Family Matters
When Motherhood Devours
Our approach to motherhood may be devouring our joy along with our children’s potential. The tragedy is that so many women don’t realize there is another way.
Allyson Flake Matsoso
May 18, 2022
Our approach to motherhood may be devouring our joy along with our children’s potential. The tragedy is that so many women don’t realize there is another way.
Children deserve to learn true doctrine enthusiastically and often, both at home and at church. We fail them if we’re ashamed or hesitant.
As Latter-day Saints, we often see the political news of the day through the lens of how it will affect families and children. One massive story that has somehow gone without major national notice is a troubling shortage of baby formula. WebMD has the story here: https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20220503/baby-formula-shortage-getting-worse Supply chain issues have hit all sectors of the economy. Baby formula has also been hit by a major recall from one of the country’s leading makers of baby formula. But few parts of the economy so directly affect the health and well-being of our most vulnerable. Today, approximately 31% of stores that usually carry baby formula, do not have it in stock. This crisis suggests direct and immediate action be taken to protect so many of our nation’s babies that rely on formula.
Despite strong hopes otherwise, many religious parents are seeing their children choosing a different path—a freedom that is as painful as it is Godly.
A small note today. Both The Courier and The Times in Scotland have run headlines largely advertising the faith of a couple cleared of abuse charges. Mormon bishop and midwife from Dundee cleared of abuse charges after five-day trial Mormon bishop and wife cleared of child assaults This is no surprise, as our study showed, media outlets are much more likely to use the word “Mormon” in connection with negative news. This illustrates the long-felt frustration that Latter-day Saints’ faith is only public in negative circumstances. This frustration perhaps is doubly felt this week, after the recent Washington Post article about influential Latter-day Saint journalist, Jack Anderson, left out his faith entirely except to note that he could not be assassinated by poison, because he didn’t drink.
Those who adhere to America’s largest faith tradition, Evangelical Christianity, report that their faith gives them tools such as conflict resolution and forgiveness that help their families’ lives.
In contrast to the negative scrutiny of African American families in the past, and consistent with the current focus on hearing the voices of Black Americans, the words and experiences of Black Christian American families of faith are both refreshing and profoundly instructive.
Asian-American Christians often rely on the Bible carefully and deeply to influence many elements of family life, especially parenting.
Many feminists disagree strongly that the “right to abort” is crucial to women’s well-being. It’s time to listen more carefully to what we have to say.
Motherhood is not merely a function of “those who give birth” but rather an eternal path characteristic of all womanhood.
