LDS LDS, which lesson manual says Heavenly Father has a wife?

[Rescued One]

Which current manual says that?

 

[Solomon Smith]

I don’t think it’s in a manual.

I think that it’s something that is more like folklore in LDS circles.

 

[Solomon Smith]

I found a section on their website but it’s not in a manual.

Mother in Heaven

Note: I am not LDS and do not endorse their teachings.

 

[Rescued One]

If it's not in their scripture how can it be reliable? They used to have it in some of their manuals. Is it in any current manual?

@drstevej Have you found her mentioned in a recent manual?

 

[Rescued One]

I found a section on their website but it’s not in a manual.

Mother in Heaven

Note: I am not LDS and do not endorse their teachings.

While there is no record of a formal revelation to Joseph Smith on this doctrine, some early Latter-day Saint women recalled that he personally taught them about a Mother in Heaven.3 The earliest published references to the doctrine appeared shortly after Joseph Smith’s death in 1844, in documents written by his close associates.4 The most notable expression of the idea is found in a poem by Eliza R. Snow, entitled “My Father in Heaven” and now known as the hymn “O My Father.” This text declares: “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.”5
Mother in Heaven

 

[drstevej]

No, the thought makes reason stare; / Truth is reason—truth eternal

A supposition is declared reasonable and then is endorsed as fact.
Don't ask questions... she's too modest to be discussed...

This is the answer Mormons give me.

Maybe someday Brigham's speculation about sentient life on the Sun will be memorialized in a hymn and them become doctrine that should not be discussed lest the life forms on the Sun's modesty be defiled.

So it is with regard to the inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is any life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain. -- Brigham​

 

[RoseCrystal]

this is my biggest issue with LDS beliefs, a Prophet of theirs can say one thing and you get 'oh that's not scripture so we don't believe that' (like sun inhabitants) but then another thing gets 'yes that is an LDS belief' (like heavenly mother) its so inconsistent.

 

[Solomon Smith]

If it's not in their scripture how can it be reliable? They used to have it in some of their manuals. Is it in any current manual?

@drstevej Have you found her mentioned in a recent manual?

Like I said it’s not in any manual.

I am former LDS and I have read all of their manuals. This teaching is not contained in their official Gospel Principals manual.

 

[BigDaddy4]

Per the lds website already cited in the thread, "The doctrine of a Heavenly Mother is a cherished and distinctive belief among Latter-day Saints."

Interesting how a "doctrine" doesn't show up in a teaching manual...

 

[Rescued One]

Like I said it’s not in any manual.

I am former LDS and I have read all of their manuals. This teaching is not contained in their official Gospel Principals manual.

“Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 335).
Gospel Principles, c. 1978, 2009, p. 9
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/06195_eng.pdf?lang=eng

In my earlier searches I was looking for the phrase "Heavenly Mother."

 

[Rescued One]

“It was Eliza R. Snow who wrote the words: ‘Truth is reason; truth eternal / Tells me I’ve a mother there.’ (Hymns, 1985, no. 292.)

“It has been said that the Prophet Joseph Smith made no correction to what Sister Snow had written. Therefore, we have a Mother in Heaven..."
Gordon B. Hinckley, Daughters of God, General Conference, October 1991
Daughters of God - Gordon B. Hinckley

 

[Solomon Smith]

“Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 335).
Gospel Principles, c. 1978, 2009, p. 9
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/06195_eng.pdf?lang=eng

In my earlier searches I was looking for the phrase "Heavenly Mother."

Like I said there is nothing on Heavenly Mother in the manual.

 

[RoseCrystal]

Like I said there is nothing on Heavenly Mother in the manual.

Chapter 2, page 10, second paragraph of Gospel Principles, it doesn't give details about Heavenly Mother but it does mention the fact that she exists, well that LDS believe she exists.

We were not all alike in heaven We know, for example, that we were sons and daughters of heavenly parents—males and females (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov 1995, 102) We possessed different talents and abilities, and we were called to do different things on earth We can learn more about our “eternal possibilities” when we receive our patriarchal blessings (see Thomas S Monson, in Conference Report, Oct 1986, 82; orEnsign, Nov 1986, 66)

 

[mmksparbud]

Only one??

 

[RoseCrystal]

Only one??

I didnt read the whole thing, this is on page 10, there could quite possibly be more references to her in there

 

[mmksparbud]

Jer_7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Jer_44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
Jer_44:18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
Jer_44:19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
Jer_44:25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
Jer 44:27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
Jer 44:28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
Jer 44:29 And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

God was not too thrilled with having a Queen of heaven. being worshiped. How do Mormons deal with this?

 

[Solomon Smith]

Chapter 2, page 10, second paragraph of Gospel Principles, it doesn't give details about Heavenly Mother but it does mention the fact that she exists, well that LDS believe she exists.

We were not all alike in heaven We know, for example, that we were sons and daughters of heavenly parents—males and females (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov 1995, 102) We possessed different talents and abilities, and we were called to do different things on earth We can learn more about our “eternal possibilities” when we receive our patriarchal blessings (see Thomas S Monson, in Conference Report, Oct 1986, 82; orEnsign, Nov 1986, 66)

That’s not a direct reference to Heavenly Mother.

So like I said there is nothing in the manual on her.

 

[Rescued One]

Jer_7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Jer_44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
Jer_44:18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
Jer_44:19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
Jer_44:25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
Jer 44:27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
Jer 44:28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
Jer 44:29 And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

God was not too thrilled with having a Queen of heaven. being worshiped. How do Mormons deal with this?

LDS aren't allowed to worship her or pray to her.

“Logic and reason would certainly suggest that if we have a Father in Heaven, we have a Mother in Heaven. That doctrine rests well with me. However, in light of the instruction we have received from the Lord Himself, I regard it as inappropriate for anyone in the Church to pray to our Mother in Heaven” (Gordon Hinckley, “Daughters of God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1991, p.100. See also The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p.257 [which came out when he was president]).
Heavenly Mother

it as inappropriate for anyone in the Church to pray to our Mother in Heaven”
“Logic and reason would certainly suggest that if we have a Father in Heaven, we have a Mother in Heaven. That doctrine rests well with me. However, in light of the instruction we have received from the Lord Himself, I regard it as inappropriate for anyone in the Church to pray to our Mother in Heaven” (Gordon Hinckley, “Daughters of God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1991, p.100. See also The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p.257 [which came out when he was president]).


(Gordon Hinckley, “Daughters of God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1991, p.100. See also The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p.257 [which came out when he was president]).

 

[Rescued One]

This manual is no longer in print:

“By definition, exaltation includes the ability to procreate the family unit throughout eternity. This our Father in heaven has the power to do. His marriage partner is our mother in heaven. We are their spirit children, born to them in the bonds of celestial marriage.” (p. 129)
Achieving a Celestial Marriage Manual

 

[Rescued One]

• How can women glorify God as they bear and care for God’s children? (As students share their thoughts, help them understand this principle: As women embrace their divinely appointed role as mothers to bear and care for God’s children, they glorify Him and become more like our Divine Parents. Explain that bringing children into the world is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation.)
  Lesson 10: The Divine Roles and Responsibilities of Women