milk & honey mamas

Theological Background by Kristen When I read these chapters looking for what I wanted to write about, I kept thinking about how important the stakes felt. I have read the Book of Mormon a lot of times. I know what’s coming next. I know that these chapters are the “before.” It’s the “always darkest before…

Story contributed by Kristen Samuel the Lamanite, or what to do when the message comes from someone you can’t stand  Brace yourself. Sink your heels deep into the ground. Take a deep breath. Listen.  Do you know how to listen? I don’t. I mean really, really listen. The kind of listening where you forget how…

Meditation by Kristen On being a morning glory  (After Josh and Sarah) Love hides in the crevice of little rocks at the beach  where spiders weave faithfully and crustaceans curl away to rest.  Love sits at the bottom of the pond with the toads, and at the top with the lily pads, and love crescendos…

Theological Background contributed by Kristen In this week’s readings, we meet the mothers of the stripling warriors. We meet their sons and their captain. We meet steady Pahoran, and we encounter passionate Moroni. The verses about these intertwining stories are, of course, famous to us. The boy-warriors credit their mothers with their faith, significant and…

Prayer for the mess Written by Kristen Ah, Tender One, holder of the flames,  speak peace to my ache tonight.  I pray for the Moronis of this world, so certain and steadfast and hot in defense of good. There are times to tear things down, to raise our banners, to be certain we are right.…

Story by Kristen We are continuing our letter interpretations this week, imagining Alma’s counsel to his sons and translating it through our own eyes and experiences. My dear Corianton, You have done wrong. I start my letter with these words because I must give voice to the walls that have come between us. You have…

Contributed by Kristen This week, we’ve done an interpretation of Alma’s letter to his son. This is not meant to be a translation, but rather a reimagining of the letter, written with eyes for our own children.  My dear one,  Sometimes when we are side by side, words fail me. Sometimes I cannot think of…

Theological Background by Kristen My daughter and I have been learning about bodies for the past couple of weeks. She is completely captivated by what she has discovered about the respiratory system, especially the lungs. I’ve watched her staring in fascination at photos and representations of lungs, stunned to discover the complexity and beauty of…

Theological Background by Kristen Alma 30 contains the infamous story of Korihor, one of a trio of antiChrist villains in the Book of Mormon. Korihor’s story is complex and a little eerie; his success, trial, and finally ignominious death strike some discord to many of our sensibilities. The text also leaves questions unanswered, like who…