Guest Blog post By Ashli Carnicelli
The doctrine of Heavenly Mother is a precious and joyful doctrine in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I joined the Church at 35 years old in 2017 from Catholicism. We sang the hymn “O My Father” shortly after my baptism to begin Gospel Principles class.
When we came to the line, “Truth is reason, truth eternal tells me I’ve a Mother there;” I pointed to the words next to my friend. “What is this?” I asked. “In this Church, we believe we have a Heavenly Mother.” My soul jumped for joy at that moment because I KNEW that it was true!!!
I grew up as a Catholic child with Mary as our divine feminine touchpoint. I knew in my heart and soul that this doctrine was true, and it revealed more about our Mother in Heaven. This knowledge built my testimony that this is the Restored church. This sacred knowledge was and is evidence that the Lord truly blessed His children with a fullness of light and truth.
A few years later, another friend gifted me with “A Girl’s Guide to Heavenly Mother” by McArthur Krishna and Bethany Brady-Spalding. The book brought me so much joy, and I read it to my four daughters. A few months later, I had a project on my heart. I felt inspired to create a book of poetry about Heavenly Mother that included the stunning artwork of Latter-day Saints who are inspired by this doctrine, a sort of "Grown-Up Girl's Guide to Heavenly Mother."
For months, the Spirit prompted me to reach out to McArthur, and I finally sent her a message. We spoke on the phone and gave ourselves twenty-four hours to pray about it. I fasted and went to the temple. The revelation came as I entered the Celestial room and sat down to pray. “Yes, Ashli! This joyful doctrine is true. This is our work. Write the book. Just make sure you are still pointing people to Christ.”
I called McArthur from the car and shared this revelation. She went quiet for a few moments, then replied, "Wow. I got the same revelation. Let's get to work!" Our third co-editor, Trina, was also inspired to join the work. She saw a social media post from us asking for contributions for Cherish Volume 1 and immediately wanted to be part of the project. Trina is also a writer and editor, so that's a typical reaction to book proposals. But she said this time felt different. She got a prompting where Spirit pointed and said, “There. Go. Right now..” Trina is a very gifted editor! Within minutes, she sent McArthur a message offering her services. Her phone rang in a few more minutes, and that was that.
What does Heavenly Mother mean to each of us? What does Heavenly Mother mean to others? Cherish Volume 1 and Volume 2 are not books of doctrine. They are not books of speculation. They are not books intended to answer all or any spiritual questions. These books are musings of the soul. Everyone was welcome to contribute. Every person is a beloved child of Heavenly Mother and Father, which means something different to each of us!
The mediums of poetry and art are just two of many ways for us to communicate spiritually. If our Heavenly Parents are infinite beings, then there are infinite touchpoints to honor Them. We organized the contributions around the Gospel Topics Essay “Mother in Heaven” to support the study of that vital document. We also included scriptures and quotes from prophets and other Church leaders to help guide us. The Church is the “scaffolding” of our faith, but we want to be clear that the vignettes are personal.
We hope the offerings within these pages bring joy to your soul. You have a Mother in Heaven! Volume 1’s main theme is around the JOY of this doctrine and the JOY of our Mother in Heaven, and Volume 2 is centered around the LOVE of our Mother in Heaven. I wanted every person who sits and reads these pages to have their hearts stirred with Light! To truly know in their souls who they really are and WHOSE they really are.
I pray all who read Cherish 1 and Cherish 2 will have their testimony strengthened in Jesus Christ, the fullness of His Gospel, and His Restored Church.
Join us on the Beacon of Light Podcast for this interesting discussion on Aug 20, 2024, at 6:30 pm Mountain time.
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