Exaltation for Mormon Women: Heavenly Mother

"Rhea, Mother of the Gods." Drawing by Adam Nielson, September 1999.

“Rhea, Mother of the Gods.” Drawing by Adam Nielson, September 1999.

In the comments on my last post, I stated that teachings on Heavenly Mother [1] have generally been key to understanding what Mormon women can expect from exaltation. This post will elaborate on that.

If exaltation for the LDS man means becoming what his Heavenly Father is—a deified ruler and creator of worlds, guiding his spirit children from intelligence to their own exaltations [2]—it stands to reason that exaltation for the LDS woman means becoming what her Heavenly Mother is. Periodically, LDS leaders have even stated this directly. For example, from an address delivered at BYU in 2010 by Elder Glenn L. Pace of the Seventy:

Sisters, I testify that when you stand in front of your heavenly parents in those royal courts on high and look into Her eyes and behold Her countenance, any question you ever had about the role of women in the kingdom will evaporate into the rich celestial air, because at that moment you will see standing directly in front of you, your divine nature and destiny. [3]

That Mormons generally believe in a Heavenly Mother is clear. That they often attribute to her divinity and (on some level) equality with the Father is also clear. LDS leaders have even, at varying times, spoken of Heavenly Mother as “procreator and parent . . . as co-creator of worlds, as coframer of the plan of salvation with the Father, and as a concerned and loving parent involved in our mortal probation.” [4] The difficulty is that these earnest beliefs and statements are undercut by the reality that nothing authoritative has been revealed about Heavenly Mother. As such, the disparity between what is known about Heavenly Mother and her role in creation (and thus, the divine nature and destiny of women) and what is known about Heavenly Father and his role in creation (along with the divine nature and destiny of men) is quite large.

These disparities include:

  • Number. That there is only one Heavenly Father seems to be a given, and LDS leaders have usually spoken of but one Heavenly Mother. Yet this was not always the case. For example, Orson Pratt’s The Seer stated, “But if we have a heavenly Mother as well as a heavenly Father, is it not right that we should worship the Mother of our spirits as well as the Father? No; for the Father of our spirits is at the head of His household, and his wives and children are required to yield the most perfect obedience to their great Head.” [5] Current temple sealing policies seem to anticipate that there will be polygyny in exaltation, but not polyandry, which suggests androcentrism and represents a significant eternal disparity between exalted men and women. [6]
  • Name. The name of the Father has been revealed and plays an important role in temple worship. The name of the Mother has not. [7]
  • Temple liturgy. Heavenly Mother is absent from it entirely and thus absent from its representation of creation of the world, as is Eve. This stands in contrast to Elohim and Adam as Michael, who are both involved in the pre-mortal creation. [8]
  • Soteriology. Confession of and belief in God the Father is essential for baptism into the LDS church and thus, essential for salvation. Confession of and belief in God the Mother is entirely optional. [9]

Many have attempted to ease these disparities by asserting that “God the Father” is, socially, a composite of both Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. For example, in her testimony for Mormon Scholars Testify, Valerie Hudson Cassler writes: “The Restored Gospel teaches that the term ‘God’ means an exalted woman and an exalted man married in the new and everlasting covenant (D&C 132:19-20).” [10] Hudson is not the innovator of this interpretation of Mormon exaltation, for it has been taught by LDS leaders for some time. The apostle Erastus Snow intimated (1878):

“What,” says one, “do you mean we should understand that Deity consists of man and woman?” Most certainly I do. If I believe anything that God has ever said about himself, and anything pertaining to the creation and organization of man upon the earth, I must believe that Deity consists of man and woman. . . .

I sometimes illustrate this matter by taking up a pair of shears, if I have one, but then you all know they are composed of two halves, but they are necessarily parts, one of another, and to perform their work for each other, as designed, they belong together, and neither one of them is fitted for the accomplishment of their works alone. And for this reason says St. Paul, “the man is not without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord.” In other words, there can be no God except he is composed of the man and woman united, and there is not in all the eternities that exist, nor ever will be, a God in any other way. [11]

Nevertheless, this interpretation of Mormon deity stands in tension with other teachings on the Godhead, which distinctly hold that the Godhead consists of three entirely male persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. [12] A paradox is then evoked: it is possible to have a Godhead absent of female divinity, but not a God.

In any case, my conclusion so far is that the nature of exaltation for Mormon men is relatively certain, while the nature of exaltation for Mormon women is highly speculative and uncertain. Mormons have much to do if they wish to address this disparity, and I am not certain it can ever be truly remedied absent an official and authoritative pronouncement on the matter from LDS leaders.

 

NOTES:

[1] I choose to capitalize the expression “Heavenly Mother” out of respect for the beliefs of my LDS friends.

[2] I would classify this as the most common and prominent understanding of Mormon exaltation. I will discuss variations on exaltation in a later post.

[3] Glenn L. Pace, “The Divine Nature and Destiny of Women,” Devotional, delivered at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 9 March 2010. 

[4] David L. Paulsen and Martin Pulido, “‘A Mother There’: A Survey of Historical Teachings about Heavenly Mother,” BYU Studies 50.1 (2011): 76.

[5] Orson Pratt, The Seer 1 (October 1853): 159.

