President Thomas S. Monson on exploration, discovery, and creation

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley and then became Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade until his passing in January 2018.

"The spirit of exploration, whether it be of the surface of the earth, the vastness of space, or the principles of living greatly, includes developing the capacity to face trouble with courage; disappointment with cheerfulness; and triumph with humility.

"God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth. He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of finished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the joys and glories of creation."

- Thomas S. Monson, "In Quest of the Abundant Life," Ensign, March 1988, pp. 2-4
Click here to read the full talk

This is a fascinating insight from President Monson into the nature of our mortal experience. We are here to "explore" — to learn to confront problems and opportunities, to make our way through situations of trouble, disappointment, and the triumph, all of which present their own challenges.

I really loved this passage about the reasons for the "incompleteness" of our world, and the opportunities it presents for us to "know the joys and glories of creation."

How well are we doing, collectively and individually, in "finishing" the world? How are we doing in our individual, personal worlds? We each have wonderful raw materials, and the invitation to make something of them.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
September 11, 2015

President Gordon B. Hinckley on the divine witness of nature

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

"John says of the creation that 'all things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.' (John 1:3.)

"Can any man who has walked beneath the stars at night, can anyone who has seen the touch of spring upon the land doubt the hand of divinity in creation? So observing the beauties of the earth, one is wont to speak as did the Psalmist: 'The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.' (Ps. 19:1–2.)

"All of beauty in the earth bears the fingerprint of the Master Creator, of those hands which, after they took the form of mortality and then immortality, Thomas insisted on touching before he would believe."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "Be Not Faithless," General Conference April 1978
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What a privilege it is to enjoy the majesty of God's creations each day! In the springtime we seem particularly blessed by the beauty of the awakening land, and our thoughts are led to the Creator in gratitude.

The day before sharing this post, I had the privilege of spending the entire daylight hours (and a few non-daylight ones) in a somewhat remote, inaccessible wilderness area. I did walk beneath the stars at night, and witnessed many of those touches of spring. I had countless opportunities through the day to ponder President Hinckley's message about the world displaying God's handiwork, and the majesty of "the fingerprint of the Master Creator" all through the earth!

Truly, the hand of the "Master Creator" is visible throughout the earth. May we notice it more frequently, and pause to give thanks when we do!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Russell M. Nelson on the magnificence of man

President Russell M. Nelson (born Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became president of that quorum on July 15, 2015. Following the death of President Monson, he was set apart as president of the Church on January 14, 2018.

"Think, if you will, of the most magnificent sight you have ever seen. It could be a meadow in springtime filled with beautiful wildflowers. Or perhaps you have been awestruck, as I have, at the magnificence of a single rose with its special beauty and perfume. I have come to appreciate the magnificence of an orange—each droplet of juice neatly packaged in an edible container, joined with many other packets, grouped in sections, and all neatly wrapped in a disposable, biodegradable peel.

"Some would say the most magnificent sight they have ever beheld is looking heavenward on a summer night, seeing stars beyond number dotting the sky. Those who have traveled in orbit through space say that their view of planet earth was one of the most magnificent sights ever observed by man.

"Some might choose the view of the Grand Canyon at sunrise—others, the beauty of a mountain lake, river, waterfall, or desert.

"Some might select a peacock with its tail in full fan or a handsome horse. Others would nominate the beauty of butterfly wings, or a hummingbird seemingly suspended in midair while feeding.

"These magnificent sights are wondrous beyond measure. They are all 'great deeds' of our divine Creator.

"You may be surprised at what I am going to suggest now. Ponder the magnificence of all you see when you look in the mirror. Ignore the freckles, unruly hair, or blemishes, and look beyond to see the real you—a child of God created by him, in his image....

"The magnificence of man is matchless. Remember, glorious as this physical tabernacle is, the body is designed to support something even more glorious—the eternal spirit that dwells in each of our mortal frames. The great accomplishments of this life are rarely physical. Those attributes by which we shall be judged one day are spiritual. With the blessing of our bodies to assist us, we may develop spiritual qualities of honesty, integrity, compassion, and love. Only with the development of the spirit may we acquire 'faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, [and] diligence' (D&C 4:6).

