Why not polyandry in the Celestial Kingdom?
Question
Gramps,
The subject basically says it all. It doesn’t make sense to me that Heavenly Father would treat his daughters and sons differently from one another. Why is it that he would allow men to marry many women and not the other way around? Or put them in a position of subservience to men?
Greg
Answer
Greg,
Let’s assume for the sake of your question that it is absolutely factual that men will have multiple wives in the Celestial kingdom. I presume this is the case, but I want to point out that there are many who do not believe this to be a foregone, doctrinal fact. And there are logical ways to explain plural marriage away as an eternal order. But, like I said…let’s take it as factual.
What is the purpose of plural marriage? That’s what it really comes down to. Right?
The only answer we have is found in the Book of Mormon. We read in Jacob 2:30:
“For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.”
That’s pretty much all that’s given. We can certainly assume that part of the reason plural marriage was given to the early Saints was also to try them. But it’s not reasonable to assume that in every instance when plural marriage was practiced, that it was a trial. The examples we have in the Bible, in most cases, are cultural norms, and are accepted as such. The instantiation of plural marriage in the early Church was, decidedly, not the cultural norm. That makes all the difference in the world as to whether it is viewed as a trial.
Moreover, if applied to the Celestial Kingdom (remembering that we have already established an assumption for the sake of discussion that plural marriage will be part of existence there), then it would be entirely unreasonable to assume trial as a de facto component of it.
Any way you cut it, subservience is mentioned nowhere. I think it fairly safe to say that the concept of subservience when all therein are exalted to “inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths” who “pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” (D&C 132:19-20) doesn’t sound much like any level of subservience whatsoever.
So, once more, we’re back to the raising up of seed.
Gramps
I think ii it more pertinent to women who have been married on earth to two husbands,each of this marriage has ended in the death of the man, whom she was committed to and loved. So when she dies, she can only be sealed to one of them, which one must she chose. She may have children by both husbands, why should she have to chose or have chosen one above the other. Of course if both genders could be sealed to every spouse, then it would get rather messy. In the next life you could have husbands and wives sealed to each other and other peoples former husbands and wives. The only way around it would be to only allow one gender to be sealed to an opposite sex partner. It is not surprising that men are the ones chosen to do this on the premise it is to do with raising up of seed. I have to say I do wonder if it is more to do with patriarchal dominance which seems to underlay every decision both in and out of the church.
Very deep mystery of God indeed, I might add. If I may be permitted to comment…The first great commandment is to Love God and be subjected to his perfect love and knowledge. Another commandment is to have no other Gods before him (this denotes a hierarchy and yes in a patriarchal one at that). We also know that God has a house of order and has given us temporal temple covenants regarding marriage, chastity and family ordination (see family proclamation). Along with this family ordination each gender has its particular measure of creation and the creation of other mortal sons and daughters of God which I believe is symbolic in nature by the design of the Almighty’s (Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother). Mortal Men and Women act as governing bodies to sons and daughters of God to nurture, protect and educate these young beings to be eventually parents of their own. Hopefully, under religious and faithful following of Jesus Christ that these young beings get raised on the principals of righteousness and the principals of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The principals will also teach them of the Sacred Plan of Salvation for each one of us. This measure of creation not only lasts for this temporal existence but it existed pre-mortally and it will exist post-mortally as well. All who kept their 1st estate have overcome and progressed as far as the Heavenly Parents wanted them to progress in the pre-mortal realm. Now, each of us are hopefully progressing along the mortal realm until God sees it fit to call us back. We are trying to fill the measure of our mortal creation, whatever that is for each one of us. Finally, we will begin to fill the full measure of creation that our Heavenly Parents have for us when we pass on. Sorry for the lengthy prelude, but it is important to note that each step in our lives, we try to live to the measure of what we were created for; to help our Heavenly Parents bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all Human Beings in an orderly fashion. That being said, in the Celestial kingdom the only kingdom that doctrinally we know of that life will continue to exist, the covenant of marriage for the purpose of continuing life will be granted. We have not been given the gestational period of spirit birth or the limitations of Celestial Beings (Yes even God follows Celestial Laws) So it would be difficult to say if there is one Heavenly Mother or several, but if we have no other God’s before Him there should be only one God that is under the Heavens for us. Under Celestial law and order I do not believe there will be any guile or jealousy. There are scriptures that say that God is a jealous God, but I believe this to be interpreted wrong. Jealously denotes imperfection and God is not imperfect. For God to give us everything that he has we MUST live be His perfect guidance. God is LOVING not jealous, He wants to give us everything but we have to live like He lives for the inheritance. Thus, in the Celestial Kingdom I suppose that marriage will be covenant based to one Man (which will be the next God) and at least one Woman (which will be the next Heavenly Mother) and possible other women with the gestational period of perfect spiritual mattered spirit sons and daughters with no guile and jealousy. Just one mans opinion. Looking to God for further light and knowledge on the subject. Thanks for letting me share.
It’s been argued that math is a reason. Given that marriage is required for exaltation, and given that there is an unequal number of men/women who want to enter eternal marriage, then some type of polygamy is mathematically required.
If that were not the case (say the ratio is exactly 50/50), than every single polygamous sealing would eternally damn the progress of some man some where.
I think there’s more to it than math however. Otherwise we would have a female trinity rather than all male.