[6] Living men are permitted to be sealed to multiple women, living or deceased, in the case of death of spouse or even divorce. Living women are only permitted to be sealed to one man at a time. Deceased women may be sealed to any deceased husbands they were married to in life. This seems more geared towards giving such women the opportunity to choose a husband in the next life rather than allowing post-mortem polyandry.

[7] Although Kevin L. Barney has theorized that her name is Asherah. See Barney, “How to Worship Our Mother in Heaven (Without Getting Excommunicated),” Dialogue 41.4 (2008): 133.

[8] I am indebted to Lynnette of Zelophehad’s Daughters for this observation.

[9] Again, my debt to Lynnette knows no bounds.

[10] Valerie Hudson Cassler, “I am a Mormon Because I am a Feminist,” Mormon Scholars Testify, posted September 2010, retrieved 1-1-2013.

[11] Erastus Snow, Journal of Discourses 19:269-70, 3 March 1878.

[12] See, for example, the section on “Godhead” at LDS.org’s “Gospel Topics”: “The Church’s first article of faith states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” These three beings make up the Godhead. They preside over this world and all other creations of our Father in Heaven.

Comments

Exaltation for Mormon Women: Heavenly Mother — 27 Comments

  1. 6. This is no longer the case, polyandrous (woman sealed to both deceased and current husbands) sealings are now allowed.

    7-8.
    In the 1800s church many believed that Eve was the Mother Goddess (or at least an embodied representative thereof).

  2. #1 jpv ~ This is no longer the case, polyandrous (woman sealed to both deceased and current husbands) sealings are now allowed.

    When did this change? Because the 2010 CHI (volume 1) says, “A living woman may be sealed to only one husband.” (p. 19) This is repeated in the case of both divorce and the spouse’s death.

  3. The 1931 endowment has Elohim says to Jehovah, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Jehovah responds, “It is not, Elohim, for we are not alone.” Given that the creation of Eve follows, this might be an allusion to heavenly wives (though it could just mean that Elohim and Jehovah have each other). I believe it is the former.

    http://www.ldsendowment.org/1931.html

  4. Excluding physicality, enlightened people of both genders become much less distinctively male or female and more both. Perhaps male and female is the immature mortal expression of our spiritual yin and yang. While gender may be eternal, spiritually I believe we will express both genders.

  5. Jack, regarding the temple, do you think Her absence could be explained simply by appealing to religious culture at the time the endowment was “revealed?” sent from mobile.

  6. Thank you for sharing this post. I love this topic and think about it often as I search for the Mother God I’ve always needed. Just as changes can be made in church administration from the grass roots, so can changes be made to the theology. I say a grassroots effort begin to further define Heavenly Mother. We can find a suitable name for Her and we can number as The One. We can put her back in charge of the Creation where she belongs. Isn’t that what Mothers do? Let’s make it necessary to confess belief in the Mother!

  7. With many feminists embracing gay marriage, what if the heavenly mother in this system is actually another male? Has to happen somewhere if the feminists are correct. If so, then it would explain why we do not have more conversation on the point.

  8. My comment is not welcome here? “We have atheists and agnostics, members of other religions, fully committed and believing Mormons, and everything in between.”

    [[Howard, everyone’s first comment on WWE goes into moderation for approval. Once your first comment’s been approved, future comments will be posted without requiring moderator review. Nothing personal. Your comment has now been approved and posted. Sorry for the delay. -Moderator]]

  9. It will take a revelation to “name Mother God” just as it will take a revelation to explain the role of Her. There is no “grassroots” innovation in Mormon theology for things not already revealed, for that way is apostasy. As of now She is silent as She should be because what we know of God is currently all we need for salvation. Anything more is blaspheme and Satanic. I mean every word I just said.

  10. Since you are using “Heavenly Mother” as a proper name, you should capitalize it anyway.

    Capitalizing “God” when referring to Yahweh has nothing to do with reverence. You capitalize it because you are using the otherwise common noun “god” as a name, i.e., a proper noun.

  11. #2 – The operative word is “living”. As of yet, living men can be sealed to more than one woman; the recent change allows *deceased* women to be sealed to more than one man.

  12. Pingback: Sunday in Outer Blogness: Goodbye to 2012 Edition!! » Main Street Plaza

  13. I take “Adam”, the creator (in the temple, assisting Jehovah), as a collective humanity, not as a single man (since that is what “Adam” means). Thus, as I understand, to present Adam as the assistant creator to Jehovah, is to teach us that all human beings are creators. Thus, I do not take it as something that signals a gender element in the temple ceremony. I use this as one example, but my greater point is that there is a LOT in the temple that one might not see at first glance that can teach us about being men and women or about just being human, and so I would not stick on the literalist or first level ideas of the symbolism in order to make a definitive comment on God’s approach to gender.

  14. When one understand the etymology of the world Elohim, one learns that the Hebrew implies that God is plural. I have even heard some say that the Hebrew word implies male and female genders but it is harder to find evidence supporting that claiming. Yet, if one accepts that Elohim is plural, then its easy to believe that Elohim does not refer to just Heavenly Father, but can also encompass Heavenly Mother, that together they are the great God, co-equals, both present and involved in the creation. If that is true, then throughout the temple ceremonies, Heavenly Mother is present beside Heavenly Father. That is what I like to envision, at the very least.

