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Home » Discuss Elliaison Books and Articles » The Unspeakable Gift of the Holy Ghost. » To Be or Not To be, That IS the Question... (Discuss points related to this chapter.)
Re: To Be or Not To be, That IS the Question... [message #146 is a reply to message #131] Tue, 27 July 2010 16:27 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Amonhi is currently offline  Amonhi
Messages: 237
Registered: June 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV.
Senior Member
Heavenly Mother Revealed to the world...

It almost seems mysterious that such a major doctrine cannot be linked back to a major recorded revelation from a prophet. The reason is because it was not a prophet that revealed the doctrine to the church membership in general. And The doctrine has been known throughout the world already but was lost to the Christian world. So the Revelation of Heavenly Mother was really only a revelation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it's members. Most Christians today still have not had that revelation. And those religions that had it before us did not need to have it revealed again, they already knew.

This doctrine was revealed to the church by a Prophetess. And rightly so as it was a revelation about our Heavenly Mother, who more perfect to reveal our Heavenly Mother to the Church than a Woman...

The doctrine of "Heavenly Mother" was revealed to the people by the Prophetess Eliza R. Snow who wrote a poem called, "Invocation or the Eternal and Father Mother". This poem was a prayer to both Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Sometime after completing the poem, she published it in the prominent LDS newspaper thereby revealing the doctrine to the church.

Some men of the church were upset and requested of Brigham Young that he correct and keep his wife in Check to which he responded, (going from memory, something like), "Who am I to silence the Prophetess".

Thus the doctrine of Heavenly Mother was revealed to the church. Her poem became famous and was set to music and today missionaries cringe around the world whenever we sing her hymn, "O My Father". Which is incorrectly named because the prayer was not a prayer to only her Heavenly Father, but also to her Heavenly Mother. (Which is why she published it under the name, "Invocation or Eternal Father and Mother".

This is a perfect example of Truth that became doctrine and truth that didn't. It is Currently accepted doctrine that we have a Heavenly Mother. It is not currently accepted doctrine that we pray to our Heavenly Mother. It has been specifically formally declared as Church doctrine/stance that we DO NOT pray to our Heavenly Mother. (Was the prophetess Elisa wrong to do so?)

Regardless, there has been no new revelation to the church regarding Her since, (that I am aware of). Only a rehashing what Eliza revealed.
The points to make here are:
  • Truth does not always come from our line of church Authorities.
  • Truth is truth no matter who gives it.
  • Truth is truth no matter who accepts it or believes it.
In addition, we can make a number of conclusions based on the various doctrines which have been officially taught as Church Doctrine in the early church and which are now not accepted as doctrine for example, the Adam-God Doctrine which is now called the Adam-God Theory.

A more commonly know example is the Blacks and the Priesthood in which there was a lot of taking back doctrines previously accepted and taught over the pulpit. Bruce R. McConkie addressed this because he had a lot to take back personally,

Quote:
"There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren that we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, "You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?" All I can say is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or George Q. Cannon or whoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.

It doesn't make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject. As to any slivers of light or any particles of darkness of the past, we forget about them. We now do what meridian Israel did when the Lord said the gospel should go to the Gentiles. We forget all the statements that limited the gospel to the house of Israel, and we start going to the Gentiles." - Elder Bruce R. McConkie
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11017

The points this makes clear are the inverse of the above points:
  • What our authorities or church currently teaches as Doctrine is not always true and may change in the future.
  • "Who" or what "position in Authority" gives the doctrine does not determine its alignment with Truth.
  • "Who" or what "position in Authority" believes a doctrine has no bearing on the Truthfulness of the doctrine.
It is apparent that we cannot rely on Church Doctrine, Church Leadership or existing church systems to infallibly provide us with Eternal Truth. As McConkie pointed out, even prophets, seers and Revelators such as himself, Brigham Young and George Q. Cannon can and have been wrong. If them, then why not our current Prophet, President Monson, or any other prophet, seer or Revelator?

If we put our trust in them, then they will eventually fail us at some point & we will inevitably be lead astray to some degree, great or small.

For those who have built their lives and faith on the shoulders of their leaders, these comments create fear and shake the foundations of their faith. The reason is because our leaders and church doctrines are not the rock or sure foundation on which if we build we will never fall as promised in the scriptures.

The conclusions we must come to as far as doctrine is concerned are:
  • Doctrine is what is believed and accepted by the church officially and in general.
  • Doctrine, (Current/Past/Future Church Doctrine), is not always true.
  • Truth is True and may or may not be doctrine.
  • Truth can be revealed through any person, (in or out of the church).
  • Doctrine can only come from Church Lines of Leadership specifically the Prophet and President of the Church.
This would mean that Truth like the existence of Heavenly Mother can be revealed by anyone. But it doesn't become "Doctrine" until it is accepted by the President of the Church and taught by the church as "Official Church Doctrine".

Neither you, nor I have the authority to make any truth or revelation a Doctrine of the Church. Only one man on earth is authorized to "Reveal Doctrine" to the Church and world. But anyone that God sees fit to "Reveal Truth" to has the ability to Reveal Truth to the World and as a subsection of the world, the Church. But the Church doesn't have to accept Truth as Doctrine. And in many cases it doesn't. But again, that doesn't make the Truth not true.

Love and peace,
Amonhi

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