"Mother Earth" Vs. Heavenly Mother

[RegularMormon]

Sorry if this seems like a very primary level question but it JUST clicked for me in my old age and wanted to get others perspective on it. lol

I've heard the term "Mother Earth" and "Mother Nature" since childhood from various medium, television, books, etc... and never really gave much thought to the term itself until later in college while studing Native American History and came to understand and appreciate the term had more of meaning for them.

However this morning I read in Mosiah Chapter 2:26 and even King Benjamin used the term which made me wonder if the "earth" inofitself is a holy representation of our Heavenly Mother in a symbolic way or if there are any spiritual associates involved with our Heavenly Mother as it is related to the earth? Are there any LDS teachings or opinions about this subject?

For some reason it left me wondering if the earth it self has some kind of connection to our Heavenly Mother? But then again I tend to wonder too much lol.

[Buzzard]

I don't know, and you can quote me. It's an interesting question with no real answer, IMHO.

[thesometimesaint]

RegularMormon:

IMNTBHO The earth is a type of mother in that our physical bodies are made from the elements of this earth. Just like we are made from the elements of our earthly mothers.

[CASteinman]

However this morning I read in Mosiah Chapter 2:26 and even King Benjamin used the term which made me wonder if the "earth" inofitself is a holy representation of our Heavenly Mother in a symbolic way or if there are any spiritual associates involved with our Heavenly Mother as it is related to the earth? Are there any LDS teachings or opinions about this subject?

I think the notion of "Mother Nature" as a literal entity is an apostate view. I think the notion of "Mother Earth" is either figurative, or apostate .. depending upon its usage. If used like "Mother Country" -- as in "Back in Mother Country we make tractor in factory", its just figurative. If its the idea that the earth is some sort of goddess to worship, it is apostate.

However, the earth has been described in anthropomorphic terms, some pretty strong. The best case that I know of is Moses 7:48 that reads:

And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?

This passage has led to some interesting Mormon speculations. I have never seen any that equated the earth with Heavenly Mother, but maybe there are some. Even though I accept the accounts of the Book of Moses -- especially pertaining to Enoch -- as recording literal events, I do not necessarily view recordings of divine visions as being literal in nature.

I would search for Mormon commentaries on that particular verse for anything that would fit what you are looking for.

[cinepro]

Sorry if this seems like a very primary level question but it JUST clicked for me in my old age and wanted to get others perspective on it. lol

I've heard the term "Mother Earth" and "Mother Nature" since childhood from various medium, television, books, etc... and never really gave much thought to the term itself until later in college while studing Native American History and came to understand and appreciate the term had more of meaning for them.

However this morning I read in Mosiah Chapter 2:26 and even King Benjamin used the term which made me wonder if the "earth" inofitself is a holy representation of our Heavenly Mother in a symbolic way or if there are any spiritual associates involved with our Heavenly Mother as it is related to the earth? Are there any LDS teachings or opinions about this subject?

For some reason it left me wondering if the earth it self has some kind of connection to our Heavenly Mother? But then again I tend to wonder too much lol.

We'd probably have to ask Enoch, since as far as I know, he's the only person to actually hear the spirit of the Earth talking. And apparently it is a "she"...

47 And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me.

48 And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?

49 And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? Wilt thou not bless the children of Noah?

[The Nehor]

I suspect my mother and the earth are two separate entities.

As to why the Earth is usually a she in myth and metaphor it just seems to fit. The same way sky-gods are almost always male. Explaining why this is might get this thread locked though.

[theplains]

I think Mother Earth is a reference to Gaia (Gaea), the mother goddess.

http://en.wikipedia....Gaia_(mythology)

Regards,

Jim

[JeremyOrbe-Smith]

Kevin and Shauna Christensen's marvelous article "Nephite Feminism Revisited" might be a good place to start on this fascinating issue.