  15. Actually, disparity isn’t all that large when you consider BY’s Adam-God theology. He was quite explicit on who our Mother in Heaven was.

    “I tell you more, Adam is the father of our spirits … [O]ur spirits and the spirits of all the heavenly family were begotten by Adam, and born of Eve. … I tell you, when you see your Father in the Heavens, you will see Adam; when you see your Mother that bore your spirit, you will see Mother Eve” (Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, Sunday 10/8/1854).

    “Eve our common Mother who is the mother of all living bore those spirits in the celestial world (The Lecture at the Veil, Journal of L. John Nuttall, Tuesday 2/7/1877)”

    As to the great wedding bro. Orson has been telling us about is nothing more or less than this, Adam’s father came to him, saying here is the wife you have had so long, now you are going to have one wife to take with you to yonder earth, and if any of your other wives ever go to an earth to become the mother of all living, to become an Eve, it will be to another earth, not to that one. She is called Eve because she is the mother of all living, and she is the queen of that earth. Adam is the Lord of the earth and the father of all living on this earth, as Eve is the mother of all living on this earth” (Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, 8/25/1867).

    “Attended conference, a very interesting conference, for at this meeting President Brigham Young said thus, that Adam and Eve were the names of the first man and woman of every earth that was ever organized and that Adam and Eve were the natural father and mother of every spirit that comes to this planet, or that receives tabernacles on this planet, consequently we are brother and sisters, and that Adam was God, our Eternal Father. This as Brother Heber remarked, was letting the cat out of the bag, and it came to pass, I believed every word, for I remembered saying to the Brethren at a meeting of High Priests in Nauvoo, while I was speaking to them under the influence of the Spirit, I remarked thus, that our Father Adam had many wives, and that Eve was only one of them, and that she was our mother, and that she was the mother of the inhabitants of this earth, and I believe that also, but behold ye there were some that did not believe these sayings of the Prophet Brigham, even our Beloved Brother Orson Pratt told me he did not believe it. He said he could prove by the scriptures it was not correct. I felt very sorry to hear Professor Orson Pratt say that. I feared least he should apostatize, but I prayed for him that he might endure unto the end, for I knew verily it was possible that great men might fall” (Journal of Joseph L. Robinson, 102-03, 10/6/1854).

  16. That there is a Mormon Women identity crises is certain. Why do we look to Pres Monson for revelation? That, perhaps, is a dead branch. There is no good reason why a humble girl, holding the Keys of the Priesthood received in the Endowment, can’t go to the Lord in the True Order of Prayer and receive this necessary revelation. I love the endowment. It is perhaps, the most important revelation Joseph ever had. But, there should be caution used here. First, the apparent androcentric nature may be a false one. BY hated women as much as he hated blacks. There is a key element in the endowment that begs to be noticed. And, that is the anachronistic appearance of Peter, James and John. To me that signifies that BY had messed with the ceremony. (BY was trying to exalt the apostolic nature of his supremacy.) But, there was a higher priesthood and Brigham would only refer to it tangentially. It is called The Fulness of the Melchezidic Priesthood, The Calling and Election, or the Second Anointing. Where the man is ordained a King and a Priest (Queen and Priestess). There is literature out there. Both the man and the woman receives it. They really cannot receive it with out the other.

    Anyway (I’ve got to wrap this up, my wife calls me), there is a godess (I hate that word, it has such a wiccan flavor to it). And that is Sophia. She created everything, including Man (well, man–well, Adam). To hit only the highest points, She married the Christ and together created Man. She and the Christ became androgynous. Together they had an offspring which became The Androgyne. Adam and Eve. One being. Which split (Eve taken out of the side of Adam). Adam lost the Christ part and Eve retaining the Sophia part. There really is a literature out there. Anyway, maybe more later. She is compelling me. Another time.

  17. Jesus Christ visits the people of Corianton; and ordains women

    The Other Book of Mormon-Greater Things

    Mentinah Archives vol. 1

    The Second Book of Shi-Muel ( Samuel the Lamanite )

    Page 78

    Chapter Six
    1) Now, it was while I labored as High Priest to the people of Corianton, before the year wherein my father returned unto our fathers, that the signs which I had prophesied unto the people of Zarahemlah concerning the birth of the Christ were accomplished. And when my son Corianton and I did labor together in that capacity the signs of His death came, and the people were amazed and affrighted.

    2) But behold, the Spirit did whisper peace to our minds and to our souls so that we did patiently bear the day, the night and the day of darkness. For, though the occurrence was frightful, still, the Spirit did sing a song of sweet redemption to our souls. And many dreamed dreams and saw visions. And even some few did receive commandments as to what should be done when the Lord did come to visit the people of Corianton.

    3) And He did come unto us, in accordance with the visions that I too had received when I was but a young man. For, we had gathered together to worship when the signs came. Yea, and all the people in the cities had gathered to Corianton. And all the people in the forests had gathered, and also from the lakes and rivers. And we were all together, a great concourse of people awaiting the coming of the Lord.

    Page 79
    4) And we did hear His voice from afar off and we did shout with joy when we heard it. For, it caused our hearts to leap. Yea, our hearts did leap within our breasts and nothing could haveprevented us from crying out our joy when we heard His voice.

