In this psalm, David of the Old Testament considers the majestic creations of God and wonders aloud why-amongst such wonders-God is mindful of man. “What is man that thou are mindful of him?” (Psalms 8:4). The first three will provide a doctrinal context for the next five sections, which will address more directly what the Church believes about the environment. I have broken this presentation into eight different sections, organized around a verse of scripture. I have been asked to represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this symposium on faith and the environment. I have considered several different approaches to this topic and have decided the only unique thing I could contribute to this symposium would be to explain the doctrine of the LDS Church-as I understand it-pertaining to this earth and all life thereon. And, that is where religion and faith play a major role. I believe that if we understand who we are, the purpose of our existence, and the reason the earth was created-and keep these things in mind-our conduct would rise to a higher, nobler level. that the quality of the earth and its environment will directly affect the quality of our life-and that of future generations.ĭespite what I believe to be almost universal agreement on these postulates, they have been (by many) ignored, unappreciated, and/or simply seen as too costly or inconvenient.that it cannot be reasonably disputed that we depend upon this earth to sustain life, and. In an effort to go to the root of the issue (no pun intended), I suggest, I will not try to unravel these complexities, but they do help us to remember that our approach to the environment must be prudent, realistic, balanced, and consistent with the needs of the earth and of current and future generations. This story shows the inherent complexity of human interaction with the environment: the farmer was making an honest living the only way to achieve produce nursery stock not infested with nematodes was to fumigate yet, the fumigation polluted the earth and as a result, the neighbors lost the use of the groundwater. Although the farmer was eventually dismissed from the case, he had to endure significant stress and some economic repercussions and the fumigant manufacturers (whom we did not represent) dealt with some financial repercussions. And, what of future generations who must grapple with groundwater contamination of an unknown duration? I find it interesting, if not mildly ironic, that it is likely that the very families that sued my client had at some point during the litigation periodically enjoyed fresh, delicious strawberries grown from certified nursery stock! Well, neighbors began to notice an odor in their water, had tests performed, and it seems that not all of the fumigant evaporated into the air, but some portion had leached into the groundwater, rendering it unusable. According to the fumigant manufacturer, the fumigant agent would gasify upon application and evaporate through the soil into the air the nematodes would be killed and the soil and groundwater were said to be unaffected. The proven way (at the time) to rid the plant of this pest and to achieve “certified” status was to fumigate the soil. This farmer raised and sold certified nursery strawberry stock, which could be sold as such only if it was not infested with nematodes, small ground worms that can damage the productivity of the plant. One of the first clients I represented as a young lawyer was a berry farmer near Mount Vernon, Washington. It is an honor to participate in this symposium with those who represent many of the great faith traditions of the world. I am grateful to be among you. We share a common concern for the environment and a common desire to draw others unto the Creator of heaven and earth. Prior to my call as a General Authority for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-which from here on out I will refer to as LDS, I practiced law in the city of Seattle, Washington, where I was born and raised, a place where nature’s splendor is abundantly displayed. This address was given at the 18th Annual Stegner Center Symposium at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on April 12, 2013.
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