strengthen so that I can strengthen By Elder Jeffrey 

R. Holland
others? Where do I want to be a Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
year from now? two years from now?
What choices do I need to make to

Behold Thy Mother

get there?” Just remember, you are a
pilot, and you are in charge. I testify
that as you come to yourself, your
Heavenly Father will come to you.
By the comforting hand of His Holy No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus
Spirit, He will help you along. Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.
I bear my testimony that God lives.
I bear my special witness that the
Savior loves you. “Shall we not go on
in [His great] cause? Go forward and

M
not backward.” 20 As you follow Him, ay I join with all of you in Bear, borne, carry, deliver. These
He will strengthen and uphold you. welcoming Elder Ronald A. are powerful, heartening messianic
He will bring you up to your highest Rasband, Elder Gary E. words. They convey help and hope
home. In the name of Jesus Christ, Stevenson, and Elder Dale G. Renlund for safe movement from where we are
amen. ◼ and their wives to the sweetest associa- to where we need to be—but cannot
tion they could possibly imagine. get without assistance. These words
NOTES
1. Doctrine and Covenants 105:35.
Prophesying of the Savior’s also connote burden, struggle, and
2. 2 Nephi 25:4. Atonement, Isaiah wrote, “He hath fatigue—words most appropriate in
3. See Genesis 39. borne our griefs, and carried our describing the mission of Him who, at
4. See 1 Nephi 2.
5. See Matthew 2.
sorrows.” 1 A majestic latter-day vision unspeakable cost, lifts us up when we
6. Doctrine and Covenants 78:18. emphasized that “[ Jesus] came into have fallen, carries us forward when
7. See Doctrine and Covenants 88:63. the world . . . to bear the sins of the strength is gone, delivers us safely
8. Doctrine and Covenants 11:12, 14.
9. Teachings of Presidents of the Church:
world.” 2 Both ancient and modern home when safety seems far beyond
Joseph Smith (2007), 265. scripture testify that “he redeemed our reach. “My Father sent me,” He
10. 2 Nephi 9:29. them, and bore them, and carried them said, “that I might be lifted up upon the
11. Genesis 2:24.
12. Jacob 4:10.
all the days of old.” 3 A favorite hymn cross; . . . that as I have been lifted up
13. Doctrine and Covenants 38:30. pleads with us to “hear your great . . . even so should men be lifted up
14. Helaman 3:35. Deliv’rer’s voice!” 4 . . . to . . . me.” 5
15. Acts 10:38.
16. See Boyd K. Packer, Teach Ye Diligently
(1975), 145.
17. See Doctrine and Covenants 58:28.
18. Nathan Clarkson, in Emma Koonse,
“‘Confessions of a Prodigal Son’
Writer Says ‘We Are All Prodigals,’
Modern Retelling of Story Aimed at
Millennials,” Christian Post, Jan. 26, 2015,
christianpost.com.
19. Luke 15:17.
20. Doctrine and Covenants 128:22.

Share This Message

Scan this QR code or visit
lds.org/go/Oct15Conf5 to watch
this talk or to find media to share.

