Heavenly Mother in Bible

[crystalonyx]

Originally Posted by madhatter85

we are God's offspring. what makes you think he does not have reproductive capabilities?

Because I don't believe in any god concepts.

[madhatter85]

Originally Posted by crystalonyx

Because I don't believe in any god concepts.

If you did believe in a God concept,

would it be more logical to think that this God is some sort of amorphus being? or Would it be logical that he is just like us in form, and has gone through the same thing we are going through now?

[idea]

Originally Posted by madhatter85

If you did believe in a God concept,

would it be more logical to think that this God is some sort of amorphus being? or Would it be logical that he is just like us in form, and has gone through the same thing we are going through now?

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

hense, I believe in a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. Her existence does nothing to diminish who He is, for me it makes Him into a loving family Man..

[†Lilith†]

Originally Posted by idea

If you don’t mind, I would like all who currently worship the female Goddess to please join this thread and teach us how.

I am frustrated that the LDS church does not do anything more than just acknowledge Her existence. As a female, I need a female role model, I need female guidance. Is that so horrible to suggest? Why should I feel uncomfortable in speaking about Heavenly Mother at church? Why should it be a taboo subject? Why cannot we sing praises to Her as we do for Jesus, and for God?

I love my Father, but I really need a Mother too. Anyone who is able to more fully bring me to Her would be greatly appreciated.

The thought that the Holy Spirit is our Heavenly Mother is the only thing that makes sense to me… The comforter – the nurturer – the small soft voice - these are feminine traits. If the Holy spirit is not Heavenly Mother, I think I might start getting very upset that She would be completely shut out of our lives. What kind of a horrible being would take children away from their Mother? What kind of a Goddess would even need the protection of another being? It is frustrating and confusing.

I'm speaking from the perspective of an official Ex-Mo here, so bear with me, please. We don't bite.
That is one of the reasons why I left. Although, for a while, I was also content to go with the belief that the Holy Ghost was Goddess (a good belief, in and of itself).
However, in my case, I voiced this idea to a teacher, and they got very uncomfortable with the conversation and avoided talking to me for a while. That, in turn, made me uncomfortable. Why were the people who had, for years, told me that they "knew" what was up and down, black and white, etc, not ok with something that I had heard was actually an ok teaching? You're right Idea, it's not official LDS doctrine. That in itself can get confusing.
My view on it is that no one, or no organization, has the right to tell you what your belief is in Goddess, or Heavenly Mother, or whichever name you choose to address Her by. I completely agree with you that equality is key here. I think, or at least, I have heard tell of, a book by Maxine Hanks (Although to be fair I should warn you that it's a big no-no in Mormonism to read books by apostates. It's good info, although I don't agree with all of it.) called Women and Authority. By a stroke of luck, I remembered I have the text online, bookmarked.

I feel that the taboo placed on Heavenly Mother in LDS culture may have something to do with the Priesthood being in charge. If Heavenly Mother were seen as an equal, there would most likely be Priestesses as well. For a religion that places great value on Christian traditional Father Knows Best values, this could seem a little threatening. Just my two cents.

I'm not knocking your religious choices, not at all. My stance on it is simply that I feel that you should be able to sing hymns to Her if you like. Since spirituality is, in the end, between you and whichever Deity/ies you choose, it's your choice, of course. However, I do understand that other LDS members can make you feel uncomfortable about speaking about Heavenly Mother. But you don't go to church for them--you go for you.

If you're feeling adventurous, I suppose one Sunday you could mention HM in Relief Society, and then when the shocked stares commence, ask the entire class to state their reasons as to why they are shocked. Maybe have a printed sheet of scriptural references that back up your argument handy, so that they can look up these things for themselves. Imho, most of the other women will blink when they read them, but then shake their heads and say, "That's not how I read them!" and drop the subject. However, there may be a few that will think, "Hey! She's onto something. This makes sense to me, too."
You may make some new friends that share your viewpoints, and together you can research more. A "Goddess Club." Either way, reconciling a patriarchal belief with a matriarchal belief is mostly about balance, imho.
If my rambly reply helped, yay me. If it just made you mad, well...I didn't mean it that way, so don't hate me.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Muffled

I think a person who needs a mother God has masculine authority problems as Eve did when she disobeyed Adam and ate the apple.

Eve had masculine authority problems? LOL! And what was Adam's excuse when he followed suit?

