Mothering With Spiritual Power: Book of Mormon Inspirations for Raising a Righteous Family

by Debra Sansing Woods

Mothering with Spiritual Power is an eloquent and heartfelt book that speaks to mothers of the sacred nature of motherhood and the awesome spiritual power available to them through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Using twenty-five favorite Book of Mormon scriptures as inspiration, Debra Woods shows mothers how they can find answers to a myriad of parenting questions and challenges as they raise their children in the latter-days. Through stories and experiences taken from her own life, she offers simple suggestions for making meaningful connections with your children - suggestions on how to turn weaknesses into strengths, ideas on how to foster an atmosphere of peace and harmony, ways in which mothers can support each other, and helps for the mother who must forgive her children, and herself. Mothering with Spiritual Power is a celebration of motherhood, family life, and the difference the gospel of Jesus Christ can make for mothers and families everywhere.

Genres: Parenting, Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Self Help, Spirituality, Church

129 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kathy Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book last year when I needed some spiritual nourishment. I remember bringing it with me to the dentist office and reading it. It completely took my mind off the root canal that was coming. This book had such a profound effect on me it was worth reading again. What I loved most about this book was how Debra explained how to nurture your family through these latter days with scripture accounts and stories in relation to obstacles even the most dedicated mother faces in these times. She also gave me examples through her own experiences of the importance of mothering and how it is equally important for mothers to nurture themselves in order to educate their children to their fullest potentials. She illustrated how to turn weakness into strengths and to provide a harmonious atmosphere for your family through reading and studying the Scriptures. This is a book that I have put on my list as a gift to other mothers whether they are new or pros at life as a mother. Inspiring.

[Cassie Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great because it is easy to read and the chapters are short. Which, is a bonus for me. For some reason I don't feel as overwhelmed when reading books where the chapters go on and on. Plus, it makes it easy to read a chapter a night. Besides the ease, I like this book because it really is what the title says it is - learning how to become a mother that relies on the Gospel and the Holy Ghost to guide her. There are many parenting books and many parenting styles. However, reading LDS inspired books are always the most comforting to me.
Woods uses twenty-five scriptures to help guide mothers. She gives advice for difficult parenting challenges. From how to respond to children all the way to how to remember that it is "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass." (Alma 37:6)

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because it gave me strength and guidance. It helped me realize that although I'm not a perfect mother, I can be better. And, it reminded me of the importance of daily scripture study. It was a powerful book and will be a book that I will read again and again...for inspiration.

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. Debra's advice is easy to read, and it's just like sitting down talking to a friend who has great suggestions on what has worked for her. I definitely recommend it to Moms who want to increase their spirituality in raising their children.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book slowly--a couple of chapters a week-- in the very early mornings while my kids were still asleep. It's inspiring in its use of scriptures to guide mothers. I found that by reading it slowly I was able to digest and incorporate the words better. Very inspiring for me!

[Karma Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I was getting ready for bed last night and I noticed this little book at the bottom of my pile of books (you know, the one we all have on our night stands). I pulled it out and found this book my family gave me for mother's day last year. I felt compelled to start reading it and I was up til 2:30 in the morning. I could not stop reading!!!! I was definately inspired to pick up this book and I found much needed wisdom for my life right now! Being a mother is my favorite job but also the most difficult. I had to get a notebook out in the middle of the night to write down my thoughts as I read (I was afraid they would be lost to the wee hours if I didn't capture them). My husband woke up this morning and said, "You wrote a book report in the middle of the night." I think this book will be added to my "must read once a year" list!!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was great to read just a chapter a night. I learned so much!

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good thing about this was that it was a short read and I did enjoy Chapters 3 and 11. But ultimately, I had two problems with this book. 1) It is just not my sort of book. I don't really respond well to books that seem like someone just walked off the street and wrote down their thoughts. If I had a nickel for every time she said "in my experience" or "over the years". At one point she said "I am happy to report, though, that I'm making positive strides in that area". I just didn't care about or feel invested in her strides. And 2) Her anxiety leeched all over me. It just became clear that I am a very different person/parent from her and really, really don't respond well to the kind of rhetoric that was used throughout. At one point she wrote "In my experience as a mother the child rearing experts in our lives do not always come with academic or professional credentials in tow. Instead they sometimes come in the form of well-meaning family members and friends who feel sure they know what is best for our children and don't hesitate to advise us." YESSSS. This is the only part I adamantly agree with. It seemed like this entire book was an incredibly well meaning Sacrament Talk that I ultimately found lacking in accordance with how I am as a person.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woods uses 25 scriptures to form a type of parenting guide, specifically for mothers. Each chapter is relatively short, so the book can be picked up at any time and can be read out of order. She offers some beautiful insights into the lovely and amazing, yet exhausting and trying journey called motherhood. Her insights are from her own personal experience, but are all founded in the gospel and point the reader to a higher Source of wisdom than can be found in any popular parenting book. I look forward to reading this again soon and will add my favorite insights along the way. A favorite for this week: "While motherhood is not perfect, we have the opportunity to share many beautiful and perfect moments with our children every day" (p 26). As my mind tries to review those moments at the end of each day, it helps me to realize the fulfillment and joy I find in motherhood (despite the continual effort and work required!). I hesitate to read books in this genre, but found this one to be worth the time.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is made up of 24 small chapters, each expounding how the author applied a particular verse from the Book of Mormon to mothering. It wasn't compelling, but it was instructive and VERY helpful. It helped me gain a new perspective on how to study the scriptures and apply the principles to myself and my family.

