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| Zina Diantha Huntington |
And then we go the rest of the year largely ignoring this huge, earth shattering piece of information. (Not a very genuine way to honor mothers on Mother's Day, in my opinion.)
Now, almost 200 years later, I often wonder: Whatever happened to Her in the restoration?
In my searching, I have come to believe we need a new generation of both men and women who are willing to ask the same question my ancestor once asked: "Have I a Mother in Heaven?"
To obtain spiritual truth, I believe that God does not often give us answers to questions we are not asking. We cannot passively wait for God to tell us more. We are commanded to seek. The restoration is ongoing and unfolds only as fast as we collectively ask the questions. I believe many members do not ask questions about Her because they believe She is somehow taboo.
For personal reasons, I have had to ask the question my ancestor asked, and while I still have much to learn, I have found enough of an answer to believe that I am indeed the son of Heavenly Parents, Father and Mother. I have both their spiritual DNA deep in my soul. This understanding has guided me to define myself not only as their son, but also shaped my decision to become a husband and father in spite of challenges.
I share here some thoughts and ideas I have wrestled with about Heavenly Mother. I recognize that this topic, for whatever reason, makes some people feel uncomfortable, and to be honest, I struggled whether I should share this at all. But because I feel strongly that the doctrine of a Heavenly Mother needs to be brought up and addressed more openly, I have outlined some of my personal beliefs below.
I emphasize that these are my personal beliefs, and some of them may resonate with you while others may contradict your own feelings. That is okay. I believe getting to know God, both Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, is a process we must each go through for ourselves, but I also believe we can learn from each other as we respectfully share insights along the way.
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1. Heavenly Mother is not too sacred to talk about, any more than Heavenly Father is too sacred to talk about. She is not fragile. She is not someone who needs our protection. She has the same might, power, knowledge, involvement, and love that our Father in Heaven does. I believe we can talk about Her as openly and as reverently as we do our Heavenly Father.
2. Worshipping Heavenly Mother is not a sin, and acknowledging that she hears our prayers is not apostasy. I believe Heavenly Mother hears our prayers the same way Heavenly Father does.
3. When we say, "We shouldn't ask about Heavenly Mother because she is not important to our salvation right now," we are also saying that the eternal identity of a woman is not important to us right now. We are saying women's identity is a topic that can only be addressed if it is relational to men. This hurts both men and women.
4. We cannot effectively teach eternal marriage, and then hold up as our celestial model a Single Parent household. We cannot preach equal partnership on earth without preaching equal partnership in heaven.
5. Monogamy is the law of heaven. Polygamy has been authorized on earth at specific, brief times, but only as a test of faith, commanded as an Abrahamic sacrifice to which there is a ram in the thicket. (Even, I believe, for my ancestor Zina.) I do not believe polygamy can be an eternal law because it is harmful to both women and men's development by making a woman's identity secondary to a man's. It makes united, intimate, and creative partnership between husband and wife impossible.
6. Acknowledging Heavenly Mother can help strengthen our doctrine that marriage is between a man and a woman. It also makes us better equipped to battle cultural practices that are misogynist or limiting to women, including ones we have inherited in our own faith tradition, the "wicked traditions of our fathers."
7. Our doctrine is not just that God has a wife. It is that God can't even be God without Her. "Neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:11)
8. Heavenly Mother is not just for girls. Boys need Her, too. Men need to talk about Her as much as women do. We are just as much Her children as women are.
9. Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother work side by side in the garden. Creation brings men and women together, not divides them into separate spheres. I do not believe the economy of heaven is based on gendered divisions of labor, nor on our current understanding of gender roles. These are a result of the Fall. If we try to frame Her using our current gender constructs, we will likely misunderstand Her.
10. I have heard some explain Heavenly Mother might somehow be the earth, or that She might be the Holy Ghost. I believe She is neither. I believe She has a resurrected body "of flesh and bone, tangible as man's." (D&C 130:22) To deny Her a body is to deny women the promise of a resurrection.
11. Heavenly Mother is not unavailable, too busy, or out on a "spa day." Her apparent absence is our own fault, not Hers. I believe She is as involved in our lives as Heavenly Father is.
12. Understanding Heavenly Mother better will help us to heal the earth as we begin to respect creation more deeply, and find balance between "masculine" and "feminine" ways of knowing. It will heal our lopsided, male-oriented systems of power. It will help us to develop male-female balance inside all of us. This will change the way we interact with the planet, and the way we interact with each other. It will help us to be more chaste.
13. The concept of Heavenly Mother is not new. She was not invented by the feminists. She was worshipped anciently in the Old Testament. She has always been there, though She was regrettably expunged from the scriptural record at various times. This has led to some devastating spiritual consequences. We are still dealing with those consequences in our worship today.
14. It is significant to me that the restoration of the church began in a sacred grove. Anciently, groves of trees were the standard place to worship the Divine Feminine. I believe She was very involved in the Restoration, which also involved a restoration of Her. I believe if She had appeared to Joseph Smith, She would have also called Joseph by name and pointed him to Her Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the same way Heavenly Father did.
15. Scholars have pointed out that one of the names for Heavenly Mother in the Old Testament is "Wisdom." I find it significant that the restoration began with the scripture "If any of you lack Wisdom, let him ask of God." Today we lack Wisdom. The way to learn more about Her is simply to ask, nothing wavering, and we will receive liberally. (James 1:5)
16. Recognizing Heavenly Mother can help us focus better on the Son, because a son must have two parents. Christ is the only way to the Father, but also to the Mother. We can get to know both the Father and the Mother better by getting to know their Son. In learning about Her, we must never lose focus on Christ.
17. Mary, the mortal mother of Jesus Christ, was the handmaid of Heavenly Mother, not of Heavenly Father. I believe this because scripturally, men don't have handmaids. Their wives do. Mary's role is significant in the plan of redemption, and reminds us of our Mother in Heaven. (See 1 Nephi 11) Christ's commandment on the cross to John to "behold thy mother!" is also for us today.
18. The world is hungry for Her. We should not be ashamed, or hide our unique doctrine about Heavenly Mother in the Church of Jesus Christ. It can, in fact, be a beacon of truth, a bold and refreshing doctrine that could attract many who are earnestly seeking to know more about God.
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| "Goddess with Short Hair," by J. Kirk Richards |
Chris. This is the most beautiful work of art I have ever read. Thank you for sharing pure light and truth and having the courage to do so. You have so beautifully put into words ALL of my convictions, longings and beliefs surrounding God the Mother, my struggles in my search for Her, and the truth that She has always and will Eternally be at the very very center of “God’s Plan”, because she IS God. THEY are GODs. Elohim is plural. “He could NOT be God without her.” This is perhaps the most important truth I’ve ever come to know.
