June in Review

Heavenly Mother and Father help us inspire others, made the trees, are our "refuge and strength", hear and listen to our prayers, are whom we love and believe in, claim us theirs, know the end, give us visions, and call us blessed.

Like I mentioned earlier this month, Daughters of Mormonism did two podcasts on Finding the Divine Feminine (part 1) (part 2). There was also another episode about Symbols of the Divine Feminine.

I also came across this collection of references to Heavenly Mother in Church manuals and publications from 1971-2002, that was gathered this past April. Take a look-through!

At Like Unto Eve this month, there was a post about fasting together for more knowledge about our Heavenly Mother. I think this is a wonderful idea- don't forget that Fast Sunday is coming up!

Where else have you seen Heavenly Mother mentioned this month?

Matthew 25:34-36

From yesterday's Sunday School lesson! The "King" here is Christ, so I didn't add Queen, but I was inclusive later in the verse.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Mother and Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

In Memory of the Crucified

This was our sacrament hymn today, and was a simple exchange of "father" for "parents". I also pluralized "Spirit" because it fit well in the first verse, but I don't think it's a necessary change. In verse 4, I changed "he'll" to "we'll" even though the sentence doesn't quite make perfect sense. "They'll" would be a better fit grammatically, but I really love the inclusiveness of "we'll."

In mem’ry of the Crucified,
Our Parents, we have met this hour.
May thy sweet Spirits here abide,
That all may feel their glowing pow’r.

Our Savior, in Gethsemane,
Shrank not to drink the bitter cup,
And then, for us, on Calvary,
Upon the cross was lifted up.

We rev’rence with the broken bread,
Together with the cup we take,
The body bruised, the lifeblood shed,
A sinless ransom for our sake.

Our Parents, may this sacrament
To ev’ry soul be sanctified
Who eats and drinks with pure intent,
That in our Savior we’ll abide.

Amos 8:1-3

This is not a happy scripture; I chose it because I wanted something with the word "summer" because of the solstice yesterday. I guess what we can come away with this is that God and Goddess both give us visions of the things we need to know.

1 Thus hath the Lord God and Lady Goddess shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.

2 And they said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lady and Lord unto me, The end is come upon our people of Israel; We will not again pass by them any more.

3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God and Lady Goddess: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.

Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:40

Our Sunday School lesson this week was the Second Coming lesson, so here's an oft-quoted quip to quash the Type-A anxiety of prepared people in the world (sorry, the alliteration had to happen, it was begging me to).

40 But of that day, and hour, no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God and Goddess in heaven, but my Mother and Father only.

Our Parents, By Whose Names

Our Father, By Whose Name, was one of our songs in sacrament meeting today and while we sang it I changed some of the lyrics:

Our Parents, by whose names all parenthood is known,
Who do in love proclaim each family thine own,
Bless thou all parents, guarding well,
With constant love as sentinel,
The homes in which thy people dwell.

As thou thy Child didst fill with wisdom, love, and might,
To know and do thy will and teach thy ways aright,
Our children bless, in ev’ry place,
That they may all behold thy face,
And, knowing thee, may grow in grace.

May thy strong Spirit bind our hearts in unity,
And help us each to find the love from self set free.
In all our hearts such love increase,
That ev’ry home, by this release,
May be the dwelling place of peace.

I only needed to change "father" to "parents" and some of the verbs so that they are plural. I thought it was a very fitting hymn for Father's Day.

Articles of Faith 1:1

I love this statement. It's a belief I can really get behind.

1 We believe in Goddess and God, the Eternal Parents, and in Their Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 22:34-40

This is from the Sunday School lesson we had yesterday, or more correctly, my husband. I was learning about being thankful for my eyes!

34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and the Lady they Goddess with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the alaw and the prophets.

A Child's Prayer

Multiple people have asked me to do this song. It's definitely a favorite among the parents I know who use it as a lullaby.

Heavenly Parents, are you really there?
And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?
Some say that heaven is far away,
But I feel it close around me as I pray.
Heavenly Parents, I remember now
Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:
“Suffer the children to come to me.”
Parents, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

Pray, they are there;
Speak, they are list’ning.
You are their child;
Their love now surrounds you.
They hears your prayer;
They loves the children.
Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.

It is also very poignant if you sing only about Heavenly Mother. Heavenly Mother, are you really there?

Psalms 46

I chose to do the whole chapter since it is pretty short. I added the Goddess and made sure verbs were plural and included Leah and Rachel alongside Jacob.

1 God and Goddess are our refuge and strength, very present helps in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of Goddess and God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5 Goddess and God iare in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God and Goddess shall help her, and that right early.

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: they uttered their voices, the earth melted.

7 The Lady and Lord of hosts are with us; the God and Goddess of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel are our refuge. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lady and Lord, what desolations they hath made in the earth.

9 They maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; they breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; they burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that We are God and Goddess: We will be exalted among the heathen, We will be exalted in the earth.

11 The Lady and Lord of hosts are with us; the God and Goddess of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel are our refuge. Selah.

Moses 3:9

I added the Lady Goddess and used gender inclusive language: where "man" was, I placed "people." I really really like this verse this way.

9 And out of the ground made We, the Lord God and Lady Goddess, to grow every tree, naturally, that is pleasant to the sight of people; and people could behold it. And it became also a living soul. For it was spiritual in the day that We created it; for it remaineth in the sphere in which We, Goddess and God, created it, yea, even all things which We prepared for the use of people; and people saw that it was good for food. And We, the Lord God and Lady Goddess, planted the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Daughters of Mormonism podcast

I normally save links like this for the Month in Review, but since this was posted at the beginning of the month and I don't want to wait 3 weeks to link to it, it's getting a little love now.

Last week, Daughters of Mormonism released two episodes about the Divine Feminine and I was lucky enough to be on the panel (I'm the one who talks to trees).

Finding the Divine Feminine Part I

Finding the Divine Feminine Part II

I hope you all enjoy it!

Help Me Teach With Inspiration

After a week off, this blog is back! Today's hymn was chosen because I was looking at the list of hymn titles and this one resonated with me. Next week, we will be combining the two sunbeam classes and I'll be the only regular sunbeam teacher, so any help I can get will be wonderful. I will probably not be completely by myself every week, but I won't have the luxury of knowing that if I'm sick or out of town, my co-teacher will take over for me.

I changed "Lord" to "Gods", and "Father" to "Parents" and used gender-neutral language for the friend in verse 2.

Help me teach with inspiration;
Grant this blessing, Gods, I pray.
Help me lift a soul’s ambition
To a higher, nobler way.

Help me reach a friend in darkness;
Help me guide them thru the night.
Help me show thy path to glory
By the Spirit’s holy light.

Fill my mind with understanding;
Tune my voice to echo thine.
Touch my hand with gentle friendship;
Warm my heart with love divine.

Help me find thy lambs who wander;
Help me bring them to thy keep.
Teach me, Gods, to be a shepherd;
Parents, help me feed thy sheep.