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Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith
We all have stories to tell. And some of our most lifechanging experiences happen with our mothers, often during everyday moments. Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith will delight you with touching true stories that highlight the almost magical way faithful mothers teach powerful lessons. These inspirational tributes from the children of Mormon moms from all walks of life underscore the sacred bond between mother and child. This is family history in the richest sense of the word simple yet influential tales that will have you laughing, crying, and thinking. Rich with unforgettable recollections, engaging anecdotes, and timeless wisdom, these are stories mothers can truly relate to, gain insight from, and feel honored by unique tributes that remind latter-day moms that their children are actually paying attention. Featuring Latter-day Saint sons' and daughters' recollections of their famous and not-so-famous mothers, this engaging celebration of unforgettable moments and immeasurable gifts will show any mother how it's often the little things that make the biggest difference in a child's life. Mothers of Faith contains more than seventy inspiring tributes, including stories from or Julie B. Beck, Steve Young, Silvia H. Allred, Jim Matheson, Ann Romney, Ruth Hale, Jason Chaffetz, Janice Kapp Perry, Doug Wright, Liz Lemon Swindle, J. Willard Marriott, Jr., Harry Reid, Sharlene Wells Hawkes, Gary Herbert, Greg Olsen, Susan Easton Black, Jimmer Fredette, and dozens more.
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328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Gary W. Toyn
14 books72 followersGary W. Toyn is a critically acclaimed author whose work explores courage, resilience, and moral conviction in history’s darkest moments.
His latest novel, "From Malice to Ashes," was selected as a BookLife Editor’s Pick by Publisher’s Weekly and praised by Kirkus Reviews and Historical Fiction Company.
He is also the author of "For Malice and Mercy" and "The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima."
He continues to research and write about ordinary people who choose courage over fear.
He has collaborated with many notable figures like Stephen R. Covey, Harry Reid, Bob Dole, Orrin Hatch, Clayton Christensen, and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, among many others.
His latest novel, "From Malice to Ashes," was selected as a BookLife Editor’s Pick by Publisher’s Weekly and praised by Kirkus Reviews and Historical Fiction Company.
He is also the author of "For Malice and Mercy" and "The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima."
He continues to research and write about ordinary people who choose courage over fear.
He has collaborated with many notable figures like Stephen R. Covey, Harry Reid, Bob Dole, Orrin Hatch, Clayton Christensen, and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, among many others.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 29, 2012
In one of the over seventy personal essays in Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith, Mark Allred, currently the chief trial judge of the United States Air Force, offers a caution about Mothers' Day and specifically the “eulogies” given in honor of mothers. His deliberately over-the-top description of “a strange, angelic caricature” of mothers contains glowing terms such as “a soft spiritual blossom who floats through her world insulated in an aura of the divine” who “may shed a sweet tear at the pain and faltering of her fellow beings” or “may even encounter what for others might be terrible adversity” yet “she herself never stumbles” and rings true to some of the many tributes I've heard on Sundays in previous Mays. Piling it on thick, he continues: “Anger and depression are as foreign to her as the urge to speak a harsh word. Always her home has the hush and serenity of a temple. Always the gentle harmonies of lovely children at play.”
Anyone need insulin yet?
Col. Allred warns that “Often the effect of our eulogies is not what we desire.” Describing his mother's “despair and conviction of inadequacy” at these annual praises, he offers a loving and realistic portrait of his mother as “a woman of character.” Sharon Richards Wallace Allred is a woman I would love to meet and swap stories with. “Much of her nobility lies in the war she wages with her own shortcomings. Tenacity. Guts. And bloody knuckles. Tears sneaking out through clenched eyelids. Not a perfect person but a very righteous one. A person who's trying, who's progressing. One, by the way, whom I respect infinitely more than the caricature.”
Count me as one of those women who doesn't really look forward to Mothers' Day. Yes, I'm a mother of three unique, energetic, challenging, delightful young boys whom I love dearly. And yes, I have a brilliant, strong, faithful mother whom I admire and love. But so often the Mothers' Day “eulogies” we hear over the pulpit or read in rhyming verse on a Hallmark card bear so little resemblance to my daily mothering experience. I'll admit to a bit of trepidation as I opened this book, bracing myself against the onslaught of praise of perfection I thought I'd read. But Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith finds the delicate balance between paying tribute to those whose behind-the-scenes contributions are so often taken for granted and idolizing the “strange, angelic caricature” placed on the impossibly high pedestal. While some of the individual entries may veer more in one direction or the other, the overall impression is that of real women doing their personal best for their families despite – or sometimes because of – their imperfections.