ReplyDeleteThe doctrine surrounding Her has indeed been lost through generations of time, and through errors of men, JUST as God the Father was. Yet, She, He, THEY have never been absent. I have recently felt her, as I have searched for her, and her presence has lit the fire in my soul as much as any attempt I have ever made to seek God the Father. Though I believe we truly can’t seek Him without also seeking Her, and visa versa, there has been an undeniable assurance in my role as a daughter of God(s) and I have only truly received that since actively and faithfully searching for her. You are right, we NEED to ask. We cannot be members of Christ’s church without acknowledging the need for continuing revelation through Priesthood power, and personal revelation.
Our very foundations of Faith demand it. We would not have received any official revelations, or policies changes for that matter, without SOMEONE asking. There is simply no way we can prepare, ourselves or the earth, for the coming of Christ without acknowledging the need for continuing revelation, abandonment of culturally “wicked ways of our fathers”, as you said, and aligning our will with God’s. THANK YOU again. What a gift this was.
-Courtney Holst
Thank you so much Courtney! I am so grateful for you for sharing your feelings with me! I feel like we need Her so much. We need to keep on asking, keep on seeking and studying. I have found Her in so many surprising places in my scripture study lately. It is so good to hear that more and more are seeking Her. I feel like there are great things ahead.
DeleteTHIS. This resonates with answers that I've been earnestly seeking and finding in recent months. The world is hungry to know our Mother in Heaven. I am hungry to know her. And we all must share this doctrine openly and excitedly and bring her into the restoration! It is her time! And that coincides with the Era of Women breaking glass ceilings and taking the leading roles in the world because people are beginning to see that feminine values are what the world needs in order to heal from millenia of power struggles and violence.
DeleteThank you for this amazing post.
My only question for you, relates to sealings of plural marriages. If you believe that polygamy is an earthly commandment, why are we sealing these plural marriages? Do you think that was a mistake of men who did not understand what was being asked of them? We continue this mistake today by sealing multiple women to one man who has been widowed?
ReplyDeleteI struggle with this doctrine so much, as do most women that I know. I don't know what to think other than that I know our earthly understanding of eternal marriage is very shortsighted. I've had revelation to at least this much.
Thanks for your comment! I don't have all the answers for you about polygamy, but I definitely don't see it as a part of God's plan. I see how polygamy was more about Joseph Smith restoring the Israel AS IT WAS, which was a polygamous tangled mess, and it is our work to untangle it and restore Israel as it SHOULD HAVE BEEN, which is to restore balance between men and women.
DeleteWhen Joseph Smith restored the new and everlasting covenant if marriage, he framed it as polygamy, which was neither NEW (it was as ancient as Israel) neither was it everlasting (it only lasted a few short years.) But as polygamy ended, we see now that what is new and everlasting in marriage is gender equality, which the world has never seen before and which will continue to grow as part of the restoration. You can see the advancements women made in society since the restoration (and there is so much more to go!) and it gives me hope.
I actually posted just today on this blog about how I see polygamy in Israel as a disruption for men and women coming together if you want to read more. I have another post coming in a few weeks about polygamy in latter days. Stay tuned! And thanks again for reading.
I applaud your appreciation for our Heavenly Mother, but there seems to be a lot of troubling claims that you’re making, which don’t accord with Mormonism, as we have received it from the prophets. Let’s take your claim that plural marriage is not an eternal law of the Gospel:
ReplyDeleteJoseph Smith told his plural wife Mary Elizabeth Rollins that she “was created for him before the foundation of the Earth was laid” and Rollins reported that they were sealed in marriage “for time, and all Eternity.” (Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, p. 212-213). How do we explain this, and many of Joseph Smith’s marriages which occurred under similar circumstances, if we think that plural marriage is for this life only, and won’t exist in eternity? We cannot, unless we make the claim that we know more about the system of celestial marriage than Joseph Smith the Prophet. That is the position that you have placed yourself in: you have pitted yourself against Joseph Smith and other prophets who have all claimed that these plural marriages continue into eternity, and play an important function in the eternal worlds.
In fact, scripture given through the Prophet confirms this, as it tells us of plural wives that “they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified.” (Doctrine & Covenants 132:63).
Your theory also doesn’t account for the teachings that Joseph Smith imparted to his plural wives and inner circle: that polygamy is far superior to monogamy. Other prophets who were contemporary with Joseph Smith also taught this abundantly. If polygamy is wrong, like you claim, and monogamy superior, why is it that Joseph Smith the Prophet taught the exact opposite?
The Prophet told his close friend Benjamin F. Johnson, “that the Lord had revealed to him [Joseph] that plural or patriarchal marriage was according to His law; and that the Lord had not only revealed it to him but had commanded him to obey it.” (Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, p. 295). The Prophet also used the parable of the talents to illustrate to Benjamin F. Johnson a criticism of monogamy and to praise the virtue of plural marriage (ibid., p. 296). Helen Mar Kimball Whitney, plural wife of the Prophet, wrote of monogamy as a vice, borne of selfishness, and an unfortunate remnant of the Pagan Roman Empire (ibid., p. 520-521), a sentiment shared widely by the polygamous apostles of the 19th century.
Some of us may not like the doctrine of plural marriage. But that does not authorize us to deny its validity, fly in the face of Joseph Smith and his teachings, and call ourselves Latter-day Saints. If we want insight on plural marriage doctrine, we should consult the Prophet Joseph Smith and his contemporaries (or near contemporaries) who were prophets, seers, and revelators, and who learned the doctrine from the Prophet, and who actually lived it in practice:
PLURAL MARRIAGE IN THE ETERNITIES
“But again, there is another reason why this plurality [of wives] should exist among the Latter-day Saints. I have already given you one reason, and that is, that you might inherit the blessings and promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and receive continuation of your posterity, that they may become as numerous as the sand upon the seashore.”
(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 1:62, August 29, 1852).
“There is such a principle as marriage for eternity, which may imply one wife or many. The marriage covenant is indissoluble; it is everlasting; it is not limited to time; but it is a covenant to exist while eternity exists: it pertains to immortality as well as mortality. I will prove this. …
ReplyDelete“Shall a young, moral, virtuous woman, because she does not find a young man that is suitable to her nature, or worthy of her—shall she be deprived of this exaltation in the eternal world, because of the Gentile laws of modern Christendom? No. The Latter-day Saints believe otherwise. We believe that woman is just as good as man, if she does as well. If a good man is entitled to a kingdom of glory—to a reward and crown, and has the privilege of swaying a scepter in the eternal world, a good woman is entitled to the same, and should be placed by his side, and have the privilege of enjoying all the glory, honor, and blessings that are bestowed upon her lord and husband. If she cannot get any lord or husband through whom she can trust herself for exaltation to that glory, who can blame her for going into a family where she thinks she will be secure?
“These are some of the reasons in favor of polygamy.”
(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 6:357, 360, July 24, 1859).