    5) But the voice was first a voice of warning unto all those who did wickedness. And from this we understood in our hearts that not all the wicked were destroyed. But behold, many were destroyed, even the most part, and that so that all might have one or many accounts to tell of the signs that preceded the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the voice was as the voice of an Angel, not of a trump or of thunder. But it did pierce us to the core. And behold, the voice did also separate the good from the bad. For, those who feared the retribution of a just God, trembled and sought to hide themselves. Yea, and they were
    filled with great loathing to see Him. But those who did good works were filled with joy and they ran out into the streets and clearings to see what was about tobefall. Yea, they welcomed their Lord with praise and singing.

    6) And in the day that He did come amongst us, and it was not long after the signs of His death had abated, we did according to the things we had been commanded in the visions and revelations that many had received during the days of darkness.

    7) Behold, we did greet Him as our King and our High Priest. And I did take Him by the hand and I did lead Him to the seat of the High Priest. And I did place upon Him the robes of the High Priest and He did sit upon the seat. And behold, I did declare to all the people that this was the Christ, the Son of the Living God; He who was killed by His own; He who had paid the uttermost price for our redemption and who had sealed it with the sacrifice mostdear. And the people did gather to the Temple to see Him and to hear His words.

    8) And behold, my son Corianton did approach the seat and, bowing himself down before his Lord, he did wash His feet, hands, and head, and he did anoint Him with oil most precious. And when he had done this, the Lord did place His hands upon the head of Corianton and blessed him, and bid him arise.

    9) And behold, Pa-Sabel approached also the seat and bowed herself down before the Lord. And she did break bread and blessed it, as she had been taught to do upon the Way. And she offered it to the Lord, and He did eat. And she did pour out pure wine into a grail and blessed it, as she had been taught to do upon the Way. And she offered it to the Lord, and He did drink. And when this was done He took her by the hand and arose from the seat. And He said in the hearing of all the people gathered there:

    10) Behold, this is well, what these two have done unto me. For they did approach me upon the Way. Yea, they did seek My face and I did acknowledge them. And behold, I did teach them these things upon the Way when I did show Myself unto them who sought Me. Let them be an ensample unto all those who would come unto Me and diligently seek Me. Unto such shall I give My kingdom. Yea, of such shall I make up My jewels.

  18. 11) And behold, when He had said these words, He did join the hands of Corianton, my son, and Pa-Sabel and presented them together to the host, saying:

    12) These two have become First Man and First Woman. Surely, they shall always administer My sacraments together. For, the one is not without the other in Me. Wherefore, I shall bless and sanctify all that they do.

    13) And unto the two, He said:

    14) Go now and do like as you did unto Me also unto all this people, teaching them to do likewise unto every person. And they went straightway and ministered unto the people, teaching them the ordinance of these two sacraments.

    15) And when they had done this and returned again, He turned again unto me and said:

    16) Are there any sick and afflicted among you? Let them come up unto Me and I will bless them. And by their faith, they shall be made whole.

    17) And we did cause that all those who were sick and afflicted to approach Him and He was pleased. For there were not so many who were sick and afflicted because of the many healers that worked their gifts among us. But there were some who had met with accidents who were halt and some who had complaints that they had borne for many years for which the Healers had no cure. But behold, these were not many.

    18) Now, when they had approached the Lord, He did lay hands on them and blessed them. And behold, they did arise and were free of their afflictions. And thiswas a great confirmation of what we had always
    Page 80
    believed about the Lord, that He is mighty to saveboth quick and dead. And we rejoiced in this affirmation.

    19) And when He had blessed all the sick and the afflicted, He turned again unto me and said:

    20) Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.

    21) And we did suffer all the parents to gather the little children and bring them to the Lord. And He did teach them many things that cannot be written. And He raised His hands into the air and He blessed all the little ones. Now when He had done this, a great light was seen in the sky above their heads and they were all enveloped in light. And it was to be seen within the light that Angels descended and did minister to the children. And voices were heard that we did not understand, and songs were voiced that we did not know.
    And all the people marveled at this thing. And when the Angels had again ascended and the light had gone away, behold, the countenances of the children shone still and they did prophecy.

    Chapter Seven

  19. 1) Now, after all these things had taken place, Jesus turned once again to me and said:

    2) Behold, the people of Corianton are Nemenhah indeed. Great should be your joy and also your cause to give thanks and rejoice. For, you have listened toMy voice and you have soughtMy face. Wherefore, I have manifested Myself unto you at many times, and you are not surprised nor too much amazed by My appearance unto you this day. This thing does please Me very much. Now I go unto the Nemenhah of Mentinah again to teach them. Continue faithful and I will visit you often to teach you also.

    3) And after He had said this, a cloud did descend fromheaven and He was taken up in it and carried away with a great sound.

    4) And I, and all the people, did stand in amazement and in joy. Yea, we felt a joy that could not find expression. And we could not find it in ourselves to depart one from another for the space of many hours because of the Spirit that was in us. For, of a sudden one person or another would burst forth in prophecy and we were loathe to be absent from such miracles.

