Grant spoke in church today. It was Mother's Day. It was wonderful to hear his words about mothers. Here is the outline of his talk...
Mothers Play an Integral Role in the Plan of Salvation: Hens Gathering Chicks
Introduction of Myself
School
Mission Call
Teaching the Plan of Salvation
The Plan of Salvation in Summary: Plan Set forth, War begins
We are of divine origins. We are children of God.
Man was also in the abeginning with God. (D+C 93:29)
God is the eFather of fspirits (Hebrews 12:9)
we are the aoffspring of God (Acts 17:29)
In the premortal life, we exercised agency and we according to our righteousness were deemed “noble and great ones”
Plan is laid out-
And there stood aone among them that was like unto God (Jesus Christ), and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and bwe will make an earth whereon these may cdwell;
25 And we will aprove them herewith, to see if they will bdo all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who akeep their first bestate (premortal life) shall be added upon (get a body); and they who keep not their first estate (premortal life) shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second cestate (mortal body) shall have dglory added upon their heads for ever and ever (eternal life).
Our choice-
27 And the aLord said: Whom shall I bsend? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And canother answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will dsend the first.
28 And the asecond was angry, and kept not his first bestate (premortal life); and, at that day, many followed after him.
Our choice to follow God’s plan and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior has brought upon us the wrath of Satan who desires to have us.
The War Begins-
Satan wants what he cannot have-your body. His work would be to distract, confuse, and lead the children of God from their eternal goal
Become like God
God’s purposes were to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We were to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom he had sent.
God presented a plan wereby our quest to become like God could be fulfilled.
God’s work as stated in Moses 1:39 is in clear opposition to Satan’s desire which is to make all men miserable like unto himself.
On this day celebrating mothers, we will learn together of the magnificent and essential role that mothers’ fulfill in that great plan. We will learn how God uses Mother’s to fulfill His purposes from the beginning and throughout all eternity, how he uses Mother’s to overcome Satan and bring about the salvation of souls.
Eve-“mother of all living”.
Tempted of Satan, Partook of fruit and gave of Adam to eat thus bringing on the Fall of Man. Satan gaining power to tempt man thought he could frustrate God’s plans, but God’s plan would not fail.
Following the Fall, Adam and Eve bore children.
Moses 5: 11-12
And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had aseed, and never should have bknown good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
And Adam and aEve blessed the name of God, and they made all things bknown unto their sons and their daughters.
Moses 4:21
“And I will put aenmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; and he shall bbruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
(Christ’s victory over death made all those men who died in Adam alive, all made possible because of the choice of the “mother of all living”)
Sarah-“princess”-name suggesting royalty
Gen 17:16 And I will bless her, and agive thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a bmother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
(Christ came through her. Through her posterity, all nations of the world are being blessed through missionary work and other means.)
D+C 4 “marvelous work”
D+C 18 “worth of souls”
Satan and his power are again overcome through the word of God preached in all lands.
Mary- the possible Egyptian translation, a name derived from mara Mary means The beautiful or The perfect one.
Her bringing forth and raising of the Savior of all mankind was an absolutely essential and pivotal part of the plan. Christ was the plan. His Atonement made it all possible.
Alma 7:11-14
Mother’s of the Modern Day continue to overcome Satan and push forth the plan. They choose to raise families in an increasingly wicked world.
Latter day mother’s fight for righteousness. I remember my mother who during my younger education would be actively involed in her children’s education. When an issue arose over teaching of immoral or suspected immoral things in school, my mom was there to raise her voice and defend the faith. Elder literally means “defender of the faith” and I would consider my mother and many other women elders today.
Mothers who know!
What is it in these mothers that gives them the power to overcome Satan? Helaman’s strippling warriors give us the answer: they doubted not because their mothers knew it.
Today in our world, we need mothers who know!
Chirst showed great resprect for the mother figure. Repeatedly throughout the scriptures, he laments when addressing God’s children comparing himself to a Hen who would have gathered her chicks, but they would not. I think it is only fitting that He ended his earthly ministry by caring for his mother.
He said, “Behold thy mother’ speaking to John. Today that call goes to each of us from the Savior, “Behold thy mother”.
Care for her and love her, but behold her and her divinly appointed role to help fulfill the plan of salvation. Behold her works.
Be grateful for them. Truly they work beside the savior to gather the chicks under their wing so that they might partake of the happiness that is God’s and live with him again.