“Previous to this revelation, who in all the world had any claim upon their wives in the eternal world, or what wife had a claim upon her husband? Who ever taught them any such principle? Nobody. Some of the novel writers have noticed it, but they did not claim authority from heaven; they merely wrote their own opinions and followed the promptings of their own instincts, which led them to hope that such a thing might be the case; but there was no certainty about it. Our position was just as Joseph said: if we could not receive the Gospel which is an everlasting Gospel; if we could not receive the dictum of a Priesthood that administers in time and eternity; if we could not receive a principle that would save us in the eternal world, and our wives and children with us, we were not fit to hold this kingdom, and could not hold it, for it would be taken from us and given to others. This is reasonable, proper, consistent, and recommends itself to the minds of all intelligence when it is reflected upon in the light of truth. Then, what did this principle open up to our view? That our wives, who have been associated with us in time—who had borne with us the heat and burden of the day, who had shared in our afflictions, trials, troubles, and difficulties, that they could reign with us in the eternal kingdoms of God, and that they should be sealed to us not only for time, but for all eternity. This unfolded to us the eternal fitness and relationship of things as they exist on the earth, of man to man, and of husband to wife; it unfolds the relationship they should occupy in time to each other, and the relationship that will continue to exist in eternity. Hence it is emphatically a religious subject so deep, sacred, and profound, so extensive and far-reaching, that it is one of the greatest principles that was ever revealed to man. Did we know anything about it before? No. How did we get a knowledge of it? By revelation. And shall we treat lightly these things? No. The Lord says that his servants may take to themselves more wives than one. Who gives to them one wife? The Lord. And has he not a right to give to them another, and another, and another? I think he has that right. Who has a right to dispute it, and prohibit a union of that kind, if God shall ordain it? Has not God as much right today to give to me, or you, or any other person two, three, four, five, ten, or twenty wives, as he had anciently to give them to Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon, etc.? Has not the Lord a right to do what he pleases in this matter, and in all other matters, without the dictation of man? I think He has. Every principle associated with the Gospel which we have received is eternal, hence our marriage covenant is an eternal covenant given unto us of God.”
ReplyDelete(John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 11:221-222, April 7, 1866).
“Let us now go back to the action of Congress in relation to plural marriage, of which these eternal covenants are the foundation. The Lord says, ‘I will introduce the times of the restitution of all things; I will show you my eternal covenants, and call upon you to abide in them; I will show you how to save yourselves, your wives and children, your progenitors and posterity, and to save the earth from a curse.’ Congress says, ‘if you fulfill that law we will inflict upon you pains and penalties, fines and imprisonments; in effect, we will not allow you to follow God's commands.’ …
ReplyDelete“If we will only faithfully live our religion, we fear no earthly power. Our safety is in God. Our religion is an eternal religion. Our covenants are eternal covenants, and we expect to maintain the principles of our religion on the earth, and to possess them in the heavens. And if our wives and children do right, and we as fathers and husbands do right in this world, we expect to have our wives and children in eternity.”
(John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 11:223-224, April 7, 1866).
“[God] has revealed this principle and commanded His servants to take wives. What for? That they may obey His great command—a command by which Eternity is peopled, a command by which Abraham's seed shall become as the stars of heaven for multitude, and as the sand on the seashore, that cannot be counted.”
(George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, 13:205, October 9, 1869).
“In the forcible parable used by the Savior in relation to the rich man and Lazarus, we find recorded that the poor man Lazarus was carried to Abraham's bosom—Abraham the father of the faithful. The rich man calls unto Father Abraham to send Lazarus, who is afar off. Who was Abraham? He was a man who had a plurality of wives. And yet all good Christians, even pious church deacons, expect when they die to go to Abraham's bosom. I am sorry to say, however, that thousands of them will be disappointed, from the fact that they cannot and will not go where anyone has a plurality of wives; and I am convinced that Abraham will not turn out his own wives to receive such unbelievers in God’s law.”
(George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, 13:41, October 8, 1869).
“You will recollect, brethren and sisters, that it was in July, 1843, that he received this revelation concerning celestial marriage. This doctrine was explained and many received it as far as they could understand it. Some apostatized on account of it; but others did not, and received it in their faith. This, also, is a great and noble doctrine. I have not time to give you many items upon the subject, but there are a few hints that I can throw in here that perhaps may be interesting. As far as this pertains to our natural lives here, there are some who say it is very hard. They say, ‘This is rather a hard business; I don't like my husband to take a plurality of wives in the flesh.’ Just a few words upon this. We would believe this doctrine entirely different from what it is presented to us, if we could do so. If we could make every man upon the earth get him a wife, live righteously and serve God, we would not be under the necessity, perhaps, of taking more than one wife. But they will not do this; the people of God, therefore, have been commanded to take more wives. The women are entitled to salvation if they live according to the word that is given to them; and if their husbands are good men, and they are obedient to them, they are entitled to certain blessings, and they will have the privilege of receiving certain blessings that they cannot receive unless they are sealed to men who will be exalted. Now, where a man in this Church says, ‘I don't want but one wife, I will live my religion with one,’ he will perhaps be saved in the celestial kingdom; but when he gets there he will not find himself in possession of any wife at all. He has had a talent that he has hid up. He will come forward and say, ‘Here is that which thou gavest me, I have not wasted it, and here is the one talent,’ and he will not enjoy it, but it will be taken and given to those who have improved the talents they received, and he will find himself without any wife, and he will remain single forever and ever. But if the woman is determined not to enter into a plural-marriage, that woman when she comes forth will have the privilege of living in single blessedness through all eternity. Well, that is very good, a very nice place to be a minister to the wants of others. I recollect a sister conversing with Joseph Smith on this subject. She told him: ‘Now, don’t talk to me; when I get into the celestial kingdom, if I ever do get there, I shall request the privilege of being a ministering angel; that is the labor that I wish to perform. I don't want any companion in that world; and if the Lord will make me a ministering angel, it is all I want.’ Joseph said, ‘Sister, you talk very foolishly, you do not know what you will want.’ He then said to me: ‘Here, brother Brigham, you seal this lady to me.’ I sealed her to him. This was my own sister according to the flesh.”
ReplyDelete(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 16:166-167, August 31, 1873).
“I will go on and tell the people why polygamy was instituted in this dispensation. So far as a future state is concerned, God has revealed to us that marriage as instituted by him, is to benefit the people, not in this world only, but to all eternity. That is what the Lord has revealed.”
ReplyDelete(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 17:225, October 7, 1874).
“It is true that we have all to die by and by, and we shall be separated for a little season; but this separation is a good deal like a man's leaving his family to go on a mission: he returns after a while to his wives and children, and he has not lost the one nor has he been divorced from the other, because they have been separated. And if death separates, for a little season, those who are married according to God's law, they expect to return, to each other's embraces by virtue of their former union; for it is as eternal as God himself.”
(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 17:227, October 7, 1874).
