From my perspective, it really doesn’t make sense to believe in a single male god, or even three male gods — the Godhead — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — all male — without any thought of the females. If this life is any model for a higher life, then females must be a part of it. Males alone cannot perpetuate the human race. Nor can females alone.
I know, I know, I’ve heard for years from the LDS church that there is a “mother in heaven” but she is too sacred and we can’t address her, talk to her, or seek her out. Let’s keep her hidden they say. This does not make sense to my inquisitive brain. So while I’ve gone along with that rhetoric in the past, I now feel compelled to look further. Even Eliza R.Snow reasoned that we must have a mother in heaven, as she penned the poem in 1845 — look at her reasoning:
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?Text: Eliza R. Snow, 1804-1887
As I read the recent speech from Elder Renlund, an apostle of the LDS church, I realized that he seemed to be discounting the above poem by Eliza R. Snow when he advised that seeking understanding about Mother in Heaven was important but “Reason cannot replace revelation.” I thought his use of the word “reason” was odd until I remembered the poem by Eliza R. Snow. This is part of his talk:
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. 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. (ref)
I believe it is good to reason because this can lead to personal revelation. In fact, God says, let us reason together —
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD..) (Isaiah 1:18)
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. (Acts 17:2-3)
Anyone who has received the baptism of fire may speak with a tongue of angels, not just “authorized” male appointees. I am uncomfortable with his statement:
Ever since God appointed prophets, they have been authorized to speak on His behalf. But they do not pronounce doctrines fabricated “of [their] own mind”or teach what has not been revealed…Latter-day prophets are similarly constrained. Demanding revelation from God is both arrogant and unproductive. Instead, we wait on the Lord and His timetable to reveal His truths through the means that He has established. (Elder Renlund)
Latter-day prophets have their agency, God would not constrain them. And I would never demand revelation from God — who does that kind of thing? Not the women I know. But we can desire, we can reason. We can seek to know more. And many times God guides us in such a way that we receive answers to questions. All without the authorized male authority. This is what God wants us to do — seek it out on our own. Don’t wait to be spoon-fed. We have our agency and responsibility to revelation —
This law of free agency and total individual responsibility has one great drawback: it requires that every member seeking to be properly led so live as if he or she was the Pres. – for each one is just as eligible (and therefore responsible) for receiving revelations as he is.
How much more easy, economical, and simple is the Roman Catholic system of identifying infallibility automatically with utterances given from a certain office. Above all, we do not need to ponder things in our own minds, to ask God for personal revelation, and to live so uprightly as to be able to receive it – that is a rough road. How much pleasanter to say simply: “Whatsoever pleases the Brethren is all right with me!” (Hugh Nibley)
I believe that God guides our search for more knowledge through various books and as we seek, we find new ideas. I also believe in being flexible in our learning, this way we are open to inspiration and revelation. And it’s good to acknowledge that I may be wrong — that I can change my opinion.
