Stewards of the Earth: A Sacred Calling
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What does being a steward of our environment mean to us? The late U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka of Hawaii explained, “The relationship between Native nations and their environment is sacred. It is the foundation of their cultures and worldview.” Like Akaka, Latter-day Saints understand that the Earth exists as more than just a resource for our use. Earth is sacred to us — eternal, even. It witnesses God in the ways trees reach toward heaven, bees pollinate flowers, and rivers rush into the ocean.
This essay weaves quotes from publications by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the gospel topics essay “Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability,” with examples of people, communities, song, and scripture that exemplify how we can fulfill our duty to be stewards.
“This beautiful Earth is the creation of God. To truly reverence the Creator, we must appreciate His creations. The Earth, all living things, and the expanse of the universe all eloquently witness of Him.”
How many of us have witnessed the majesty of a mountain peak or the shimmer of sunlight on a lake and contemplated our Creator? A beloved Primary song makes this connection.
Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky,
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by,
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by our lilac tree,
I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heav’nly Father created for me.
Our knowledge of and appreciation for our environment informs our relationship with God and with each other. As advocates of responsible governing and healthy communities, we study issues that impact life on Earth and the planet itself. One of MWEG’s principles of ethical government states: “Governments and members of society have an obligation to exercise responsible stewardship of the Earth, thereby protecting not only the well-being of their citizens, but also that of both future generations and other citizens of the planet.”
“As beneficiaries of this divine creation, ‘we should care for the Earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations.’”
After the 1976 anti-apartheid riots in Soweto, South Africa, Julia Mavimbela initiated a community project teaching youth to grow food for their families. She encouraged them to “break the soil of bitterness” caused by the strife of their day. Five years later, Mavimbela joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became one of the first people to serve in the new Johannesburg temple. Mavimbela became known for her work teaching gardening to youth, instilling in them respect for the Earth and a way to benefit from its bounty. Her dedication to grow gardens and instruct future generations exemplifies “wise” stewardship of the planet’s resources.
"We strive to make our homes, neighborhoods, and cities beautiful, recognizing that doing so requires careful consideration based on local circumstances. We preserve resources and protect for future generations the spiritual and temporal blessings of nature."
The Earth is our beautiful home for now, our training ground where we learn to be more like the Savior. It sustains, protects, and gladdens us. We must be careful stewards to preserve our good experiences for our neighbors, children, and grandchildren.
LDS temples are recognized for their beautiful gardens filled with plants and flowers native to their regions. Isaiah’s dream that the desert would “blossom as the rose” manifested at the Salt Lake temple grounds in the late 1880s. Today, teams of professional landscape architects, master gardeners, and volunteers spend time and effort beautifying the grounds of temples all over the world. These gardens are teeming with life and symbolize the hope offered by Jesus Christ, which is realized through ordinances performed inside the temples.
“God has made us accountable for the care and preservation of the Earth and the wise use of its resources. As stewards, we must be diligent in using the Earth’s resources wisely, using only what we need and being conscious of the effects of our actions on the environment and others."
Responsible stewardship requires care for our land, water, and air quality while protecting and conserving natural spaces. Natural resources are blessings to be used with restraint, not exploitation. Elder Steven E. Snow, an emeritus General Authority Seventy who often spoke about environmental stewardship, emphasized troubling overdevelopment in parts of our country. As an example, he identified the paradox between the settlers of Southern Utah and the developers of today, saying, “Though early settlers may have been too busy surviving to enjoy the beauty of Southern Utah, they preserved it.”
“The Earth has many natural resources that will provide for the human family if they are used as the Lord instructed — to care for the poor and those in need and to not use more than is required, to avoid waste, and to not forcibly take resources from another. The fulness of the Earth is to be used with wisdom and restraint.”
Each of us is a child of heavenly parents, and the Earth is God’s creation, too. We learn through scripture that God’s children are accountable to his other creations, and though the Earth is described as plentiful, taking more than our share and not giving to the “poor and needy” comes with consequences. Indeed, data shows that the “climate crisis disproportionately hits the poor.”
The Navajo Nation is one population that experiences extreme water poverty; as of 2021, 30% of homes did not have access to running water. The LDS Church has partnered with DigDeep to fund and install water systems in homes, chipping away at the number of Navajo Nation households suffering without clean water.
“A unified effort — where governments, faith and community leaders, media, industry, scholars, and families work together — is the way to achieve the noble goal of revitalizing the Earth and the greater human family.”
Being an involved citizen of the world around us could mean belonging to a civic group like Mormon Women for Ethical Government. Environmental issues are one of MWEG’s four focus areas, and stewardship of the Earth is the focus of one of our principles of ethical government.
Group advocacy provides the resources and information to amplify individual voices and actions. Becoming an involved citizen implies investing in a cause greater than self. MWEG empowers women to contact their federal, state, and local leaders about specific environmental issues. MWEG informs and educates on the impacts of environmental actions. Members of MWEG are stewards in a variety of ways, ranging from answering calls to action, writing op-eds, composting, and using incentives to install solar panels, drive electric vehicles, or increase their home's efficiency.
“Even though the Earth will be perfected after the Lord’s Second Coming, we still need to take care of it now. God has given the Earth and the good things that come of it as blessings to us. They provide for our temporal needs but also bring us joy. To be complacent with or misuse His creations offends God.”
Learning about the spiritual nature of the Earth can help us view our stewardship calling as sacred. As glorious as Earth is today, we believe it will one day “receive its paradisiacal glory.” Though God will eventually glorify it, we have not been given a pass to neglect or harm it in the meantime. Instead, scriptures pertaining to our relationship with the planet point to our care of it.
It is an honor to wonder at the world and cherish its land, waters, and all living things and their surroundings. Recently, the Church added a section to its General Handbook entitled “Caring for the Earth,” and its message describes the fulfillment of this calling to care for the Earth as an act of love for God and our fellow inhabitants. We can celebrate Earth Day by embracing our stewardship with love in action.
This article was written by Sherilyn Stevenson, lead researcher/writer for Mormon Women for Ethical Government, with Paulette Stauffer Henriod, environmental specialist for Mormon Women for Ethical Government.