For the Beauty of the Earth

Hymn 92 in our hymnbook is For the Beauty of the Earth, a lovely song that reminds us of being thankful, of how beautiful the world we live in is, and of the universe as well. Today I wanted to talk about that beauty, and the many different kinds I've seen already in my life.

A view in Utah

My brother, fishing in a local river

I grew up in Maryland, living in three different towns over the course of about 18 years. I've also gone to school in Utah, and I've served in two different towns in Montana and Wyoming for the past 6 or so months. I can say that I've enjoyed being in every single one of those places. Each town, city, or area has beauty that makes me appreciate this wonderful earth a little more. For example, living in Havre de Grace, MD allowed me to enjoy being around trees and water almost constantly. Moving to Forest Hill gave me a chance to see the more rural area of the same county, as well as enjoying the close effect that hills and trees combined create. While Utah wasn't nearly as green, it did have mountains and views that lasted more than 2 or 3 miles. It was amazing, and something I hadn't seen before.

A Montana sunset I captured

Now I'm serving in Montana and Wyoming. When people hear I'm from Maryland, I often hear "You're a long way from home!" or "Oh, it's beautiful out there!" or something else. To these, I say that it's only a few thousand miles from home or I say that it's beautiful here, too. I've seen gorgeous sunsets, beautiful mountains, and my first double rainbow. I am so thankful for the beauty that surrounds us every day. I love this earth, and I'm happy to be on a mission. Please, take some time to enjoy the sites around you. If you have time afterwards, ask me about what else helps me to see beauty all around me, and I'll gladly talk about the truths that provide me with an eternal perspective.

Optimism

Nathan Fillion, actor
that plays Mal

One of my favorite TV series is Firefly, a sci-fi series that has been called a "space western" quite accurately. The captain of the titular ship, Malcolm Reynolds, is an interesting guy, somewhere between a scoundrel, a noble, an idealist, and an I-don't-care-anymore type of guy. One of the things he says, though, really got me thinking just recently. He states "It's a real burden being right so often." Out of context, it is a good description of his character; bold, self-absorbed, and rather humorous. However, in context it comes right after his doom-filled prediction comes true, and he is instead talking about how he doesn't want to be right like that all the time.

As I thought about it more, I realized that it really is a burden, being like Captain Mal. Instead of seeing the day as an opportunity to grow, hoping for the best, and being optimistic, he has the burden of expecting bad things to happen and then seeing them happen. I do not mean by saying this that it is better to always expect the good, because then unexpected trouble can really mess up a day, but I do mean that having an optimistic outlook on life brings quicker joy, longer mirth, and better happiness.

One of my favorite people, President Gordan B. Hinckley, had it right. He was described as optimistically realistic, or that he would see what is happening and find the reason to be happy and hopeful. This world is full of events that can cause real worry, but if we instead remember Christ and the amazing Atonement he has accomplished for us we can be hopeful of the future and ready to do work to make it happen. I hope you can remember the goodness that you've received, and if you're having a hard time, I'd suggest a classic hymn, Count Your Many Blessings.

Time Flies on Wings of Lightning

I like music. Not nearly as much as some of the people I've met (including my awesome brother), but I like the interesting methods that artists use to fascinate the mind and tickle the ears. Some especially important songs are hymns, or sacred songs, and I've decided to repeat what I did in a previous post and start with one of them.

Boom! Lightning, there for a brief moment.

Improve the Shining Moments is a hymn encouraging us to, simply put, improve our use of time. The second verse begins with the words found in the title to this post, and contains great wisdom in poetic form. Looking back on my life, I can say that time really has felt like it has flown by incredibly fast. Like the message of the hymn, we should not sit idly by while we could be improving our futures, others' days, or the world's destiny. While there is always a chance that things could get better on their own, the only way to affect that change is by being involved and changing what you can.

It is easy to look back with regret and say "I wish I had [done something different]..." but this reminds me of a saying, which I can't find the original due to its popularity; "the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today." Yes, it would have been better to have done a few things differently in the past. I wish I had applied myself more in school, to have tried more activities and to do my best more often. I can't change that, but I can change what I'll do next time such as striving for excellence in college, being active in class and outside of class, and not letting my past worry me more than pushing me to do better today.

Fortunately our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not judge the way man does (1 Samuel 16:7). They will judge us with perfect justice and mercy, considering the difficulties we've suffered through as well as our actions, our desires, and our faithfulness. One parable that explains this is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). I like to notice that despite some laborers only working for one hour, they still received the same pay at the end of the day. I then compare this to our individual lives, that if at the end of the day we are laboring we will receive the same reward as those that have been laboring from the beginning of their lives. It is not too late, for you, your neighbor, me, anybody! My testimony is that you can change your life with the Book of Mormon. Try it out!

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

Have you ever seen or heard of somebody doing something ridiculously difficult, weird, or otherwise some kind of sacrifice? For instance, as a missionary I am basically sacrificing two years of my life, and two years that are normally highly productive for today's youth. However, there is also a saying that serving a mission is not a sacrifice because of the bountiful blessings received because of my service. Today I want to share my opinion on sacrifice and what it really means.

Painting of Joseph Smith Jr.

First, I'd like to talk about Joseph Smith the prophet. He went through many trials, and he undoubtedly sacrificed many things, from comfort to safety. The church he helped found, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now honors him for the work he did and his worthiness to be the first prophet of this dispensation. One of the ways we do this is through the hymn Praise to the Man, from which this post gets its title. I feel that what Joseph Smith did was a great sacrifice, and because of his courage and call as a prophet we are all able to partake of the "blessings of heaven." I also feel that the idea of sacrifice can extend into our lives so much farther.

We gain nothing on this earth without some element of sacrifice. When we earn something, we sacrifice time, money, and sometimes more to receive that something. I know that many people that view things differently, preferring to view earning something as just that. In this regard, I disagree with them without wanting to change their point of view. Instead, I think that realizing everything we do is a sacrifice of some sort, either through lost time if we choose to relax or lost energy if we choose to work or some similar sacrifice, will help us make better decisions as we look forward at the consequences. We need to choose consequences, not actions, and we have been given advice on what actions have the best consequences through the prophets and the scriptures. I encourage you to seriously consider learning what they have to say and applying their teachings to your life. Ask me a question, or ask missionaries to visit you.