To my knowledge, there is nothing in the scriptures that speaks of our Mother in Heaven. I believe Heavenly Father is trying to protect her from the vain cursing of her name like so many do to his name.

The following scripture indicates Heavenly Father was not alone and that the image in which Adam and Eve were created was male and female.
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Old Testament | Genesis 1:26 - 27)

Does your friend believe that God is our Heavenly Father and that we are his spirit children? Read her these scriptures:
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (New Testament | Romans 8:16-17) or
"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." (New Testament | Acts 17:29)

If we are the offspring of our Heavenly Father, were our spirits born of him?

I love the words in our hymn "O My Father" (hymn book page 292) which has the following verse:

In the Heav'ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I've a mother there.

When, I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?

"As early as 1839, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the concept of an eternal mother, as reported in several accounts from that period. In 1909, the First Presidency, under Joseph F.Smith, issued a statement on the origin of man that teaches that 'man as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, 'as offspring of celestial parentage,' and further teaches that all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity." (Encyclopedia of Mormonism - page 961)

If anyone believes that God is our Heavenly Father, it isn't too difficult to believe in a Heavenly Mother, is it?

This really isn't a critical point when trying to help someone understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would tell them about the restoration and set a good example!

I hope this is helpful in your discussions with your friend.

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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