I love wildflowers. I also like flowers that were planted in gardens. I took these pictures of various wildflowers in the mountains of northern Utah. I have so many more. The variety of flowers I find when I go hiking amazes me. I am not an avid hiker, I just go on casual walks in the mountains. And I usually go within a half hour drive of my house. With that in mind, it amazes me even more that I can find such a variety of flowers. We live in a desert climate. Honestly, compared to other places on the earth, there shouldn't be much to see. And yet, God has blessed us with beautiful things all around us.
"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart" (Doctrine and Covenants 59:18).
That is one of my favorite scriptures. Lately, I may or may not have been writing that a lot of scriptures are my favorite. It's because my favorite scripture depends on the subject. I love to study the earth, its physical history, and the way it continues to change. The whole world is AMAZING! There's nothing, including weather patterns, that I don't find awe-inspiring. I chose one little tiny part of the earth--flowers--to show the incredible diversity and beauty that Jesus Christ has given us both for our use and also to "please the eye and to gladden the heart."
In speaking of Jesus Christ, the prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God" (D&C 76:24).
And the Apostle Paul wrote, "[God] hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:2; see also verse 1).
I believe that Jesus Christ created the world and everything in it under the direction of His Father. How glorious are His creations!
"Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein" (Isaiah 42:5).
Knowing that Jesus Christ created the earth changes the way I view the world around me. It causes me to have more respect for plants, animals, and even rocks. I want to recognize my stewardship as a caretaker to Christ's great creations. But more than that, knowing that we are God's creations changes the way I view the people in this world.
"Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?" (2 Nephi 29:7).
"And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. and all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever" (Jacob 2:21).
We are precious in His sight, for we are His. He remembers and knows each one of us. Each person on this earth is precious in His sight. And each person on this earth ought to be precious to me.
When a prophet of old was asked for a sign to prove the existence of God, he replied, "Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator" (Alma 30:44).
As I have seen and studied the glory of His creations, my testimony of Him has been shaped and strengthened. I love my Lord Jesus Christ.
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