Drawn from many different walks of life, each author pays tribute to the woman who raised him or her and the most valuable lessons she imparted. Silvia Allred tells of growing up in El Salvador with her mother, Hilda Alvarenga de Henriquez, who showed determination and resourcefulness as she started over again and again after tragedy and setbacks stole their family's financial security. Susan Easton Black describes her feisty mother's reaction to being called as Young Women President in her ward at the age of 78 and the subsequent devotion Ethelyn “Dolly” Lindsay Ward showed the young women in her care who “never questioned her love for them.” Neylan McGain's mother, Ariel Bybee, was a single working woman – and glamorous opera diva – with enormous talents who Neylan calls “the most productive woman I know.”
Harry Reid pays tribute to his mother, Inez Jaynes Reid, who was “confident and optimistic when she had no reason to be.” He outlines her difficult childhood and rough family life and also her devoted commitment to her children. “We may not have had religion in our home,” he states, “but my mother most definitely had it in her heart.”
Maren Rosemarie Slover Mazzeo honors her mother, Robin Baker Slover, a practicing anesthesiologist, in a touching essay that emphasizes that “we need to recognize...that the process will be different for each mother, and for each mother, the process will probably not be what she expected. Though both were built under the direct guidance of the Lord, the boat of Nephi wasn't the same design as the boat of the brother of Jared.” The wide variety of women profiled in his book is certainly a testament to that!
As Heather Willoughby says of her mother, Zella Irene Smith Willoughby, “my mother has not become disillusioned by the quest to be a perfect woman; rather, she has mastered the art of being perfectly herself.” I can think of no higher praise for the real, imperfect, wonderful women I know.
* I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
Anyone need insulin yet?
Col. Allred warns that “Often the effect of our eulogies is not what we desire.” Describing his mother's “despair and conviction of inadequacy” at these annual praises, he offers a loving and realistic portrait of his mother as “a woman of character.” Sharon Richards Wallace Allred is a woman I would love to meet and swap stories with. “Much of her nobility lies in the war she wages with her own shortcomings. Tenacity. Guts. And bloody knuckles. Tears sneaking out through clenched eyelids. Not a perfect person but a very righteous one. A person who's trying, who's progressing. One, by the way, whom I respect infinitely more than the caricature.”
Count me as one of those women who doesn't really look forward to Mothers' Day. Yes, I'm a mother of three unique, energetic, challenging, delightful young boys whom I love dearly. And yes, I have a brilliant, strong, faithful mother whom I admire and love. But so often the Mothers' Day “eulogies” we hear over the pulpit or read in rhyming verse on a Hallmark card bear so little resemblance to my daily mothering experience. I'll admit to a bit of trepidation as I opened this book, bracing myself against the onslaught of praise of perfection I thought I'd read. But Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith finds the delicate balance between paying tribute to those whose behind-the-scenes contributions are so often taken for granted and idolizing the “strange, angelic caricature” placed on the impossibly high pedestal. While some of the individual entries may veer more in one direction or the other, the overall impression is that of real women doing their personal best for their families despite – or sometimes because of – their imperfections.
Drawn from many different walks of life, each author pays tribute to the woman who raised him or her and the most valuable lessons she imparted. Silvia Allred tells of growing up in El Salvador with her mother, Hilda Alvarenga de Henriquez, who showed determination and resourcefulness as she started over again and again after tragedy and setbacks stole their family's financial security. Susan Easton Black describes her feisty mother's reaction to being called as Young Women President in her ward at the age of 78 and the subsequent devotion Ethelyn “Dolly” Lindsay Ward showed the young women in her care who “never questioned her love for them.” Neylan McGain's mother, Ariel Bybee, was a single working woman – and glamorous opera diva – with enormous talents who Neylan calls “the most productive woman I know.”