“Some people have supposed that the doctrine of plural marriage was a sort of superfluity, or nonessential to the salvation or exaltation of mankind. In other words, some of the Saints have said, and believe, that a man with one wife, sealed to him by the authority of the Priesthood for time and eternity, will receive an exaltation as great and glorious, if he is faithful, as he possibly could with more than one. I want here to enter my solemn protest against this idea, for I know it is false. There is no blessing promised except upon conditions, and no blessing can be obtained by mankind except by faithful compliance with the conditions, or law, upon which the same is promised. The marriage of one woman to a man for time and eternity by the sealing power, according to the law of God, is a fulfillment of the celestial law of marriage in part—and is good so far as it goes—and so far as a man abides these conditions of the law, he will receive his reward therefore, and this reward, or blessing, he could not obtain on any other grounds or conditions. But this is only the beginning of the law, not the whole of it. Therefore, whoever has imagined that he could obtain the fullness of the blessings pertaining to this celestial law, by complying with only a portion of its conditions, has deceived himself. He cannot do it.”
(Joseph F. Smith, Journal of Discourses, 20:28, July 7, 1878).
“If, then, this principle [of plural marriage] was of such great importance that the Prophet himself was threatened with destruction, and the best men in the Church with being excluded from the favor of the Almighty, if they did not enter into and establish the practice of it upon the earth, it is useless to tell me that there is no blessing attached to obedience to the law, or that a man with only one wife can obtain as great a reward, glory or kingdom as he can with more than one, being equally faithful.
ReplyDelete“Patriarchal marriage involves conditions, responsibilities and obligations which do not exist in monogamy, and there are blessings attached to the faithful observance of that law, if viewed only upon natural principles, which must so far exceed those of monogamy as the conditions responsibilities and power of increase are greater. This is my view and testimony in relation to this matter. I believe it is a doctrine that should be taught and understood.”
(Joseph F. Smith, Journal of Discourses, 20:29-30, July 7, 1878).
“…as having come from the mouth of the Prophet, this doctrine of eternal union of husband and wife, and of plural marriage, is one of the most important doctrines ever revealed to man in any age of the world. Without it man would come to a full stop, without it we never could be exalted to associate with and become gods, neither could we attain to the power of eternal increase, or the blessings pronounced upon Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the fathers of the faithful.”
(Joseph F. Smith, Journal of Discourses, 21:10, December 7, 1879).
“And I will here say, that we have been sustained by the hand of Jehovah in a marvelous and miraculous manner ever since we came to these valleys and proclaimed to the world our belief in the revelation of celestial or plural marriage; and I will say further, and in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Elder Brother, we shall be sustained from this time until he comes in the clouds of heaven, inasmuch as we shrink not from the performance of our duties. We have somebody to deal with besides man. The God of heaven holds our destiny; he holds the destiny of our nation and of all the nations, and he controls them. Therefore, I say to the Latter-day Saints, let us be faithful; let us keep the commandments; let us not renounce a single principle or command which God has given to us. Let us keep the word of wisdom. Let us pay our tithes and offerings. Let us obey the celestial law of God, that we may have our wives and children with us in the morning of the first resurrection; that we may come forth clothed with glory, immortality and eternal lives, with our wives and children bound to us in the family organization in the celestial world, to dwell with us throughout the endless ages of eternity, together with all the sons and daughters of Adam who shall have kept the commandments of God.”
(Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 22:148, April 3, 1881).
“When President Hayes was here, in conversing with him I told him that it was not our intention to crowd our peculiar ideas upon the religious world; that we had received the doctrine of plural marriage as a part of the Gospel, and that it was only for pure men and pure women, that class, and that class only, could receive it and practice it, and make it honorable; it was not for the licentious and corrupt, but for those who feared God and worked righteousness, who were true to themselves and true to the female sex, and who would stand by and sustain them and preserve them in purity and honor. There is quite a difference, you perceive, between the one and the other.
ReplyDelete“We are seeking to carry out the word and will of God, according to the revelations which he has given unto us, all of which are based upon truth, virtue, purity and holiness, principles that are eternal, that always have existed and always will exist. The Christian world make their covenants for time only; we for time and for eternity. They expect to be associated with their wives ‘until death do them part.’ We expect to be associated with ours not only for time but for eternity. They not entering into any covenants for eternity, assume no obligations beyond this life; but I am sorry to say, it is quite a common thing among them to violate the covenants they make pertaining to this life. But that I may not be misunderstood let me say further with regard to this, there are many honorable people in our nation as well as other parts of the world, men who regard strictly the honor of their social ties, men who feel interested in the welfare of society, who are desirous to see correct principles prevail; but with the understanding they have of us—they believing that we are corrupt and are introducing religious tenets for the purpose of gratifying the sensual passions of man; that all are vile and corrupt at heart, and that we take the ground that we do for the purpose of defending our position and of making it statutory—I do not wonder at such men entertaining the feelings they do against us, because believing the lies that are circulated about us, they, of course, think that we are introducing that which will corrupt and demoralize society; and they know the state of society now, and so do we.”
(John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 26:95, February 12, 1882).
“The opposers of plural marriage make many declarations against us which are untrue, which they do not understand because they accept the reports of certain persons who give way to a lying spirit, and misrepresent and belie people far better than themselves. The selfishness and weakness of human nature, the evils which manifest themselves from time to time between families and between husband and wife, and between wives and children are quoted as evils greatly to be deplored as growing out of this system. I will only say in regard to this, that those best acquainted with the intact workings of the system among the Latter-day Saints throughout all of their settlements, if they testify honestly and truthfully as to the result of their careful observations extending over a period of over thirty years—the time that this system of plural marriage has been practiced by us in these mountains, they would, in effect, say, that there is less discontent, less strife and fewer family broils and less divorce, and less casting off wives and casting upon the community of children without care, than would be found in the same number of monogamic families. And I may here say, that statistics will bear me out in making this assertion. To those who are not posted in the matter this may appear incredible; and the majority of the Christian world would think it impossible judging from their standpoint; and what they see and hear among themselves, and judging by the spirit by which they are animated, they would, I admit, pronounce this a thing impossible. But it is simply because they are not imbued with the faith of the Latter-day Saints, and this being the case they cannot understand the motives that prompt us to enter into this relationship. They cannot comprehend the spirit that governs us, the devout Godfearing spirit of self-sacrifice which leads us onward to all that is noble, forbearing and long-suffering, that teaches us to love one another and to be charitable to all men, and which teaches us that the relationships which we make through the marriage covenant are but the foundation of eternal glory and exaltation in the worlds to come; and it also teaches us that the glories of the future that open up before us are greatly dependent upon the faithfulness of our relationships and associations in this life; and that a man must be found capable to properly govern and guide his family and preserve in time the wives and children that are given to him, leading them in the way of life and salvation, and rearing his children in all that is pure and praiseworthy, so that he can receive them in the morning of the first resurrection, there to have the Father confirm upon him his wives and children, the foundation of his individual kingdom which will exist forever and ever.”
ReplyDelete(Erastus Snow, Journal of Discourses, 23:227-228, February 26, 1882).
“Father Abraham obeyed the law of the patriarchal order of marriage. His wives were sealed to him for time and all eternity, and so were the wives of all the Patriarchs and Prophets that obeyed that law.
