In Her Image: Finding Heavenly Mother in Scripture, Scholarship, the Arts, Mythology & Everyday Life

Join Meg Rittmanic in an engaging conversation with Dave Butler and Jocelyn Henderson Pederson as we discuss the parable of the vineyard and how this story gives us the tools to restoring truth about the divine feminine and also warns us about corruption. How has the Divine Feminine been corrupted throughout history and how can we avoid repeating historical mistakes. How do we move forward in the great restoration of truth around Heavenly Mother.

Hold on for the continuation of last weeks conversation with David Butler about Temple literature and the Divine Feminine being the center of Temple literature. Last week we talked about so many beautiful things and we’re just going to continue that conversation now. One of the most important things that you will learn from this conversation is when it comes to the most sacred things, they’re often coded in the text that are hard to identify, Until you understand the language, and then when you understand the language. You’ll have eyes to see and ears to hear. You’re going to get more keys to unlock the doors of understanding today as you listen. I hope you can enjoy it as much as I did.

Where is Heavenly Mother in the Temple, or where should we find Her in the Temple? Join me and David Butler as we break into temple literature and how understanding hebrew can give you keys to understanding more about the Divine Feminine. Dave takes the position that the Book of Mormon is an ancient document and also that the Book of Mormon is a work of temple literature. The Nephite prophets were members of an esoteric lineage that wrote for an audience that they expected to possess eyes to see and ears to hear, and the intended way to understand the meaning of their writings is to read through the lens of our own temple experience. He embodied his early thoughts in this vein in a pair of short books, Plain and Precious Things and The Goodness and the Mysteries, both self-published under the pen name D. John Butler. More recently, he published In the Language of Adam.

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This episode captures a deep, heartfelt conversation between Jessica Woodbury, the host of In Her Image, and guest Christy Spencer. They discuss Christy’s spiritual journey, particularly her connection with Heavenly Mother, her humanitarian work, and personal experiences that shaped her view of divinity. The conversation explores themes of healing, faith, and redefining one's relationship with God through a feminine divine perspective.

Key highlights include:

1. ​Christy's Background and Work: Christy shares her decade-long humanitarian career with LDS humanitarian services, where she led impactful initiatives, especially around menstrual health in countries all around the world. Her work was deeply fulfilling, often directed by what she felt was divine guidance, and shaped her understanding of service as a sacred duty.
2. ​Heavenly Mother: Christy recounts her complex relationship with the concept of "mother" due to personal loss and challenges in her upbringing. She felt a yearning to understand and connect with the feminine aspect of divinity, which deepened as she became a mother herself. She describes instances where she felt Heavenly Mother's presence in her life, adding depth to her faith.
3. ​Personal Experiences and Faith: Christy describes her journey of healing and empowerment through moments of profound personal revelation, such as a dream about a pad design during her humanitarian work. She believes that God’s guidance often came in feminine tones and through nature, which she considers Heavenly Mother's house.
4. ​Doctrine of Heavenly Parents: They discuss how understanding God as both a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother has reshaped Christy’s perspective. She emphasizes the importance of unity and balance between masculine and feminine divine attributes and advocates for language inclusivity in church settings, believing that recognizing Heavenly Mother expands believers’ perceptions of divinity.
5. ​Analogies and Spiritual Insights: Christy uses the metaphor of God as a prism to describe her view of God, representing a spectrum of light and color that goes beyond human comprehension. This metaphor reflects her belief that God encompasses vast diversity and complexity, much like a prism reveals the colors within white light.

This discussion touches on themes of community, unity, and the personal journey of faith, particularly for women within the Latter-day Saint tradition. Christy’s stories and insights offer a vision of spirituality enriched by a more inclusive view of the divine.

God is a Prism blog post: https://thedispencery.wordpress.com/2021/10/01/god-is-a-prism/

A Mother There blog post: https://thedispencery.wordpress.com/2024/05/12/a-mother-there/

In this enlightening episode of In Her Image, host Jessica Woodbury dives into a profound conversation with Bethany Brady Spalding and McArthur Krishna about the role of Heavenly Mother in Latter-day Saint theology and the deep, often overlooked, impact of acknowledging Her in doctrine and personal worship. They discuss the disconnect between church teachings and member practices, and how integrating a more holistic view of Heavenly Parents can transform personal spirituality and church culture. With inspiring personal stories, Bethany and MacArthur share their experiences of bringing Heavenly Mother into daily life and teaching. They explore how recognizing Her role affirms the divine potential of women, fosters equal partnership in marriage, and supports a nurturing model of spiritual sovereignty. This episode invites listeners to rediscover and cherish the expansive nature of the Divine Feminine and consider the ways it can bring balance, healing, and joy to their faith journeys.