NOVEMBER 2015 47
 My first account is a cautionary one,
reminding us that not every maternal
effort has a storybook ending, at least
not immediately. That reminder stems
from my conversation with a beloved
friend of more than 50 years who was
dying away from this Church he knew
in his heart to be true. No matter how
much I tried to comfort him, I could not
seem to bring him peace. Finally he lev-
eled with me. “Jeff,” he said, “however
painful it is going to be for me to stand
But can you hear in this language are heartbreaking exceptions, but most before God, I cannot bear the thought
another arena of human endeavor in mothers know intuitively, instinctively of standing before my mother. The gos-
which we use words like bear and that this is a sacred trust of the highest pel and her children meant everything
borne, carry and lift, labor and deliver ? order. The weight of that realization, to her. I know I have broken her heart,
As Jesus said to John while in the very especially on young maternal shoul- and that is breaking mine.”
act of Atonement, so He says to us all, ders, can be very daunting. Now, I am absolutely certain that
“Behold thy mother!” 6 A wonderful young mother recently upon his passing, his mother received
Today I declare from this pulpit wrote to me: “How is it that a human my friend with open, loving arms; that
what has been said here before: that being can love a child so deeply that is what parents do. But the cautionary
no love in mortality comes closer to you willingly give up a major portion portion of this story is that children
approximating the pure love of Jesus of your freedom for it? How can mortal can break their mothers’ heart. Here
Christ than the selfless love a devoted love be so strong that you voluntar- too we see another comparison with
mother has for her child. When Isaiah, ily subject yourself to responsibility, the divine. I need not remind us that
speaking messianically, wanted to vulnerability, anxiety, and heartache Jesus died of a broken heart, one
convey Jehovah’s love, he invoked the and just keep coming back for more weary and worn out from bearing the
image of a mother’s devotion. “Can a of the same? What kind of mortal love sins of the world. So in any moment
woman forget her sucking child?” he can make you feel, once you have a
asks. How absurd, he implies, though child, that your life is never, ever your
not as absurd as thinking Christ will own again? Maternal love has to be
ever forget us.7 divine. There is no other explanation
This kind of resolute love “suffereth for it. What mothers do is an essential
long, and is kind, . . . seeketh not her element of Christ’s work. Knowing
own, . . . but . . . beareth all things, that should be enough to tell us the
believeth all things, hopeth all things, impact of such love will range between
endureth all things.” 8 Most encouraging unbearable and transcendent, over and
of all, such fidelity “never faileth.” 9 “For over again, until with the safety and
the mountains shall depart and the hills salvation of the very last child on earth,
be removed,” Jehovah said, “but my we can [then] say with Jesus, ‘[Father!]
kindness shall not depart from thee.” 10 I have finished the work which thou
So too say our mothers. gavest me to do.’ 11 ”
You see, it is not only that they bear With the elegance of that letter
us, but they continue bearing with us. It echoing in our minds, let me share
is not only the prenatal carrying but the three experiences reflecting the majes-
lifelong carrying that makes mothering tic influence of mothers, witnessed in
such a staggering feat. Of course, there my ministry in just the past few weeks:

48 SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION | OCTOBER 3, 2015

of temptation, may we “behold [our]
mother” as well as our Savior and spare
them both the sorrow of our sinning.
Secondly, I speak of a young man
who entered the mission field worthily
but by his own choice returned home
early due to same-sex attraction and
some trauma he experienced in that
regard. He was still worthy, but his faith
was at crisis level, his emotional burden
grew ever heavier, and his spiritual
pain was more and more profound. He
was by turns hurt, confused, angry, and
desolate.
His mission president, his stake presi­
dent, his bishop spent countless hours
searching and weeping and blessing
him as they held on to him, but much of
his wound was so personal that he kept
at least parts of it beyond their reach.
The beloved father in this story poured
his entire soul into helping this child, him—again—only this time it was not he has, at his own request and with
but his very demanding employment for nine months. This time she thought the Church’s considerable assistance,
circumstance meant that often the long, that laboring through the battered land- reentered the mission field to complete
dark nights of the soul were faced by scape of his despair would take forever. his service to the Lord. I have wept
just this boy and his mother. Day and But with the grace of God, her own over the courage, integrity, and deter-
night, first for weeks, then for months tenacity, and the help of scores of mination of this young man and his
that turned into years, they sought Church leaders, friends, family mem- family to work things out and to help
healing together. Through periods of bit- bers, and professionals, this impor- him keep his faith. He knows he owes
terness (mostly his but sometimes hers) tuning mother has seen her son come much to many, but he knows he owes
and unending fear (mostly hers but home to the promised land. Sadly we the most to two messianic figures in
sometimes his), she bore—there’s that acknowledge that such a blessing does his life, two who bore him and carried
beautiful, burdensome word again—she not, or at least has not yet, come to all him, labored with him and delivered
bore to her son her testimony of God’s parents who anguish over a wide vari- him—his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
power, of His Church, but especially ety of their children’s circumstances, and his determined, redemptive, abso-
of His love for this child. In the same but here there was hope. And, I must lutely saintly mother.
breath she testified of her own uncom- say, this son’s sexual orientation did not Lastly, this from the rededication of
promised, undying love for him as well. somehow miraculously change—no the Mexico City Mexico Temple just
To bring together those two absolutely one assumed it would. But little by three weeks ago. It was there with
crucial, essential pillars of her very little, his heart changed. President Henry B. Eyring that we saw
existence—the gospel of Jesus Christ He started back to church. He chose our beloved friend Lisa Tuttle Pieper
and her family—she poured out her to partake of the sacrament willingly stand in that moving dedicatory ser-
soul in prayer endlessly. She fasted and worthily. He again obtained a vice. But she stood with some difficulty
and wept, she wept and fasted, and temple recommend and accepted a call because with one arm she was holding
then she listened and listened as this to serve as an early-morning seminary up her beloved but severely challenged
son repeatedly told her of how his teacher, where he was wonderfully daughter, Dora, while with the other
heart was breaking. Thus she carried successful. And now, after five years, she was trying to manipulate Dora’s

