milk & honey mamas

Theological Background by Kristen

It is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of humanity, wherefore it is most desirable above all things.

1 Nephi 11:22

The tree of life is found all over the world, from times ancient to modern, in many religious traditions. It is an ancient symbol layered with meaning, usually connecting spiritual and physical realms. Trees are liminal places, indicating the artificial separations between realms. The lady goddess Asherah, associated with the Hebrew temple but removed likely during one of the purges of King Josiah, is symbolized by the tree of life, with a long and vibrant tradition. As scholars note, Nephi surely would have been aware of this tradition and symbolism, having grown up with it. He quickly maps the meaning of the tree to the image of the maternal. 

When Nephi sees Mary, the mother ofJesus, it all clicks. The vision is about love.

Because maternality is so fleshy and earthy, the maternal is often sidelined in theological conversation. The “real” spiritual stuff is not of this earth, we have sometimes believed. The symbol of the tree, however, bridges this man-made chasm. The tree is the mother. The tree is the incarnation. Quietly, tenderly, and honestly, a mother reveals the meaning of the vision that illuminates Nephi’s faith. And this, I will say always, is the life of the Christian story. Incarnation, God become flesh, realized through a mother. Nephi sees it too, mapped in his own language and understanding. 

The tree at the center swells with love. She bears us all and draws us toward her, inviting us to taste, to eat, to be filled, to rest in the branches and to find the story beginning and ending here, in love.

Ideas for Play

Contributed by Kristen

• Read the stories!

• Listen to the BOM storybook! 

• Read The Tree at the Center and The Mother Tree by Kathryn Knight Sonntag (there’s so much good stuff about trees. Another good one is Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simmard). For LDS reads on the tree and Ashera/Heavenly Mother connections, start with this Daniel Peterson essay and this Margaret Toscano essay. 

• Learn about Asherah and the mother tree

• For parents: Margaret Barker’s book is a fun deep dive! This is also a good article and reminder that Asherah was important to a variety of religious traditions.

• Explore tree of life symbolism in this longer informational video and this overview of the symbol around the world. 

• Read some books about the tree of life
  • The Tree 
  • The Tree in Me
  • The Tree of Life 

• Make your own tree of life!

• Paper plate craft 

• Coloring page 

• Free creation – collage, paint, crayons, whatever you’ve got!

• Play “getting to the love” by having your kids travel an obstacle course toward you/parent/trusted person. What things make it hard to feel or get to love? This can be playful and lead to more serious discussion.

• Make some fruit of the tree. This could be apples, cookies, or something your family loves. Make and eat together and talk about the joy and love the tree brings.

Poetry

Compiled by Caroline

Trees

by Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Music

Compiled by Caroline

Tree of Life, Aretha Franklin

Art

Compiled by Caroline