Sunday

Since I am on a form of bedrest I don't go anywhere. Sometimes I run drive-through errands because it drives me crazy being house bound but I probably shouldn't. This is my second sunday of not going to church and to be honest, it is kind of depressing. So I have been trying to really research lots of older conference talks to be spiritually fed. I found this amazing talk by President Benson called, "To the Fathers in Israel." Which actually goes along quite nicely with a Mother's day theme. It was given in 1987 and the problems/advice President Benson gives are still present in our society today. It was amazing! Probably one of my favorite talks, especially because it concerns mothers and the value the Church puts on womanhood. Here are some exerts from the talk that I found so profound.

I think I will keep trying to post a Sunday post while on bedrest. It will help me "Open My Mouths" daily about the church, a challenge our Stake is working extremely hard on. Here is a link to the talk as well.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1987/10/to-the-fathers-in-israel?lang=eng

"In a home where there is an able-bodied husband, he is expected to be the breadwinner. Sometimes we hear of husbands who, because of economic conditions, have lost their jobs and expect the wives to go out of the home and work, even though the husband is still capable of providing for his family. In these cases, we urge the husband to do all in his power to allow his wife to remain in the home caring for the children while he continues to provide for his family the best he can, even though the job he is able to secure may not be ideal and family budgeting may have to be tighter."

"I remember the counsel of our beloved prophet Spencer W. Kimball to married students. He said: “I have told tens of thousands of young folks that when they marry they should not wait for children until they have finished their schooling and financial desires. … They should live together normally and let the children come." (This one really touched my heart because I have always felt guilty about not working while Matt went to graduate school. Because of that we had to take out student loans for the first time and it caused us both to stress. But we have been blessed with a job that allows us to live comfortably and pay for those student bills off.)

"However, along with that presiding position come important obligations. We sometimes hear accounts of men, even in the Church, who think that being head of the home somehow puts them in a superior role and allows them to dictate and make demands upon their family.

The Apostle Paul points out that “the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church” (Eph. 5:23; italics added). That is the model we are to follow in our role of presiding in the home. We do not find the Savior leading the Church with a harsh or unkind hand. We do not find the Savior treating His Church with disrespect or neglect. We do not find the Savior using force or coercion to accomplish His purposes. Nowhere do we find the Savior doing anything but that which edifies, uplifts, comforts, and exalts the Church. Brethren, I say to you with all soberness, He is the model we must follow as we take the spiritual lead in our families."

"What does it mean to love someone with all your heart? It means to love with all your emotional feelings and with all your devotion. Surely when you love your wife with all your heart, you cannot demean her, criticize her, find fault with her, or abuse her by words, sullen behavior, or actions."

"This kind of love can be shown for your wives in so many ways. First and foremost, nothing except God Himself takes priority over your wife in your life—not work, not recreation, not hobbies. Your wife is your precious, eternal helpmate—your companion."

"Love means being sensitive to her feelings and needs. She wants to be noticed and treasured. She wants to be told that you view her as lovely and attractive and important to you. Love means putting her welfare and self-esteem as a high priority in your life."

"Remember, brethren, love can be nurtured and nourished by little tokens. Flowers on special occasions are wonderful, but so is your willingness to help with the dishes, change diapers, get up with a crying child in the night, and leave the television or the newspaper to help with the dinner. Those are the quiet ways we say “I love you” with our actions. They bring rich dividends for such little effort."