Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

[Adapted from “Consider the Earth, Lovingly Created,” Michele McGrath, May/June 2021 Herald, p. 13]

When God said, “Have dominion over the Earth,” what was meant was “take responsibility for.” We misunderstood this basic charge. We have appropriated for ourselves control over life and production on the planet, taking far more than our share. We have denied our mutual existence as one species among millions, species on whom we depend for the very air we breathe and the food that sustains us. Instead of recognizing our place in the balance of creation, we have placed ourselves at the top, as if we alone matter to God.

The scriptures have a term for putting ourselves first at the expense of others: sin. This ethic of domination, this consumption mindset, is wrong, sinful, contrary to God’s will for creation.

Doctrine and Covenants 163:4b states, “Humankind must awaken from its illusion of independence and unrestrained consumption without lasting consequences.”

If sin is acting as if we are the center of the universe, then salvation is living with God at the center of our lives. It is acknowledging that God is love and desires the wellbeing of all things, and then living in harmony with this objective. If God is radical relationality, then salvation may be understood as finding our place in right relationship with God, others, and the natural world and living appropriately on the planet.

We are a people that have long characterized ourselves as seekers and co-creators of Zion, those who bring forth the kingdom of God not in some distant, disembodied heaven but in the here and now, who “pursue peace on and for the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 165:1d). We uphold as part of our Enduring Principles both the Sacredness of Creation and Responsible Choices. So, let us once again ask ourselves, “Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?”

Prayer Phrase

“We love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Spiritual Practice

Sea of Light

Quiet and center yourself. Ask for God’s healing and guidance as you enter this time of prayerful presence. Close your eyes, breathing deeply and calmly. Imagine you are floating in a beautiful sea of light that rises and falls with each cycle of your breath. The golden light of this sea buoys you up, so you float effortlessly. Waves of light carry and wash over you, bringing wholeness and peace. Rest in the sea of God’s love; then offer a prayer of gratitude.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.