What Do We Know About Heavenly Mother?

[teddyaware]

TSS is Thesometimessaint... who posted on this thread...

GG

D'OH!!! Thanks for that.

[teddyaware]

I know you aren't asking me, but I have the bad habit of interjecting myself. I dont think I would doubt it if the Lord revealed something like that to you. But I'm not sure it would be prudent to share those things before the Lord reveals them through those with the keys to reveal them.

But the Lord already has revealed to us the knowledge of the role of "Heavenly Mother" through the Prophet Joseph Smith, who did possess the keys to reveal such. The following passages of scripture, given of the Lord to Joseph Smith, prove beyond doubt that Heavenly Mother is what I assert she is -- a woman who enjoys the fulness of celestial glory, in eternal unity with her husband to whom she is sealed for time and all eternity. As you read, keep in mind you're reading the actual revealed word's of the Lord himself in the first person.

"19 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them (i.e., both the husband and the wife) by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them (both the husband and the wife) —Ye (both husband and wife) shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them (both husband and wife) in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them (both husband and wife), in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they (both husband and wife) are out of the world; and they (both husband and wife) shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their (both husband and wife) exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their (both husband and wife) heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

20 Then shall they (both husband and wife) be gods, because they (both husband and wife) have no end; therefore shall they (both husband and wife) be from everlasting to everlasting, because they (both husband and wife) continue; then shall they (both husband and wife) be above all, because all things are subject unto them (both husband and wife). Then shall they (both husband and wife) be gods, because they (both husband and wife) have all power, and the angels are subject unto them (both husband and wife).

21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory. (Doctrine & Covenants 132)"

Since Heavenly Mother enjoys the fulness of celestial glory and a continuation of the seeds for ever and ever, as revealed above, it's quite obvious she is one of those glorified and exalted women so described by the Lord. If you still doubt, very carefully reread and digest the above words of the Lord.

Edited April 10, 2013 by teddyaware

[Kevin Christensen]

Warren Aston's essay on Debunking Myths about Heavenly Mother is very good.

http://www.ldsmag.com/article/11842

And of course, there are books like The Hebrew Goddess, Did God Have a Wife? and Margaret Barker's The Mother of the Lord vol. 1.

FWIW

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

[teddyaware]

Warren Aston's essay on Debunking Myths about Heavenly Mother is very good.

http://www.ldsmag.com/article/11842

And of course, there are books like The Hebrew Goddess, Did God Have a Wife? and Margaret Barker's The Mother of the Lord vol. 1.

FWIW

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

Thanks for that, Kevin. An excellent and enlightening article, indeed!

[thesometimesaint]

Warren Aston's essay on Debunking Myths about Heavenly Mother is very good.

http://www.ldsmag.com/article/11842

And of course, there are books like The Hebrew Goddess, Did God Have a Wife? and Margaret Barker's The Mother of the Lord vol. 1.

FWIW

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

I've read that article and several like them. I believe that we have a MiH. However I do not see where she is directly referred to in LDS canon. Further she is never referred to as part of the Godhead, and we are instructed to not pray to her. Again I have no problem if we add her to Scripture. But she is not there now.

Edited April 10, 2013 by thesometimesaint

[Damien the Leper]

By that quote, I would say it proves Einstein was no "Einstein."

Then you aren't understanding the depth of the statement.

[Damien the Leper]

Hmmm...I think maybe tonight I will spend some time with Her. If She is my Mother then She deserves to be treated as such and deserves my love.

[rpn]

Elder Ballard in speaking about Priesthood, echos the Erastus Snow suggestion.

[wenglund]

Hmmm...I think maybe tonight I will spend some time with Her. If She is my Mother then She deserves to be treated as such and deserves my love.

I would too if I thought spending time with her is her wish. I, personally, get the sense that it is not. And, so out of love and respect for her, I won't be spending time with her until I get the sense that it is her wish.

But, to each their own.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[teddyaware]

Then you aren't understanding the depth of the statement.

Most any reasonable person knows what genuine common sense is: You know -- don't stick your finger in an electrical socket; don't speed at unsafe speeds down twisting mountain roads; do put some money aside for a 'rainy day:' do praise your children if they do well; and do assume Heavenly Mother is an exalted woman because she lives in the highest degree of glory within the celestial kingdom and is married to God the Father.

Einstein's understanding of the the expression common sense is off, because if he knew what common sense really was he wouldn't have spouted such nonsense.

Edited April 10, 2013 by teddyaware

[teddyaware]

I've read that article and several like them. I believe that we have a MiH. However I do not see where she is directly referred to in LDS canon. Further she is never referred to as part of the Godhead, and we are instructed to not pray to her. Again I have no problem if we add her to Scripture. But she is not there now.

Read my post # 27 above.

[thesometimesaint]

Most any reasonable person knows what genuine common sense is: You know -- don't stick your finger in an electrical socket; don't speed at unsafe speeds down twisting mountain roads; do put some money aside for a 'rainy day:' do praise your children if they do well; and do assume Heavenly Mother is an exalted woman because she lives in the highest degree of glory within the celestial kingdom and is married to God the Father.

Einstein's understanding of the the expression common sense is off, because if he knew what common sense really means he wouldn't have spouted such nonsense.

Common Sense isn't very common.

Post #27 is your extrapolation of D&C 132.

[teddyaware]

Common Sense isn't very common.

Post #27 is your extrapolation of D&C 132.

May I share a bit of well known common sense? "You can lead a horse (in this case a brother) to water (the fount of knowledge) but you cant make him drink."

[thesometimesaint]

May I share a bit of well known common sense? "You can lead a horse (in this case a brother) to water (the fount of knowledge) but you cant make him drink."

But you sure can salt the oats.

[teddyaware]

But you sure can salt the oats.

I'll try to find ways to salt your oats, then, so that you will drink.

[thesometimesaint]

My doctor has already limited my salt intake. Unfortunately I already take what is said by anyone(especially myself) with a good sized grain of salt.

[Bernard Gui]

The Origin of Man

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=55bf8c6a47e0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____

In the early 1900s, questions concerning the Creation of the earth and the theories of evolution became the subject of much public discussion. In the midst of these controversies, the First Presidency issued the following in 1909, which expresses the Church’s doctrinal position on these matters.

Inquiries arise from time to time respecting the attitude of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upon questions which, though not vital from a doctrinal standpoint, are closely connected with the fundamental principles of salvation. The latest inquiry of this kind that has reached us is in relation to the origin of man. It is believed that a statement of the position held by the Church upon this subject will be timely and productive of good.

In presenting the statement that follows we are not conscious of putting forth anything essentially new; neither is it our desire so to do. Truth is what we wish to present, and truth—eternal truth—is fundamentally old. A restatement of the original attitude of the Church relative to this matter is all that will be attempted here. To tell the truth as God has revealed it, and commend it to the acceptance of those who need to conform their opinions thereto, is the sole purpose of this presentation.

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” In these plain and pointed words the inspired author of the book of Genesis made known to the world the truth concerning the origin of the human family. Moses, the prophet-historian—“learned,” as we are told, “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians”—when making this important announcement was not voicing a mere opinion, a theory derived from his researches into the occult lore of that ancient people. He was speaking as the mouthpiece of God, and his solemn declaration was for all time and for all people. No subsequent revelator of the truth has contradicted the great leader and lawgiver of Israel. All who have since spoken by divine authority upon this theme have confirmed his simple and sublime proclamation. Nor could it be otherwise. Truth has but one source, and all revelations from heaven are harmonious with each other. The omnipotent Creator, the maker of heaven and earth, had shown unto Moses everything pertaining to this planet, including the facts relating to man’s origin, and the authoritative pronouncement of that mighty prophet and seer to the house of Israel, and through Israel to the whole world, is couched in the simple clause: “God created man in his own image” (Gen. 1:27; seeMoses 1:27–41).

The creation was twofold—first spiritual, secondly temporal. This truth, also, Moses plainly taught—much more plainly than it has come down to us in the imperfect translations of the Bible that are now in use. Therein the fact of a spiritual creation, antedating the temporal creation, is strongly implied, but the proof of it is not so clear and conclusive as in other records held by the Latter-day Saints to be of equal authority with the Jewish scriptures. The partial obscurity of the latter upon the point in question is owing, no doubt, to the loss of those “plain and precious” parts of sacred writ, which, as the Book of Mormon informs us, have been taken away from the Bible during its passage down the centuries (see 1 Ne. 13:24–29). Some of these missing parts the Prophet Joseph Smith undertook to restore when he revised those scriptures by the spirit of revelation, the result being that more complete account of the Creation which is found in the book of Moses, previously cited. Note the following passages:

“And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth,

“And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them, and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air;

“But, I, the Lord God, spake, and there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

“And I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word” (Moses 3:4–7; see also Moses 1 and Moses 2, and compare with Gen. 1 and Gen. 2).

These two points being established, namely, the creation of man in the image of God, and the twofold character of the Creation, let us now inquire: What was the form of man, in the spirit and in the body, as originally created? In a general way the answer is given in the words chosen as the text of this treatise. “God created man in his own image.” It is more explicitly rendered in the Book of Mormon thus: “All men were created in the beginning after mine own image” (Ether 3:15). … If, therefore, we can ascertain the form of the “Father of spirits,” “The God of the spirits of all flesh,” we shall be able to discover the form of the original man.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is “the express image” of His Father’s person (Heb. 1:3). He walked the earth as a human being, as a perfect man, and said, in answer to a question put to Him: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). This alone ought to solve the problem to the satisfaction of every thoughtful, reverent mind. The conclusion is irresistible, that if the Son of God be the express image (that is, likeness) of His Father’s person, then His Father is in the form of a man; for that was the form of the Son of God, not only during His mortal life, but before His mortal birth, and after His Resurrection. It was in this form that the Father and the Son, as two personages, appeared to Joseph Smith, when, as a boy of 14 years, he received his first vision. Then if God made man—the first man—in His own image and likeness, He must have made him like unto Christ, and consequently like unto men of Christ’s time and of the present day. That man was made in the image of Christ is positively stated in the book of Moses: “And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. …

“And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them” (Moses 2:26–27).

The Father of Jesus is our Father also. Jesus Himself taught this truth when He instructed His disciples how to pray: “Our Father which art in heaven,” etc. Jesus, however, is the firstborn among all the sons of God—the first begotten in the spirit, and the only begotten in the flesh. He is our elder brother, and we, like Him, are in the image of God. All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.

“God created man in His own image.” This is just as true of the spirit as it is of the body, which is only the clothing of the spirit, its complement—the two together constituting the soul. The spirit of man is in the form of man, and the spirits of all creatures are in the likeness of their bodies. This was plainly taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith (see D&C 77:2).

Here is further evidence of the fact. More than 700 years before Moses was shown the things pertaining to this earth, another great prophet, known to us as the brother of Jared, was similarly favored by the Lord. He was even permitted to behold the spirit-body of the foreordained Savior, prior to His incarnation; and so like the body of a man was gazing upon a being of flesh and blood. He first saw the finger and then the entire body of the Lord—all in the spirit. The Book of Mormon says of this wonderful manifestation:

“And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

“And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said to him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?“And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

“And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?“And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me.“And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?“And he answered, Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.“And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you. “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. “And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image. “Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh” (Ether 3:6–16).

What more is needed to convince us that man, both in spirit and in body, is the image and likeness of God and that God Himself is in the form of a man?

When the divine Being whose spirit-body the brother of Jared beheld took upon Him flesh and blood, He appeared as a man, having “body, parts and passions,” like other men, though vastly superior to all others, because He was God, even the Son of God, the Word made flesh: in Him “dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” And why should He not appear as a man? That was the form of His spirit, and it must needs have an appropriate covering, a suitable tabernacle. He came into the world as He had promised to come (see 3 Ne. 1:13), taking an infant tabernacle and developing it gradually to the fulness of His spirit stature. He came as man had been coming for ages and as man has continued to come ever since. Jesus, however, as shown, was the Only Begotten of God in the flesh.

Adam, our first progenitor, “the first man,” was, like Christ, a preexistent spirit, and like Christ he took upon him an appropriate body, the body of a man, and so became a “living soul.” The doctrine of the preexistence—revealed so plainly, particularly in latter days—pours a wonderful flood of light upon the otherwise mysterious problem of man’s origin. It shows that man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in the spirit before any man existed in the flesh and that all who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner.

It is held by some that Adam was not the first man upon this earth and that the original human being was a development from lower orders of the animal creation. These, however, are the theories of men. The word of the Lord declared that Adam was “the first man of all men” (Moses 1:34), and we are therefore in duty bound to regard him as the primal parent of our race. It was shown to the brother of Jared that all men were created in thebeginning after the image of God; whether we take this to mean the spirit or the body, or both, it commits us to the same conclusion: Man began life as a human being, in the likeness of our Heavenly Father.

True it is that the body of man enters upon its career as a tiny germ embryo, which becomes an infant, quickened at a certain stage by the spirit whose tabernacle it is, and the child, after being born, develops into a man. There is nothing in this, however, to indicate that the original man, the first of our race, began life as anything less than a man, or less than the human germ or embryo that becomes a man.

Man, by searching, cannot find out God. Never, unaided, will he discover the truth about the beginning of human life. The Lord must reveal Himself or remain unrevealed; and the same is true of the facts relating to the origin of Adam’s race—God alone can reveal them. Some of these facts, however, are already known, and what has been made known it is our duty to receive and retain.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, basing its belief on divine revelation, ancient and modern, proclaims man to be the direct and lineal offspring of Deity. God Himself is an exalted man, perfected, enthroned, and supreme. By His almighty power He organized the earth and all that it contains, from spirit and element, which exist coeternally with Himself. He formed every plant that grows and every animal that breathes, each after its own kind, spiritually and temporally—“that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal, and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual.” He made the tadpole and the ape, the lion and the elephant, but He did not make them in His own image, nor endow them with godlike reason and intelligence. Nevertheless, the whole animal creation will be perfected and perpetuated in the Hereafter, each class in its “distinct order or sphere,” and will enjoy “eternal felicity.” That fact has been made plain in this dispensation (see D&C 77:3).

Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of an earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable, by experience through ages and aeons, of evolving into a God.

Joseph F. Smith

John R. Winder

Anthon H. Lund

First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

November 1909

[thesometimesaint]

I think this is a better summation.

http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Evolution

[CASteinman]

She is definitely an important part of the Plan.

Cite please.

[Damien the Leper]

I would too if I thought spending time with her is her wish. I, personally, get the sense that it is not. And, so out of love and respect for her, I won't be spending time with her until I get the sense that it is her wish.

But, to each their own.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Fair enough. I don't see anything wrong either way.

[Damien the Leper]

Most any reasonable person knows what genuine common sense is: You know -- don't stick your finger in an electrical socket; don't speed at unsafe speeds down twisting mountain roads; do put some money aside for a 'rainy day:' do praise your children if they do well; and do assume Heavenly Mother is an exalted woman because she lives in the highest degree of glory within the celestial kingdom and is married to God the Father.

Einstein's understanding of the the expression common sense is off, because if he knew what common sense really was he wouldn't have spouted such nonsense.

And you're still not getting it.

[teddyaware]

And you're still not getting it.

Of course I "get it," I just don't agree with "it."

[Nathair/|\]

Cite please.

To that I offer Teddyaware's post 22 and the article I linked to in my OP.

[JeremyOrbe-Smith]

Someone should put together a "Heavenly Mother info-packet", like the one Mike Ash did for The Mormon Myth of Evil Evolution. Or organize a website presence like the Book of Abraham Project. (I'd do it myself, but I have neither time nor bandwidth.) At any rate, perhaps some enterprising lurker will take the initiative, and so I freely bestow this little index of sources to begin the project. I also encourage folks to link to these sources (and add to them!) when the usual questions bubble up from the bloggospherical archipelago and people start claiming that we don't know much about Heavenly Mother simply because they haven't read any of these:

A Mother There: A Survey Of Historical Teachings About Mother In Heaven by David L. Paulsen and Martin Pulido

The Other Half of Heaven: Debunking Myths about Heavenly Mother by Warren Aston

Nephi And His Asherah by Daniel C. Peterson

Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? by Margaret Barker

What Did King Josiah Reform? by Margaret Barker (presented at BYU)

The Images Of Mary In The Litany Of Loreto by Margaret Barker

Nephite Feminism Revisited by Shauna and Kevin Christensen

Kevin Christensen On The Scholarship Of Margaret Barker

Does God Have A Wife? by Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt

The Assyrian Tree Of Life: Tracing The Origins Of Jewish Monotheism And Greek Philosophy by Simo Parpola

Shadday As A Goddess Epithet [For Asherah] by Harriet Lutzky

How To Worship Our Mother In Heaven (Without Getting Excommunicated) by Kevin L. Barney

Asherah, The Tree Of Life, And The Menorah: Continuity Of A Goddess Symbol In Judaism? by Asphodel P. Long

The Deseret Connection by Hugh W. Nibley (plus a whole bunch of stuff from his last -- amazing -- book One Eternal Round)

The Sacred Tree Of The Ancient Maya by Allen J. Christensen

Did God Have A Wife? by William G. Dever

The Hebrew Goddess by Raphael Patai

The Mother of the Lord Volume One: The Lady In The Temple by Margaret Barker

The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler (an uneven book, which I recommend primarily -- for the purposes of this discussion, anyway -- for her views on the Holy Spirit of Wisdom.)

The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myths and Cult Images by Marija Gimbutas (a much-maligned book that still has some useful bits)

The White Goddess by Robert Graves (an even more-maligned book, but hey, Nibley cites him so he can't be all bad, right?)

The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image by Jules Cashford

The point is not that these sources have all the answers (they contradict each other in places, for one thing). The point is that if one works through them, then we can start to have a more informed discussion, instead of relying on the supposed argument from silence that surrounds this topic. We don't have to just throw our hands in the air and say that we just don't know anything; think of reading as a treasure hunt, and we'll start getting somewhere! There is still a lot we don't know, but people have done excellent work, if we're willing to take the time to search for it. I think this currently-downplayed aspect of the Restoration holds much promise for good fruit to blossom in the future. While we are often strangely reticent about the topic, I consider the teaching of the existence of Goddesses right alongside Gods to be one of the most important aspects of the Restoration Joseph Smith organized.

Edited April 12, 2013 by JeremyOrbe-Smith

[teddyaware]

Someone should put together a "Heavenly Mother info-packet", like the one Mike Ash did for The Mormon Myth of Evil Evolution. Or organize a website presence like the Book of Abraham Project. (I'd do it myself, but I have neither time nor bandwidth.) At any rate, perhaps some enterprising lurker will take the initiative, and so I freely bestow this little index of sources to begin the project. I also encourage folks to link to these sources (and add to them!) when the usual questions bubble up from the bloggospherical archipelago and people start claiming that we don't know much about Heavenly Mother simply because they haven't read any of these:

A Mother There: A Survey Of Historical Teachings About Mother In Heaven by David L. Paulsen and Martin Pulido

The Other Half of Heaven: Debunking Myths about Heavenly Mother by Warren Aston

Nephi And His Asherah by Daniel C. Peterson

Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? by Margaret Barker

What Did King Josiah Reform? by Margaret Barker (presented at BYU)

The Images Of Mary In The Litany Of Loreto by Margaret Barker

Nephite Feminism Revisited by Shauna and Kevin Christensen

Kevin Christensen On The Scholarship Of Margaret Barker

Does God Have A Wife? by Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt

The Assyrian Tree Of Life: Tracing The Origins Of Jewish Monotheism And Greek Philosophy by Simo Parpola

Shadday As A Goddess Epithet [For Asherah] by Harriet Lutzky

How To Worship Our Mother In Heaven (Without Getting Excommunicated) by Kevin L. Barney

Asherah, The Tree Of Life, And The Menorah: Continuity Of A Goddess Symbol In Judaism? by Asphodel P. Long

The Deseret Connection by Hugh W. Nibley (plus a whole bunch of stuff from his last -- amazing -- book One Eternal Round)

The Sacred Tree Of The Ancient Maya by Allen J. Christensen

Did God Have A Wife? by William G. Dever

The Hebrew Goddess by Raphael Patai

The Mother of the Lord Volume One: The Lady In The Temple by Margaret Barker

The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler (an uneven book, which I recommend primarily -- for the purposes of this discussion, anyway -- for her views on the Holy Spirit of Wisdom.)

The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myths and Cult Images by Marija Gimbutas (a much-maligned book that still has some useful bits)

The White Goddess by Robert Graves (an even more-maligned book, but hey, Nibley cites him so he can't be all bad, right?)

The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image by Jules Cashford

The point is not that these sources have all the answers (they contradict each other in places, for one thing). The point is that if one works through them, then we can start to have a more informed discussion, instead of relying on the supposed argument from silence that surrounds this topic. We don't have to just throw our hands in the air and say that we just don't know anything; think of reading as a treasure hunt, and we'll start getting somewhere! There is still a lot we don't know, but people have done excellent work, if we're willing to take the time to search for it. I think this currently-downplayed aspect of the Restoration holds much promise for good fruit to blossom in the future. While we are often strangely reticent about the topic, I consider the teaching of the existence of Goddesses right alongside Gods to be one of the most important aspects of the Restoration Joseph Smith organized.

Many thanks for all the cool links, Jeremy!