    5) Now, in three days time the people had meant to meet to worship together because of the signs that had been shown in the heavens. And now that Jesus had visited them and manifested Himself unto them, they were all the more anxious to meet and offer oblations unto Him. And it was while we were thus met and employed that we looked and behold, Jesus stood in our midst. And when we had seen Him, all the people bowed down to the earth before Him. And He sat with us and taught us upon the bench, saying:

    6) Samuel, you who have been my mouthpiece in times past, be so now even unto this people. And take twelve of your people, of both men and women, and behold, I shall touch them and place upon them the priesthood. And they shall listen to My words and take them to the people. For the multitude gathered is great and My voice shall reach them all through Myanointed ones. And all those who are of the Nemenhah of Corianton who are not present must also hear My words. Wherefore, these whom you appoint and upon whom I lay this great charge, shall take other twelve from each city and region, to begin
    the spreading of My gospel to all the people.

    7) Then, when all the people have received of My word, let them all strive to obtain for themselves the anointing. And if they do this with singleness of heart, seeking My face, behold, I shall manifest Myself unto them upon the Way. For I am the Way, the Truth and the Light. If anyone seeks Me in this spirit, they shall find Me.

    8) And I did all that the Lord commanded me, choosing out six men and six women who were known to me to be upright people with good intentions. And He took them one by one and touched them and called them to be His servants. And these are the words He used:

    9) Upon you, my servant, I lay a certain charge and commission. And I give you authority to act in all things that the Spirit does manifest that I would do were I present to do them. Wherefore, be diligent in study, and also in fasting and in prayer. In this shall you know My doctrine. Yea, in this shall you know of Me, through the whisperings of the Spirit, that which isMy will and that which is not. And I give unto you power to command the elements as often as the Spirit dictates. Wherefore, pray always that you be not deceived and carried away in pride.

    10) Then, casting His eyes about, He taught us concerning this priesthood, saying:
    Page 81

  20. 11) Behold, I do perceive your thoughts. Marvel not that I have given mine authority to women and men alike. Yea, this thing has been of concern to some since the day that Pa-Sabel received word from Me of the ordinance she should perform when I came. Behold, I do confer the priesthood upon those men who
    would follow Me and do the things they see Me do. And unto such is made an ordination, that they may speak and act in My name, and be justified in so doing. But I do not confer such upon the women, for they have of My Mother in Heaven that which I cannot give. Wherefore, I do ordain them. But the priesthood they have already cannot be given, nor taken away, but by that person who gave it. Wherefore, if there be any woman who desires to follow Me and do the thingsthey see Me do, they are authorized from the foundation of the world, and I do justify them.

    12) For, the daughters of Eve do sacrifice of themselves freely for the sake of all living. For this cause did Adam call her name Eve. For she is the Mother of all Living. She does give of herself, even to the laying down of her life, in order that man might be, and in order that the purposes of heaven may go forward. She is a Priestess and Queen unto the Most High God forever.

    13) Wherefore, if by the Spirit she is moved upon to take up emblems of My life and death, and bless them, and administer them to the people, what is that to you? She does it unto Me. Wherefore, restrain her not at all.

    14) But behold, men received not such power by their creation and come into the world without the natural inclination to do good. Wherefore have I said, the natural man is an enemy to God. By the sweat of his face shall Adam earn his bread all the days of his life. And through constancy in service and in sacrifice shall he learn, order by order, line upon line, even precept on precept, to become like Me and do the things they see Me do. Wherefore, I confer priesthood upon men who would be My servants, and I give them
    authority to minister. But woman are ministers from the foundation of the world.

    15) And when a man wishes to engage in the work ofmy Father which is in Heaven, you unto whom I have given this authority may confer it unto him and ordain him to that stewardship that I shall provide for him. That he may also take up his cross and learn by the application of the Law of the Gospel to give freely of himself, breaking his heart and humbling his spirit. For,this is the sacrifice which I will accept of him.
    Yea, he shall bend his own will and tame it, and do whatsoever I shall command him. And this he shall learn to do without coercion or compulsion, but freely ofhis own accord. This is the sacrifice of the heart and the spirit which I require of all those who would call themselves My servants.

  21. 16) And that man shall attend to do his duty unto the people, administering the sacraments unto them, keeping My Holy House, and teaching the people. This is the work that I shall require of him. And behold, he shall do all this freely and shall not be compelled to do it in any way. For, though the priesthood appear to be that by which service is rendered unto others, it is a service unto Me and unto My Father. Wherefore, let him do it with an eye single to the glory of God and not tohis own. And if he do this, he shall attain to that
    state of happiness of which the prophets have spoken, both in this life as also in the life to come.

    17) And when a woman wishes to engage in the work of My Father which is in Heaven, in addition to that great work which the Mother has given unto her by virtue of her very creation, you, unto whom I have given My authority, may ordain her unto that stewardship that I shall provide for her. And she shall apply that great gift, which My Mother which is in Heaven has given her, to the ministering unto the people as
    the man does. She shall also bend her own will and do whatsoever I shall command her. But remember, whereas the stewardship that I shall provide for every man is a necessary thing for most men, in order that they might overcome the natural man, that which has been provided women by the Mother does already accomplish this end for them. Wherefore, priesthood, though a woman may officiate in the sacraments and
    in every holy ordinance, is not requisite for her salvation. Whereas, men must have this device in order to truly come unto me. And where the priesthood is not available for them, surely I shall provide another means whereby men may overcome that which prevents them from the Way.

