On October 23, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (#YouKnowTheMormons) released the final two in a series of thirteen Gospel Topics essays. The 13th essay is entitled Mother in Heaven.
The essay explains, in part, ‘The doctrine of a Heavenly Mother is a cherished and distinctive belief among Latter-day Saints.’
So, is this a big deal? Or does it have people shrugging and getting back to their Dirty Diet Cokes and Scotcharoos without another thought?
From where I stand, it’s more of a big deal than not, and here’s why: It’s about dang time.
For being a cherished belief, there’s been an awful lot of hush-hush surrounding discussion of Heavenly Mother, at least in my lifetime. The pervasive attitude that Heavenly Mother is secret (moreso than sacred) has been particularly painful and frustrating for those of us with a desire for meaningful discourse about Her.
My personal experiences have culminated in a relationship with God wherein I rely on, and have a testimony of, personal revelation –stronger than perhaps any other aspect of the gospel. For me, being in tune with the Spirit is paramount; all else in my life is traced back to personal truth, which, again, for me, is knowing God’s will (for me and my house), which will I know due to the relationship I have with God.
Perhaps that sounds too simplistic, too basic. But I confess that there are times when personal revelation I’ve gotten has been in direct conflict with anything I’d be willing to share publicly for fear of ridicule or worse, and this is the case with Heavenly Mother, Her nature, Her strength, Her influence, Her existence.
Am I saying that I’ve known this all along, and the body of the church would do well to catch up to my own personal knowledge? Certainly not. I haven’t known all along, but my understanding and peace with this have been growing for quite some time.
The essay itself gives very little by way of new information; in content, the essay is little more than a collection of the snippets we’ve heard about Her over the years. Included is an admittance to not knowing much about her, which clarity is strangely refreshing as it allows for further light and knowledge.
Then what’s the BIG DEAL? The big deal is the existence of the essay itself. The essay, as an official church document gives credence to what I can only imagine many women and men have known and felt over the years: She’s there. The essay’s existence will turn thoughts and passive utterances in formal and informal gatherings into statements and comments, at whatever varying level of strength. The essay’s existence is helpful for those willing to learn, yes, but perhaps more notable is the import of the essay’s existence for those who have been unwilling to hear, and for those who have been trying, or even simply wanting, to share. For those who only accept Official Church Statements as being Of Note, there is new information, and for those who have been silenced and/or patted on the head (metaphorically, PLEASE) (though it wouldn’t surprise me to hear of it having happened literally) at the suggestion of Her existence, there is now an official resource to back up their own personal truth.
While those who have already known maybe didn’t need the Official Word, maybe they did. Validation isn’t something only narcissists seek, it can healthily build strength, and is important; in this case, the problems of having been ridiculed or condescended to are hopefully on their way to being erased, all because of the essay’s existence. It won’t happen overnight. It’s not perfect, it’s not complete, but it’s a start, which is exactly what’s been needed.
We know very little, but here’s a bit of what I’d like to think I know of Her: She is lovely beyond scope, and Her capacity to love is immeasurable. She is kind. She is generous of heart. She is brilliant in more arenas than we even know exist. She has a fantastically brilliant and perfect, yet forgiving, sense of humor and the closest word we have in English to describe Her laugh is glorious, which is to say: divine, filled with glory. I’d love to hear what others have to say about Her, especially now that, for many, it feels safer to even have the conversation.