Book of Mormon: Day 119: Natural Mom or Saint Mom?

Today’s Reading: Mosiah 3:19-27

19 For the natural [mom] is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless [she] yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural [mom] and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as [her] child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [her], even as [her] child doth submit to [her mother].

It was yet another day of piano practice.  A tortuous 30 minutes of pain and suffering for both mother and child–correcting and repeating, repeating and correcting.  He was on his third week with the same song, so clearly I had had enough of letting him practice his “own” way.  I finally intervened at the request of the teacher to help him learn the notes and rhythms correctly, despite his absolute refusal to receive any guidance.  Afterall, I believed that was what a saintly Mormon mother would do.  How would he ever play all those hymns in seminary and on his mission at this rate?  Our voices escalated; his body language recoiled in frustration.  I was determined for him to finally get it right. Since I was the expert, I knew better and he needed to do it my way!   In a fury of indignation and with the air of a martyr, I briskly walked into the kitchen to calm down, only to find myself entering a sacred space.

My five year-old daughter, sitting alone at the counter, had her head down and appeared to be distressed as I heard little whimpers coming from her.  Immediately I felt my conscience pricked as I assumed my verbal sparring with her brother had chaffed her sensitive soul.  I asked her what was wrong and in a raw and tender gesture she looked up at me and said,

“I am telling Jesus how sorry I am for all the wrong things I did when I was 3 and 4.”

What irony–what contrast!

How different the spirit felt in that room.  My daughter was humbly and submissively allowing the Spirit to teach her to repent and become a saint while the “natural mom” in me was aiming to wring piano repentance from my son at all costs.  

My daughter had a desire to improve and, through various sources, had been taught how to “yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit”.  If I wanted my son to learn those same lessons on the piano, I needed to lead righteously–I needed to “yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and submit to my own Father–becoming meek, humble, patient, and full of love.

I realize now that only through the atonement can I put off the “natural mom” in every way and in every circumstance.  I thought helping my children practice choosing right from wrong automatically justified my methods.  However, I’ve learned that even when I’m teaching worthwhile lessons such as piano skills, modesty, dating, or living the Word of Wisdom, it’s not the subject matter, but the manner by which I teach that will eventually make me a saint. Heavenly Father doesn’t need any more “natural moms” to raise his spirit children.  He needs more mothers who are striving to become saints and teach with humility, patience, love and submission…submission to his will. He allows all his children, including me, the possibility of making the wrong choice, the privilege of repenting when we do, and the glorious reward of his grace every step along the way.  

Klea Harris

I was born and raised in Alberta, Canada and California and promised every childhood friend I would never raise my family in Utah…until I fell in love with the most amazing fourth generation Orem boy. Now we are raising our kids in the house he grew up in and we love it. I am an estate planning attorney and marriage educator but I really want to be better at those half-baked talents like speaking Spanish, playing the piano, and making dinner every night! Read more about me at mormon.org