project mayhem

the da vinci code

this book just kicks butt. read it. i loved the symbolism it references throughout the book. definitely a book to add to your list.

my next reading adventure will be strangers in paradox: explorations in mormon theology


the sacred feminine in the book of mormon

reading the da vinci code reminded me of something in the book of mormon i found a year ago. f.a.r.m.s. had an article a year or so ago by daniel c petersen about asherah and lehi's dream. before and during nephi's time, the israelites believed that god had a consort/partner/wife named asherah. she was symbolized by a tree in the temple. (which was later removed with aaron's rod as the symbols became objects of worship.) petersen says how the tree in lehi's dream (usually said to represent jesus) could have been understood by nephi to represent not jesus, but mary.

some time after reading this, i noticed something making the connection even stronger that petersen did not mention. in 1 nephi 11, nephi describes the tree he sees as being having "beauty... yea, exceeding of all beauty," having "whiteness," and being "precious above all." Nephi asks what the interpretation of the tree was. what did he see next? he sees mary who he describes as "most beautiful," "white," and a virgin (moroni 9:9 says that chastity is "precious above all"). the tree doesn't represent jesus, but mary