THE GOLDEN THREAD

Resources for Exploring Temple Symbolism, Scripture, Classic Stories & Fairy Tales

In the Greek myth, Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus enters into a labyrinth to defeat a raging monster called the minotaur. Knowing he could easily become lost in its winding passages, the princess Ariadne gives him a thread to unwind as he travels deeper into the maze, allowing him to find his way back after completing his task.

In life, we all journey through mazes and at many times find ourselves in unfamiliar places wondering which way will lead us home. As we explore scripture, fairy tales, literature, and temple imagery, we can begin to recognize our own golden threads woven throughout these stories as personal connections that help us find our way back home to the truths we know and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ. These threads are unique to each of us, yet shared between all of us, in one great story authored by the King who leads us home. My hope is that some of these resources will help you begin to recognize and follow your own golden threads. These resources are by no means a comprehensive list, but if you’re excited to explore further, perhaps something here will call or beckon to you and be the thread that leads you in the next direction.

As a small disclaimer: I don’t necessarily agree with or recommend every detail in every resource listed here. These are sources I’ve gathered bits and pieces from over many years and I would encourage you to use the Spirit of discernment and your own best judgment as you explore them. The same goes for my children’s recommendations. Every families comfort level for media and books is so different so certainly be diligent in your own awareness.

I’m always happy to chat further, share what I’ve learned, try to answer any questions you may have, or point you toward additional resources! I'm still learning a lot, but I hope this helps get you started.

My Top Favorites for Moms

These are the resources that have been particularly meaningful for me. You may or may not have the same experience, but I always recommend them first.

Additional Books & Resources

Temple Symbolism & Scripture

On Fairy Tales, Mythology & Literary Symbolism

Podcasts & Online Resources

Art & Visual Inspiration

A Few Thoughts on Teaching Children

Time and time again I am AMAZED at how naturally symbolically literate children are. Their imaginations are incredible and they often recognize connections that adults overlook. I also wonder, perhaps, how much this next generation has already been trained in this language…somewhere once upon a time…in the pre-pre-existance.

Having said that though I’m always hesitant to encourage parents to jump straight into teaching symbolism as a formal lesson. There is a delicate balance between helping children discover deeper meaning and turning an experience into a lecture they aren’t ready for. What children need first is exposure to great stories.

Think about the stories we remember most clearly from our own childhoods. We can often make connections between stories we know well because their characters, images, and patterns are familiar to us. Think of what you know about Nephi, Alma, Moses, or Noah. Or maybe and most likely it’s a fairy tale we grew up watching through Disney. The more familiar we become with these stories, the easier it is to recognize their echoes in other places. So our goal isn’t necessarily to explain every symbol to our children. It’s to surround them with beautiful stories, images, and ideas so they have something to draw from as they grow.

But, I also don’t think we shouldn’t do anything. What a great opportunity the Lord has given us to recognize these patterns. Fairy tales and mythology house so many great treasures and hold these stubborn bits of truth that help set a foundation and help us come to better understand our temple experience so why wouldn’t we share them as a sort of “temple prep.”

So, here is what I recommend - when teaching children to read metaphorically or look for deeper layers in a story, one of the most powerful questions you can ask them (and yourself is):

“What does this remind you of?”

This question invites children to discover the golden thread connecting stories that speak to one another. So, for example, a child might recognize a connection between Moses wandering in the wilderness and Hansel and Gretel becoming lost in a forest. You don’t have to explain the entire connection for them. You can simply give them room to notice it.

I’ve taught a handful of children around ages 8+ and I’ve found that ages 8–12 can be a particularly perfect time for building these connections. They are often imaginative, curious, and eager to recognize patterns. And as children grow older, they can begin to understand metaphor more explicitly and engage in deeper conversations about the layers of a story. Usually around age 12+ is a great time to begin helping children “see” differently and be able to engage in deeper conversations about imagery. But I wouldn’t necessarily sit down with a 12 year old and explain all the symbolism in Narnia if it’s their first time reading it. First, there needs to be foundation of a love of reading and story established. They simply need to enjoy the story and if you catch them returning to it, then, when the time is right, you can begin to open the door to it’s layered meanings.

