About the Book
"The Mission Call to Motherhood" is a collection of personal, faith-promoting stories and experiences written by mothers, reinforcing the idea that motherhood is an important and sacred mission. The goal of the book is to inspire confidence and joy in mothers, and to give practical ideas for Christlike mothering during three mothering stages: mothers with young children, mothers with teenagers, and mothers with adult children. While the book is intended primarily for a Christian Latter-day Saint audience, contributors need not be LDS.
We Need You
Thank you for your interest in contributing to "The Mission Call to Motherhood." Without your willingness to share your personal experiences, this publication would not be possible. We care deeply about sharing stories of hope and joy with mothers throughout the world and we need your voice to make that possible. Thank you!
Contact Us
All submissions and questions must be sent to missioncalltomotherhood@gmail.com.
Please read the Writers' Guidelines below before submitting.
Mission Call to Motherhood Writers' Guidelines
Manuscript Requirements
- "The Mission Call to Motherhood" accepts unsolicited manuscripts from mothers of all ages and faith backgrounds.
- We only accept original work.
- We ask that submissions be previously unpublished, personal stories and experiences between 300 and 1,200 words.
- Please send your submission as a Microsoft Word document or its equivalent so we can make edits as needed. We will not publish any of your edited material without your permission.
- Include your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number(s) on the manuscript.
- Each submission should answer one of the below prompts, the number (and letter if applicable) of which should be indicated just before the manuscript's title. Word count should also be indicated beneath the title.
All submissions must be emailed to missioncalltomotherhood@gmail.com. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee publication. Authors whose submissions are selected for inclusion in the book will be notified. There is no limit to the number of submissions one person can submit.
Submissions should answer one of the following prompts:
1. In what ways do you see your role as a mother as a sacred mission call from God? What personal experiences have helped to teach or reinforce that to you?
2. How do you, as a mother, avoid falling into the world’s trap of marginalizing motherhood? What experiences have you had with this kind of opposition?
3. What personal experiences have helped you to overcome feeling discouraged, self-critical, or guilty despite the great responsibilities of motherhood?
4. What personal experiences have you had as a mother that have taught you (choose one):
a. That God is our partner in this great work and that we can have confidence that He will help us?
b. The importance of prayer as a mother?
c. The importance of scripture study as a mother?
d. How to use the Atonement effectively in your mission as a mother?
e. How motherhood has drawn you closer to Christ?
f. About the true meaning of love?
g. About the true meaning of sacrifice?
h. How to find joy in motherhood?
i. About personal revelation as a mother?
Prompts for Practical Section
5. Are there things you do on a regular basis to help remind you of the sacredness of your role as a mother? What are they?
6. What are ways you have found especially effective for teaching your children the gospel of Jesus Christ?
7. What are ways you have found especially effective for keeping the Spirit in your home?
8. What are ways you have found especially effective for maintaining a close family?
9. What are ways you have found especially effective for experiencing joy in your role as a mother?
WRITING SAMPLE
*Note: Personal stories are best told in your own voice and with your own style. Please don't feel that you need to format or stylize your writing to match those of the writing sample. This is simply an example of something we might include in the book. We are looking for a variety of voices and styles to include in our publication.
Prompt #3:The Setback that Saved Us
Word Count: 871
Rebecca Banfield, 12345 Motherhood Lane, Happiness, CA 54321
Phone: (123) 123-4567
A couple months after our daughter, Brielle, was born I decided to dedicate a day to working on some projects at home. I was excited to do a thorough cleaning of the house, pay my bills, and work on a book I was writing. It had been difficult to feel productive with a newborn, and now that she was finally settling into a schedule, the thought of checking some things off my list was very appealing. Brielle had other ideas.
From the moment she woke up that day she was restless and cranky. I tried all my usual soothing techniques, but she seemed determined to fuss. Just when I thought I could start a project, she would cry and demand my attention. After nine hours of feeding, changing, burping and bouncing, I had barely managed to shower and get ready for the day and Brielle was still crying! I hadn’t been able to check one thing off my list, and my impatience quickly turned into a consuming fit of irritation.
By six o’clock in the evening I had had it and decided I couldn’t spend another minute in our house with my screaming two-month-old. The projects would have to wait for another day. We were going for a walk outside, I determined, whether Brielle screamed the entire time or not.
Exhausted and aggravated, I packed up the stroller and her diaper bag and drove us to a nearby park. Surprisingly, Brielle immediately calmed down as we got into the open air and soon fell asleep. We spent a good hour walking through the park and the surrounding neighborhood. I was discouraged that my best plans had been thwarted and I was tired from the long day, but at least we could both rest from the crying for a moment.
When we returned home and I opened our front door, I immediately knew that something was wrong. A strong wave of sulfuric odor, commonly used to warn of a gas leak, hit my nose from the inside of our home. I instantly moved the baby away from the front door and sought a neighbor to help me handle the situation.
After we turned off the gas and things began to settle down, I was overcome with the realization that, had we stayed in the house, Brielle and I could easily have been harmed or even killed by the poisonous gas. Slowly leaking into our home, the invisible poison was practically undetectable. It was only after leaving the toxic environment and spending time in the fresh outdoor air that I was able to detect the powerful contrast. If I had chosen to stay home and go to bed, we could easily have been poisoned in our sleep.
Any previous frustration I had felt with my baby’s crying was now turned to overwhelming gratitude. Whether her crying was a result of her sensitivity to the gas or simply a blessing from God to get us out of the house, it had saved us, and I marveled at the irony that the very cause of my intense frustration and unhappiness was, in fact, the blessing that spared us from a much worse outcome.
My mind drew back to Helaman 11:3-5 in the Book of Mormon.
“And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord, saying:
“O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee.
“And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi …”
I doubt that the Lamanites and Nephites afflicted with famine at that time had any idea that their burden was, in fact, an act of mercy on their behalf. I doubt they could have guessed that the famine was a loving substitute to brutal and bloody destruction at the hands of robbers, a gift that would ultimately stir them up in remembrance of their Savior and bring them closer to their loving Heavenly Father. Limited by mortal vision, a famine seems to one a curse and nine hours stuck in a house with a screaming baby seems a grating and insufferable punishment; however, if we can learn to see with our spiritual eyes, the works of God can be found in every famine and every screaming baby.
Brielle is now an active toddler and I have experienced countless instances of upset schedules, cancelled plans, unwelcome fussing, explosive diapers, missed opportunities because she’s napping, missed opportunities because she refuses to nap, ruined outfits, stir-crazy at-home days, unfinished tasks, and the list goes on. Motherhood is a breeding ground for such frustrations and inconveniences. Its very nature invites a lack of control. However, with each perceived set-back, I remember the day that the “set-back” saved my baby’s and my life, and I smile and even make a point to relish a bit in my current trials. I can only wonder at the blessings that Heavenly Father has associated with the trial at hand and look forward with faith that he has great purpose hiding behind the struggles.
