The articles and links posted on this page provide others' stories, words of the prophets, and other helpful resources.Resources from the Ensign Ardeth Kapp is the hero of childless Mormons. She and her husband, Heber, have been beautiful examples of faithfulness and service while embracing the Lord's will for them. My husband and I had the opportunity to meet them in December 2009, and it was inspiring to listen to their words. What struck me most was how excited she was for me and the opportunities she knew I'd have in life that I wouldn't have with children. Here are a couple of her talks: In many ways, I feel my situation is similar to that of non-married women in the Church. In fact, I feel much more comfortable around them than I do with married women who have children. In that regard, Sister Dew's words apply to any childless women in the Church: On a similar note, here's an additional Ensign article that can help us find happiness amidst childlessness: Happiness--There's Not a Single Barrier The following talk is probably my favorite about women in the Church. It helps us find unity amidst diversity and focus on the things that really matter most. Sister Holland shows that she really knows women, our struggles, and our place within the Church. I love this talk: "One Thing Needful": Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who suffered so much sorrow in his life, also provides several talks with inspiring words and advice. Here is one of my favorites that can see us through any trial: Content with the Things Allotted Unto Us Elder Holland often speaks about Christ, who knows our suffering better than anyone else. Here are a couple great talks to reread in times of sorrow: A High Priest of Good Things to Come Other Religious Resources Forever Families: Dealing with Infertility and Childlessness Here's an article by Kathrynn Kidd from Meridian Magazine. It was a personal inspiration and strength to me in that her experience was so similar to my own:
The following document is the text of a 2004 BYU Women's Conference talk by Barta Stevenson:
Resources about Grieving, Acceptance, and Childfree Living Psychologists have indicated that the sorrow associated with childlessness is most similar to the feelings accompanying a child's death. From my own experience, I've found that coming to terms with childlessness has truly felt like I've had my children die. I've had to get rid of the items I'd spent years accumulating, let go of the faces I'd imagined them to have, accept that the list of names would never be used, and stop having conversations about how I will do things with my children. Thus, the various resources about grieving and accepting infertility and childlessness may be helpful to those dealing with this situation: From RESOLVE, Living Childfree: What Does it Mean? From RESOLVE, Myths and Facts about Living Childfree More to Life: Long-term Coping Strategies Being Childless: The Road to Happiness How to Live with the Fact that You'll Never Have Children A Childfree Life After Infertility For Friends and Family Supporting Others Dealing with Infertility I personally found that going through the Church's 12-Step Addiction Recovery Program helped me accept the Lord's will and find peace and happiness in my life. It also helped me forgive others and work through the resentments that had developed during the years I struggled with infertility and childlessness. Here's a link to the manual. |
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