A post on The Exponent has triggered my interest in and response to this subject. The author has launched a poll which asks readers if they feel comfortable exploring a relationship with the Divine Feminine, also known as the Heavenly Mother or Mother in Heaven. Belief in the existence of a Heavenly Mother is part of the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; after all, if it took two parents to create our mortal tabernacles, logic follows that it also took two Parents to create the spirit tabernacles currently housed within our mortal tabernacles. How they came together to create those spirit tabernacles is unknown and inconsequential at this point.
The justification offered for this poll is that the author, Corktree, believes we can neither talk to the Heavenly Mother directly nor discuss Her at length without running the risk of blasphemy. This is only partially true; discussing Her is one thing, but talking to Her directly, known as "praying", is something else altogether. The latter can be construed as "goddess worship".
Another reason for this thinking is that some Mormon feminists are frustrated with the patriarchal system of governance within the LDS Church because of the ineptness and malevolence of imperfect men. Satan has capitalized upon their frustration by convincing them that patriarchy, in and of itself, is evil; he even insinuates that women are second-class citizens in the Church because they don't hold the Priesthood. The fact that these women have rejected Satan in advance is of no consequence to him; under the Divine Rules of Engagement, he gets at least 6,000 years to compete with our Heavenly Father for the attention, affection, and souls of men. Furthermore, Satan is not required to ask our permission before he influences or tempts us; if he sees a vulnerability, he's allowed to exploit it. Satan is even permitted on rare occasion to masquerade as an angel of light. Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not and cannot guarantee absolute protection against temptation; in fact, it would be contrary to the purposes of mortality for us not to be tempted at some point.
The Bible, in part, defines the limits of our relationship with the Heavenly Mother, if by omission only. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus Christ Himself set the pattern of our prayers, saying "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven...". This means we are to direct prayers to the Father, not to the Son, the Mother, or any other entity.
But in an article entitled "Daughters of God" published in the November 1991 Ensign, a modern-day prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, addressed this issue at greater length, posting numerous additional scriptural references. Here's the applicable part of the article (after the jump):
Showing posts with label goddess worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goddess worship. Show all posts
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