McArthur and Bethany’s article “Why Heavenly Mother is Essential for Women Understanding their Eternal Destiny”: https://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleKrishnaSpaldingEternalDestiny.html#:~:text=If%20the%20theology%20of%20Heavenly%20Mother%20is%20embraced,show%20them%20a%20glorious%20vision%20for%20their%20future

Today we are republishing an episode from 2022 on the gospel topics essay titled "Mother in Heaven". In it, Kate Gregory and Jessica Woodbury highlight the beautiful gems found in the essay, which confirms the church's doctrine of a Heavenly Mother. This essay was published on October 23, 2015. As we near the 9 year anniversary of its publication, we chose to re-share this episode as the foundation next Sunday's episode, which will explore what would change and how it might look if we fully embraced the doctrines and principles found in this landmark essay. We think you'll love it!

Jessica was invited to write an article pulling out truths from the "Mother in Heaven" essay for Meridian Magazine. Her article can be found at https://latterdaysaintmag.com/what-the-mother-in-heaven-gospel-topics-essay-teaches-us-about-our-eternal-mother/ Feel free to share it, and this episode, far and wide!

Jessica can be found on Instagram as @with.eve.i.partake

Kate and her new work as a hormone practitioner can be found at queenbeehormonehealth.com and @queenbeehormonehealth on Instagram

Josie Grover, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shares her journey of discovering Heavenly Mother and her evolving spirituality. Initially struggling with the doctrine of polygamy, Josie found solace in the hymn "Oh, My Father," which led her to a deeper connection with Heavenly Mother. Her experiences, including a challenging bishopric and the Women's Relief Alliance, highlighted the need for women's empowerment and representation. Josie emphasizes the importance of women finding their divine potential and advocates for greater female presence in church leadership. She finds joy in her spiritual growth and the support of her community.

Venmo for one-time donations: @Jess.Burdette

Marianne Paventy shares how the In Her Image podcast helped inspire her recently published book of poems titled Walk in Wisdom’s Paths.

In this episode, Jessica Woodbury interviews poet Marianne Paventy about her profound spiritual journey toward a deeper understanding of Heavenly Mother. Marianne shares how her relationship with the Divine Feminine has evolved over time, describing pivotal moments that led her to seek a closer connection with Heavenly Mother. She discusses the inspiration behind her newly published poetry collection, offering listeners an intimate look at the creative process and the spiritual insights she gained along the way. Together, they dive into some of Marianne’s most cherished poems, such as “The Ascent” and “The Throne of God is a Loveseat,” reflecting on the personal experiences and scriptural influences that shaped her work. Join us for this heartfelt conversation on the power of poetry, faith, and the Divine Feminine.

Marianne's book "Walk in Wisdom's Paths" can be purchased here: https://olympiapublishers.com/books/walk-in-wisdoms-paths

Tickets to the Oct 19 event in Eagle, ID: https://walking-with-wisdom.eventcube.io/

Mandy Green’s online classes: https://projectillumination.thinkific.com/

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Susan Madsen to discuss the role of women in leadership within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how recognizing Heavenly Mother could transform the Church's culture and leadership structures. Susan shares her insights on gender equality in religious and community contexts, offering practical suggestions for how integrating the divine feminine into worship and doctrine could empower both women and men. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation about the future of leadership in the LDS Church.

Susan R. Madsens main website:

https://susanrmadsen.com/index

Unleashing Sister Saints Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1EDz9mIXhDotTyhEZzp0as?si=AVEyuFUgSTKc0Moi-UjxFw

Utah Women and Leadership Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/show/6S9DnvzcpGLHgPxvqQrqZ7?si=Sc3x3OhJQaWMuvshE3__bw

A Bolder Way Forward website:

https://www.usu.edu/uwlp/a-bolder-way-forward/overview

The primary aim of A Bolder Way Forward is to help more Utah women and girls thrive. Utah women and girls thrive when all aspects of their safety, security, health, and wellbeing are met, allowing them to explore and pursue educational, professional, civic, leadership, and other opportunities according to their interests, and to feel abundant levels of support and a sense of belonging as they do so.

A Future Only God Can See for You: a Guide for Teen and Young Adult Women on Preparing to Lead

https://a.co/d/4qlwtU5

Instagram accounts:

Her main Instagram page

@susanrmadsen

Unleashing Sister Saints

@unleashingsistersaints

A Bolder Way Forward

@bwfutah

Utah Women and Leadership Project

@utwomenleaders