There is a pivotal moment in “The Wizard of Oz” when in Munchkinland Glinda is protecting Dorothy from the Wicked Witch of the West and declares to the green witch that “You’ve no power here!”
I was thinking of this scene recently when there was talk among active and former LDS members on Twitter about the church leaders cracking down on people speaking about Heavenly Mother, praying to Heavenly mother, teaching about Heavenly Mother, etc.
I’ve never felt especially drawn to a Heavenly Mother figure, except for my actual earthly mother who died 14 years ago, and I believe is in heaven. When I speak to my “Heavenly Mother”, I pray to the woman who was my mother on earth because I feel like I still have an actual mother/daughter relationship to her. Despite my own beliefs and feelings, I know that a relationship to Heavenly Mother is very important to a lot of people in the LDS church, especially to many of my Mormon feminist friends. There is something that feels right about the feminine divine. Or even a non-binary divine (my life-long friend who is a Unitarian believes that God has no gender).
It is with these thoughts and feelings that I would like to bear my testimony (phew, I haven’t dusted off this old chestnut in a while) to my friends who are feeling hurt, marginalized, and even ostracized by their church leaders for their relationship with their Heavenly Mother. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’ve no power over you. They’ve no power over your relationships with the divine. Do they believe they do? Resoundingly yes. These men believe they have the right to micromanage those relationships by virtue of the authority they gave themselves, but they don’t. YOU get to determine your relationship with your Heavenly Mother, Heavenly Father, and Savior. Only YOU. You are the one with the power.
I stand with my sisters and siblings who claim the privilege of worshipping their almighty Gods according to the dictates of *their* own conscience. You have the right to worship Them how, where, or what you may.
11 Responses
The artwork for this post is breathtaking. Thank you for explaining that church leaders believe they do have power over members’ relationships with the divine. My relationship with the church is separate from my relationship with the divine. For me it was puzzling to hear that they think they can crack down on people praying to the Divine Feminine. I have included Her in my prayers for years. At the same time, ten years or more ago I definitely could have used a reminder like you wrote that I am the only one with power. Thank you.
Amen!!
You just won some ruby slippers! I’ve known that “they have no power over me” for years. They might be good men, well meaning, hard working, tender, kind, brave, long-suffering. But those attributes are coming to most people. That doesn’t give them any authority over anyone else. I loved this, thank you for writing it out loud.
Yes. Amen!
Love this!
I love the irony of “bearing testimony” about an AoF to show their contradictory nature, and the encouragement to follow said AoF
I didn’t bear my testimony of an AoF. I bore my testimony that these “prophets & apostles” have no power over the individual relationship between members and any deity they choose to worship. A lot of Mormon women don’t realize they have the power to choose who has say in their lives. I hope more women realize that the opinions of men about their choices mean squat.
Speaking of the AoFs, what about AoF 4? Does the “Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” have any effect on one’s relationship with deity?
I don’t know, does it? When I had my initiatory done a woman laid her hands on my head and I felt more connected to the divine than I ever did the hundreds of time men have laid their hands on my head. I suspect that had more to do with finally seeing a woman use sacred powers in the church and not being relegated to the side.
Amen and amen.
Thank you! I love this. I also love the line in Labyrinth when Jennifer Connelly realizes toward the end, “You have no power over me!” And that has been such an empowering line from a silly movie, and I use it toward all sorts of feelings and patriarchies.