Few doctrines make more perfect sense than the fact that we have Parents in Heaven. The use of the term Heavenly Parents in General Conference the past 10 years far exceeds all previous conferences. President Ballard referred to Moses 1:39 (most frequently quoted Conference scripture) by saying, "For behold this is 'their' work and 'their' glory..." Hallelujah!
Robert CowartNovember 2, 2021
I was baptized in Newport News Virginia in 1961 while serving in the USAF at Langley AFB. A few months later on a Sunday evening at the Sacrament meeting I was sitting in the back of the chapel and for the first time I was singing the words to "Oh My Father".When we came to" in the heavens are parents single,no the thought makes reason stare truth is reason truth eternal tells me I've a Mother there." I was not a person who cries easily but I was so overcome with that truth I started crying and could not stop until the meeting ended. I shall never forget that experience.
Robert Cowart
Shauna PetersonNovember 2, 2021
Oh how I wish every Primary child (girls and boys alike) could be taught and internalize this doctrine so that for the next generation of Latter-day-Saints it is not some fringe, hushed doctrine, but an inclusive, valued and implemented culture where all can feel of their divine nature and worth as a child of God(s).
Annie JensenNovember 2, 2021
Nice, thanks.
stevie maireid mckennaNovember 2, 2021
That was a great article and a topic that should be more openly taught in Church. I joined the church when I was 14 and knew it was all true, everything that I learned. However, I began to feel this taboo about speaking of Heavenly Mother. I heard crazy non-sensible reasons why this idea developed. One was that she is so holy that Heavenly Father wanted to shield her from the knowledge of the sins that Her children were committing on earth. That implied that she was such an emotional weakling that knowledge of the sins we commit on earth would devastate her. That isn't a perfect being. There were others just as ludicrous. The fact remains, as you stated, that God or Elohim is the plural form. God is the exaltation of two beings Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Thanks for writing about this truth.
Bonnie A. CaldwellNovember 2, 2021
I loved this article, McArthur. Thank you for writing and researching this needed perspective. Loved meeting you in Chiang Mai!
Debbi M.November 2, 2021
TY once again for a beautiful and enlightening article! Truth resonates here, and clarifies so many of my thoughts and feelings. I am so thankful that you are willing to speak up and de-mystify so many concepts that our church culture (vs. the Gospel) has muddied. You go, girl! I cannot wait for further truths to be revealed about our Heavenly Mother.
Bonnie CaldwellNovember 2, 2021
Thank you for this article, McArther. It needed to be written!! Loved meeting you in Chiang Mai!!
CBroNovember 2, 2021
Heavenly Mother was essential to bring into existence the First Born, Jehovah, our Savior Jesus Christ. For that first birth there were only the three; Jehovah, Our Heavenly Father, and Our Heavenly Mother. After that I don't know how long it took for all of the rest of the inhabitants the earth to be born. We are all children of our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother born to them in the same manner as their First Born.
Rita MillerNovember 2, 2021
A beautiful way of thinking. It appears reasonable and right to us, but to the rest of the Christian world, it's a rank h heresy. I have many friends, Baptists, Methodists, and others, who are quite averse to even the thought of God being both male and female. They see it as pagan Goddess worship, especially those who believe in "sola scriptura". Are there any books or articles that address their concerns?
Concerned MemberNovember 2, 2021
Point 1: When this comes up most members are really concerned about the reverence that needs to be shown to all our heavenly relatives. God the Father and Christ have been mocked and denigrated in speech and art for years. It’s not some secret we have a Heavenly Mother or that she has a role. What is more concerning is that members are using this Mother in Heaven approach in other mediums to justify praying and worshiping Heavenly Mother. Several members of my stake are actively praying to Her against the council from modern prophets and Christ himself who taught us how to pray. Additionally it is being used by some more progressive members as a way to say Heavenly Mother sides with me and Heavenly Father is just “Patriarchal”. People are trying a bottoms up approach to revelation and are trying to use this as a hidden catalyst to move members to justify other progressive ideologies. Most members who push this agenda want to change the definition of marriage and have issues with our binary gender construct.
Point 2: This is life eternal is to know God the Father and Jesus Christ John 17:3. We barely even know much about God the Father. Our focus should be on Him and His Son. I think 600 references is a stretch as I have read most of the work on this and think writers are using confirmation bias. There are also over 500 references to Bread and 500 references to the Rivers. It doesn’t mean we need to be focusing more attention as a church on Bread and Rivers. We all acknowledge Her existence and believe She has an important role. Exactly what that role is has not been revealed. Heavenly Grandparents and Uncles and Aunts may also play a role.
Point 3: Our relationship with Christ should be the focus in this life. Most everything else is a distraction. With all of the “references” you cite we really don’t know much let alone how many Heavenly Mothers we have and that we all derive from the same one. What are Her physical characteristics what does her voice sound like, what is Her role in the Heavens? Is She a member of the Godhead or something else? We really don’t even understand at this point all the implications and details of what God is and the Godhead. Our Mother may play a more intimate role in our lives in the next life but in this life our purpose is to get to know The Father and the Son.
Warren AstonNovember 2, 2021
THANK YOU Meridian Magazine for publishing this excellent reminder of the "other half of Heaven," the Mother of all our spirits, and thank you McArthur for expressing these neglected but infinitely eternal truths so beautifully! My grandchildren have your books introducing our Mother in Heaven at a child's level, but we adults need to keep her in mind every bit as much.
