How To Worship Our Mother In Heaven Without Getting Excommunicated

[LeSellers]

Actually, it started with Adam and those who received the priesthood through his hands.

Ah, sorry: poorly worded. I meant the genesis of the theory started with Abraham.

I like the rest of your theory, and I will now make it my own theory until I can come up with something better... if that is at all possible.

I'm sure it's possible. I pray it's possible, because it is not set in anything more solid than stiff yogurt.

There is a lot more to it, and one day I must write it down (including the scriptural references – which are many), so I do not forget all the components.

Lehi

[sean0scott]

... to openly acknowledge and worship a Heavenly Mother puts Mormonism very far from orthodox Christianity to the point where it's almost completely unrecognizable as a Christian faith.

We do believe in Jesus... that He is the Christ. Isn't that the Christ part of Christian faith?

[talisyn]

We do believe in Jesus... that He is the Christ. Isn't that the Christ part of Christian faith?

That argument never works.

[Bat-Man]

Ah, sorry: poorly worded. I meant the genesis of the theory started with Abraham.

Same problem here, I think.

The genesis of the theory doesn't really start with Abraham.

I'm sure it's possible.

Not if there isn't anything better, there isn't.

I pray it's possible, because it is not set in anything more solid than stiff yogurt.

Don't be so quick to dismiss a good idea, or to have God shoot it down for you.

Revelation from God consists of such things as good ideas... FYI.

There is a lot more to it, and one day I must write it down (including the scriptural references â?? which are many), so I do not forget all the components.

I'm always on the lookout for good stories.

... and to coin a phrase from Paul Harvey, there is (always going to be) more to a good story.

Good day!?!

[Lightbearer]

So you do worship the Heavenly Mother but through God the Father then?

I did not say that. What I did say was that God the Father is the object of our worship, we are nowhere commanded to worship our heavenly Mother. God the Father is a glorified and exalted man and we can become as He is, His wife or wives are "part of Him" so we do not worship her "through" Him. But the fact that she is sealed to Him makes the whole discussion moot. There is no divorce in the Celestial world, God could no more disown His wife or wives than He could disown a part of His body. That is what it means to be bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, they are no more twain but one flesh. I do not expect you to understand it unless you understand the type of being that God is (as understood by LDS) and that we worship Him: The Father in the name of the Son by the power of the Holy Ghost. The female and male are two parts of one whole that is why gender and marriage and family are so important to LDS. It defines us as who we are spirit children, sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents.

[William James]

i was told that we know so little about our Mother in heaven was because God wasnt that thrilled that Her name would be drug through the dirt the way His and Jesus' was. dont know if there is doctrine on it but it is not that hard to understand that motive.

I have never bought that argument. After all, people take the Lord's name in vain all the time by simply exclaming, "God!" in an inappropriate manner. They could just as easily take Heavenly Mother's name in vain by exclaiming, "Goddess!"

No, I suspect that the real reason (or at least one of the major reasons) for not talking about Heavenly Mother in church (assuming she truly exists) is that we have built Heavenly Father and Jesus up to be paternalistic beings with practically non-existent sexuality (God has a gender, yes, but sexuality, certainly not!). Our puritannical brand of chastity in the church, and our general apprehension for all things sexual makes us reluctant to open the door to exploring the question of Heavenly Father's sexuality. Moreover, there would be problems related to polygamy, which official doctrine still seems to hold as being an eternal principal. Perhaps there might even be more than one Heavenly Mother? The church's reluctance to talk about polygamy might be another factor bearing on why we virtually never hear about Heavenly Mother. Just my thoughts.

[ttribe]

I have never bought that argument. After all, people take the Lord's name in vain all the time by simply exclaming, "God!" in an inappropriate manner. They could just as easily take Heavenly Mother's name in vain by exclaiming, "Goddess!"

No, I suspect that the real reason (or at least one of the major reasons) for not talking about Heavenly Mother in church (assuming she truly exists) is that we have built Heavenly Father and Jesus up to be paternalistic beings with practically non-existent sexuality (God has a gender, yes, but sexuality, certainly not!). Our puritannical brand of chastity in the church, and our general apprehension for all things sexual makes us reluctant to open the door to exploring the question of Heavenly Father's sexuality. Moreover, there would be problems related to polygamy, which official doctrine still seems to hold as being an eternal principal. Perhaps there might even be more than one Heavenly Mother? The church's reluctance to talk about polygamy might be another factor bearing on why we virtually never hear about Heavenly Mother. Just my thoughts.

I'm beginning to see a pattern here with Mr. James' posts...quite a focus on sexuality. BTW, Mr. James, are you ever going to get around to my CFR on your statement that Pres. Hinckley "hated" all things sexual?