"Pattern your lives after our great Exemplar, even Jesus the Christ, whose parting words among men included this eternal challenge: 'What manner of men ought ye to be? ... even as I am' (3 Nephi 27:27).

"We are sons and daughters of God. He is our Father; we are his children. Our divine inheritance is the magnificence of man. May we honor it and magnify it."

- Russell M. Nelson, "The Magnificence of Man," BYU devotional, March 29, 1987
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This message was very touching to me. I truly appreciate the magnificent sights of the world; nature's miracles will never cease to amaze me. I have been awestruck, as President Nelson suggests, both by grand vistas and by the intricacy of a fragrant blossom. But all of that pales in comparison to the image of "a child of God created by him, in his image."

As we learn to "pattern [our] lives after our great Exemplar" we become even more magnificent, and begin to claim our divine inheritance.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on mothers, talents, creation, and happiness

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (born November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He has served as second counselor in the First Presidency since 2008.

"But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy (see 2 Nephi 2:25). Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

"If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.

"You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us (see D&C 46:11–12). The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

"What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

"If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Happiness, Your Heritage," General Conference, October 2008
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Uchtdorf has an interesting premise in this excerpt. We were created to find joy; and we find joy through creation.

Motherhood provides a unique opportunity of creation, and therefore of joy. It begins with the shared process of the creation of life, of helping to provide a physical body for one of Heavenly Father's spirit children. But it continues in the nurturing and education of that new life, in the ways only a mother can. We should all be deeply grateful for our own mothers and the part they played, in the hands of God, in our personal creation.

Then Elder Uchtdorf extends his premise to other aspects of creation, encouraging us to seek and magnify talents of creation in many ways:

Our creations will not be perfect. Many times they are far from it! But each effort to create joy, beauty, or goodness will bless us personally and will be an instrument in God's hands in blessing others. There are so many simple ways to participate in our Father's eternal plan of happiness!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

Neal A. Maxwell on appreciating the beauty in the world

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (born July 6, 1926, died July 21, 2004 at age 78) served as a Seventy from 1976-1981, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve until his death from cancer in 2004.

"The greater our sensitivity to the Spirit, the greater our response to beauty, grace, and truth in all their forms as these exist about us. Our righteousness opens us up like a blossoming flower to both detail and immensity. Sin, on the other hand, closes us down; it scalds the tastebuds of the soul.

"After all, was it not the Creator of the worlds who called our attention to the beauty of the lilies of the field, to the power in the tiny mustard seed, and to the leaves on the fig tree?

"Was it not that same Creator who also asked us, as we observe the heavens, planets, and stars moving in their orbits, to remember that when we have so observed, we have 'seen God moving in his majesty and power' (D&C 88:47)?

"There is so much to see and so much to celebrate righteously. Indeed, appreciation for the world (and all in it) which God has given us is but a prelude to adoration of the God who has so gloriously displayed His creativity for us. Creativity permits us to see the wondrous order of things, their infinite beauty, their scope, but also their incredible detail. To use the words of Moses, we then see and feel things which we 'never had supposed' (Moses 1:10)!"

- Neal A. Maxwell, "Creativity," New Era, August 1982, p. 4
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This is a beautiful, encouraging thought. There is a link between our spiritual sensitivity, and our ability to fully appreciate the "beauty, grace, and truth" that exist around us in any form in the world. We grow in understanding and perception of both the minute details of divine creation, as well as the grand immensity of all around us. But to have the "tastebuds of the soul" scalded by sin is a terrible alternative.

There truly is "so much to see and so much to celebrate righteously"! How blessed we are to be immersed in such glorious testimony of divinity.

Thomas S. Monson on exploration, discovery, and creation

President Thomas S. Monson (b. August 21, 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"The spirit of exploration, whether it be of the surface of the earth, the vastness of space, or the principles of living greatly, includes developing the capacity to face trouble with courage; disappointment with cheerfulness; and triumph with humility.

"God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth. He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of finished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the joys and glories of creation."

- Thomas S. Monson, "In Quest of the Abundant Life," Ensign, March 1988, pp. 2-4
Click here to read the full talk

This is a fascinating insight from President Monson into the nature of our mortal experience. We are here to "explore" — to learn to confront problems and opportunities, to make our way through situations of trouble, disappointment, and the triumph, all of which present their own challenges.

