Faith of Our Mothers

The opening hymn of or worship service in church today was "Faith of our Fathers." As I sang the thought provoking words, I considered my own situation today. There I was sitting next to my own mother who will turn 93 years old this week. (My wife, Marguerite, is in California this week caring for our daughter, Julie, who had her tonsils out on Wednesday.) My mother's mother, "Nana", was 93, I seem to remember, when she passed away. I had shared my room with her for a time after I returned from my church mission while I still lived at home in my parents house before I married. I was a busy college student and working part time, but I got up at night with "Nana" to gently wheel her to the bathroom on my mother's little sewing chair with casters. Oh, how I loved this dear, sweet grandmother of mine! It was her faith and faithfulness as a single mother of a son and a daughter that made MY mother what she is to me. MY mother has been an example of faith and faithfulness all of my life. I also considered as I sat and pondered, the faithfulness of my wife, Marguerite, as she has watched over our children, teaching them faith and devotion to correct principles, when I, myself, felt inadequate and defeated. (Yes, there were times as they emerged from teen agers to adulthood that I felt defeated.) She would go to the ends of the earth to rescue a child of ours in time of need. (Even to California) So why is there not a hymn, "Faith of our Mothers"? I thought of last week's general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the talk given by the apostle, Russell M. Nelson, extolling the qualities and faithfulness of good women and how much these qualities and Christlike attributes are needed in this generation of rapidly decaying societal values. I, myself, have lived long enough to witness four generations of faithful women in my own immediate family; and know them to be the kind of women this apostle was pleading for: the kind of women who will stand as a light and a beacon to the women of this world who are confused by the noise and clamor of the many messages conveyed to them in these times of spiritual darkness. I mentioned to my daughters listening with me that he was describing them. Yes, I am grateful for the "Faith of our Fathers." I do not wish to diminish their sacrifices in my behalf; but all their efforts could never have been sufficient alone to do the works necessary to shepherd their children in faith and faithfulness through the generations without the selfless devotion of faithful wives and mothers. I pay tribute to these valiant women for the often unheralded roll they have played in doing the works of the Savior, Jesus Christ, throughout all the trials and challenges of their mortal lives from generation to generation. Yes, such women are needed more than ever before! My daughters have a rich legacy to cary on; and I have every hope and expectation that they are fully equipped to do exactly what is needed for the times they shall live in. To my daughters and daughter-in-law, I say: I LOVE YOU and I TRUST YOU!

Terry Stephens