[talisyn]

I have never bought that argument. After all, people take the Lord's name in vain all the time by simply exclaming, "God!" in an inappropriate manner. They could just as easily take Heavenly Mother's name in vain by exclaiming, "Goddess!"

No, I suspect that the real reason (or at least one of the major reasons) for not talking about Heavenly Mother in church (assuming she truly exists) is that we have built Heavenly Father and Jesus up to be paternalistic beings with practically non-existent sexuality (God has a gender, yes, but sexuality, certainly not!). Our puritannical brand of chastity in the church, and our general apprehension for all things sexual makes us reluctant to open the door to exploring the question of Heavenly Father's sexuality. Moreover, there would be problems related to polygamy, which official doctrine still seems to hold as being an eternal principal. Perhaps there might even be more than one Heavenly Mother? The church's reluctance to talk about polygamy might be another factor bearing on why we virtually never hear about Heavenly Mother. Just my thoughts.

Obviously you have never been in any of my gospel doctrine classes. And I think the random use of Diety's name is a very good reason to not talk about our Heavenly Mother in everyday conversation. She is special, all of them if there are more than one, and what kind of a husband would allow the name of his loving wife to be used as a curse? I agree with LeSellers, people have not been very courteous to their goddesses, so I am content to leave Her name in peace.

[jkfrost]

Or we don't all have the same one.

after some mix ups there is only one per planet now.

Then there are those pesky ET species who have their own worlds,

distant cuzins so to speak or smart animals as some like to call them.

Who in the world would sends their pets to do scientific experiments anyway?

Now I lost tract what were we talking about?

[Lamanite]

What did you guys think of my Branch Presidents conveying the thoughts of a Heavenly Mother in a blessing? I gave brief details in my OP.

Big UP!

Lamanite

[ttribe]

What did you guys think of my Branch Presidents conveying the thoughts of a Heavenly Mother in a blessing? I gave brief details in my OP.

Big UP!

Lamanite

I would be very uncomfortable with that.

[Lamanite]

I would be very uncomfortable with that.

I did nothing and said nothing. Do you think that was the best thing. I had a real desire to share my concerns with the Branch Pres, but did not just so as not to create any "issues". I like to fly under the radar. OK that last sentence was a lie :-)

Big UP!

Lamanite

[ttribe]

I did nothing and said nothing. Do you think that was the best thing. I had a real desire to share my concerns with the Branch Pres, but did not just so as not to create any "issues". I like to fly under the radar. OK that last sentence was a lie :-)

Big UP!

Lamanite

I'm not sure what I would have done either. My first reaction probably would have been the same as yours. However, if such activities persisted, I might have spoken up later.

[Deborah]

We do not even know if we all the same Mother in Heaven.

Which may be one reason we don't worship her, because we don't know who our individual heavenly mother is.

I've had a theory for a long time that the reason there are similarities in certain people not otherwise related is because they are children of a particular heavenly mother. We all meet people for the first time with whom we feel especially close; could those be some of our true siblings rather than half-siblings? It's interesting to speculate but I do believe there is good reason God himself doesn't refer to heavenly mother and it's not because he doesn't hold her in highest esteem.

[Lamanite]

I'm digging through a lot of Dialogue's in order to research the role of Women (singular and plural) as Deity. I haven't even started with the Sunstone crowd yet. But conservative Mormon publications or websites seem to be silent on the subject. Not surprising.

It seems that discussion of a Heavenly Mother is quite often linked with the opinion that Women should hold the priesthood. Exponent II women and those influenced by Carol Lynn Pearson, go so far as to say that they feel the Holy Ghost is actually our Heavenly Mother. This is a slippery slope.

Again, I feel comfortable knowing She exists. What, if anything, am I going to do with that info? I don't know. But I do know that these individuals and their speculations are flirting with heresy, IMO.

Big UP!

Lamanite

[Lamanite]

bump....response to post#40?

[selek]

bump....response to post#40?

Seems to me that post#40 was a statement rather than a question.

[Lamanite]

Seems to me that post#40 was a statement rather than a question.

As always I'm looking for counter arguments. It kinda helps me identify flaws, or extreme- over zealous positions. I feel pretty strongly about the narrow margin in which our Mother in Heaven should be a part of our worship.

Thought maybe there were some Exponent II women on MADB. You know, ever since cinepro got kicked out, we're about as balanced and fair as FOX News.

Big UP!

Lamanite

[Grothar]

HEY! I like Fox News.

Anyway I've always just sorta thought there was a Heavenly Mother/s somewhere in the mix. It makes very little sense for us to be God's children if She isn't.

I like the theory where we worship Her through God.