ReplyDelete“I desire to testify as an individual and as a Latter-day Saint that I know that God has revealed this law unto this people. I know that if we had not obeyed that law we should have been damned; the judgments of God would have rested upon us; the kingdom of God would have stopped right where we were when God revealed that law unto us. Why have we obeyed it? I obeyed it because I want my wife or wives with me after death; I want my wives and children with me in the morning of the resurrection; I want my wives and children organized in the family organization, that I may dwell with them and they with me, throughout all eternity, as well as with Father Abraham and other men who honored and obeyed that law. This is the position we occupy. We have obeyed the law because God has commanded us, and I bear record of its truth; and so far as I am concerned, if I can have my wives and children with me in the morning of the resurrection, so that I can dwell with them and with those Patriarchs and Prophets who obeyed that law, it will amply repay me for the trials and tribulations I may have had to pass through in the course of my life here upon the earth.”
(Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 24: 244, July 20, 1883).
“I bear my solemn testimony that plural marriage is as true as any principle that has been revealed from the heavens. I bear my testimony that it is a necessity, and that the Church of Christ in its fullness never existed without it. Where you have the eternity of marriage you are bound to have plural marriage; bound to; and it is one of the marks of the Church of Jesus Christ in its sealing ordinances.”
(George Teasdale, Journal of Discourses, 25:21, January 13, 1884).
“God has revealed, through His servant Joseph Smith, something more. He has told us about our associations hereafter. He has told us about our wives and our children being sealed to us, that we might have a claim on them in eternity. He has revealed unto us the law of celestial marriage, associated with which is the principle of plural marriage. I will speak a little upon this subject. It is very seldom that I refer to it, but there is need for it occasionally. I speak of it as that law given to us of God. I do not know, but I have been informed that there are those who seem to be opposed to this law in one or two places where we have been traveling. Now, I dare not oppose anything of the kind. I dare not violate any law of God. And I will tell you what Joseph Smith said upon the subject. He presented this principle to the Twelve, and called upon them to obey it, and said if they did not, the kingdom of God could not go one step further. Why could it not go one step further? Because we had a religion to live by, but none that placed our associations upon eternal principles or gave us a claim upon each other in the family relations in the eternal worlds. But through this principle we could be sealed to one another through time and eternity; we could prepare ourselves for an exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God. It is one of the greatest blessings that ever was conferred upon the human family. It is an eternal law which has always existed in other worlds as well as in this world. I will here call your attention to the revelation itself which reads:
ReplyDelete“‘Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines—
“‘Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter.
“‘Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same.’”
(John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 24:229-230, no date).
“We believe that good men, who have demonstrated their fitness for the responsibilities of holy wedlock, may, under the direction of the Lord, obtain more wives than one, may have them sealed to them by the same covenant and by the same bond, to be their wives in the eternal world; and they expect when they depart hence to go where Abraham is—to that place that is called Abraham's bosom. There they will be in congenial company. They will verify the words of Jesus, who said, “Many shall come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God;” while others who supposed themselves to be “the children of the Kingdom” will be “thrust out.” And I am afraid that a great many of our good Christian friends who are so terribly shocked about this feature of our faith, when they get to the door and look in and see Abraham and Sarah and Hagar and Keturah, and those concubines given of the Lord to Abraham—when they see them in the eternal kingdom they will want to turn away and go to more congenial company, which they are at perfect liberty to do.”
(Charles W. Penrose, Journal of Discourses, 25:228, July 26, 1884).
“Now, then, to come at the matter in question, what is the crime, if any there is, in this doctrine of heavenly marriage as we hold it, the doctrine of the eternal covenant of marriage, incident to which is plurality of wives? … When the law of God came, before the doctrine of the eternity and plurality of marriage was taught to us, the Lord gave us a revelation, in a very early day, in regard to members of other churches being rebaptized. …
ReplyDelete“The Latter-day Saints claim to be the children of Abraham, and if they are the children of Abraham, they will do the works of Abraham. It was difficult for men and women from all parts of the world, who had lived in the monogamic order all their lives to accept this doctrine of the eternity and plurality of marriage. It was ‘a new and everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned, saith the Lord.’ This was the obligation that was laid upon the Prophet Joseph, and through him, upon the true believers of the Church, even all who were worthy to accept of these obligations. It was herein that the Elders and their wives extended their faith, enlarged their obedience, and accepted the terms of the new and everlasting covenant extending not through time only, but eternity also.”
(Franklin D. Richards, Journal of Discourses, 26:340-341, October, 1885).
NECESSITY OF BELIEF IN PLURAL MARRIAGE
ReplyDelete“Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.
“But the Saints who live their religion will be exalted, for they never will deny any revelation which the Lord has given or may give, though, when there is a doctrine coming to them which they cannot comprehend fully, they may be found saying, ‘The Lord sendeth this unto me, and I pray that He will save and preserve me from denying anything which proceedeth from Him, and give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself.’
“Such persons will never deny, but will allow those subjects which they do not understand, to remain until the visions of their minds become open. This is the course which I have invariably pursued, and, if anything came that I could not understand, I would pray until I could comprehend it.
“Do not reject anything because it is new or strange, and do not sneer nor jeer at what comes from the Lord, for if we do, we endanger our salvation.”
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 3:266-267, July 14, 1855).
“When I see any of our people, men or women, opposing a principle of this kind [i.e. plural marriage], I have years ago set them down as on the high road to apostasy, and I do today; I consider them apostates, and not interested in this Church and kingdom.”
(John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 11:221, April 7, 1866).
“Now, in relation to the position that we occupy concerning plurality, or, as it is termed, polygamy, it differs from that of others. I have noticed the usage of several nations regarding marriage; but, as I have said, we are not indebted to any of them for our religion, nor for our ideas of marriage, they came from God. Where did this commandment come from in relation to polygamy? It also came from God. It was a revelation given unto Joseph Smith from God, and was made binding upon His servants.”
(John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 11:221, April 7, 1866).
“Now Latter-day Saints, I want to say this to you, when a man lifts his heel against the counsel that we give him, I know that man will apostatize, just as sure as he is a living being, unless he repents and refrains from such conduct. Brother George A. Smith has been reading a little out of the revelation concerning celestial marriage, and I want to say to my sisters that if you lift your heels against this revelation, and say that you would obliterate it, and put it out of existence if you had the power to nullify and destroy it, I say that if you imbibe that spirit and feeling, you will go to hell, just as sure as you are living women.”
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 17:159, August 9, 1874).
“‘But,’ says this Christian, ‘I really do not like this; I see this is a polygamous city. I wonder if there is not some other place for me! I do not like the company of polygamists. They were hated very badly back yonder. Congress hated them, the President hated them, the cabinet hated them, the Priests hated them, and everybody hated them, and I engendered the same hatred, and I have not gotten rid of it yet. I wonder if there is not some other place for me?’ Oh yes, there is another place for you. Without the gates of the city there are dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, adulterers and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Now take your choice, Amen.”
