Elder Yates: A Mother's Love

AWESOME SAUCE!! That's how this week went! I can't explain the feeling, emotions, and love that I have felt this past weekend! With so many days that we spent outside of our area and not proselyting, I felt as if nothing got done. However, I am so grateful that our loving Father in Heaven still would reach out in love and provide us with tender mercies to have throughout the week.

The biggest tender mercy that I saw this week was when we were at the Beechnut Building having our Zone Leadership meeting. During the meeting, I had a very strong impression that whatever I am doing here, will help and benefit my family in the future. This is something that I look forward to, but know that the harder that I work, the better my life after the mission will be!

Of course, the actual best tender mercy was talking to my mom! I was getting so impatient throughout the week, and when it finally arrived, my heart was filled with all those emotions and feelings previously described.

Like the Primary song says... "Like sunshine in the morning that wakens day from night, like flowers in the springtime so colorful and bright, like happy songs bluebirds that fill the air with cheer, A person bright and lovely is my mother dear."

I love being able to talk to my momma! She truly does bring sunshine and joy into my soul! Having a strong mother figure in my life has made all the difference! I love my mom! I love the mother figures who have also been guiding me throughout my life! I want to thank all of you! Momma Yates, Aunt Stacey, Grandma Yates and Metcalf. All of you have pushed me to become better, and because of that... Here I am!

From a conference talk in October 2015 called "Behold Thy Mother" from Elder Jefferey R. Holland, he puts the divine calling of a mother in a way I couldn't ever say better. He says, "No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child." This is such a true statement. A mother's love is so much closer to that of Christ's love for all of us!

In Alma 56:47-48, it says...

"47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

I love this story! It is such a great show of love and respect to their mothers. These some two thousand young men, who had never fought in their life, knew that if and when they would listen to the teachings of their mothers, they would not perish. Oh how true this is!

My own mother has warned me and helped me become better throughout my life and continues to lead and guide me almost 1,500 miles away! How blessed are mothers? How blessed are we? I love my mother, and all she does for me!

So, to all of you mothers out there reading this, Happy Mothers Day! And to all the rest of you, Happy regular Monday! Haha, I love you all!!

-Elder J.T.Yates