I loved the chapters "Praying unto the Lord for the Consecration of Our Work", "Speaking with the Tongue of Angels", "Supporting Each Other as Mothers", "Forgiving Ourselves for Our Shortcomings", and "Remembering the By-Small-and-Simple-Things Philosophy". This really tells you more about where I am right now than it does the book, but how I loved feeling encouraged to keep going and calm down!

I want to buy this and give it to every new mother at a baby shower. But I don't know if it would be very valuable until someone has had a little experience of failing and succeeding and trying and crying and praying over the new person you get to become once you're a mother. Then again, maybe that was just me.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister gave me this book for my birthday last year! It was a great book for a young mom to read! Basically the author has chosen some of her favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon and written how those apply to being a mother. She heads each chapter with the scripture, discusses the scripture for a bit, and then relates it to being a mother. It did make me feel that I could have spiritual power help me daily to raise my children. If you are feeling low or stuck in a rut with mothering it will help you bring purpose to your day to day activities.

In addition to mothering small children she also discusses her background. She has one daughter from a previous marriage who is now a teenager and then several children spanning in ages with her current husband. It discussed a little bit about family dynamics and how to use the scriptures to help each child in whatever stage of life they are in. It was a quick and enlightening read.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I admit that I bought this book for the cover. Pretty, huh?

The book is small and simple. I'm glad I own it, because I can imagine returning to it to prepare talks and lessons for church. There are some very nice ideas here. For example, in the chapter on Mosiah 4:27 ("...see that all things are done in wisdom and order..") the author writes: "I strive to set aside time at the beginning of each day to make a list of what I hope to get done that day. After I make my list, I take the time to nourish myself with the scriptures and to consult with the Lord in prayer about my goals for the day. When I return to my list, I return with perspective. I feel more focused, more at peace in establishing my priorities for the day -- priorities that are set by the Lord and priorities that, with his direction, I can work toward with great calm and energy."

Nice.

[DixieJo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this book. I am taking it slow, trying to practice each principle. I try and read a chapter a week and then take a week or two before I move on. I use one week or a few days at least to watch and evaluate how are family is naturally with this weeks principle and then use the next week or so to make changes. It really is a beautiful process. Like the Savior's example of calling the children to him one by one, not as a whole or group, but one by one and blessing them. I have made it a bigger point to do that everyday, not just with me, but with their Dad too. It has already improved all ready good relationships. I thought I was already doing this, but after watching carefully, I saw more room to make a difference.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading this slowly over the last few months for my Sunday reading. I love the concept of using the Book of Mormon as a parenting resource. In this book, the author takes 25 of her favorite scriptures and discusses how these teachings can inspire us as mothers. I found the author's insights genuine and helpful, never guilt-inducing. Reading this book helped me recognize areas I can improve, but the book also helped me know where to start on those improvements.
The reading was a little slow going; as it is for me with any "advice" book that jumps from topic to topic with each chapter. The author uses a lot of examples from her personal life- some good and some weak- and I wish she'd used a broader story source.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick read - read it in three days. I liked her easy writing style and the stories she told about her own mothering. She used well-known scriptures from the Book of Mormon and applied them to motherhood and how we can be happy, balanced moms who live close to the Lord. She got me excited about the idea of studying the scriptures looking for how they apply to moms. So I got a new Book of Mormon and marked the scriptures she talked about and made a note about how they applied to motherhood. I also listed her topics in the front of the Book of Mormon. Now I can start my own study. I'm pretty excited about it.

[Ariell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know, I felt certain parts were more helpful than others. I have actually been going through the Book of Mormon studying the topic of parenting or raising righteous children as my focus. However I didn't feel like this book called out to me or inspired me as others have in the past. I am proud of myself for making it through it. I have been procrastinating and kind of avoiding any kind of serious, self improving, non-fiction books lately. They are just so hard to enjoy. I get bored reading them. I am trying to do better though and trying to read books that will hopefully inspire me to be better in all the myriad of ways I need improving.

