One of the most important jobs in the universe

This job is sometimes seen as a burden or a pain. It can be looked at as a gift and a blessing. It all depends on how you look at it. Today, this job is specifically important. Unfortunately, this career can only be done by women; men have an equally important job that counters the one I will be addressing today. So, are you interested in this job? Alright then, you must be or you wouldn't still be reading this. I'd like to ask you a couple application questions. 1) Do you like kids? 2) Are you patient or could you learn to be? 3) Have you worked with children before? 4) Are you okay with having a few sleepless nights? 5) Would you mind being about kids 24/7? If you have answered yes to any of these questions then you are an excellent candidate for this essential responsibility. The job: Motherhood.


If you think that motherhood is not a job, let me try to convince you that it is. First off, where would we be without mothers? Who cooks most of the time? Who nurtures and loves you? I can't imagine life without mothers, and actually, there wouldn't be any life without mothers. If you still don't believe me then I challenge you to notice all the things mothers do for a whole week. What we see is only the tip of the iceberg.


Motherhood isn't a burden; it's a gift. We may not always think so, but it is. In fact, it's one of the greatest jobs there is. And being a mom is just as much a job as a police officer and it's just as important as the President of the United States, if not more. Mothers play a fundamental role in our time. I mean, this is an age where we can be easily confused and disoriented due to all the hectic views and choices all over the place that we have to make. mothers and Fathers have to work together to keep their families safe.

D. Todd Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the LDS church expounds his view on motherhood in his talk, The Moral Force of Women.

"From age immemorial, societies have relied on the moral force of women. While certainly not the only positive influence at work in society, the moral foundation provided by women has proved uniquely beneficial to the common good. Perhaps, because it is pervasive, this contribution of women is often underappreciated. I wish to express gratitude for the influence of good women, identify some of the philosophies and trends that threaten women’s strength and standing, and voice a plea to women to cultivate the innate moral power within them.

Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures.

...A woman’s moral influence is nowhere more powerfully felt or more beneficially employed than in the home. There is no better setting for rearing the rising generation than the traditional family, where a father and a mother work in harmony to provide for, teach, and nurture their children. Where this ideal does not exist, people strive to duplicate its benefits as best they can in their particular circumstances.

In all events, a mother can exert an influence unequaled by any other person in any other relationship. By the power of her example and teaching, her sons learn to respect womanhood and to incorporate discipline and high moral standards in their own lives. Her daughters learn to cultivate their own virtue and to stand up for what is right, again and again, however unpopular. A mother’s love and high expectations lead her children to act responsibly without excuses, to be serious about education and personal development, and to make ongoing contributions to the well-being of all around them. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once asked: “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?”" 1

This is only a part of what Elder Christofferson has said.

In this day the role of mothers has been beaten and kicked aside. In television shows and movies we see women as tough, mean and unfeeling. While women should be steadfast and courageous, being heartless and rude is not the mother's role. As Margret D. Nadauld has said, "The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity."2 This is so true. 

A mother's job is to care and nurture her children while her husband works and supports the family. In some homes this isn't the case; sometimes the mother needs to work in order to help her family. That's fine, but remember: the time with her loved ones is crucial.

So, what do you think about motherhood now? I don't know if I've changed your perspective for the good or not, but either way, please notice what mothers do for a week. You will be amazed.


1 The Moral Force of Women, D. Todd Christofferson
2 The Joy of Womanhood, Margaret D. Nadauld