    18) And these are the sacraments which I command you to administer unto My children:

    19) You shall bless your little ones, calling upon My name. For, in the day that I began the work of Atonement for them, they were given to Me by the Father and the Mother. Wherefore, ye are My children, notwithstanding, I am also My Father’s son.
    Posted in Let’s Share Our Dreams and Visions | Leave a comment

  22. Women’s Priesthood Daughters of Adam and Eve
    Posted on April 18, 2014 by c j

    For I Am the Lord;

    Now, behold ye Nemenhah, the daughters of Adam are blessed from before the foundation of the world.
    Behold, My daughters, by the nature of your creation, ye do serve all people. Yea, it is good that ye do organize yourselves in all your good and that ye do uphold this nation as ye presently do. But behold the orders of the priesthood are for the sons of Adam, to be an instrument unto them that they may train their natures to be more like unto the daughters of Eve.

    Yea, that by the sweat of their face, even by their strength, they might learn to give of themselves for the sake of others. For how shall they become like Me if they do not that which I have done? But, ye Daughters of Eve, ye do it already.

    Wherefore, covet not that which I have given unto men, but rejoice and know that ye may seek My face without other preparation than that which ye have received by your nature. For ye receive of the Mother even a more complete priesthood than the orders of the priesthood that I give unto men, in order that they may prove themselves thereby.
    Posted in Let’s Share Our Dreams and Visions | Leave a comment

  23. Nemenhah Temple Endowment; Covenant of Elohim
    Posted on April 18, 2014 by c j

    The Lord taught many things to many people by employing stories and parables. These conveyed to the heart and mind of the hearer a true sense of things even if every detail may not have been related. The following relation speaks of times before times, when men and women worked their way to exaltation following an ancient and set path. The players in the relation are our own relations. Each of us are also included in the story. Therefore, it is our story as much as it is theirs. All my relations!
    For clarity, we have translated names into their corresponding English meaning. Some of the names are difficult to translate. For example, “Elohim” means “Heavenly” and is a plural, feminine denominative. In Nemenhah, “Pa Elowe” means Mother in Heaven, and “ShiElowe” means Father in Heaven. “Elohim” means
    God the Father and God the Mother in Their united sense and connotes the Sealing Power. We have, therefore, sought to make the names correspond to something more meaningful to the English speaker.
    There are several voices in this relation. When the ordinances of the High Place are performed by the people, each voice is represented by a separate person. This avoids confusion. The voices are:
    Narrator Eve
    Elohim Heavenly Mother Satan
    Elohim Heavenly Father Peter
    Holy Ghost James
    Holy Ghost Elders John
    Jehovah Preacher
    Lucifer The Voice of the Mob
    Adam
    Those who participate in the ordinances ought to have good and clear intention, for God will not be mocked.
    There should not be any manner of ill-will between those who participate together in the re-telling or reenactment of this relation. Only the best of feelings should prevail.
    The ordinances of the High Place are specifically designed for the Living. Because of this verity, they are distinguished from the vicarious ordinances performed for and in behalf of the “Dead” in holy temples. This distinction does not intend to denigrate the sacrifice for the dead, but great emphasis is placed upon what
    Telestial people may do in this life in order to be introduced into the Terrestrial World and receive revelation and instruction from Angels, the Spirits of Men and Women made perfect in Christ, and even from the Savior Himself, preparatory to being introduced at the veil to converse with the Father. The vicarious work for the dead is carried on in another place, by other people of good intention, and the Holy Ghost does attend their sacrifice for the sake of deceased family members.
    It should always be remembered that the Nemenhah lived in a different time than we do and they received from God that which was expedient for them. That they wrote specifically so that we in these days might learn from their experiences makes these records of some little importance to us.

