Ask Mormon Girl: Why do we not talk about Heavenly Mother?

Two—count ‘em—two questions about Heavenly Mother materialized in my mailbox this week.  And I realized with a start that in more than two years of Ask Mormon Girl columns, I had never written about this unique and inspiring aspect of Mormon doctrine here.

So here’s question number one:

I have a question for you about Heavenly Mother and why we don’t talk about her. Do you think that the church really does it to “keep women in their place”? Why can’t we pray to her? Why isn’t she worshipped like our heavenly Father. This has been something that I have been wondering for a long time and if you have any ideas on reading or anything like that I would love to hear!! Thanks!

Stacey

And number two:

As a lifelong, 52-year-old member of the LDS Church, I surprised myself yesterday by having a rather basic question occur to me for the first time. It occurred to me that perhaps part of the reason that we talk little of our Heavenly Mother in the church is that she is one of many. That is, perhaps God the Father has polygamous (read polygynous) relationships. Maybe my heavenly mother is not your heavenly mother. What do you think, and what do you think church leaders think? Are there some sources on this subject, or must we simply speculate?

Wendy

Another special thank you to AMG readers.

Dear readers:

I’m so touched to pass along this thank you, from the father who wrote in asking for advice about baptism and his 9 year-old autistic child.

After all the good advice from your readers, we once had again a good talk with Laurens. He still wanted to proceed, so we talked to our branch president.

He was OK with it too and we invited the full time missionaries (since Laurens is already 9 years) and they teached him the normal lessons. I was always with my boy, in order to “translate” the things the missionaries said and explained, giving more explanation.

Last weekend Laurens had his baptism interview with the branch president and with the zone leaders. Each time they allowed me to sit with hi mto help when needed, but I hardly had to do anything.

If anybody would need to see the Holy Spirit at work… well, I’ve seen it. Definitely… Our Laurens is just been diagnosed again with a degree of autism much harder then anybody ever expected, but when we talk about the Gospel, we do have a sincere connection with him. You should hear his prayers… 

So I just wanted to let you know (and your readers too) that thanks to your and theirs help, Laurens will be baptised next Saturday. 

Thanks to all of you for helping us.

I hope that our Heavenly Father blesses you all.

Met vriendelijke groeten,

David

When I pray, I feel nothing. Help?

Dear AMG:

I have been a member for 20 years, and I’ve held many positions in the Church:  Relief Society president, seminary teacher, and so forth. I often feel the Spirit, especially when I teach, but I’ve never really felt it when I pray. So what does this mean? I have faith in prayer. I want to talk to my Heavenly Father, I’ve seen miracles and great blessings in my life, and I pray several times every day. First of all, I’m not a dope, I know how to pray, I know that answers come in many different ways, I know the Spirit manifests itself in many different ways but I’m talking about getting nothing. I’ve spent ages sometimes in pleading agony for just the smallest touch from the Spirit when I pray, but still nothing. I love listening to others’ testimonies of prayer but I’m starting to wonder if it’s all true or just mass hysteria. Or could there be something wrong with me?

Help.

Amanda in Australia