As a mother of four children, who stays at home and is often asked what I do, I frequently ask myself that same question. What do I do? I am so grateful that the Lord has given me an answer. It is really plain, which most often His answers are "plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men" ( 1 Nephi 14:23). This answer comes from The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It states: "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children". I nurture our children. To some people this means to feed and make food. That is some of what I do. But I have come to learn that there is so much more to nurturing than just making food.
The unabridged definition from my Webster's New World Dictionary for nurture reads: "1) anything that nourishes; food; nutriment 2) the act or process of raising or promoting the development of; training, educating, fostering, etc.: 3) all the environmental factors, collectively, to which one is subjected from conception onward, as distinguished from one's nature or heredity - vt. 1) to feed or nourish 2a) to promote the development of b) to raise by educating, training, etc.-"(Websters New World Dictionaries, 1988). When understanding the entire definition of nurturing then mothers and women can more fully understand what they are really doing and the power and influence they have upon their families and on society.
What we truly are is nourishers. We nourish our children, who are our seed, and then we get to nourish them with the words of Christ. When we patiently teach our children truth we will "nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by [our] faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life" (Alma 32:41). Nourishing takes patience, diligence, time, and vision. When we want to educate, train, and foster development or change we have to have a perspective, and that perspective must be eternal.
The day to day tasks of making food, washing clothes, vacuuming, changing diapers, doing dishes, whatever stage of life you are in, must be kept in proper perspective. "Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective. Sometimes, that may even mean nurturing small but beautiful forget-me-not flowers instead of a large garden of exotic blooms" (Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf). It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I only say, "I am a mother" and don't add anything else to it, such as what my degree is or that I do art or any of my other interests. I am a nurturer of God's children, and that's enough, because I too am a child of God. We are enough with the time and talents which the Lord has blessed us to help build up and nurture His kingdom, which is His children, here on the earth. For we are all God's children, and we all need building, guiding, educating, nurturing. We can build each other by sharing our time and talents and serving and loving each other. Elder Maxwell said it perfectly when he stated: "We desire our women to be unarguably superb individuals, wives, and mothers, and they can contribute so much to this outcome by making the most of their educational opportunities, both now and by having a posture of lifetime learning...[You] give to our children what [you] are. The more a mother brings to a nest, the more nutritive the nest" (Taking up the Cross).
As women of God, who desire to strengthen homes and families, we are daily nurturing our families and our future. One of the most powerful ways to nurture our loved ones is to provide them ample opportunities to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3), and thus help them be "encircled about eternally in the arms of His love" (2 Nephi 1:15). The Spirit will show and teach us how to make this work for our individual circumstances. Having daily scriptures study with our children increases faith and helps give them protection against all the "fiery darts" that will and are coming at them from every direction (see Ephesians 6:16-17).
Another way to nurture is to educate them and guide them with the protection of His Spirit (see Ephesians 6:16) and teach them how to judge and "discern between good and evil" (Guide to the Scriptures). Judging is really about how to make good choices. It is the gift to discern between good and evil, to know right from wrong and then act, not react, using good judgement. This is a life long virtue to be nourished, the virtue of good judgement and how to judge.
There is so much to do as women of God as we nourish our families, not only our own families, but God's family. We "are primarily responsible for the nurture of [our] children" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World) and we are not left alone in this incredible and amazing responsibility. We are "women who know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, women who are strong and immovable and who do not give up during difficult and discouraging times " (Sister Julie B. Beck). We are daughters of God and "the most important of the Lord's work [we] will ever do will be within the walls of [our] own homes" (Pres. Harold B. Lee). This I testify.
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