Based on the writings of Ellen White, the role of the mother in the home is considered a sacred and primary duty, equivalent in importance to missionary work. Her writings emphasize that a mother's first responsibility is to her children. Here are some key points from her books: * **The Mother as a Home Missionary:** Ellen White describes the mother's work at home as being as important as the father's work in the mission field. She states, "If married men go into the work, leaving their wives to care for the children at home, the wife and mother is doing fully as great and important a work as is the husband and father. While one is in the missionary field, the other is a home missionary, whose cares and anxieties and burdens frequently far exceed those of the husband and father" (GW 203.1). * **The Home as the First Field of Labor:** The home is presented as the foundational place for Christian work. "As you faithfully do your duty in the home, the father as a priest of the household, the mother as a home missionary, you are multiplying agencies for doing good outside of the home" (7T 67.1). * **A Sacred and Noble Work:** The duties of a mother are elevated to a high calling. "The humble round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother's privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy to her own heart" (PP 572.3). * **The Queen of the Home:** A mother's influence and authority in her household are paramount. "The mother is the queen of the home, and the children are her subjects. She is to rule her household wisely, in the dignity of her motherhood. Her influence in the home is to be paramount; her word, law" (CT 111.2). While her writings don't explicitly forbid mothers from taking on roles in the church, they consistently and strongly emphasize that the home is their first and most important mission field, and that the duty of raising their children for God should not be neglected for other interests.