ReplyDelete(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 17:214, October 7, 1874).
“I want to say a few words in regard to the revelation on polygamy. God has told us Latter-day Saints that we shall be condemned if we do not enter into that principle; and yet I have heard now and then (I am very glad to say that only a few such instances have come under my notice), a brother or a sister say, ‘I am a Latter-day Saint, but I do not believe in polygamy.’ Oh, what an absurd expression! What an absurd idea! A person might as well say, ‘I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, but I do not believe in him.’ One is just as consistent as the other. Or a person might as well say, ‘I believe in Mormonism, and in the revelations given through Joseph Smith, but I am not a polygamist, and do not believe in polygamy,’ What an absurdity! If one portion of the doctrines of the Church is true, the whole of them are true. If the doctrine of polygamy, as revealed to the Latter-day Saints, is not true, I would not give a fig for all your other revelations that came through Joseph Smith the Prophet; I would renounce the whole of them, because it is utterly impossible, according to the revelations that are contained in these books, to believe a part of them to be divine—from God—and part of them to be from the devil; that is foolishness in the extreme; it is an absurdity that exists because of the ignorance of some people. I have been astonished at it. I did hope there was more intelligence among the Latter-day Saints, and a greater understanding of principle than to suppose that anyone can be a member of this Church in good standing, and yet reject polygamy. The Lord has said, that those who reject this principle reject their salvation, they shall be damned, saith the Lord; those to whom I reveal this law and they do not receive it, shall be damned. Now here comes in our consciences. We have either to renounce Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Book of Covenants, and the whole system of things as taught by the Latter-day Saints, and say that God has not raised up a Church, has not raised up a prophet, has not begun to restore all things as he promised, we are obliged to do this, or else to say, with all our hearts, ‘Yes, we are polygamists, we believe in the principle, and we are willing to practice it, because God has spoken from the heavens.’”
(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 17:224-225, October 7, 1874).
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ReplyDeleteNext, let’s consider your claim that our understanding of gender roles within the Gospel, or the Patriarchal Order, is a result of the Fall of Man and is not the institution of heaven. Consider that after the Fall, God made Adam and Eve coats of skins for their future benefit, not as a cruel cursing. The same applies to the family organization decreed at the beginning after the Fall. Also, we don’t find our way to the celestial kingdom by following a law that is part of a fallen world (D&C 88:17-22). The Patriarchal Order was given to mankind precisely because it was a celestial law needed for man to return to the presence of God. And the teachings of prophets bears this out:
ReplyDeleteTHE PATRIARCHAL ORDER IS OF GOD AND IS ETERNAL
“There is no higher authority in matters relating to the family organization, and especially when that organization is presided over by one holding the higher Priesthood, than that of the father. … The patriarchal order is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and eternity. There is then a particular reason why men, women, and children should understand this order and this authority in the household of the people of God, and seek to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and preparation for the highest exaltation of His children. In the home the presiding authority is always vested in the father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is no other authority paramount.”
(Joseph F. Smith, The Juvenile Instructor, March 1902, p. 146.).
“Those who receive the Melchizedek Priesthood covenant and promise, before God and angels, to magnify their callings, to ‘live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God’ (D&C 84:44), to marry for time and all eternity in the patriarchal order, and to live and serve as the Lord Jesus did in his life and ministry.
“In return the Lord covenants and promises to give them all that his Father hath, meaning eternal life, which is exaltation and godhood in that eternal realm where alone the family unit continues in eternity.
“In return the Lord admits them to his eternal patriarchal order, an order that prevails in the highest heaven of the celestial world, an order that assures its members of eternal increase, or in other words of spirit children in the resurrection. (See D&C 131:1–4.)”
(Bruce R. McConkie, “The Doctrine of the Priesthood,” General Conference, April 1982).
“Fathers, by divine decree, you are to preside over your family units. This is a sobering responsibility and the most important one you will ever assume, for it is an eternal responsibility. You place the family in its proper priority. It’s the part of your life that will endure beyond the grave. I testify that the following statement is true:
ReplyDelete“‘The position which men occupy in the family, and especially those who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, is one of first importance and should be clearly recognized and maintained in the order and with the authority which God conferred upon man in placing him at the head of his household.
“‘… There is no higher authority in matters relating to the family organization, and especially when that organization is presided over by one holding the higher priesthood, than that of the father. … The patriarchal order is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and eternity. There is then a particular reason why men, women, and children should understand this order and this authority in the households of the people of God, and seek to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and preparation for the highest exaltation of His children. In the home the presiding authority is always vested in the father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is no other authority paramount.’”
(L. Tom Perry, “Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling,” General Conference, April 2004).
“This work embodies the sealing through specific rights of the priesthood of both living and dead, one to another, as with husband and wife, as with father and mother to children; that families living upon the earth in this day and age, connected with ancestors and progenitors, may be bound one with another, thereby linking the past with the present and both the past and the present with the future. Thus, the hearts of the fathers may be bound in holy sealing with their children and children with the fathers in the patriarchal order of family relationship in linked fashion as an endless chain with each link secure and interwoven.”
(Alvin R. Dyer, Conference Report, April 1963, p. 51).
“We declare to all men that the God of heaven commanded Joseph Smith to introduce and practice the patriarchal order of marriage, including the plurality of wives. And why? Because it was the law given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for certain purposes; that holy men might have their wives and children with them in the morning of the first resurrection in their family organization to inherit kingdoms, thrones, principalities and powers in the presence of God throughout the endless ages of eternity.”
(Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 23:132, May 14, 1882).
“We could not obtain a fullness of celestial glory without this sealing ordinance or the institution called the patriarchal order of marriage, which is one of the most glorious principles of our religion.”
ReplyDelete(Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 13:167, December 12, 1869).
“This patriarchal authority has been honored among the people of God in all dispensations. It is of divine origin, and that union, if sealed by proper authority, will continue throughout eternity.”
(Russell M. Nelson, “Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” General Conference, April 1999).
“Through the exercise of the sealing power of the holy priesthood, generations are bound together in patriarchal chains from the newborn baby ‘as far back as the Lord shall reveal.’ (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 3:372.)
“When sweethearts kneel at the temple altar and are joined by the power of the holy priesthood for time and all eternity, an eternal family is organized and is created. It is to exist throughout all eternity.”
(David B. Haight, “Come to the House of the Lord,” General Conference, April 1992).
“Inspired men have long taught that the home is the cradle of civilization and the foundation of society. But the Lord, through his prophets, teaches us much more than this, for we know that it is exalted families that will make up the divine patriarchal order which will be the source of kingdoms and glory for the faithful in eternity.”
(Spencer W. Kimball, “The Fruit of Our Welfare Services Labors,” General Conference, October 1978).
“We can enter into the patriarchal order, the order of eternal marriage, the order which enables the family unit to continue everlastingly in celestial glory.”
(Bruce R. McConkie, “The Ten Blessings of the Priesthood,” General Conference, October 1977).
