This Beautiful Earth

"How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? "

Every part of this earth is sacred. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is evidence of a divine hand. The sap which courses through the trees the perfumed flowers, the crashing waves, the great eagle, the

rocky crests, the desert winds, the ancient oaks...indeed every grain of sand were made by Him.

Is one portion of land the same to you as the next? Have you taken from the land whatever you need and forgotten to give anything back? Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

When was the last time you stopped to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of the insect's wings. Did you hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around the pond at night? When you are saddened by the clatter of life, are you comforted by the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with pinon pine. Or do you refuse to be comforted?

The modern man does not seem to notice the air he breathes.The air is precious for all things share the same breath, the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The wind that gave my grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. The wind that brings the Winter snows also carries the Spring showers. Invisible in the air is the essence of life - oxygen. You can't see it, but it provides the building blocks of your energy and the oxidation that eventually kills.

If all the trees, all the beasts of the field, all the wild flowers were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. All things are connected. Without the earth, joy is lost.

You must teach your children that the Earth is a sacred gift. It is rich with the abundance of all that has gone before and can produce enough food for all who will go after. The Earth is precious to Him who created it, and to harm the Earth is to heap contempt on its creator. To care for the Earth is to show respect for its creator.

Dig your toes into the warm soil, cool your toes in the waves of the sea. Feel your aliveness. Give thanks for the sights, sounds and smells that were given to you to freely enjoy. Take comfort in the beauty of nature and let the discontent of human troubles fade.

The great Creator "leadeth away the righteous into precious lands and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes." (1 Ne 17:38) In the words of Mormon, "Who can comprehend the marvelous works of God? Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be: and by the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word miracles have been wrought." (Morm 9:16-17) Whatever your troubles, the Creator has the power to create the perfect remedy, the most pleasing scene and the reconciliation of all parties. Turn to Him and give thanks for his creation. In your righteous desires, you will see his guiding hand toward the promised land (his perfect creation).

Some of the ideas herein are attributed to a speech by Chief Seattle of the Suquamish tribe