Joan Donaldson Quinn
My Mom – Joan Donaldson Quinn
Joan Donaldson Quinn
January 24th, 2026
We extend a warm welcome to the seven missionaries who joined us this last week. We look forward to coming to know you better and serving with you.
As many of you are aware, my sweet mother passed away at the age of 96 last week. She was a faithful and righteous woman. This week I share with you one of the important lessons she taught me – to place my trust in the Lord.
On March 13, 1946, at the age of 16, my mother received her patriarchal blessing under the hands of Brother David R. Roberts. Following this revelatory experience, as she was leaving the home of Brother Roberts, she received a strong spiritual impression that she was to be the mother of 12 children. This revelation set the course of my mother’s life.
Several years ago, my mother shared with me that this spiritual impression was so strong, that she began at that moment preparing herself to be the mother of 12 children. As a young woman, she worked to learn organizational skills, homemaking skills, and even completed a nursing program knowing these capabilities would be required in raising her 12 children.
As is sometimes the case with callings the Lord extends to us, fulfillment of this divine appointment of motherhood would come with challenges and difficulties. My mother’s faith in her spiritual prompting would be tested. There were miscarriages, difficult pregnancies – her eighth child, my brother Craig, would be born with health issues that nearly took his life. Over her childbearing years doctors, family members, and friends would tell my mother her family was large enough – she could stop now. Despite these challenges my mother remained faithful, trusting in the source of her spiritual impression – her loving and wise Father in Heaven.
It was a lot of work keeping a household of 12 children running. I never once heard my mother complain about the work required to maintain her busy and often chaotic household full of children. My mother made sure we each felt cherished and individual. I know she prayed for each of us by name, seeking the Lord’s wisdom to meet our individual needs.
I marvel at my mother’s spiritual sensitivity as a 16-year-old girl. I marvel at her faith and trust in her loving Father in Heaven. I marvel at the work and sacrifices she was willing to make to fulfill her divine commission of motherhood. I marvel that for the nearly 67 years of my life I have been blessed with the love and inspired guidance of this devoted disciple of Jesus Christ.
My mother’s life teaches us a valuable lesson about trusting in and remaining faithful to revelation. Her obedience filled her life with challenges, duties, and work. Her obedience also showered her life with the Lord’s grace, companionship, and love. The Lord blessed my mother with the physical, spiritual, and emotional stamina required to fulfill her divine appointment. My mother would often tell me “that her cup runneth over” with blessings. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and daughter of God blessed with grace and dignity.
Where in the scriptures or in your own life have you seen the blessings of trusting in the will of the Lord?
In the Book of Proverbs is found a verse that beautifully and succinctly summarizes my mother’s faith:
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Thank you for the kind expressions of sympathy and love many of you have extended to me. My faith and hope in our loving Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation has been strengthened this week. I know my mother is happy. She has been reunited with my father and others she loved dearly in life. This knowledge has brought me great peace and happiness this week.
Love,
President Quinn
(630) 881-4030