Mother Earth, Wisdom, and the Tree of Life

Despite her well-known interest in the Divine Mother and her mention of the Canaanite goddess and the Popol Vuh of the Maya, which contains references to such a figure, Pearson makes no reference to the three Book of Mormon occurrences of "mother earth" (2 Nephi 9:7; Mosiah 2:26; Mormon 6:15). What is the religious context behind the use of that language in the Book of Mormon? Northop Frye explains:

No principle is without many exceptions in mythology, but one very frequent mythical formulation of this attitude to nature is an earth-mother, from whom everything is born and to whom everything returns at death. Such an earth-mother is the most easily understood image of

natura naturans,

and she acquires its moral ambivalence. As the womb of all forms of life, she has a cherishing and nourishing aspect; as the tomb of all forms of life, she has a menacing and sinister aspect; as the manifestation of an unending cycle of life and death, she has an inscrutable and elusive aspect. Hence, she is often a

dive triformis,

a goddess of a threefold form of some kind, usually birth, death, and renewal in time; or heaven, earth, and hell in space.

21

The references to "mother earth" in the Book of Mormon are subtle but neatly spread across the entire history, arguing for a long-standing tradition. Also, it is clear that these references, in connection with other archetypal feminine imagery, contain the essentials of the mythic formulation. The presence of these essential elements of the picture in the text invites our further exploration of the Old and New World contexts. Some have expressed concern that the three passages cited refer to mother earth in the context of death. While this is strictly correct in the ancient mythological formulation, it might be beneficial to see some of the other manifestations of the image. Accordingly, other passages in the Book of Mormon suggest the life-giving aspects of mother earth:

O Lord, wilt thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, that she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of grain. . . . And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year the Lord did turn away his anger from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in the season of her fruit. And it came to pass that it did bring forth her grain in the season of her grain. (Helaman 11:13, 17)

While Pearson does mention the reference to feminine wisdom—"For they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them" (p. 36, quoting Mosiah 8:20)—she does not follow up on the implications of the passage. At a minimum, we should quote from Raphael Patai's The Hebrew Goddess:

In the late Biblical period a theological tendency made its appearance which prepared the ground for the emergence of the Talmudic Shekhina. The trend referred to is that of interposing personified mediating entities between God and man. . . . The most frequently appearing of these intermediaries . . . is . . . Wisdom.

22

Patai refers to the discussions of Wisdom as a holy feminine personification in Job 28:12—28 and in Proverbs 3, 8, and 9. Later developments in the Old World are interesting (see Patai), but this much, at least, would have been part of the Nephite tradition. Again, the Book of Mormon reference is strictly correct.

An important article by Daniel Peterson, "Nephi and His Asherah: A Note on 1 Nephi 11:8—23,"²³ contains several brilliant insights into the significance of Mary's presence in the vision of the tree of life, and meaningful parallels between the Book of Mormon and characteristic themes and images of Wisdom literature. Peterson begins by considering the context for this notable recurring image in the Book of Mormon. During his vision of the tree of life, Nephi asks for an "interpretation" of the tree (see 1 Nephi 11:8—11). By way of providing the interpretation, the angel shows Nephi a vision of the Virgin Mary.

And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! (1 Nephi 11:18—21)

Peterson explores in fascinating detail the puzzle of why, in the vision, the angel expects Nephi to be able to associate the vision of Mary and the birth of the Son of God with the tree of life. He presents recent discoveries—which may relate to Nephi's cultural background in Israel—regarding Asherah, a mother goddess venerated in ancient Israel and worshiped as the consort of Jehovah. Peterson demonstrates that Asherah was frequently associated with the tree of life. In the same article, Peterson explores the association of feminine wisdom with the tree of life. For example, in Proverbs 3:18, we are told that "She [Wisdom] is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her." In Proverbs 1—9 and "elsewhere in ancient Hebrew and Jewish literature, Wisdom appears as the wife of God, which can hardly fail to remind us of ancient Asherah."²⁴Peterson observes many direct connections between the Book of Mormon and the ancient genre of Wisdom literature, including the nature of the opposition to wisdom:

I'd also append Jacob 5:54-60, in which the "Mother Tree" is referenced.