Harry Reid pays tribute to his mother, Inez Jaynes Reid, who was “confident and optimistic when she had no reason to be.” He outlines her difficult childhood and rough family life and also her devoted commitment to her children. “We may not have had religion in our home,” he states, “but my mother most definitely had it in her heart.”
Maren Rosemarie Slover Mazzeo honors her mother, Robin Baker Slover, a practicing anesthesiologist, in a touching essay that emphasizes that “we need to recognize...that the process will be different for each mother, and for each mother, the process will probably not be what she expected. Though both were built under the direct guidance of the Lord, the boat of Nephi wasn't the same design as the boat of the brother of Jared.” The wide variety of women profiled in his book is certainly a testament to that!
As Heather Willoughby says of her mother, Zella Irene Smith Willoughby, “my mother has not become disillusioned by the quest to be a perfect woman; rather, she has mastered the art of being perfectly herself.” I can think of no higher praise for the real, imperfect, wonderful women I know.
* I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
February 2, 2016
I loved this book! This was a compilation of stories and biographies from mothers all over. Some were famous and some ordinary. I would read one or two biographies a day and it was so uplifting and interesting! It made me want to be a better person and mother, and I found myself learning something new about myself or traditions I would want to incorporate into my family.
June 1, 2012
I read each and every essay. What a beautiful tribute to such a diverse and talented women. I was surprised to know the author's parents and a handful of other entries personally. Truly inspiring women.
October 9, 2017
Took me a long time to read this whole book (4 1/2 years!), mostly because I was usually too tired of Mom-ing at night to read about being a better mom...but there are so many great and inspiring women in these tributes. I try to borrow some of their ideas to be better.
May 11, 2012
Because I thoroughly enjoyed “Life Lessons from Fathers of Faith,” I was eager to read this companion book dedicated to faithful mothers. Although both books have a similar look and feel, there’s a discernible difference between the two. While “Fathers of Faith” offers wonderful insights into fatherhood, it was clearly intended for a male audience. Alternatively the contributors to “Mothers of Faith” are clearly skilled at sharing a depth of emotion that I found to be very welcoming and inviting.
Collectively, the stories skillfully emphasize the unique blessings and challenges of being a Latter-Day mother. Best of all, it maintains a delicate balance between highlighting the challenges of being a faithful women, without crossing the line into the nauseating angelic accolades that discourage many mothers from attending church services on Mother’s Day!
Knowing that I enjoyed most every story from “Fathers of Faith,” I decided to start reading from the back of the book. It was a stroke of brilliance! The final story is called “Her Touch” by Twila Wood, an English and Drama teacher from Smithfield, Utah. Thankfully I was alone when I read it, as her story had me bawling like a school girl. Twila’s mother Nellie was a talented singer and devoted to her eternal companion. Twila also writes about how much she cherished her mother’s tender touch. “I remember you, Mamma, the kisses goodnight, the morning backrubs, my head in your lap as your fingers stroke through my hair—your comforting hands.” Twila then describes her mother’s nearly decade-long battle with dementia, and her deterioration into an intolerable child-like state that eventually took a terrible emotional toll on Twila and her family. After years of enduring her mother’s rude and insufferable behavior, God intervened to gave the two of them a brief lucid episode, where Twila and her mother shared a life-changing interaction.
This beautiful, inspiring story set the tone for the entire book, as each story had a unique or thought-provoking take on being a mother. With over 70 stories, all are well-written and inspiring, and most left me crying, laughing and often pondering my relationship with my own, dear mother. Although the stories from many of the well-known people are well worth reading, I highly recommend the story by Mark Allred, the chief trial judge for the United States Air Force. He described his mother’s numerous struggles and challenges, and noted her “nobility lies in the war she wages with her own shortcomings.”
I also recommend the stories by Steve Young, Janice Kapp Perry, Doug Wright, Susan Easton Black, Matthew Godfrey, Sandra Stallings Jenkins, Natalie Clemens, and Maren Rosemarie Slover. I also recommend that if you intend to give this book as a gift, please turn to page 310 where several blank pages are provided for you to write about your own mother. Regardless of which side of the veil she is on, when you write about her in this book it will be a priceless gift she will never forget, or it will be a treasure for your own children who will cherish this lasting legacy you’ve written about your mother.
