Among modern Western religions, Mormon belief is quite distinctive in its inclusion of a Heavenly figure among its divine personages. This paper examines some of the historical and theological background of the Mormon Mother in Heaven. We assess different explanations accounting for this belief and show its logical consistency with other aspects of Mormon doctrine. Further, we look at the politics associated with the In Heaven belief which bear on feminist issues among Mormons. In recent times we find that the existence of a divine female has become a rallying symbol for some Mormon feminists within an incipient grass roots movement aimed at acquiring greater power and equality within the church. We note how this belief in a female deity has primarily functioned in conservative ways to sustain certain institutional ends rather than feminist concerns. Considering the prospects for change in Mormonism's position on the role of women, we conclude that the presence of a goddess in the pantheon is no guarantee of sexual equality in the real world. Among the various faiths within the Judeo-Christian tradition, belief in a female deity is rather uncommon. One important exception to this image of an exclusively male-occupied pantheon is found in the Mormon belief in a Heavenly Mother. This study is intended as a sociological analysis of this particular Mormon belief. We will consider the historical expressions of the belief, assess some explanatory models which are used to account for its origins, and discuss the contending interests involved in the spread of popularity of the belief. This should permit us to specify a variety of functions served by the belief for a number of past and present groups of Mormons. Through our analysis, we hope to shed light not only on Mormonism as an exceptional case within Christianity, but also on the explanation of the development of religious conceptions, particularly concepts of divine beings. This latter issue has been central to the sociological study of religion in the work of Durkheim (1965) and, more recently, Swanson (1960; 1967). The theological background of Mormonism's in Heaven belief is worth noting. The religious innovations of Joseph Smith include the belief in multiple gods and the tenet that humans and gods merely represent different levels of spiritual development. A popular Mormon aphorism holds that, As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become. In order to become a god (i.e., exaltation or achieving the highest degree of glory possible in heaven), one must hold to certain essential moral teachings, including being married in an officially sanctioned ceremony conducted only in Mormon temples. This rite of entering into the new and everlasting covenent of celestial marriage binds or