For the Beauty of the Earth

My friend Brenda and I went for a walk this morning because the weather was absolutely beautiful! A slight breeze, few clouds and the trees... oh my heavens THE TREES!! I love fall. It is my absolutely favorite time of yr. The smells, the colors, the air and just that wonderful feeling. It fills me with joy and with that joy, I think of all the other beauty I come across every day. The beauty of my friends, the beauty of family, the beauty of children and their perfect innocence. The beauty of church houses and the temples. I can go on and on. And today just made me think of the wonderful hymn:

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,


[Chorus]
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.


2. For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,


3. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,


How could we not look at the beauty all around us and just wonder and praise the creator who created this place? There is so much trouble in the world *cough Obama cough* but just look out your window.. so much good also!

I found this from the wonderful prophet Gordon B Hinckley- he gave a talk at BYU once and talked of 10 of his own personal beliefs. This is what he wrote about being thankful for the earth and the beauty.

"Two: I believe in beauty.
The earth in its pristine beauty is an expression of the nature of its Creator. The language of the opening chapter of Genesis intrigues me. It states that “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” (Gen. 1:2.) I suppose it presented anything but a picture of beauty.

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3.) And so the creation continued until “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31.)

I interpret this to mean that it was beautiful, for “out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight.” (Gen. 2:9.)

I believe in the beauty of nature—the flowers, the fruit, the sky, the peaks, and the plains from which they rise. I see and believe in the beauty of animals.

I see and admire beauty in people. I am not so concerned with the look that comes of lotions and creams, of pastes and packs as seen in slick-paper magazines and on television. I am not concerned whether the skin be fair or dark. I have seen beautiful people in all of the scores of nations through which I have walked. Little children are beautiful everywhere. And so are the aged, whose wrinkled hands and faces speak of struggle and survival.

I believe in the beauty of personal virtue. There is so much of ugliness in the world in which we live. It is expressed in coarse language, in sloppy dress and manners, in immoral behavior which mocks the beauty of virtue and always leaves a scar. Each of us can and must stand above this sordid and destructive evil, this ugly stain of immorality."

Breathtaking isn't it???