Comments | Return to Story
Linda WillisNovember 5, 2021
Few doctrines make more perfect sense than the fact that we have Parents in Heaven. The use of the term Heavenly Parents in General Conference the past 10 years far exceeds all previous conferences. President Ballard referred to Moses 1:39 (most frequently quoted Conference scripture) by saying, "For behold this is 'their' work and 'their' glory..." Hallelujah!
Robert CowartNovember 2, 2021
I was baptized in Newport News Virginia in 1961 while serving in the USAF at Langley AFB. A few months later on a Sunday evening at the Sacrament meeting I was sitting in the back of the chapel and for the first time I was singing the words to "Oh My Father".When we came to" in the heavens are parents single,no the thought makes reason stare truth is reason truth eternal tells me I've a Mother there." I was not a person who cries easily but I was so overcome with that truth I started crying and could not stop until the meeting ended. I shall never forget that experience. Robert Cowart
Shauna PetersonNovember 2, 2021
Oh how I wish every Primary child (girls and boys alike) could be taught and internalize this doctrine so that for the next generation of Latter-day-Saints it is not some fringe, hushed doctrine, but an inclusive, valued and implemented culture where all can feel of their divine nature and worth as a child of God(s).
Annie JensenNovember 2, 2021
Nice, thanks.
stevie maireid mckennaNovember 2, 2021
That was a great article and a topic that should be more openly taught in Church. I joined the church when I was 14 and knew it was all true, everything that I learned. However, I began to feel this taboo about speaking of Heavenly Mother. I heard crazy non-sensible reasons why this idea developed. One was that she is so holy that Heavenly Father wanted to shield her from the knowledge of the sins that Her children were committing on earth. That implied that she was such an emotional weakling that knowledge of the sins we commit on earth would devastate her. That isn't a perfect being. There were others just as ludicrous. The fact remains, as you stated, that God or Elohim is the plural form. God is the exaltation of two beings Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Thanks for writing about this truth.
Bonnie A. CaldwellNovember 2, 2021
I loved this article, McArthur. Thank you for writing and researching this needed perspective. Loved meeting you in Chiang Mai!
Debbi M.November 2, 2021
TY once again for a beautiful and enlightening article! Truth resonates here, and clarifies so many of my thoughts and feelings. I am so thankful that you are willing to speak up and de-mystify so many concepts that our church culture (vs. the Gospel) has muddied. You go, girl! I cannot wait for further truths to be revealed about our Heavenly Mother.
Bonnie CaldwellNovember 2, 2021
Thank you for this article, McArther. It needed to be written!! Loved meeting you in Chiang Mai!!
CBroNovember 2, 2021
Heavenly Mother was essential to bring into existence the First Born, Jehovah, our Savior Jesus Christ. For that first birth there were only the three; Jehovah, Our Heavenly Father, and Our Heavenly Mother. After that I don't know how long it took for all of the rest of the inhabitants the earth to be born. We are all children of our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother born to them in the same manner as their First Born.
Rita MillerNovember 2, 2021
A beautiful way of thinking. It appears reasonable and right to us, but to the rest of the Christian world, it's a rank h heresy. I have many friends, Baptists, Methodists, and others, who are quite averse to even the thought of God being both male and female. They see it as pagan Goddess worship, especially those who believe in "sola scriptura". Are there any books or articles that address their concerns?
Concerned MemberNovember 2, 2021
Point 1: When this comes up most members are really concerned about the reverence that needs to be shown to all our heavenly relatives. God the Father and Christ have been mocked and denigrated in speech and art for years. It’s not some secret we have a Heavenly Mother or that she has a role. What is more concerning is that members are using this Mother in Heaven approach in other mediums to justify praying and worshiping Heavenly Mother. Several members of my stake are actively praying to Her against the council from modern prophets and Christ himself who taught us how to pray. Additionally it is being used by some more progressive members as a way to say Heavenly Mother sides with me and Heavenly Father is just “Patriarchal”. People are trying a bottoms up approach to revelation and are trying to use this as a hidden catalyst to move members to justify other progressive ideologies. Most members who push this agenda want to change the definition of marriage and have issues with our binary gender construct. Point 2: This is life eternal is to know God the Father and Jesus Christ John 17:3. We barely even know much about God the Father. Our focus should be on Him and His Son. I think 600 references is a stretch as I have read most of the work on this and think writers are using confirmation bias. There are also over 500 references to Bread and 500 references to the Rivers. It doesn’t mean we need to be focusing more attention as a church on Bread and Rivers. We all acknowledge Her existence and believe She has an important role. Exactly what that role is has not been revealed. Heavenly Grandparents and Uncles and Aunts may also play a role. Point 3: Our relationship with Christ should be the focus in this life. Most everything else is a distraction. With all of the “references” you cite we really don’t know much let alone how many Heavenly Mothers we have and that we all derive from the same one. What are Her physical characteristics what does her voice sound like, what is Her role in the Heavens? Is She a member of the Godhead or something else? We really don’t even understand at this point all the implications and details of what God is and the Godhead. Our Mother may play a more intimate role in our lives in the next life but in this life our purpose is to get to know The Father and the Son.
Warren AstonNovember 2, 2021
THANK YOU Meridian Magazine for publishing this excellent reminder of the "other half of Heaven," the Mother of all our spirits, and thank you McArthur for expressing these neglected but infinitely eternal truths so beautifully! My grandchildren have your books introducing our Mother in Heaven at a child's level, but we adults need to keep her in mind every bit as much.
ADD A COMMENT