“The Church was created in large measure to help the family, and long after the Church has performed its mission, the celestial patriarchal order will still be functioning. This is why President Joseph F. Smith said: ‘To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman . . . ,’ and President McKay added: ‘When one puts business or pleasure above his home, he, that moment, starts on the downgrade to soul weakness.’
“And this is why President Harold B. Lee said only yesterday, ‘The Church must do more to help the home carry out its divine mission.’”
(Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, October 1970, p. 21).
“This is an ordinance that will enter into the world behind the veil; that will stand good and true before the Lord in the resurrection of the dead, when the man and the woman, separated by death, but who have been sealed by this sacred ordinance, shall come together again and stand at the head of their posterity; and all of their posterity who are worthy will enter into that grand patriarchal order of family government, and, as I have said, of the increase thereof there will be no end.”
ReplyDelete(Charles W. Penrose, Conference Report, April 1911, p. 35).
“What a privilege for men and women to be sealed together by the holy order of God in holy matrimony, loving one another with all their hearts, putting down every feeling of discord that may arise, subduing every feeling of personality wherein they disagree, trying to harmonize in the household and build upon a foundation that shall never be destroyed, that the children after them shall come forth in purity to serve the Lord, to spread his gospel in the world, and in the world to come shall be with them in the holy patriarchal order of the family relation, and that they shall increase, worlds without end, in their posterity, in knowledge, in wisdom, in understanding, in dominion, in power, in glory, and in close intercourse with the great Eternal Father and beings of his character. That is what is involved in this splendid order of celestial marriage.”
(Charles W. Penrose, Conference Report, October 1918, p. 16).
“Who will be the subjects in the kingdom which they will rule who are exalted in the celestial kingdom of our God? Will they reign over their neighbors’ children? Oh no. Over whom then will they reign? Their own children, their own posterity will be the citizens of their kingdoms; in other words, the patriarchal order will prevail there to the endless ages of eternity, and the children of each patriarch will be his while eternal ages roll on.”
(Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 15:319, January 19, 1873).
“Every married man stands at the head of his household, that is, his immediate family. Thus I, for instance, will stand at the head of my family group by virtue of the sealing for time and eternity, and my children will belong to me.”
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1955, p. 2:68).
“There is no higher authority in matters relating to the family organization, and especially when that organization is presided over by one holding the higher Priesthood, than that of the father. The authority is time honored, and among the people of God in all dispensations it has been highly respected and often emphasized by the teachings of the prophets who were inspired of God. The patriarchal order is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and eternity. There is, then, a particular reason why men, women and children should understand this order and this authority in the households of the people of God, and seek to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and preparation for the highest exaltation of his children. … Wives and children should be taught to feel that the patriarchal order in the kingdom of God has been established for a wise and beneficent purpose, and should sustain the head of the household and encourage him in the discharge of his duties, and do all in their power to aid him in the exercise of the rights and privileges which God has bestowed upon the head of the home. This patriarchal order has its divine spirit and purpose, and those who disregard it under one pretext or another are out of harmony with the spirit of God’s laws as they are ordained for recognition in the home. …
ReplyDelete“The principles here set forth are of more importance than many parents have heretofore attached to them, and the unfortunate position today in the homes of many of the elders of Israel is directly traceable to a want of appreciation of their truthfulness.”
(Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 1975, p. 287-288).
Hi "Loyal to the word." I am not going to go through everything you say here, because I honestly don't have that kind of time. But I will say that Joseph Smith was charged with restoring the New and Everlasting Covenant of marriage. The problem with polygamy is that it was neither new (it is in fact very ancient) neither was it very everlasting (it only lasted a few decades.) What is new and everlasting is a marriage where husband and wife are monogamous and equal partners. While Joseph Smith did restore polygamy as part of the restoration of Israel, it turns out that it was a temporary thing, and we are restoring Israel not only as it was, but as it should have been. Our current apostles and prophets teach monogamy, and there is no indication this will ever change, and every indication monogamy is God's kind of marriage. You're lengthy explanation of past teachings does little to change the direction the church is going, which is towards equality between men and women.
ReplyDeleteAs for your discussion about the patriarchal order, the term has not been in use for decades, it has not been used in a conference talk since the 1980s, and there are good reasons to believe that when it was in place, it was not eternal. Recent talks from church leaders all are guiding us to a place of equal partnership in the family, not towards the patriarchal order. Your numerous quotations about patriarchal leadership in the home are not in line with current revelations about the family. I think it would be more worthwhile for you to focus on more recent discussions from church leaders, many of which contradict the quotations you choose to focus on. Thank you for your comments.
ReplyDeleteWell, it’s a shame that you won’t take the time to thoroughly study the issue that you are so passionate about, and which you have endeavored to make multiple posts on, irresponsibly disseminating ideas that do not accord with the doctrine of the Gospel.
ReplyDeleteYou say that “polygamy is not new” and therefore it isn’t what the prophets had in mind with the everlasting covenant. But if you had taken the time to properly read the quotes, you would know that the prophets, from the time of Joseph Smith, have defined polygamy explicitly as part of the new and everlasting covenant. You are not authorized to redefine the meaning of “new and everlasting covenant” contrary to how the prophets have done, and dismiss polygamy as erroneous. That is a very flimsy reasoning.
Take, for instance, the quote you ignored from Franklin D. Richards which directly contradicts your reasoning:
“The Latter-day Saints claim to be the children of Abraham, and if they are the children of Abraham, they will do the works of Abraham. It was difficult for men and women from all parts of the world, who had lived in the monogamic order all their lives to accept this doctrine of the eternity and plurality of marriage. It was ‘a new and everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned, saith the Lord.’”
(Franklin D. Richards, Journal of Discourses, 26:341, October, 1885).
Your thought of, “But polygamy was practiced in ancient times” did not escape the prophets, so it’s hardly a novel thought, either. You just haven’t taken the time to absorb the teachings around this doctrine.
Next you say that “neither was it very everlasting (it only lasted a few decades.),” but here you are being entirely disingenuous. You know full well that it sealings don’t end due to suspension of Church practices, and never has a prophet or apostle ever taught that those plural marriage sealings were null and void as a result of either of the manifestos. Your own great great great grandmother Zina Diantha Huntington Smith Young was herself a plural wife of Joseph Smith (sealed), and later of Brigham Young. She would vehemently disagree with you about the nature of her plural marriage. You’re willing to take her seriously when it comes to Heavenly Mother, but regarding plural marriage which she was highly involved in, you won’t take her seriously at all. Your claim that when Joseph Smith restored plural marriage it only turned out to be temporary was only partially true. The doctrine is everlasting, and the sealings are everlasting.
Also, we know from the scriptures that plural marriage will again be reinstated in the future (see Isaiah 4:1-2).
