anything.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the March/April issue of LDS Living Magazine.
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