1 Nephi 5:7

7  And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
    "my mother was comforted."
           -a mother's concern about her children (especially when out of sight and out of her ability to directly affect their situation) is difficult to overstate.  It is a gift (and a burden) of motherhood.  The departure of a child on a mission is felt differently by a mother and a father. This is a male-female difference and this appears to have been a part of the reason why Sariah reacted differently than did Lehi. 
         -at the same time, we can see shades of Thomas the apostle at play here.  When Thomas did not physically see the resurrected Lord he refused to receive the same comfort as the other apostles.  He was not comforted nor did he have the same belief in the reality of the resurrection until he, like Sariah, physically saw and held.