The Palm of His Hands

A Mother’s Love

One of the themes throughout the Harry Potter books is the importance of the love that a mother has for her children. Dumbledore tells Harry that it is because of strength of the love his mother had for him, Voldemort was not able to kill him when he tried. He said:

 “Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mothers for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign…to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

In addition to Lily we have several other mothers that J.K. Rowling includes in the series that provide great examples.

1.      Narcissa Malfoy

Narcissa risks her own life to protect her son, Draco, as the battle for Hogwarts concludes and Harry battles Voldemort. It is Narcissa that approaches Harry’s lifeless body to see if he is alive or dead. When she realizes that he is alive she asks if Malfoy is alive and Harry whispers that he is and is. She knows that the only way to save him is to get him to safety, so she tells everyone that Harry is dead and in the midst of their celebration she leaves to find him.

2.     Augusta Longbottom

Augusta Longbottom is Neville’s grandmother. After the death of his parents, Neville is raised by Augusta. Neville often talks about how his grandmother has always been an enemy to Voldemort and his followers and fights for what is good and right. She is one of the few that come to Hogwarts as the battle is raging. She is the last to come through the tunnel from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts and she seals the tunnel so no one else can get through it into the castle. When she asks where Neville is, they tell her that he is inside fighting and she leaves the others to join in the fight with her grandson.

3.     Molly Weasley

Besides Lily, I think the strongest example of the love of a mother is found in Molly Weasley. Molly is always there when her children need her. She adopts Harry as one of her own and is his protector. With only the love a mother has Molly, teaches, corrects, and disciplines Harry along with her own children. She is there when Fred is killed, she is in the middle of the fight for Hogwarts, and charges in when Jenny is in danger and is the one to kill Bellatrix.

The scriptures and modern revelation also testify of the importance of the mothers in our lives. In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” it states:

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another… Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”

In Alma we read of the 2000 stripling warriors were protected because their mothers taught them to have faith in Jesus Christ and that he would preserve them. Heleman wrote to Captain Moroni that it was this faith that saved them saying they did not doubt they would be safe “because their mothers knew” (Alma 56:48)

The scriptures are full of examples of the power of righteous mothers. There is Eve, the first mother; Sarai, the mother of Isaac; Mary, the mother of Jesus; Sariah, the mother of Nephi; Lucy, the mother of Joseph Smith, and many others.

We must never forget how important our mothers are. Heavenly Father has given us our parents the responsibility of helping us return to his presence and it is our mothers that have the greatest influence in making sure that happens.

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