Ask a Mormon, Part 3

[Eran of Arcadia]

I mean, we have no revelation referring specifically to a Heavenly Mother. However, we can extrapolate based on the fact that we consider marriage to be essential to the process of becoming like God, and in fact the Proclamation on the Family (written in 1995) specifically mentions heavenly parents.

 

[Elrohir]

Wait till the Theory of Evolution rocks your socks ... where you're related to a tree!

Oh come on El. There's a difference between saying there's a common origin of all life, animal and plant, a few billion years ago and saying that you're the brother of Satan. (And of your wife)

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

How so? We aren't siblings in the sense that we have the same genetic parents, but that we are all spirit children of the same parents.

 

[Perfection]

I mean, we have no revelation referring specifically to a Heavenly Mother. However, we can extrapolate based on the fact that we consider marriage to be essential to the process of becoming like God, and in fact the Proclamation on the Family (written in 1995) specifically mentions heavenly parents.

So Mormon's believe tat God has something equivalent to a spouse that has never revealed herself to her children?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

In a manner of speaking, yes.

And no, I don't know why He hasn't told us more about Her.

 

[El_Machinae]

Why don't you ask?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Because on major matters of doctrine like this, if God wants to tell us, that is what the prophet is for. I can ask anything related to my personal life, but God has decided not to tell us more about this yet.

 

[El_Machinae]

Is that doctrine? If so, cool.

 

[Methos]

There is a rumor I've heard regarding LDS beliefs that relate to this topic, so I apologize for any falsehoods. It's a rumor I'd like cleared up.

Anyway, from my understand LDS believe that a married couple can be promoted to the position of a Adam & Eve of their own world. Is this the 'Heavenly Mother' you are referring too? Also, I apologize if this rumor holds no truth.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Is that doctrine? If so, cool.

Pretty much, yeah. It's obvious based on other doctrine, but that's all we have.

There is a rumor I've heard regarding LDS beliefs that relate to this topic, so I apologize for any falsehoods. It's a rumor I'd like cleared up.

Anyway, from my understand LDS believe that a married couple can be promoted to the position of a Adam & Eve of their own world. Is this the 'Heavenly Mother' you are referring too? Also, I apologize if this rumor holds no truth.

Not Adam and Eve, more like heavenly parents. In other words, they will have the same role that God the Father, and Mother, have in this . . . universe, I think, not planet. Adam and Eve were just (in some sense) the first mortal humans on this planet.

 

[downtown]

And no, I don't know why He hasn't told us more about Her.

I've heard (and I dont think this is docterine, but it makes some sense to me), thats its out of respect. People take God's name in vain, use it as a quasi-curse word, disrespect, talk bad about him on earth...etc. If nobody knows about Heavenly Mother, she can't be disparged like that. You know...its one thing for somebody to talk trash about you...but talking trash about your mom/wife is different.

Just what I've heard. Its all speculation really.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yeah, that's what I heard too.

 

[Methos]

That would explain why the LDS believe God is made of flesh and blood. I was rather shocked at that statement in the LDS definition of Godhead.

So in that case, if I'm understanding you correctly, there are multiple 'Mormon' religions out there in each of these universes (galaxies). Each of these heavenly figures are not technically God, but promoted (possibly wrong choice of words) mortals. So there must have been a beginning to all of this, meaning a true single God, rather than the promoted ones. Do Mormons know this single entity that started it all, or is the promoted God just another aspect of the singular one?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, I think that this universe, consisting of all the galaxies we know, have the same God. Whether there are other "universes", with their own heavenly parents, or whether that hasn't happened yet, and whether there are gods above our own, we haven't had revealed to us. As far as we are concerned only our own Heavenly Father matters.

 

[Ansar]

Is it true Utah has a large Mormon population?

What other states in the US have sizeable Mormon populations?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Utah is somehwere between 50-70% LDS.

Idaho has the next highest percentage, at about 25%. Arizona is number 3 for percentage.

For total, California is #2 behind Utah.

Outside the US, there are a lot in Southern Alberta and in Chihuahua, Mexico.

 

[downtown]

Is it true Utah has a large Mormon population?

What other states in the US have sizeable Mormon populations?

Yes, Utah has a very large LDS population. Mormons settled the state, and thats where the church HQ is located. Also, Brigham Young University-Provo (the largest, or 2nd largest private university in America, and the largest LDS school) is located in Provo Utah, which attracts a lot of Mormons.

Mormons are more common in western states, like Idaho, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest. Certain cities in the eastern part of the country have higher (by comparison) LDS populations, like Washington DC

For countries, Mexico and Brazil have the highest LDS populations, in terms of numbers, outside of America.

 

[Ansar]

Mormons are more common in western states, like Idaho, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest. Certain cities in the eastern part of the country have higher (by comparison) LDS populations, like Washington DC

Western, huh?

Were there a lot of Mormon settlers during Manifest Destiny or is it just coincidence?

 

[downtown]

Western, huh?

Were there a lot of Mormon settlers during Manifest Destiny or is it just coincidence?

We were killed and chased out of Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. We picked Utah because there wasn't anybody there to kill us.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

No, the Church fled west as a result of persecution in their previous HQ in Illinois, and for a long time afterwards all new converts - even the ones in Europe - were encouraged to emigrate to Utah. That is why, apparently, the ethnic backgrounds of people in Utah are different from the rest of that part of the country.

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