[Katielin317 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I needed it, and therefore I found it very inspiring and helpful. It's not that she gives you practical advice on exactly what how to raise your children, she just gives a reminder on WHY we should remember our own spiritual well-being, as well as that of of our children. It's anencouraging book that has given me more hope in my own abilities as a mother trying to raise my family righteously, and as a woman trying to keep her head on her shoulders and maintain some sanity:)

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great aspect on mothering. I love how it brings the Book of Mormon into it. I would recommend it to every mother. With all the aspects of mothering and how many ways you can improve yourself I don't recommend reading this as a quick read. I read a chapter at a time and then tried to review a few chapters at a time(every couple of days) to help with what I needed to improve. Mothering can be hard at times and this is a great aspect of mothering that every mother needs. This is definitely a book you could read over and over and get something new from it every time.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. Easy to read because of how the chapters are set up. But if you're like me, you might want to have tissue handy. This book has been in my car, so I've been reading it a little at a time as I have time, and I almost always find myself wondering if people are looking at me funny because I'm getting all teary eyed. (So maybe not the best book to read in public.) But you will feel the Spirit because she testifies of so much truth and how God's hand works and can work more in our lives as mothers. I love the insights and find it thoroughly worth my time.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a mom and haven't read this book I highly recommend you do! It has inspired me to work on making my mothering more spiritual and my Gospel study more intentional. Perfect book to help mommies remember that, while raising kids is tough stuff, we don't ever have to go at it alone!

I love that the book is separated into short chapters based on a Book of Mormon verse. A genius way of organizing a book for moms...in short sections you can read when you have five minutes of peace before the chaos begins again, haha.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very uplifting reminder to bring the Book of Mormon into all aspects of our lives; great for mothers but applies to all. Highly recommend! I love her application of the story of the brother of Jared. Her first chapter acknowledges that moms lead fragmented lives, with bits and pieces of free time, and thankfully, each chapter of this short book is only a few pages long. Thanks to Phillip for the suggestion!

[Stephanee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hard a hard time getting into this book because the beginning chapters didn't really speak to me. The only reason I kept reading is because the author lives in Oklahoma City and lots of people here are reading it.

I gave it 4 stars instead of 3 because Chapter 14 and on were really good and had things that particularly pertained to my life. I especially liked the chapter on speaking with the tongue of an angel and the author compared that to how we speak to our children.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick and easy read that, if your kids will allow, you can get through on a Sunday afternoon or two. I like how she heads each chapter with a scripture verse that I had not thought of in the context of motherhood before. She then spends that chapter illustrating and discussing how to apply the scripture as a mother. I find the format and the context very easy to apply to my own life. I hope that I will be successful in its application.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was an amazing book. So many parenting books are for specific age groups, or younger kids, older kids, but this book can give a mother with any age child advice. It was very down to earth the author did not make you feel like she is doing everything right and you need to meet a specific standard. She was very clear that each parent is different that doesn't mean they are necessarily wrong. I got a lot of wonderful ideas and a spiritual boost.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mom of 5 has some positive, practical ideals that stimulated my practice as a mom. I'd recommend it to those who are learning more about being parents. I've incorporated some simple reminders such as spending one on one time with each child and making sure we're doing our priorities. This book might just provide reminders but I enjoyed the scriptures that went with ideas which reinforced my desire to work hard with the Lord's help.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The author was SO inspiring - of course her inspirations were based on scripture, which always helps! It confirmed my belief that all of our questions can be answered through a serious study of the scriptures, combined with prayer. I was definitely inspired to be a better Mom! The chapters are all 4-5 pages or so, which helps us Mothers to get through a chapter in one sitting!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book and worth buying. The author chose 25 "mothering" scriptues from the Book of Mormon and relates them to being a better mother. A great exercise in likening the scriptures unto ourselves. It's a short, quick book to read and is packed with wisdom, advise and hope for being a better mother. As I read each scripture I marked them in my own set of scriptures to help me remember what what within the pages of this book.

[Sandrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3 1/1 stars for me. A lot of excellent advice. Easy to read. Short chapters. Perfect 'bathroom book'.
I think that especially new moms could benefit form it. A lot of the advice within this book, I have learned with experience in raising my own kids. Unfortunately, I am not as consistent in applying it's principles as I would like to be. But it is all true. As the ultimate Parenting book I do prefer "Christlike Parenting" though.

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure what to think of this book. It was one that I was very excited to read, but didn't get as much out of it as I'd hoped too. It just didn't hold my attention and I found myself not wanting to read more. I don't know if I just wasn't in the right mindset for this book or what but I didn't love it like I hoped I would. It's one that I would like to read again in 5 or so years cause I think it would be far more applicable for me then.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a big hug from the author to all the mothers out there. The chapters are quite short and each one starts with a Book of Mormon scripture, which she puts in the context of motherhood. The importance of daily scripture study and prayer is stressed and it truly inspired me as she relayed personal experiences. I marked many passages and many things rang true to me. I would recommend this book.