I really loved this passage about the reasons for the "incompleteness" of our world, and the opportunities it presents for us to "know the joys and glories of creation."

Richard G. Scott on finding beauty in life

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928- ) served as a Seventy from 1977-1988, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"Do you take time to discover each day how beautiful your life can be? How long has it been since you watched the sun set? The departing rays kissing the clouds, trees, hills, and lowlands good night, sometimes tranquilly, sometimes with exuberant bursts of color and form. What of the wonder of a cloudless night when the Lord unveils the marvels of His heavens—the twinkling stars, the moonlight rays—to ignite our imagination with His greatness and glory? How captivating to watch a seed planted in fertile soil germinate, gather strength, and send forth a tiny, seemingly insignificant sprout. Patiently it begins to grow and develop its own character led by the genetic code the Lord has provided to guide its development. With care it surely will become what it is destined to be: a lily, crowned with grace and beauty; a fragrant spearmint plant; a peach; an avocado; or a beautiful blossom with unique delicacy, hue, and fragrance. When last did you observe a tiny rosebud form? Each day it develops new and impressive character, more promise of beauty until it becomes a majestic rose.

"You are one of the noblest of God's creations. His intent is that your life be gloriously beautiful regardless of your circumstances. As you are grateful and obedient, you can become all that God intends you to be."

- Richard G. Scott, "Finding Joy in Life," Ensign, May 1996, pp. 24-26
Click here to read the full talk

Elder Scott has reminded us several times in recent years to appreciate the beauty of the world around us, noticing God's creations (a testimony of His glory) in spite of the often busy and complicated pace of our lives. He provides a good list of suggestions in the first paragraph of this excerpt, including sunsets, stars in the heavens, sprouting seeds, glorious blossoms and fruit.

But the real key to his message then is the application to us. After enumerating some of the most beautiful and fascinating of God's creations, this is the main point:

Richard L. Evans on the importance of patience and perspective

Elder Richard L. Evans (1906-1971) served as a Seventy from 1938-1953, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.  He died in 1971 at age 65.  He was known as "the voice of the Tabernacle Choir" from the beginning of its broadcasts in 1929 until his passing.

"There seems to be little evidence that the Creator of the universe was ever in a hurry. Everywhere on this bounteous and beautiful earth, and out into the farthest reaches of the firmament, there is evidence of patient purpose and planning and working and waiting.

"This is a point to remember when we become too impatient with our own problems or with the many unanswered questions that are in the minds of most of us.  And when our troubles trouble us too much, when our lives become too tense, it might be will to take time for a long look—out into the infinite and awesome vastness of the universe—across 'worlds' that can't be counted—in sight of 'suns' that can't be numbered—into space that can't be contemplated by the mortal mind of man....

"Everywhere there is evidence of a long, unhurried plan and pattern and purpose, of intelligence and continuous creation, and of the Creator....

"And a long look at the endless, orderly plan and purpose of the Father of us all may make some of the petty and passing things appear not so important as they sometimes seem. And when we find ourselves in conflict and confusion, we can well learn to wait a while for all the evidence and all the answers that now evade us.

"Thank God for a glorious and interesting world, for truth, for 'infinity,' and for 'eternity' in which to find it—and for faith and assurance of the limitless and everlasting future."

- Richard L. Evans, "The Long Look," The Spoken Word, August 28, 1955; see Improvement Era, November 1955, p. 842; see also Conference Report, Oct. 1952, p. 95
Click here to read the full talk

Elder Evans was such a poetic writer and speaker. His "Music and the Spoken Word" comments were always sensitive and insightful. This is a great example of that; he describes what he understands of God's role as a creator, and how the creation is a manifestation of God's love.

The implication is that we should hurry less, and be more patient and deliberate in our planning and execution. And that we should take time to notice the evidence of God's infinite and awe-inspiring work throughout the vast universe:

During the past week, the world has been in awe as the "New Horizons" spacecraft that was launched almost a decade ago flew near to Pluto, billions of miles away from earth. We've had a small glimpse of the immensity of our own solar system, which is a fraction of the known galaxy, which is a dot within the known universe. But I wonder how many people have taken the time to consider, as Elder Evans suggests, what this says about the Creator and His "intelligence and continuous creation" that surrounds us??