[idea]

Originally Posted by †Lilith†

I'm speaking from the perspective of an official Ex-Mo here, so bear with me, please. We don't bite.
That is one of the reasons why I left. Although, for a while, I was also content to go with the belief that the Holy Ghost was Goddess (a good belief, in and of itself).
However, in my case, I voiced this idea to a teacher, and they got very uncomfortable with the conversation and avoided talking to me for a while. That, in turn, made me uncomfortable. Why were the people who had, for years, told me that they "knew" what was up and down, black and white, etc, not ok with something that I had heard was actually an ok teaching? You're right Idea, it's not official LDS doctrine. That in itself can get confusing.
My view on it is that no one, or no organization, has the right to tell you what your belief is in Goddess, or Heavenly Mother, or whichever name you choose to address Her by. I completely agree with you that equality is key here. I think, or at least, I have heard tell of, a book by Maxine Hanks (Although to be fair I should warn you that it's a big no-no in Mormonism to read books by apostates. It's good info, although I don't agree with all of it.) called Women and Authority. By a stroke of luck, I remembered I have the text online, bookmarked.

I feel that the taboo placed on Heavenly Mother in LDS culture may have something to do with the Priesthood being in charge. If Heavenly Mother were seen as an equal, there would most likely be Priestesses as well. For a religion that places great value on Christian traditional Father Knows Best values, this could seem a little threatening. Just my two cents.

I'm not knocking your religious choices, not at all. My stance on it is simply that I feel that you should be able to sing hymns to Her if you like. Since spirituality is, in the end, between you and whichever Deity/ies you choose, it's your choice, of course. However, I do understand that other LDS members can make you feel uncomfortable about speaking about Heavenly Mother. But you don't go to church for them--you go for you.

If you're feeling adventurous, I suppose one Sunday you could mention HM in Relief Society, and then when the shocked stares commence, ask the entire class to state their reasons as to why they are shocked. Maybe have a printed sheet of scriptural references that back up your argument handy, so that they can look up these things for themselves. Imho, most of the other women will blink when they read them, but then shake their heads and say, "That's not how I read them!" and drop the subject. However, there may be a few that will think, "Hey! She's onto something. This makes sense to me, too."
You may make some new friends that share your viewpoints, and together you can research more. A "Goddess Club." Either way, reconciling a patriarchal belief with a matriarchal belief is mostly about balance, imho.
If my rambly reply helped, yay me. If it just made you mad, well...I didn't mean it that way, so don't hate me.

I must go to a very liberal ward - our Bishop actually came into RS and asked us to do a study on Her. I might have been the only one that actually did, people still don't say much about Her and for some reason it feels like a strange subject to talk about in church... In any event, yes, it would be nice to have a hymn about Her - more than just "Oh My Father"

link

3. I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
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.

4. When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.

I actually do think there is prob something with being separated form the Tree of Life - that was a temporary separation from Her... That one of the things we are seeking - winding our way down the iron rod - is to be reunited with Her.

1 Nephi 11:
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal cFather! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

[†Lilith†]

Originally Posted by idea

I must go to a very liberal ward - our Bishop actually came into RS and asked us to do a study on Her. I might have been the only one that actually did, people still don't say much about Her and for some reason it feels like a strange subject to talk about in church... In any event, yes, it would be nice to have a hymn about Her - more than just "Oh My Father"

link

3. I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
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.

4. When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.

I actually do think there is prob something with being separated form the Tree of Life - that was a temporary separation from Her... That one of the things we are seeking - winding our way down the iron rod - is to be reunited with Her.

1 Nephi 11:
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal cFather! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

Wow! I sure would have loved to go to your ward growing up LDS. I would have been much happier. Mine was/is extremely conservative (and yet, most of the popular girls I knew had ill reputations. Hmmm... ).

I think there is a hymn (or two) about Her, but I can't gather enough brain power (almost 2AM) to remember the title--if not, you could write one yourself. I used to, as a kid, read down the hymnals and mentally replace Father with Mother. I liked them much better that way, but if I had sung any of the hymns that way in front of my grandmother, I would have gotten a smack! LOL.

That's an interesting idea about the iron rod. I can't think well enough to really discuss this well at all, but your thoughts are definitely interesting.

---------------- Listening to: Teardrop - Massive Attack via FoxyTunes