quote:Am I correct in understanding that it is important to LDS theology that God, in the most important doctrinal sense, be considered male? If so, does that importance (or some of it) transfer to the male-to-female relationship of humans?
Megan, I'm not sure it's important in the way you might think it's important. Because we also believe in Heavenly Parents - a Mother as well as a Father. (Although it's not taught extensively, the belief is there.) So we don't think that God only loves or understands or more highly values the men. And while technically the husband/father is the head of the household, we are also taught that "in [their] sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." In reality we are taught to be so respectful and helpful and considerate of each other that it is truly a partnership leading the home.
The reason it's important is because we believe that "gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." So we believe that God's gender is important because we believe gender is an important part of all of us.
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Yep. I was trying to think of how to explain it, but I couldn't come up with anything near that good.
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Thanks, Jenna. That makes sense. I don't think it's a theology that I could ever accept, but it's much less inscrutable for me now in terms of gender relations than it was before .
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quote: Although it's not taught extensively, the belief is there.
Am I correct in believing that, as I understand it, most roles assumed by Mormons to be played by a Heavenly Mother are at this point speculation and not doctrine?
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Yes Tom, I think that would be correct. The fact that there is a Heavenly Mother is a point of doctrine, but as to the roles she may or may not play (according to my understanding) are just speculation.
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The Quotes Jenna gave, from the document "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", are pretty much the only official references we have concerning this.
The fact that there is a heavenly Mother is doctrine. Anything else concerning this, at this point, apart from what Jenna has stated, is speculation.
quote:Am I correct in believing that, as I understand it, most roles assumed by Mormons to be played by a Heavenly Mother are at this point speculation and not doctrine?
That's a hard question to answer. We are taught specifically that we are (spiritually) the children of God, as opposed to His creations. Children require two parents. And there are Church manuals that do discuss our "Heavenly Parents", which obviously includes a Mother as well as a Father. So the fact that she exists is doctrine, but not much is taught specifically about the Heavenly Mother, so anything specific about her role - other than being our Mother - is probably speculation. The only things we KNOW about God are what we're told in scripture and revelation, and those things are generally limited to the Father (or the Son, or the Holy Ghost).
Edit: whoops, didn't see those two posts before mine. Ditto.
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