    The Relation of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother

  24. Chapter One
    1) Elohim Heavenly Mother: Ponder the deep, Elohim. Is it not a great question?
    2) Elohim Heavenly Father: Look out into the deep, Elohim, and tell Me what You see.
    3) Elohim Heavenly Mother: I see space there – space to fill, space to build, space to do a great thing.
    Long have I pondered the deep and wondered why it remains so dark and empty. Should it not be filled with light? Should it not be filled with wonder and beauty? Where We are, there is light and truth. Our own parents provided this for Us and We rose up by line and by precept to become like them. Why do We look out upon the deep and see emptiness? It is a thing that should not be.
    4) Elohim Heavenly Father: We look upon where We are and see what is real. Out yonder there is no one to see Us. Indeed there is no one to see at all. What need then, has the deep of light, and wonder, and beauty? Our work is for the world in which We find Ourselves. Why should We ask for more than what is?
    5) Elohim Heavenly Mother: I am not “no one,” Elohim. I look upon the deep and I would see what I would see.
    6) Elohim Heavenly Father: That is right, Elohim. Now, because someone sees the deep, I perceive that there is substance there which fills the expanse and the emptiness. It is matter but it has no order.
    7) Elohim Heavenly Mother: It is the same as the world in which We now labor except that, unto the matter with which We do Our labor, someone has given order. Therefore, the question still exists – why should the deep remain so? What ought to be done with the matter? Why should not We venture to do the
    same there as has been done heretofore? Or shall We remain always here to act upon another’s work?
    8) Elohim Heavenly Father: To act upon what has always been is not a bad work, Elohim. Indeed, it has brought Us to exaltation. In this way all spirit children do arise, line upon line and precept on precept, even unto the state and stature of their parents. This is the Everlasting Covenant. Do You think to rashly abandon that which We have learned from Our own experience?
    9) Elohim Heavenly Mother: I do not wish to abandon anything, Elohim. But let Us cause light and truth to expand and grow. Else, why should We be endowed with power at all?
    10) Elohim Heavenly Father: It is right, Elohim Heavenly Mother. Let Us leave that which We now know by virtue of another’s work and make works of Our own.
    11) Narrator: Then Elohim Heavenly Father and Elohim Heavenly Mother separated Themselves from each other for a season and set about the work of organizing matter. Elohim Heavenly Father found the task easier than Elohim Heavenly Mother, for His endowment was to create by combining matter into organized unions. He made stars, worlds, moons, and other astral bodies. He caused all of these to coalesce into great swirling formations and clouds. He experienced all this creation first hand by placing Himself within the creation – giving of His own substance by way of pattern and form, and the deep matter willingly obeyed. Then He stood back and observed His work and pondered it.
    12) Narrator: Elohim Heavenly Mother found creation more difficult, for Her endowment was in becoming a wellspring of life unto matter. She caused the deep matter to recognize itself as a living soul, and taught it to seek patterns of order, and the matter did live; but, without experience, it could do nothing but ponder itself. Then She too stood back and observed Her work and pondered it.
    13) Elohim Heavenly Father: See, Elohim, that I have been able to cause the matter to become organized. I
    have made moons, worlds, and stars, such as We have heretofore seen. But the bodies have no life. Organization alone brings no real order to the matter.
    14) Elohim Heavenly Mother: It is so, Elohim. Look how I have given self knowledge to the deep matter and it does seek patterns of order. But the matter does only ponder itself and is confused. Life and existence alone brings no real order to the matter.
    15) Elohim Heavenly Father: Our work alone does not accomplish anything. Our previous work was fruitful because there was organization and life brought together by fathers and mothers. When one is without the other, the matter remains in chaos.
    16) Elohim Heavenly Mother: Why should We work thus alone? Why should We not combine Our work together?
    17) Elohim Heavenly Father: It is right, Elohim. I shall work by the endowment of My power to bring together the deep matter and organize it into all the astral bodies We have heretofore seen, and I shall consecrate all that obey Me unto the endowment of Your power. 18) Elohim Heavenly Mother: I shall work by the endowment of My power to give Your organizations self-knowledge and they shall become living beings capable of perception.
    19) Elohim Heavenly Father: I do covenant with You, Elohim, to share all My creative works with You, that the endowment of My power may be combined with the endowment of Your power.
    20) Elohim Heavenly Mother: I do covenant with You, Elohim, to share all My creative works with You, that the endowment of My power may also be combined with the endowment of Your power.
    21) Elohim Heavenly Mother: Then were Elohim Heavenly Father and Elohim Heavenly Mother bound by
    Their covenant one to another, and They became one in heart, one in mind, and one in purpose. This is the first covenant made by our Heavenly Parents. We desire that all do likewise. All arise.

  25. 22) Elohim Heavenly Mother: Each of you do solemnly covenant to share your work in this life and in the life hereafter with your own spouse. Each of you bow your head and say “Yes.”
    23) Elohim Heavenly Mother: It is enough. That will do. You may be seated.
    Break for Instruction
    (The participants now pause in their re-telling or re-enactment in order to receive instruction from the Peli about the nature of the covenant and bond between men and women in this creation.)

    Resume Session
    24) Narrator: Then did Elohim Heavenly Father and Elohim Heavenly Mother become truly united, essentially bringing into being living things in the deep that could both perceive and be perceived, beings that could act and be acted upon – the Father, by causing deep matter to coalesce into astral bodies such as He had theretofore seen, and the Mother, by giving the bodies life. Thus, they were bodies indeed because of the Truth bestowed by the Father, and they were bodies indeed because of the Light bestowed by the
    Mother.
    25) Narrator: The Father placed His own matter in the bodies so that all things became His. The Mother placed Her own understanding in the bodies so that all things became Hers. Therefore, were all things of the Father and of the Mother, and all things were one.
    26) Elohim Heavenly Father: Elohim, behold My relations!
    27) Elohim Heavenly Mother: Elohim, behold My relations!
    28) Narrator: And They stood back and observed Their creation and saw that a portion of the deep was now filled with light and beauty in abundance, and They rejoiced in Their accomplishment.
    29) Narrator: Then the Father and the Mother begot spirit children after Their own kind and They did populate Their creation and They did begin to teach them to become like unto Themselves by line and by precept. From the smallest particle to the largest astral system, the Father and the Mother taught Their children to learn and to grow by participating in the creation personally. They bestowed upon Their own children portions of Their own Endowment of Power, that they also might create worlds and thereby progress toward the state and stature of their Parents.
    30) Narrator: And when they had received these great gifts, and when they had each undertaken the work of creation, the children no longer enjoyed the presence of the Father and the Mother. For, they had all entered into the Everlasting Covenant and the matter of their creations could not abide the presence of Celestial Beings until those creations had progressed into that glory. Should any of them come into the presence of a Celestial Being before such progression had taken place, their matter would disintegrate and they must begin that portion of creation again. Therefore, the Father and the Mother refrained from making Their presence known unto them, but waited upon the plan to bring them together once again. Notwithstanding, They could still observe from a distance the creations and works of Their children without disrupting them.

