I have
written much on the topic of Mariology, including a book entitled Behold the Mother of My Lord: Towards a Mormon Mariology (2017). While I do believe that Roman Catholicism, and to
a somewhat lesser extent, Eastern Orthodoxy, proclaim false doctrines, dogmas,
and practices about the mother of Jesus, at the same time, Mary, being a sister
in the faith and having the singularly unique role of being the Messiah’s
mother, should still be spoken highly of and be used more in our talks and
lessons. Indeed, in the following from Donald Goergen (Protestant), we see how
Mary is a wonderful example of one living a faithful, chaste life:
Mary in her life of dedication to God as a
young Jewish girl gives witness to this life of holiness. It is not so much
that she is “Virgin Mary” as that she is “Holy Mary.” Whether or not her
virginity remained throughout her life is not the question; she remained true
to God throughout her life and therefore true to herself. She was a supreme
exemplification to holiness. Holy Mary was the mother of Jesus of Nazareth.
Mary’s virginity, then, is most appropriately
understood in this context of chastity, faith, holiness, and prayer. She is the
model of the prayer later to be taught by her son, “Thy will be done.” She
teaches us how to prayer; she teaches that the apex of prayer is an act of
faith. Whether we speak of Mary as a virgin or not is really not the important
question. If we wish to interpret our understanding of virginity so that we see
virginity not only in its physicality, but also in its holiness. Mary remains a
supreme exemplification of the virginal life. The essence of virginity is union
with God. Insofar as Mary is an exemplification of faith and holiness, she is
an analogous exemplification of virginal living. In this sense, she always has
been and will continue to be the virgin par
excellence. She gives us rue testimony as to what virginity really is, a
life lived in search of and service of the Father. (Donald Goergen, The Sexual Celibate [London: SPCK,
1979], 130)