Hugh Nibley wrote a lot on this as well; for instance, in his lecture on Mosiah 8-10, he states:

Now this is a remarkable thing. Occasionally, we have breakthroughs in the Book of Mormon of what is known as the "wisdom literature." Recently, it's the big thing. More articles and studies are written today about this than anything else in Egyptian and Hebrew, showing that Egyptian and Hebrew wisdom literature are the same. Way back years ago the great Erman discovered parallel passages and whole speeches (well, Proverbs, etc.; that's an Egyptian Amenimit), and he hid it. He was ashamed of it because [he felt] this shouldn't be. The Egyptians and Hebrews shouldn't be like that, but today everybody is getting on the bandwagon. The Hebrew and Egyptian wisdom literature are very close. Then you have the Sophia, the literature of the Greeks.

But this idea is interesting here: "How blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; [Why? Because they're stupid? No.] for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them!" I think it's an interesting thing that wisdom, which is Ḥokmāh and Sophia and m3^c•t and the Norns or anything you want to call her, is always personified as a woman. Even in our scriptures, too; there it is. You all know about Athena who is wisdom personified. The ancient axiom explaining this is that wisdom is feminine, Mother Earth. Wisdom comes from the Norns. Remember, Mother Earth, Erde, speaks wisdom. The sacred spring ran, and he went to the sacred spring to consult it. And the sibyls and the Delphic oracles were all women. They held the secrets. The Egyptian was Seshat. Her name means secret. She held the secrets to the knowledge that the men wrote down, etc. She was the bookkeeper; she held control of things. You always have the woman in here in control. Then, of course, there were the perversions in witches which were always superior to wizards. This bit of wisdom literature is nice here because it is true. "They will not seek wisdom [which should be capitalized], neither do they desire that she should rule over them!" [...] If you don't pay attention to things, it may be the end of you. This has happened again and again, and, of course, today we are not paying attention to a lot of things. As it says here, they don't seek wisdom even when she should rule them.

From the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras also has a rather stunning account of an Angel detailing the times and seasons of the Earth, along with intriguing references to premortal existence and the Plan of Salvation:

And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us? And he said unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.

So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner? Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the maker; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.

And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once. And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.

And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time. Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown in it in their times. For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

Edited May 22, 2012 by JeremyOrbe-Smith

[Kevin Christensen]

Thanks for citing our little essay Jeremy.

Nowdays in discussing the topic, I'd also want to reference Mark Koltko's insightful essay on Mormonism and Mysticism.

https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/070-13-19.pdf

One of eight characteristics of mysticism that he notes is:

The "inner subjective quality." The person may feel that some

things possess consciousness which we don't usually regard

as being conscious, like trees, or the Earth itself.

And of course, the example that he cites is from the Enoch portion of our Book of Moses:

As mentioned earlier, one of the eight classical characteristics

of the mystical experience is the "inner subjective quality."

This means that during the experience, the person may feel

that some things have "consciousness" which we don't usually

think of as being conscious, like trees or rocks. Here Enoch

experienced the whole Earth as a vast, conscious being; again,

it would be hard to find a more powerful example of this quality

in all of the literature on mysticism.

This encounter with the Earth as a conscious being in pain

had a profound effect on Enoch. His compassion for the Earth

was so deep that he begged the Lord three times to alleviate

the suffering of that vast conscious being-a being whom most

people consider to be a dumb hunk of rock.'

Koltko's essay suggests experiential grounds for the widespread appearance of the imagery, while leaving room for different interpretations of how literally to take it.

Also, I'd want to mention a passage from Northrop Frye, an off-hand comment in one of his books, I think Fearful Symmetry, that "All goddess worship is disguised nature worship."

I'm not sure what to make of the statement, since he didn't elaborate in context, and he was writing in the mid 1940s. But I've found it provocative to wrestle with. I'm not certain whether I agree completely, but since it's Frye, I think it's worth considering how and why he might have seen it that way..

FWIW

Kevin Christensen

Pittsburgh, PA