  26. Greetings:
    My name is Cindy, I live in Mexico. I am an endowed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS, my ancestors were Mormon pioneers…I am also an endowed member of the Church of the Firstborn. This is where my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

    It is this The Heavenly Church that I take communion with… may I speak this in all humbleness, as I have prayed about speaking of these holy things, that we all enjoy from our temple experiences…They have burned it in my bosom and I feel you in my heart, only to inspire you and others, how to come up to mount Zion! And take communion with Them…for that is one of the purposes of the endowment of power…

    I realize that many in the great and spacious buildings will laugh and mock at my words…and maybe desire to take away my membership on this earth. That this could even be possible today, especially a woman, to speak such things, using my priesthood to bless my daughter when she is sick, or to bless the sacrament in my own home…to partake of it in the presence of the Heavenly Church and Host…and communing with angels and the General Assembly of Heavenly and I am not dead…

    And I see as I am seen, and know as I am known in Their Presence, and I desire the same for all my brothers and sisters…because the church of the Firstborn is your Eternal Family…. That you go to the temple to be sealed into…The Celestial Kingdom that is coming down to the earth…Your Patriarchal and Matriarchal Family!
    To quote D&C:77:11A
    We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests( priestesses), ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.
    I’m new to blogging, but I feel I must be personal…and prayerful of what I write. I see the crises in the church in the church of the telestial world, and it is a famine for the words of truth and comfort unto His daughters about their priesthood, which was conferred upon them from our Mother in Heaven.
    Mother in Heaven’s priesthood is called The Priesthood of Life and Light and this priesthood was conferred upon us from before the foundations of the world, by it we are justified, by the Lord to perform ordinances and all priesthood functions, to be a help meet for man and our husbands…

  27. As was our mother Eve, she was not a queen unto her husband, and he is not her head as only the Lord is her head, he has no dominion over the woman, or over the earth. He is a husbandman and has a stewardship. May I speak boldly Satan and the Lord do battle over dominion. We has woman are to covenant to with the Lord to be a help meet unto man.
    Mother Eve and all her faithful daughters are Queens and Priestesses and prophetesses, unto the Most High God! She covenanted with the Lord to be a help meet unto her husband and…This is the Matriarchal Priesthood of the Mother…and it was given by Her to all women…
    We may also seek to be called (commissioned) of the Lord…according as to the work He desires us to perform, and for the advancement and cause of His Kingdom, Zion…for we are the daughters of Zion…

    The Melchizedek Priesthood belongs to the Son of God the Great High Priest, and He conferred it upon men. So, I must try to follow His most kind and loving example…and if I speak about things that are most sacred to us as a people and the body of Christ, I hope to offend no one but only edify His people the saints of The Most High God…With that spirit in mind may I continue to speak

    to my brothers and especially to my beloved sisters, unto whom our Heavenly Mother endowed with Her Priesthood, and taught us before our sojourns into mortality. She taught us how to sacrifice to bring about life and light for all mankind. She taught us how to nurture with loving kindness all creation, and especially our families…She is Heavenly Mother Elohim the Other Member of the Godhead, unto whom there is no life without Her…

    All communications and prayers should be directed to our Heavenly Father, through our Mediator Their Only Begotten Son in the Flesh, and we should ask for a confirmation of the truth of all things, from the Other Member of the Godhead The Holy Ghost-The Holy Spirit of Promise-our companion and Friend…

    D&C 66:2 partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days…

    D&C 22:1 That is the New and Everlasting Covenant of our Baptism… to become part of Them again, redeemed from the fall…and inter in at the strait gate through immersion in the water and the blood, we are cleansed of our sins…being born again and by partaking these emblems of the sacrifice of Their Son…and promising to obey His commandments…because by Him were we created in Their Image…Male and Female…Then we can receive The Fire of The Holy Ghost, He is a Revelator and Testifier of All Truth where in ye are justified…to enter again into the Kingdom of Heaven!

    Progress on to more priesthood and covenants in the temple endowment, where we follow in the footsteps of our first parents Adam and Eve…they teach; along with the Holy Ghost who is our Guide… how to regain the Presence of our Heavenly Parents, by using our tokens to receive Heavenly Beings to instruct us…and how to remove Lucifer and the teachings of wise men mingled with scripture …Orthodox-Religion..We desire to receive further light and knowledge from messengers of Heavenly Father…in the name of Jesus Christ…Amen…

    I received this word, this morning one day before the Easter Sunday, from Mother in Heaven
    O MY Beloved captive daughters of Zion…
    Isaiah 52:2
    2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
    D&C 113: (My inspired words from Mother are in parentheses)
    7 Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to? (MOTHERS…and DAUGHTERS…PRIESTHOOD…POWER…)
    8 He had reference to those (Women) whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.

    Goodbye for now, I pray you will all have a beautiful Easter in celebration of our Resurrected Lord and His Victory, for all of us! I hope you will take these words unto the Lord in humble prayer to receive a confirmation of The Holy Ghost if you also find they are true…Then rejoice as I do, and celebrate with the Heavens, and come singing and praising unto” The Most High God, Jesus Christ the King of Zion”…