I work in a furniture store. This past weekend we were giving mothers flowers in celebration of Mother’s Day. I am sure our approach would make Anna Jarvis spin in her grave, as Khaled Hamid pointed out in his post.

Our sales team discussed how we might present these flowers. The question was asked: “How do we know who is a mother?”

My first thought was “every woman is a mother“, so naturally every female customer should get a flower.

But the consensus of the sales team was that a mother is someone who has children and therefore we needed to delicately determine what female customers were eligible for our flowers.

While the sales team defined mothers as those women with children, I saw a larger vision of motherhood as informed by my faith. Maybe a vision that goes beyond the definition as presented by the founder of Mother’s Day. And one that escaped a customer in my store who refused my offer of a flower because, as she said, “I don’t have children, so I am not a mother.” I respected her position, but I felt sad because in my heart of heart I believe she is a mother.

 In church yesterday, I heard a talk by Doug Adolphson — a lay member — who said: “The doctrine of motherhood applies to all women, not only those who have had children. Motherhood started back in the Garden of Eden when God created Eve.” 

Adolphson quoted a Latter-day Saint scripture that reveals much about our concept of motherhood.

Moses 4:26 says, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many.”

Adolphson went on to say, “both Adam and God refer to Eve as ‘mother’ before she ever had children.”

Then he quoted a respected former woman leader in our church, Sheri Dew — who happens to be single, never married – : “motherhood began before we were born.” She explained what LDS believe, that women were “endowed pre-mortally with the privilege and responsibility of motherhood.”

Brother Adolphson noted, “we can see that motherhood is more than just bearing children, though I don’t want to take anything away from that sacred part of motherhood…I hope we understand that the traits and qualities of motherhood can be exemplified by all women, regardless of their marital status or how many children they have.”

I believe what God taught us about Eve, the mother of all living, is instructional for us all. Women are daughters of God, with the special role to nurture, love and serve their families and a world in much need of a mother’s touch. And as a Christian, I believe mothers can do much to bring children to Christ.

As vital as mothers are, the role of women as mothers is increasingly being demeaned, limited and misunderstood.

As an example, Brother Adolphson shared: “I was particularly disturbed this week by a commercial advertising Mother’s Day flowers when it said to get flowers for that special someone, ‘him’ or ‘her’ .”

I find it increasingly uncomfortable to talk about the role of motherhood. I am attacked as being un-PC, ill-informed or bigoted. Yet what is to come of a society that does not celebrate and support the role of women as mothers? Will our young girls and young women as a result of a watered-down or limited definition offered them not fully realize their potential? What are we communicating about motherhood?

What if all women were to realize and internalize their role as mothers – the ennobling traits and responsibilities that brings to bless lives. I believe it would be the most empowering way to lift women and to lift the world.

I am a woman and therefore I am a mother.

Related link: Daughters of God, by Elder M. Russell Ballard