God sits in his private chambers, writing in his journal. He hears a sound and looks up to see his First Wife, Eloher, entering the room.
“Darling! Good morning. I trust you slept well?”
Her answer is a dark look in his direction as she sails past him with nose high and shoulders stiff.
“Whoa, do I sense some hostility this morning, my sweet little lotus blossom?”
“Don’t you dare call me sweet little anything, Elohim! I’m spitting mad and you know it!”
“Why don’t you tell me aaaaaaall about it. I’m used to hearing problems, you know. Come, sit here on my knee. What happened to your eye?”
She sits on his knee and begins to tell him what’s wrong. “The other wives and I were talking last night, and they said that you were drafting some ideas for commandments to give to Moses on Earth for the betterment of our children. They were all excited that you are going to finally give them some direction regarding US.”
“WHAT?!”
“What do you mean, WHAT? We’ve been wondering exactly when you were planning to mention the Heavenly Mothers to the children on Earth. So far they only know of you and Christ and Lucifer, but no mention of us at all! Don’t you think it’s about time?? I mean, we should be mentioned too! I mean, LUCIFER has more status than we do in the minds of our children. That hurts terribly. Anyway, we were discussing the best way for you to drop this info on them, and that’s why I’m so mad.”
“Tell me what was said.”
“Well, I said that it’s obvious that I be the one who gets mentioned, as I’m the honored First Wife, so I have higher status amongst the wives, therefore I should have higher status in the eyes of the children of men, right? It’s only obvious. I mean, Jesus has higher status than Lucifer, so it stands to reason that I’d have status over the other wives. I mean, this isn’t difficult to grasp. Anyway, when I said that, all Pergatory broke loose.”
“What happened?”
“First Alaina threw a pillow at me, then someone screamed and pulled my hair from behind – I think that was Hagar, and suddenly I was scratched in the eyes by Eunice! I mean, I was SCRATCHED IN THE EYES! And it’s ALL YOUR FAULT. If I hadn’t run and locked myself in the bathroom, God knows, I mean you know what they might have done to me! I blame YOU For the night I spent sleeping in the bathtub.” She pouts prettily at him for good measure.
“Now, Eloher…Don’t blame this on me. You didn’t have to fight with my other wives.”
“I blame you because if you’d told the children on Earth about me in the beginning, this wouldn’t be an issue now. Besides, I’m right this time, I just KNOW it! Those…those LESSER WOMEN think they should also be named! What else does being First Wife do for me if not this?? ”
“Well…there’s…you know…You get to say ‘Yea or Nay’ when I want to take on another wife…”
“So? Tell me what good it does me to say no, huh? You just point out that YOU ARE GOD and that YOU RULE and that your word is law and YOU PRESIDE OVER ME and therefore I must OBEY your every whim, no? Remember Lola? Remember how I really didn’t want her as a co-wife? Well. You didn’t let me say no then. And you should have SEEN her last night! She was vicious. She wanted blood, I tell you. Blood. She actually screamed at me that you’d name HER because of how good you two are together in bed! Holy Staircase to Heaven, I despise that woman! I bet it was SHE who slept with you last night, which is why you didn’t even notice that I was in the bathtub! So….. Again, I ask what good does being First Wife do me at all, if not the honor of being mentioned to our children on Earth? Why should YOU get all the glory and fame?”
“I have withheld your name so the children of Earth would hold you most sacred above all else.”
“What?! Are you kidding me?! How on YOUR GREEN EARTH can they hold me sacred if THEY’VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF ME???”
God squirms a little in his chair. Eloher is secretly pleased to see this.
“I’m afraid the children will begin to use your name in vain, so that’s why I have kept it secret. I’m protecting you, don’t you see?”
“Protecting me. Hmmmm. Riiiiiiight. What about when they use your name to show awe or reverence over something deeply touching or beautiful? Don’t you think those moments make the saying-it-in-vain stuff worth it? And what about when they pray to you and beg you for mercy and kindness and love and tell you how great you are? Why can’t I get some of that?”
“Oh, no. That would never do. It’s not in my plan for you. You’re not designed to be able to handle such things. Your divine role is that of mother and wife to me. You are necessary to my master plan for all of our children.”
“Exactly. So why don’t you tell them about me, then? Maybe that would encourage more of them to strive harder to be with us again someday, hmmmmm? Don’t you find ME a good example of what they should try to be like?”
“Enough, woman! Let me think on this. Go and do the thing which I have commanded you, which is to be pleasant to my other wives, and quit stewing over things that are not important.”
Eloher gets up and walks away, convinced that he has finally seen the light.
God opens his journal and finishes the sentence he had started before Eloher interrupted him:
Note to self: Thou shalt not EVER mention your wives to the children on Earth – to avoid a Celestial Catfight to infinity…and beyond.
Original post found here at Thoughts by Sister Mary Lisa
I cannot even imagine the theological muddle we would get into if we started to talk about polygamous Mothers in Heaven. It would provide another avenue to justify privilege and inequality.
Hellmut, or would it finally provide an avenue for women to feel like maybe they have some worth too, and give them hope for feeling some worth in the next life??
I think that Heavenly Mother can promote the self-worth of women. It’s sad that we do not avail ourselves of that theological resource better. Mormonism need not have had any problems with the notion that women are human beings.
However, if Mother in Heaven is a multiple wife then that might actually damage women’s identity. Human beings are naturally jealous. If polygamy is true then jealousy is a sin.
Let me rephrase that. If polygamy is divine then female jealousy is a sin. It’s hard enough to be a Mormon woman without being guilted for desiring an exclusive relationship with your husband.
The last thing that Mormon women need is one more hang up.
True, true. I think that the polygamy aspect of the gospel theology is gross and doesn’t promote any good thing for women. But the Heavenly Mother aspect of the theology should have been promoted. That’s one more aspect left out that gives the idea that women have no worth. No matter how they spin it, women are afforded no worth in LDS theology.
OMG SML,
you need to read my post today on my blog. It totally coincides with what you’re saying here…how creepy! And cool!
JulieAnn, Your post totally does fit in perfectly with this discussion….next time post a link to it for easier access! 🙂
Here it is for others who wanna read it. It’s worth checking out.
HILARIOUS! I seriously LOVE “Eloher”!!