“Probably Mrs. Parkin.”

“Why is she Sister Parkin at church and Mrs. Parkin at the school?”

“At church, we call everyone Brother or Sister so-and-so because it is a reminder of the relationships we have with one another. We believe that all people on the earth are children of our Heavenly Father and so by calling each other “Sister” or “Brother” we are reminded of our duty to love one another. But not everyone is a member of our church, and a lot of people do not believe the same things we do, so referring to Sister Parkin as Mrs. Parkin at school is appropriate.”

“OK.”

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This is a question my first grader asked me last year and I bet others have wondered the same. So, why do Mormons refer to each other as Sister and Brother? Here are some of my thoughts:

First, it can strengthen in our minds our doctrine of a loving Father in Heaven who is the literal spirit Parent of every person who has lived on the earth. Understanding that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father increases my desire to have compassion toward my fellow beings. (Or siblings as the case may be.)

Second, it is not unlike calling a woman “Mrs. __________,” or “Miss ________,” or “Ma’am” and calling a man “Mr. __________” or “Sir.” Many Mormons teach their children in particular to refer to older members of their congregation as “Brother” and “Sister” as a way to show respect. (For me, it’s also particularly handy when I have brain lapses and have forgotten someone’s first name!)

Friends will typically refer to each other by their first names when speaking to each other in person, over the phone or at church.

Third, this way of addressing each other can solidify in our hearts the covenants we have made at baptism when we became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Through covenants we become children of Jesus Christ and promise to always remember him. We promise to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort, to keep His commandments and to stay clean and pure. Essentially we promise to be Christians. By becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we join the body of Christ as taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12

2 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

A similar sentiment is shared by Paul in Ephesians 2:

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

By referring to one another as “Brother” or “Sister” we remind ourselves of the importance each of us have in doing the Lord’s work. Not one member of the body of Christ is more important than another, and we must all be focused on the Lord to function properly. This can help foster humility. Who am I to feel superior to another when God loves all of His children the same?

I find the familial relationships within the Church extremely satisfying. I have served and been served by the members of my congregation without the expectation of pay, accolades, or excessive thanks. The workings of the Church mirror that of the family. Within the Church there are shared responsibilities (callings), family gatherings (ward parties), worship gatherings (sacrament meetings), family prayer (this happens every time we meet together), and huge family projects (service projects). We also try to be there for one another, pray for one another, help and serve one another. Together we grow and accept one another’s faults. There is room for tragedies and jealousies, disasters and pain, just like there is in any family. But together, we make a mighty fine whole. I have always appreciated the tradition of referring to fellow members of the Church as “Brother” or “Sister” — I love it when I am referred to as “Sister W.”

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To read more about how Mormons view their membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints please read the following:

Belonging: A View of Membership by Jeffery R. Holland

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: Why Do Mormons Refer To Each Other As “Brother” and “Sister”? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

My name is Rachel and I am 27 years old. I was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have been married for almost 8 years and I have four children, ages 6, 5, 2 and 1. If you do the math on that one, yes, I was 18 when I got married and 20 when baby number 1 came along. I graduated with my degree in English when I was six months pregnant with baby number 2. I grew up in Utah and after moving around a bit at the beginning of our marriage, we went back.

I am someone who struggles with change. I think I cried the whole way up to Idaho when I left for college. And then, four years later, when I moved away from Idaho, I cried as we left. Change and I are not friends.

About two years ago my husband finished school in Provo, Utah and got a job in Salt Lake City, about 30 miles north. The commute was too much and so we moved up to Salt Lake to be closer. While I was so excited to live in a bigger place, I was devastated to move away from the friends that I had made in our congregation (ward) in Provo. We had lived there for over two years and really had made ourselves at home.

Our first Sunday in our new home we headed to church. It was hard. It was the day after we had moved in. The house was still a mess of boxes and we were both exhausted. Emotions were close to the surface. I spent most of the service (sacrament meeting) in tears. I didn’t feel at home. I felt like a visitor and I already missed being surrounded by people that I knew and loved. By the end of it, I was ready to run home and throw myself on my bed for a good pity party.

The meeting ended and as we stood up to leave we were almost immediately surrounded. No less than five people had noticed that we were new. They all came over to introduce themselves, welcome us to the area and ask if there was anything that we needed. I had trouble fighting back even more tears, this time of gratitude. At that moment I knew that the Lord was aware of the prayer of my heart and had sent these wonderful people to make sure that I felt loved, even in an unfamiliar place.

This experience didn’t provide me instant friends. I still had to work for that. But it did offer me the peace that I so desperately needed that Sunday morning, as well as the confidence that I would get through this and make new friends and come to love my new ward as much as I had loved my previous one.

One thing I love about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that opportunity to meet people that you might not typically meet and be a part of a ward family. I love the strength that it offers to be surrounded by other women struggling with some of the same challenges that I have. I love the feeling that I am not alone in my challenges and trials. And I love knowing that the Lord has provided these incredible friends, these Mormon women, to show me that he does love me and doesn’t want any of us to feel alone.

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For more Portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

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