Comments on: Health baptisms, pond hockey, & Asherah– A New Year’s toast

By: Nitsav

Nitsav — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:51:38 +0000

Don't miss this informative Christmas Asherah spoof from UCSD scholar William Propp (author of the Anchor Bible Commentaries on Exodus.)

By: Rameumptom

Rameumptom — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:43:43 +0000

Tatiana #9, IMO Heavenly Mother would work via the Melchizedek Priesthood, as the Patriarchal Priesthood is shared between husband and wife (the sealing power).
President Packer once explained it as a man having two keys. One opens a vault. Within the vault is a chest that requires two keys. He has one, the wife has the other. Only together can they work the blessings and powers of the Patriarchal Priesthood.

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:57:16 +0000

Matt W., thanks for pointing me to BiV’s comments. I’m embarrassed to acknowledge that I hadn’t seen them, and they were posted way back in November. I just left her a note suggesting that she publish her point of view as a letter or otherwise in Dialogue. (I do disagree with her point of view, BTW. To name just one example, I disagree with the idea of trying to remove paganism from our worship. We wouldn’t celebrate Christmas at all if we took that idea seriously. I like Mormon pragmatism on this point.)

By: Matt W.

Matt W. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:18:38 +0000

Kevin, did you ever respond to BiV's criticism over your article? She hits you on a lot of good points.

By: queuno

queuno — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:33:18 +0000

er, *both of* our heavenly parents, I meant to say

By: queuno

queuno — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:32:43 +0000

Technically speaking, the head of our Church is Jesus Christ, so how do we know He isn’t already acting as a conduit to our prophet from our heavenly parents?

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:29:50 +0000

Tatiana, I had a similar thought, that maybe we don’t have direct access to Her because we were banished from the Tree of Life (IE Mother in Heaven) as a part of the Fall. So not having an intimate relationship with her could be a part of the cross we have to bear in this mortality.

By: Tatiana

Tatiana — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:44:15 +0000

I just read Kevin Barney’s Dialogue article about Asherah, and I find it fascinating.

An idea popped into my mind that perhaps the tree of good and evil from which Adam and Eve ate is associated with El, and the tree of life, which they were banished so that they would not also eat, is associated with Asherah. Maybe when we eat that latter fruit (i.e. scientifically gain access to immortality) we’ll be given revelations from Mother in Heaven. Perhaps this is just not her era yet.

Since she is an equal partner in the Godhead, when we finally hear from her I expect marvels.

I’m not sure, though, whether her revelations can come through the Melchizedek priesthood hierarchy. Would they come through the Relief Society? Or where? If Heavenly Mother were to speak to us today, through what authorized channel could her revelations come? Is there room for her in our church?

By: queuno

queuno — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:45:23 +0000

definitively, even

By: queuno

queuno — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:45:04 +0000

I really liked Kevin’s article.

Although, isn’t it too early to say definitely that his recommendations won’t get anyone excommunicated? :)