Collectively, the stories skillfully emphasize the unique blessings and challenges of being a Latter-Day mother. Best of all, it maintains a delicate balance between highlighting the challenges of being a faithful women, without crossing the line into the nauseating angelic accolades that discourage many mothers from attending church services on Mother’s Day!
Knowing that I enjoyed most every story from “Fathers of Faith,” I decided to start reading from the back of the book. It was a stroke of brilliance! The final story is called “Her Touch” by Twila Wood, an English and Drama teacher from Smithfield, Utah. Thankfully I was alone when I read it, as her story had me bawling like a school girl. Twila’s mother Nellie was a talented singer and devoted to her eternal companion. Twila also writes about how much she cherished her mother’s tender touch. “I remember you, Mamma, the kisses goodnight, the morning backrubs, my head in your lap as your fingers stroke through my hair—your comforting hands.” Twila then describes her mother’s nearly decade-long battle with dementia, and her deterioration into an intolerable child-like state that eventually took a terrible emotional toll on Twila and her family. After years of enduring her mother’s rude and insufferable behavior, God intervened to gave the two of them a brief lucid episode, where Twila and her mother shared a life-changing interaction.
This beautiful, inspiring story set the tone for the entire book, as each story had a unique or thought-provoking take on being a mother. With over 70 stories, all are well-written and inspiring, and most left me crying, laughing and often pondering my relationship with my own, dear mother. Although the stories from many of the well-known people are well worth reading, I highly recommend the story by Mark Allred, the chief trial judge for the United States Air Force. He described his mother’s numerous struggles and challenges, and noted her “nobility lies in the war she wages with her own shortcomings.”
I also recommend the stories by Steve Young, Janice Kapp Perry, Doug Wright, Susan Easton Black, Matthew Godfrey, Sandra Stallings Jenkins, Natalie Clemens, and Maren Rosemarie Slover. I also recommend that if you intend to give this book as a gift, please turn to page 310 where several blank pages are provided for you to write about your own mother. Regardless of which side of the veil she is on, when you write about her in this book it will be a priceless gift she will never forget, or it will be a treasure for your own children who will cherish this lasting legacy you’ve written about your mother.
November 13, 2012
There are more than 70 essays compiled in this book that show all facets of motherhood — happily married, widowed, divorced, those on a good day and those on a bad day, some are consistent in their religion and others aren't. Some stories are also humorous, others are heart-wrenching.
They show there isn't one particular mold for a mother. There is also space at the end for a gift-giver to pen their own tribute.
Here's a link to an interview I did with Gary Toyn for Mormon Times: "'Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith' shows many sides of motherhood." Also, it will have links to excerpts.
They show there isn't one particular mold for a mother. There is also space at the end for a gift-giver to pen their own tribute.
Here's a link to an interview I did with Gary Toyn for Mormon Times: "'Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith' shows many sides of motherhood." Also, it will have links to excerpts.
December 8, 2014
This book is really large, so it contains a ton of different stories about peoples' mothers. It was neat to see old photographs of families. One thing I will say about it is you have to read it and not be comparing yourself to these mothers. It can be easy to do that, at least for me. You have to remember that even though the stories of these mothers are mostly really good, that they are not perfect people. I did get some good ideas from things these mothers did with their children that I want to try to apply in my own life.
August 27, 2013
This book of essays isn't what you might think - goody goody mothers who do it all right. Rather a more gritty collection of normal mothers who struggle and provide and do their best and sometimes not. Like me and you. Now I look forward to my children writing long, thoughtful essays about me so I can read them and see what sort of impression I made on their lives.
May 3, 2012
Good stories, but poorly edited.
April 28, 2012
3.5 Stars
This is a nice compilation of tributes to mothers. It was neat to read about the lives of so many strong women (some I've even met in person). The book is beautiful but poorly edited.
This is a nice compilation of tributes to mothers. It was neat to read about the lives of so many strong women (some I've even met in person). The book is beautiful but poorly edited.
August 14, 2012
I loved the great variety of mothering styles and the honesty of some of the sons and daughters in sharing less than ideal situations.
March 14, 2015
A bunch of essays on mothers in the Church. Some essays jived with me more than others (of course), but all in all, I found this uplifting and inspiring.
February 23, 2014
I loved this book. Even though I didn't know many of the people in the book their stories were so inspiring and give hope.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews