Mormonism and the nature of God/Heavenly Mother

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Heavenly Mother


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Gospel Topics: Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them

"Becoming Like God," Gospel Topics on LDS.org:

Eliza R. Snow, a Church leader and poet, rejoiced over the doctrine that we are, in a full and absolute sense, children of God. “I had learned to call thee Father, / Thru thy Spirit from on high,” she wrote, “But, until the key of knowledge / Was restored, I knew not why.” Latter-day Saints have also been moved by the knowledge that their divine parentage includes a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father. Expressing that truth, Eliza R. Snow asked, “In the heav’ns are parents single?” and answered with a resounding no: “Truth eternal / Tells me I’ve a mother there.” That knowledge plays an important role in Latter-day Saint belief. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote, “Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them.”[1]


Question: Do Latter-day Saints believe in a female divine person, a "Heavenly Mother" as counterpart to God, the Heavenly Father?

Because LDS theology rejects the doctrine of creation out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo) as a post-biblical addition to Christian belief, and because they see God as embodied in human form while rejecting creedal trinitarianism, having a female counterpart to Our Heavenly Father seems logical and almost inevitable. This is especially true given the LDS embrace of the doctrine of theosis, or human deification. Thus, the Heavenly Mother shares parenthood with the Father, and shares His attributes of perfection, holiness, and glory.

There is evidence for this doctrine in ancient Israel,[2] and within the Book of Mormon.[3]

As early as 1839, Joseph Smith taught the idea of a Heavenly Mother.[4] Eliza R. Snow composed a poem (later set to music) which provides the most well-known expression of this doctrine:[5]

In the heav´ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I´ve a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?

In 1909 the First Presidency, under Joseph F. Smith, wrote that

man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father [as an] offspring of celestial parentage...all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity....[6]

The 1995 statement issued by the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles, entitled The Family: A Proclamation to the World, states that all men and women are children of heavenly parents (plural), which implies the existence of a Mother in Heaven.[7]

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.


Question: Are we allowed to pray to our "Heavenly Mother"?

It is not considered proper for members to pray to Mother in Heaven since there are no scriptural examples supporting such a practice

Despite these beliefs, Mother in Heaven plays virtually no role in LDS worship or teaching beyond that outlined above. It is not considered proper for members to pray to Mother in Heaven, since there are no prophetic or scriptural examples encouraging such a practice. Members of the Church pray as taught by the Savior, "Our Father, who art in heaven...." (Matthew 6:9, 3 Nephi 13꞉9, 3 Nephi 17꞉15, 3 Nephi 18꞉21, 3 Nephi 19꞉19-21, (italics added).)

Christ specifically says "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father" in Matthew 6:9 and 3 Nephi 13:9. God condemns worship of Asherah (thought by many to perhaps be Heavenly Mother) in the Old Testament.[8]

Modern prophets have also taught that only the Father to is receive prayer, in the name of Christ

As President Gordon B. Hinckley observed:

Logic and reason would certainly suggest that if we have a Father in Heaven, we have a Mother in Heaven. That doctrine rests well with me. However, in light of the instruction we have received from the Lord Himself, I regard it as inappropriate for anyone in the Church to pray to our Mother in Heaven ... The fact that we do not pray to our Mother in Heaven in no way belittles or denigrates her ... none of us can add to or diminish the glory of her of whom we have no revealed knowledge.[9]

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism notes:

Latter-day Saints infer from authoritative sources of scripture and modern prophecy that there is a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rejects the idea found in some religions that the spirits or souls of individual human beings are created ex nihilo. Rather it accepts literally the vital scriptural teaching as worded by Paul: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." This and other scriptures underscore not only spiritual sibling relationships but heirship with God, and a destiny of joint heirship with Christ (Romans 8:16-18; cf. Malachi 2:10).

Latter-day Saints believe that all the people of earth who lived or will live are actual spiritual offspring of God the Eternal Father (Numbers 16:22; Hebrews 12:9). In this perspective, parenthood requires both father and mother, whether for the creation of spirits in the premortal life or of physical tabernacles on earth. A Heavenly Mother shares parenthood with the Heavenly Father. This concept leads Latter-day Saints to believe that she is like him in glory, perfection, compassion, wisdom, and holiness.

Elohim, the name-title for God, suggests the plural of the Caananite El or the Hebrew Eloah. It is used in various Hebrew combinations to describe the highest God. It is the majestic title of the ultimate deity. Genesis 1:27 reads, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them" (emphasis added), which may be read to mean that "God" is plural.

For Latter-day Saints, the concept of eternal family is more than a firm belief; it governs their way of life. It is the eternal plan of life, stretching from life before through life beyond mortality.

As early as 1839 the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the concept of an eternal mother, as reported in several accounts from that period. Out of his teaching came a hymn that Latter-day Saints learn, sing, quote, and cherish, "O My Father," by Eliza R. Snow. President Wilford Woodruff called it a revelation (Woodruff, p. 62). In the heav'ns are parents single? No, the thought makes reason stare! Truth is reason; truth eternal Tells me I've a mother there. When I leave this frail existence, When I lay this mortal by, Father, Mother, may I meet you In your royal courts on high? [Hymn no. 292]

In 1909 the First Presidency, under Joseph F. Smith, issued a statement on the origin of man that teaches that "man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father," as an "offspring of celestial parentage," and further teaches that "all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity" (Smith, pp. 199-205).

Belief that there is a Mother in Heaven who is a partner with God in creation and procreation is not the same as the heavy emphasis on Mariology in the Roman tradition.

Today the belief in a living Mother in Heaven is implicit in Latter-day Saint thought. Though the scriptures contain only hints, statements from presidents of the church over the years indicate that human beings have a Heavenly Mother as well as a Heavenly Father.[10]

Why do we pray only to the Father?

We do not know why God has taught that we must pray only to the Father. There are three potential reasons, however, which can be excluded:

  1. Some worry that Heavenly Mother being muzzled by a sexist, patriarchal Heavenly Father—some imply that Heavenly Mother would have different opinions than the Father (and it is perhaps not coincidental that the views which are purportedly thus surpressed and views which agree with the person offering the complaint).
  2. Some claim Heavenly Mother being muzzled by a sexist, patriarchal prophet—but neither the Father nor the Mother are controlled or silenced by prophets. They could make any message they wished completely clear.
  3. Some suggest that Heavenly Mother "needs protection" from the blasphemy offered to God and Christ.

We must remember that we are not going to get different answers by praying to Heavenly Mother. Godhood requires complete unity and oneness of will (3 Nephi 11꞉36). The Mother would provide the same answer as the Father. We should be cautious of those who seek to "play parents off each other" by implying or claiming that Heavenly Mother would support their views if only the prophet or the members would listen.

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Very little has been revealed about Mother in Heaven, but what we do know is summarized in a gospel topic found in our Gospel Library application.[11] Once you have read what is there, you will know everything that I know about the subject. I wish I knew more. You too may still have questions and want to find more answers. Seeking greater understanding is an important part of our spiritual development, but please be cautious. Reason cannot replace revelation.

Speculation will not lead to greater spiritual knowledge, but it can lead us to deception or divert our focus from what has been revealed.

[He then notes in a footnote] Even sincere questions about partially revealed or unrevealed truths can lead us to look “beyond the mark” (Jacob 4:14). In particular, we need to rely “wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save” (2 Nephi 31:19), Jesus Christ. Suggesting the need for something more than what Jesus Christ offers effectively diminishes the scope and power of His infinite Atonement. In so doing we divert our attention from the ultimate “source [to which we should] look for a remission of [our] sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).

[Elder Renlund's footnote ends, and his main text continues:] For example, the Savior taught His disciples, “Always pray unto the Father in my name.”[12] We follow this pattern and direct our worship to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ and do not pray to Heavenly Mother.[13][14]


Question: Is it true that little is known about our Heavenly Mother because she is "protected"?

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that God has a wife.

In an effort to explain why Heavenly Mother is not mentioned frequently in Latter-day Saint discourse, some Church members have suggested that Heavenly Mother is not mentioned because the Father wants to protect her from blasphemy and maligning.

Despite it's popularity in some circles, FAIR is aware of no general authority who has ever suggested this idea.

If, as President Gordon B. Hinckley has stated, a prayer to Heavenly Mother cannot "add to or diminish her glory,"[15] then certainly blaspheming against her cannot harm her either. She is a goddess and thus much more powerful than any human being. She does not need protection from us.


Question: Is Heavenly Mother not talked about more because the prophets are sexist?

Some claim that leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not seek revelation about Heavenly Mother because they do not want to know about her. These critics believe that a supposed “cultural belief” of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles holds that men are inherently superior to women and thus the prophets only seek revelation from and about God the Father and not God the Mother.

Additionally, it is sometimes asserted that Jesus was sexist in the scriptures because he instructed his followers to always pray unto the Father when praying to God (3 Nephi 18꞉19-21,23,30).

Heavenly Mother Would Answer Prayers the Same as Heavenly Father

Some believes that praying to the Mother would yield a different answer or different spiritual feelings than praying to the Father in the name of Christ.

But the unity that attends all members of the Godhead (e.g., Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) applies to Heavenly Mother as well. Perfect beings cannot lie, and they would not give answers or feelings that differed from each other.

Heavenly Mother is in Unity with the Father, Christ, and Prophet

If Jesus' instruction to pray only to the Father was in error, Heavenly Mother and Heavenly Father are capable of so instructing the prophets and apostles.

It is strange that those who want to increase the Mother's prominence in LDS doctrine sometimes suggest that she is too weak to overcome knowledge that is "gatekeeped" by mortals.


Many prophets have spoken repeatedly about Heavenly Mother.[16] It is clear that they would welcome more knowledge about her. It would be strange for them to seek this knowledge, and yet seek to hide it because they don't like the implications. Who who dare fight against God or a Goddess? And why would we believe that a divine being could be silenced by the petulance of a mere mortal?

Elder Dale G. Renlund stated plainly that "[v]ery little has been revealed about Mother in Heaven, but what we do know is summarized in a gospel topic found in our Gospel Library application.[17] Once you have read what is there, you will know everything that I know about the subject. I wish I knew more."[18]

Learning more about her would certainly solidify and illuminate Latter-day Saint doctrines of marriage, sex, deification, and morality. Our lack of further knowledge does not come from the prophets' recalcitrance.

Why do we not know more?

What could that reason be? It’s very unwise to commit ourselves dogmatically to any reason. Elder Dallin H. Oaks observed the following in relation to the priesthood and temple restriction but it easily applies here:

...It's not the pattern of the Lord to give reasons. We can put reasons to commandments. When we do we're on our own. Some people put reasons to [the ban] and they turned out to be spectacularly wrong. There is a lesson in that.... The lesson I've drawn from that, I decided a long time ago that I had faith in the command and I had no faith in the reasons that had been suggested for it.

...I'm referring to reasons given by general authorities and reasons elaborated upon [those reasons] by others. The whole set of reasons seemed to me to be unnecessary risk taking.

...Let's [not] make the mistake that's been made in the past, here and in other areas, trying to put reasons to revelation. The reasons turn out to be man-made to a great extent. The revelations are what we sustain as the will of the Lord and that's where safety lies.[19]

Elder Renlund made the same point in relation to Heavenly Mother:

You too may still have questions and want to find more answers. Seeking greater understanding is an important part of our spiritual development, but please be cautious. Reason cannot replace revelation. Speculation will not lead to greater spiritual knowledge, but it can lead us to deception or divert our focus from what has been revealed.[20][18]

If we are troubled by a lack of knowledge, we can consider possible reasons in a spirit of prayer and humility. We ought to be cautious, however, of dogmatic claims—especially when those claims draw partly on our own hurt or our own political/social views.

We might project our own painful mortal experiences with abuse, mistreatment, or sexism onto the prophets' relatonship with Mother in Heaven. While that is understandable, it is unwise and will not lead us to peace of mind or heart about these issues.

The broader issue of sexism

Concerns about these issues often turn, then, on broader questions and concerns about perceived or actual sexism in society or the Church. These issues are explored in a separate essay.

Main article: Question: What is sexism?

It is inevitable that in the 21st century west, questions about sexism in Church doctrine, history, and practice will arise. We need to be ready to give "a reason for the hope that is in [us]" (1 Peter 3꞉15). This requires that we be sharp moral thinkers who may sometimes need to push back gently against popular ideas to arrive at a fuller understanding of the truth.


BYU Studies Article: A Mother There

BYU Studies, ""A Mother There": A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven"

David L. Paulsen and Martin Pulido,  BYU Studies 50/1 (2011)
Since the 1840s, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have taught that in addition to a Father in Heaven, we have a Mother in Heaven. This cherished doctrine has been an important, although relatively obscure, part of the Latter-day Saint understanding of the premortal origins and divine nature of humankind. The authors, a professor and a student of philosophy at Brigham Young University, present historical statements by Mormon leaders about Mother in Heaven. Contrary to criticism in some quarters, Church leaders have not relegated this deity to a confined role. Statements from the late 1840s onward show that leaders and influential Latter-day Saints have explored her roles as a fully divine being, a creator of worlds with the Father, a coframer of the plan of salvation, and a concerned and involved parent of her children on earth.

Click here to view the complete article


Notes

  1. ↑ "Becoming Like God," Gospel Topics on LDS.org (February 25, 2014)
  2. ↑ Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt, "Does God Have a Wife? Review of Did God Have a Wife? Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel," FARMS Review 19/1 (2007): 81–118. off-site wiki
  3. ↑ See Daniel C. Peterson, "Nephi and His Asherah: A Note on 1 Nephi 11:8–23," in Mormons, Scripture, and the Ancient World: Studies in Honor of John L. Sorenson, edited by Davis Bitton, (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1998), {{{start.}}}–{{{end.}}}.. [191-243] direct off-site A shorter version of this article is also available in Daniel C. Peterson, "Nephi and His Asherah," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/2. (2000). [16–25] link.
  4. ↑ Elaine Anderson Cannon, "Mother in Heaven," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), :961.off-site
  5. ↑ This is Hymn #292 in the current LDS hymnal ("O My Father"). Written at Joseph Smith's death, the poem was originally published as Eliza R. Snow, "Invocation," Times and Seasons 6 no. 17 (15 November 1845), 1039. off-site GospeLink (See Terryl L. Givens, People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture (Oxford University Press, 2007), 168. ISBN 0195167112. ISBN 978-0195167115.)
  6. ↑ Messages of the First Presidency, edited by James R. Clark, Vol. 4, (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1970), 205–206. GL direct link (italics added). Originally in First Presidency, "[Evolution:Primary_sources:First_Presidency_1909 The Origin of Man]," Improvement Era 13 (November 1909), 61–75.
  7. ↑ The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Ensign (November 1995), 102. (Statement issued by President Gordon B. Hinckley on 23 September 1995.) off-site
  8. ↑ "Asherah," Bible Study Tools, accessed June 23, 2022, https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/asherah/.
  9. ↑ Gordon B. Hinckley, "Daughters of God," Ensign (November 1991), 97.
  10. ↑ Elaine Anderson Cannon, "Mother in Heaven," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 2:961.
  11. ↑ See Gospel Topics, “Heavenly Parents.” Another resource providing information on this subject is the Gospel Topics essay “Mother in Heaven” (topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
  12. ↑ 3 Nephi 18:19.
  13. ↑ See, for example, Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 47.
  14. ↑ Dale G. Renlund, "Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny," Liahona 45, no. 5 (May 2022).
  15. ↑ Gordon B. Hinckley, "Daughters of God," General Conference (October 1991).
  16. ↑ David L. Paulsen and Martin Pulido, "A Mother There': A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven," BYU Studies Quarterly 50, no. 1 (2011): 70–97.
  17. ↑ See Gospel Topics, “Heavenly Parents.” Another resource providing information on this subject is the Gospel Topics essay “Mother in Heaven” (topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dale G. Renlund, "Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny," Liahona 45, no. 5 (May 2022). Emphasis added in 3.0.
  19. ↑ Dallin H. Oaks cited in "Apostles Talk about Reasons for Lifting Ban," Daily Herald, Provo, Utah (5 June 1988): 21 (Associated Press); reproduced with commentary in Dallin H. Oaks, Life's Lessons Learned: Personal Reflections (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Co., 2011), 68-69.
  20. ↑ Even sincere questions about partially revealed or unrevealed truths can lead us to look “beyond the mark” (Jacob 4:14). In particular, we need to rely “wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save” ({{s|2|Nephi|31|19{{), Jesus Christ. Suggesting the need for something more than what Jesus Christ offers effectively diminishes the scope and power of His infinite Atonement. In so doing we divert our attention from the ultimate “source [to which we should] look for a remission of [our] sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).
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