Mother Taught Faith

 Personal history question for the week: What did your mother teach you about God and about faith? How did she teach you these lessons (FHE, scripture study, by example, etc.)? What miracles occurred in your mother’s life that you witnessed or that she told you about?

My mom faithfully attended church every week with us girls.  Often she attended alone with us as my dad wasn't always very active.  She accepted and served in callings.  I can remember that she had two visiting teachers that were very diligent and came each month to visit.  I don't remember their names or much about them, but I liked sitting next to my mom on the couch as they visited with her and shared a spiritual thought.  My parents didn't really go to social events or go on many dates or spend time with friends, so it felt special that two women visited my mom every month.

My mom taught us to pray.  And when we got older and my parents were divorced and my mom remarried, we began to have scripture study.  We didn't have scripture study or consistent FHE until I was a teenager. I don't remember a lot of formal teaching of the gospel in my home--though I'm sure there was more than I remember.   But I knew my mom loved the Lord and I developed a testimony as a child that strengthened as I grew.  

When I was a Beehive, my mom served as an advisor for the Mia Maids in the Young Women's program and I know the girls loved her and she loved them.  

But mostly my mom taught by example.  She was diligent in living the gospel, though I am certain it was challenging to do that on her own.  She had/has so many Christlike attributes...she is patient and kind and unselfish and loving.  She quietly goes about serving.  As I got older, she began going to the temple often and I think much of my life of the temple comes from her.   She was forgiving and never said unkind things about my dad after their divorce, even though I know he hurt her deeply.  She is quiet...she isn't silly or outgoing or very demonstrative but I have always known she loves me and that she loves the Lord.

As for miracles...I don't know of any big miracles.  But my mom raised three pretty remarkable girls.  She wrote in a letter to me (that I received at youth conference) that the Spirit had told her not to worry and that everything was going to be okay.  She said she didn't know what that meant but she trusted it was true.  And she met Mike and they have been married for more than 25 years now and she is happy and healthy and has a beautiful life.  Things have turned out more than okay and that probably feels pretty miraculous to her compared to how things were when I was 13-15 years old.  The Lord has taken care of her and blessed her.  

My words don't accurately convey all that my mom is or all that she taught me.  She lived what she believed and while she was mostly relatively quiet about her faith, I never doubted her faith.  I know she loves the Lord and I keep striving to become a little more like her.