- “Jeffrey R. Holland in his 2015 General Conference talk, Behold Your Mother, said this, “To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.’ To Mother Eve, to Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, to Mary of Nazareth, and to a Mother in Heaven, I say, ‘Thank you for your crucial role in fulfilling the purposes of eternity.’ To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle – and all will – I say, ‘Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion, and like the Master you follow, your love “never faileth.”’ I can pay no higher tribute to anyone.”
- May 21, 1995- Tuesday – Quito Ecuador…“Today has been an interesting day. I’ve been tired all day, plus a little down. Elder Hanks & I woke up today & I asked him how his phone call was last night (We didn’t have a chance to talk). He told me that his Dad had told him that he had not lived up to his potential as a missionary. (I don’t know if he said it in these words, but that was the conclusion that Elder Hanks made). It hurt me to think of the torment that Elder Hanks has to be going through. After giving it all, and thinking you’d given your all, to hear your own dad say that you didn’t fulfill faithfully – I’d be devastated. Well it made me think of how unimportant we are as missionaries. We live here in South America where the church is very young. The members look at us as heroes, know it all, and men inspired of God. They have us on a pedestal. After talking with my parents & listening to Elder Hanks, I felt so useless. We’re just two boys serving our time like the rest of them have. Before I was 100% confident & felt a ton of myself, but today I was very humbled.” – Clinton Brown Missionary Journal