Since the early days of the Church, Latter-day Saints have understood there to be a Heavenly Mother. Public acknowledgment of Her, however, has not been consistent, and has at times included active retrenchment from church leaders and discipline or marginalization of people who speak openly about Her. Despite new rumblings of institutional retrenchment, the last decade has proven to be a watershed moment of public, open seeking for Heavenly Mother in academic study, literature, art, social media, podcasts and more from both institutional LDS sources and individuals. However, among people along the Mormon continuum (from different branches of the restoration tradition with various degrees of current affiliation), there is a wide spectrum of beliefs, hopes, questions, and fears related to Heavenly Mother, the nature of God, or the feminine divine more generally.
We want to hear from you. What does Heavenly Mother mean to you in your belief and practice? What have you learned from sources or voices within the LDS tradition? What have you learned from non-LDS religious traditions, sources, or voices, either as a scholar or a seeker, that can add insights or questions to the conversation? How can the understanding of Heavenly Mother or the feminine divine be pushed beyond the too-frequent limitations of white, cis-gender, heterosexual thought? How do teachings on marriage (monogamous or polygamous) shape notions of Heavenly Mother? How has your understanding of Heavenly Mother felt hurtful or limiting to you? How has your understanding felt comforting or expansive to you? How do you lean into mystery and resist certainty?
We are seeking personal narratives, brief theological essays, fiction, poetry, art, book/article/podcast reviews, and more exploring current thought on Heavenly Mother. We strive to amplify marginalized voices and honor all spiritual journeys in an atmosphere of trust.
Please submit a guest post by April 10, 2022, to be included in the launch of this series. Posts should generally be under 1,200 words. For individual questions on this series, comment below or contact Katie Rich at KatieOnTheBlog at gmail dot com.
