the Mormon belief of a mother in Heaven
{This article is based on an article by (Emily Carolynn Baker) the Mormon woman who wrote about their ‘mother in heaven’}
I just saw a post on Facebook that broke my heart. It seems that the LDS Church is now talking more about this ‘Heavenly Mother’ that is allegedly married to God the Father. (although I was told that she existed, she wasn’t really talked about in my day)
It is so sad that they even believe that God has a wife. But they also believe that they too will one day be gods and the women of the church are so concerned about whether they will be worshiped or ignored when they become ‘heavenly mothers’ themselves.
The question that I saw asked is “Is my eternal destiny to simply have spirit babies?” and “will I have to live in a polygamous eternal marriage?” and “if we don’t worship, pray to, or talk about her…what is my fate? To be forgotten? Ignored? (am I ) Unimportant?” speaking about this alleged heavenly mother. And their own eternal destiny.
And it is a real concern for them. This is what breaks my heart.
Trying to reach out and talk to these women in the LDS church would only end in them becoming defensive and combative. They have been so indoctrinated in believing that they will become creators of life after they leave this earthy existence, that they won’t listen to anything different. And because the church has embraced polygamy in the early church, they believe that in heaven, that they will have polygamy. That they will have to share their husband with multiple wives in order to produce the number of spirit children that will be needed to populate the earth that they will create.
With this said, can we believe that they are not a cult? That they are Christian believers? They believe so.
They claim to follow the teachings of Jesus. But this is not what He taught. As Christians, we know that.
So where did it come from?
It all started with Joseph Smith. It came from the many ‘prophets’ in the church starting with the founder, Joseph Smith. From alleged ‘revelation’ from God, telling them of so many things that had never been contemplated before.
Jesus told us that His Father is Spirit. The LDS Church tells us that He is a resurrected man. Like the resurrected Jesus. Because in their teachings, their “Father in Heaven” once was a mortal man and died on his earth being a righteous man in his god’s eyes, and so he ‘evolved’ to godhood. Where with his eternal wife or wives, they created spirit children. (us) Which is what they expect to happen to them.
One of the most popular sayings in the LDS church is “As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become.” (Lorenzo Snow 1840)
This principal has been taught since the founding of the church on April 6, 1830.
This is not of God.
Not the God of Christianity.
The God that we as Christians know and worship has always been God. His Son, Jesus has also always been God. Neither one was created. They have always existed as God. Eternally. They with the Holy Spirit have always been God. The Only God!
When in the ten commandments God says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” He is speaking of those things that rule our lives. Things that we place as important before God. More important than God. Not gods that are believed to have come before God.
Money can be a god. A job can be a god. All kinds of earthly possessions can become gods to us. And this is what God doesn’t want to come before Him.
We should be focusing on Him and what He wants for us in our lives. Our treasure lies where our hearts are. (Matthew 6:21) And our hearts should be with Jesus.
This doesn’t mean that we can’t have nice things. Or that we shouldn’t work or have money. It just means that God should come first in our hearts. Above money or jobs or material things.
I have heard people say, “I hope that the Rapture doesn’t come before my kids graduate from school.”
But if your kids graduating from school or having grandchildren is more important than being with God, then that too is your God.
Jesus was asked about who would be married to a woman if she had been married to first one man, then when he died, she married his brother, and then he died. There were in this hypothetical question, seven brothers who had all died after marrying this woman. (personally, I would be asking if she killed them!) but the question was, who would she be married to in Heaven.
Jesus answered telling them that none of them would be her husband in Heaven. That there would be no marriages in Heaven. (Matt 22:24-30)
That is in opposition to what the LDS Church teaches. Where they claim that they will be married not only for time, but for all eternity.
Because of that teaching, they speak of a heavenly mother who is married to their heavenly father, saying that they too will become as he is. And as she is.
So the women who really sit and think about this are genuinely upset wondering what their fate in heaven will be like.
If this has been something that you are hearing for the first time, I can imagine that you would be shocked. Appalled. And wondering how anyone could believe this idea that only they believe.
If you have been raised in the church, and were raised being told this from childhood, you would have a difficult time understanding why anyone would doubt it.
Those who have been in this situation, raised LDS or as they are commonly known, Mormon, and have either thought of leaving the church or have left the church, need to have someone who is knowledgeable in what they have been taught in their life, and know how to comfort them. To witness to them. To show them that Jesus is not who or what they think, but a kind and loving God. Yes, God. They won’t believe that either. (For those who are active in the church and have no intention or question in leaving, witnessing won’t do anything make them defensive.)
Someone who can tell them that they don’t have to do anything but to ask Jesus into their lives. To believe that He is the Son of God, was crucified for our sins and was raised three days later. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
Let them know that we all fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23) And that they need to repent, asking Jesus for forgiveness of their sins of this world. (1 John 1:9) And that although we will sin daily, and need to repent daily, that salvation is something that once given, will be eternal. (John 10:25-30)
I can tell you that they may not accept this to begin with.
After all, there are so many things that they have been taught that have to be done in order to go to heaven. To the Celestial Kingdom. Where they will become gods. (they will believe that if they leave the church that they will be either cast into outer darkness or go to a ‘lesser’ heaven like the terrestrial or tilestial heaven. [I know, I know, but they don’t])
So giving them the truth will be met with skepticism, defensiveness and sometimes outright anger but be patient with them. They will understand when the anger subsides, and the Holy Spirit is able to reach their hearts. The Lord knows their hearts. And in His time, He will touch their hearts and if they know how to ask Jesus into their lives, they too can become saved. So pray for them.