[lukas_s]

I'm unorthodox concerning this matter, and will probably be called to repentance or some other nonsense, but oh well. I don't advocate prayer to our Mother, but I do, honestly, believe that there is MUCH to be gained from having a relationship with Her, by talking to Her, and by respecting and loving our own mothers (and fathers, for that case) to magnify Her. I see nothing wrong with asking our Holy Father for help with all of our needs, and asking our Mother to allow us to feel Her loving influence in our lives, through the Father. I have a very strong testimony that we have a Mother in Heaven, and I think it's important for us to remember that; not just shove it aside because we don't "know a lot about Her" or because "God wants to protect Her." I do believe that God has been clear with me about this issue, and has allowed me to feel Her influence in my life. Nothing wrong with that.

I hope there is more doctrine to come concerning Her. I'd love for some of the Sealed Portion, or some of the scriptural writings of our lost brethren to be about Her. I feel that the knowledge we have that She lives, even as minuscule as that knowledge may be, is deeply profound and beautiful.

That said, I rather enjoy some of the speculative writings about our Mother by some of the (excommunicated and disfellowshipped) feminist writers. I'm not on the high road to apostasy, however, I just enjoy all things Mormon from every angle.

[Garden Girl]

Are you suggesting that we should simply dismiss any thoughts in our own minds about our Mother in heaven?

I'm pretty sure She wouldn't like that.

... but I do agree that it's good to keep our knowledge of Her sacred.

Hello Bat-Man...

Dismiss any thoughts about our Heavenly Mother? No, not at all... but just what exactly do you know about her other than we do have a Mother(s) in heaven? So, my point was, it's interesting, even comforting, to think of her in our own minds... even to discuss Her as we are here, as long as we understand that anything we think or voice is speculation. Heavenly Father simply hasn't revealed the details.

Also, for Lamanite... in my earlier post I opined that I thought it inappropriate to include references to a Heavenly Mother in a priesthood blessing, etc.

edited to add for Lukas s... I, too, like the concept of a Heavenly Mother and have pondered this... but have not gone so far as to pray to her or ask her for anything...

GG

[Daniel Peterson]

No, I suspect that the real reason (or at least one of the major reasons) for not talking about Heavenly Mother in church (assuming she truly exists) is that we have built Heavenly Father and Jesus up to be paternalistic beings with practically non-existent sexuality (God has a gender, yes, but sexuality, certainly not!). Our puritannical brand of chastity in the church, and our general apprehension for all things sexual makes us reluctant to open the door to exploring the question of Heavenly Father's sexuality.

As a bishop in a singles ward, I'm having a very hard time seeing much evidence of sexual puritanism among Church members.

[Bill Hamblin]

Personally, I view Rosie O'Donnel as the supreme incarnation of the divine feminine in our Age. She alone is worthy of our devotion!

[Lamanite]

I'm unorthodox concerning this matter, and will probably be called to repentance or some other nonsense, but oh well. I don't advocate prayer to our Mother, but I do, honestly, believe that there is MUCH to be gained from having a relationship with Her, by talking to Her, and by respecting and loving our own mothers (and fathers, for that case) to magnify Her. I see nothing wrong with asking our Holy Father for help with all of our needs, and asking our Mother to allow us to feel Her loving influence in our lives, through the Father. I have a very strong testimony that we have a Mother in Heaven, and I think it's important for us to remember that; not just shove it aside because we don't "know a lot about Her" or because "God wants to protect Her." I do believe that God has been clear with me about this issue, and has allowed me to feel Her influence in my life. Nothing wrong with that.

I hope there is more doctrine to come concerning Her. I'd love for some of the Sealed Portion, or some of the scriptural writings of our lost brethren to be about Her. I feel that the knowledge we have that She lives, even as minuscule as that knowledge may be, is deeply profound and beautiful.

That said, I rather enjoy some of the speculative writings about our Mother by some of the (excommunicated and disfellowshipped) feminist writers. I'm not on the high road to apostasy, however, I just enjoy all things Mormon from every angle.

You know Lukas, I can totally respect what you wrote. It's a personal thing for you. I must admit that I've let my mind wander and explore what She must be like. How much she must love me. And I've wondered how much she must be involved in my life. These feelings and ideas are usually kept very private. We can draw quite a few conclusions just by projecting what we know about our familial responsibilities and obligations onto our Divine parentage; but it would be tenuous at best.

Exploring this idea of a Mother in Heaven on our own through careful pondering and prayer (to our Father in Heaven) is fine, IMO. And when Father knows we are prepared, and can keep our mouths shut, perhaps further light and knowledge will come.

Big UP!

Lamanite

[thesometimesaint]

William James:

You have to remember about the Puritans "Bundling Boards".

Seriously the Church promotes an active sex life for its members(just only those that happen to be married to each other).