NOVEMBER 2015 49
dysfunctional right hand so this lim- By Elder Bradley D. Foster
ited but eternally precious daughter of Of the Seventy
God could wave a white handkerchief
and, with groans intelligible only to

It’s Never Too Early

herself and the angels of heaven, cry
out, “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to
God and the Lamb.” 12

and It’s Never Too Late

To all of our mothers everywhere,
past, present, or future, I say, “Thank
you. Thank you for giving birth, for
shaping souls, for forming character,
and for demonstrating the pure love It’s never too early and it’s never too late to lead, guide, and walk beside
of Christ.” To Mother Eve, to Sarah,
Rebekah, and Rachel, to Mary of
our children, because families are forever.
Nazareth, and to a Mother in Heaven,
I say, “Thank you for your crucial role
in fulfilling the purposes of eternity.”

B
To all mothers in every circumstance, rothers and sisters, we are In the Book of Mormon, the Savior
including those who struggle—and engaged in a battle with the appeared to the Nephites. He gathered
all will—I say, “Be peaceful. Believe world. In the past, the world their little children around Him. He
in God and yourself. You are doing competed for our children’s energy blessed them, prayed for them, and
better than you think you are. In fact, and time. Today, it fights for their iden- wept over them.3 Then He said to the
you are saviors on Mount Zion,13 and tity and mind. Many loud and prom- parents, “Behold your little ones.” 4
like the Master you follow, your love inent voices are trying to define who The word behold means to look and
‘never faileth.’ 14 ” I can pay no higher our children are and what they should see. What did Jesus want the parents
tribute to anyone. In the name of believe. We cannot let society give to see in their little ones? Did He want
Jesus Christ, amen. ◼ our family a makeover in the image them to catch a glimpse of their chil-
NOTES
of the world. We must win this battle. dren’s divine potential?
1. Isaiah 53:4. Everything depends on it.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 76:41. The children of the Church sing
3. Doctrine and Covenants 133:53; see also
Isaiah 63:9.
a song that teaches them about their
4. “Israel, Israel, God Is Calling,” Hymns, real identity: “I am a child of God. . . .
no. 7. He has sent me here, has given me an
5. 3 Nephi 27:14.
6. John 19:27. earthly home with parents.” Then the
7. See Isaiah 49:15. children’s plea to us: “Lead me, guide
8. Moroni 7:45; see also 1 Corinthians me, walk beside me. . . . Help me to
13:4–7.
9. Moroni 7:46; see also 1 Corinthians 13:8. understand his words before it grows
10. 3 Nephi 22:10; see also Isaiah 54:10. too late.” 1
11. John 17:4. President Russell M. Nelson taught
12. See History of the Church, 2:427–28.
13. See Obadiah 1:21. us in our last general conference that,
14. Moroni 7:46; see also 1 Corinthians 13:8. from here on out, we must be engaged
in “intentional parenting.” 2 These are
perilous times. But the good news is
Share This Message God knew this would be the case, and
Scan this QR code or visit He has provided counsel in the scrip-
lds.org/go/Oct15Conf6 to watch
this talk or to find media to share. tures for us to know how to help our
children and our grandchildren.

50 SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION | OCTOBER 3, 2015