I do enjoy teaching children around ages 8+ symbolism particularly when they are already familiar with the stories though. In cases where these scripture and fairy tale stories have been part of their family culture for years, it’s incredible to see the connections they can see. As is often the case in family life, you can teach to the oldest child and let the younger ones listen in. I continue to be amazed by how often my own children, all ages, notice something I haven’t seen. Sometimes all it takes is a little awareness and the willingness to look again and so many new doors are unlocked.

One last note, sometimes these stories, especially classic literature and scripture, are written in ways that can be challenging for our modern minds to comprehend. When the language or reading level feels too advanced, trying to read metaphorically can become frustrating rather than fruitful. For this reason, I’m not at all opposed to abridged versions. While some of the imagery and nuance may be lost, one approach is to begin with an abridged version and then revisit the story at a higher reading level, looking for deeper meanings and comparing what you notice. This is also a simple, effective way to gradually increase reading difficulty while building the skills to recognize symbolism along the way.

Recommended Books & Stories for Mom & Children

These are some authors, series, and classic stories worth exploring as you build your family's literary foundation. As mentioned, the goal is not to turn every reading experience into a lesson, but to give children a rich collection of stories and images to draw from.

Scripture Stories

It goes without saying that nothing replaces the actual word of scripture, but, especially for children, it can be helpful to hear simplified versions of the stories first. Admittedly, I have learned a lot from reading children’s versions along side them

  • The Golden Children’s Bible: I searched high and low for a children’s illustrated bible that would preserve imagery and this was definitely the best out there - even above one’s with more modern illustrations.

  • Illustrated Book of Mormon: There aren’t nearly enough options out there for illustrated BOM’s but I think these are pretty good. There is also a Bible edition.

The Grimm’s Fairytales

If you’ve never read Grimm’s Fairy Tales, you may be surprised by how dark or unsettling some stories seem. When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm collected these tales in the early 1800s, their goal was to preserve German folklore, not simply write children’s bedtime stories. At first, I struggled to understand many of the tales and wondered why any parent would ever let their children read them. But as I began better understanding the language of symbolism, the stories took on a whole new meaning. What once seemed strange and sometimes gruesome I learned to see deeper spiritual layers and lessons about good and evil, courage, justice, and redemption. In a world where we call good evil and evil good, these tales are actually refreshingly blunt on good and evil.

You can absolutely choose gentler picture-book versions for younger children and in most cases, I would probably recommend you do so. But also don’t be surprised if children are less troubled by some the imagery in these stories than adults are. Fairy tales allow us to explore frightening things while discovering the hope that evil can be overcome. A child’s imagination can only go so far as their experience. As G.K. Chesterton famously wrote, “The objection to fairy stories is that they tell children there are dragons. But children have always known there are dragons. Fairy stories tell children that dragons can be killed.”

Mythology, Legends & Traditional Tales

  • Greek & Roman Myths, Norse Myths: You have to be really careful with mythology but I like the D’Aulaires’ and Classic Starts versions because I know they’re clean.

  • Classic Starts: There are lots of these abridged versions available for mythology and the classics.

  • Echo Echo Reverso Poems about Greek Myths by Marilyn Singer

  • The Gilgamesh Trilogy by Ludmila Zeman

  • Arthurian Legends: Unfortunately, I don’t have any recommendations on these because the one version I tried was not appropriate for younger kids. I’m sure there are some great versions out there though and it’s on my list to keep studying.

  • Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

  • Classical Mythology of the Constellations by Annette Gieskecke

  • 365 Starry Nights: This does not have stories, but is the best I’ve found for learning how to read the night sky. When I use it with my kids I often try to pair it with other books that have constellation stories. Though, admittedly, reading and seeing symbolism in the night sky is definitely not my expertise.

Fantasy & Imaginative Literature

This is a short compilation of a very long list. And, if I have an author on here, it’s likely their other books are worth exploring.

A final thought: You don’t have to know every symbol or understand every layer before you begin. Read the stories, enjoy them together, ask questions, and “turn aside” to what beckons to you. Over time, you will begin to recognize the golden threads connect scripture, fairy tales, literature, art, and the stories of our own lives.