You said, “You're [sic] lengthy explanation of past teachings does little to change the direction the church is going, which is towards equality between men and women.” This statement is problematic on several levels:
1) I quoted those past leaders specifically because they lived the law of plural marriage, and received the teachings regarding it from the Prophet Joseph Smith. I did not quote them just because I only like past leaders. There is a heightened relevance to their teachings considering their circumstances.
2) I did very little explaining. The quotes speak rather well for themselves. And they speak in opposite to what you said.
3) Here you’re claiming that the doctrine of the Church changes, and is not eternal or everlasting, but can be re-shaped in the image of modern feminism. This is false.
4) I think you’re misinterpreting just where “the church is going.” Its direction is not to repudiate the teachings of Joseph Smith and prophets of the nineteenth century. This would disastrously undermine the religion and it would only be a matter of time before it collapsed as a result. Instead, what a faithful Latter-day Saint needs to do is assimilate all of the teachings together into a complete picture. There should be no war between old and new teachings. If we have put ourselves in this position then we actually make ourselves enemies to the kingdom and false prophets.
You have also said, “As for your discussion about the patriarchal order, the term has not been in use for decades, it has not been used in a conference talk since the 1980s, and there are good reasons to believe that when it was in place, it was not eternal.” Problems with this statement include:
ReplyDelete1) You’re again claiming that doctrine changes; that there is a time-stamp for a best before date on doctrine; that if something hasn’t been mentioned in X amount of years, that it is no longer a true principle. This is bad logic and bad Mormonism.
2) The several quotes I provided indicate that the doctrine of the Patriarchal Order is eternal. I have never seen a quote to contradict this. And you have not produced one.
You have said, “Recent talks from church leaders all are guiding us to a place of equal partnership in the family, not towards the patriarchal order.” This shows your fundamental misunderstanding of the doctrine, as you have created a false dichotomy between the Patriarchal Order and “equal partnership” in marriage. Consider that the Family Proclamation makes no such error. It states:
“By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.”
(The Family: A Proclamation to the World, paragraph 7).
Instead, your concept of “equal partnership” is entirely false, and is based more on the teachings of modern feminism than any doctrine of the Gospel.
You said, “Your numerous quotations about patriarchal leadership in the home are not in line with current revelations about the family.” Oh? When has the Church repudiated the Family Proclamation? Or Moses 4:22-25? Where are these “current revelations about the family” that have overturned all these things (and all the quotes that I have provided about the Patriarchal Order)? Help us out, Chris: Specifically, where has the Church repudiated or renounced these things as you are claiming?
You seem very loyal to polygamy and the patriarchal order, and I am sure you have good reasons for your opinion about this. I do not see things the same way as you, and I have good reason for this as well. I have a testimony of Joseph Smith when polygamy was restored, and I have a testimony of Wilford Woodruff when it ended. I have a testimony of President Nelson today and the teachings of the church, including the Proclamation on the Family. I made great sacrifices to be where I am today as a gay man faithfully married to my wife and raising my children in the gospel. I have had to make sense of things in a way that works for me.
ReplyDeleteThe restoration is ongoing, and the church grows from the margins, which includes me. I have spent a lot of time in the temple and praying about these questions, and this post reflects my personal revelation. It is not revelation for you. If you don't agree with what I have written here, that is ok. I don't think this kind of debate is helpful. My ideas stand on their own, and they are mine. Like I said in my original blog post:
"These are my personal beliefs, and some of them may resonate with you while others may contradict your own feelings. That is okay. I believe getting to know God, both Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, is a process we must each go through for ourselves, but I also believe we can learn from each other as we respectfully share insights along the way."
All the best to you in your journey to understand our Heavenly Parents. I believe we can move forward in our commitment to Christ and his atonement, and I am sure we will get there together.
I’m sorry, Chris, but I’m really not buying the idea that there’s revelation for you and there’s revelation for me that can completely contradict each other, or that there’s revelation for you that contradicts the doctrine as we have received it from the prophets and apostles. You have made some very heavy claims on your blog about the meaning of our religion, and to say that it’s not appropriate to discuss your claims seems contrary to your attitude of openness and the format of your outlet (i.e. a blog).
ReplyDeleteWe do not receive our religion from popular opinion, or from “every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). Instead, we receive our doctrine from authorized sources – the scriptures and the prophets (Amos 3:7). Speculation is interesting and fine, but interpreting our religion in ways that run counter to those authorized sources, and then clamoring to have those false interpretations recognized in the mainstream, is apostasy and is wrong.
We can think of those who would dispose of the Patriarchal Order, the doctrine of plural marriage, and other accompanying truths in favor of feminist ideals in light of the following scriptures:
“15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!
“16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.”
(2 Nephi 28:15-16).
“14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
“15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
“16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.”
(Doctrine & Covenants 1:14-16).
So I wonder if, since your position as expressed on this blog has been destroyed by the most recent General Conference, you would now re-consider your opinions.
Regarding your insistence on placing Heavenly Mother at the center of our worship (motivated, no doubt, as an expression of your Feminist persuasion):
“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. For example, the Savior taught His disciples, “Always pray unto the Father in my name.” We follow this pattern and direct our worship to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ and do not pray to Heavenly Mother.
“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.”
(Dale G. Renlund, “Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny,” General Conference, April 2022).
Regarding the Patriarchal Order as an eternal and unchangeable institution:
ReplyDelete“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is properly known as a family-centered Church. But not well understood is the reality that our family-centeredness is not limited to mortal relationships. Eternal relationships are also fundamental to our theology. The mission of the restored Church is to help all the children of God qualify for what God desires as their ultimate destiny. …
“Fundamental to us is God’s revelation that exaltation can be attained only through faithfulness to the covenants of an eternal marriage between a man and a woman. …
“That is also why the Lord has required His restored Church to oppose social and legal pressures to retreat from His doctrine of marriage between a man and a woman, to oppose changes that homogenize the differences between men and women [i.e. Feminism] or confuse or alter gender. …
“However, we know that in the long run, the divine purpose and plan of our loving Heavenly Father will not be changed. … However, we know that in the long run, the divine purpose and plan of our loving Heavenly Father will not be changed.
“A uniquely valuable teaching to help us prepare for eternal life, ‘the greatest of all the gifts of God,’ is the 1995 proclamation on the family [which describes and advocates the Patriarchal Order of marriage]. Its declarations are, of course, different from some current laws, practices, and advocacy, such as cohabitation and same-sex marriage. Those who do not fully understand the Father’s loving plan for His children may consider this family proclamation no more than a changeable statement of policy. In contrast, we affirm that the family proclamation, founded on irrevocable doctrine, defines the kind of family relationships where the most important part of our eternal development can occur.”
(Dallin H. Oaks, “Divine Love in the Father’s Plan,” General Conference, April 2022).
Since no one of average intelligence would presume to say that your position has not been undermined by these statements, I’m curious: Do you have the humility and fortitude to change your mind according to what the prophets have taught, or are you still insistent on pursuing your previous course, and are one of those whom Paul has warned us of:
“2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
“3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
“4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
(2 Timothy 4:2-4).