The
Heavens Declare
By
John A. Tvedtnes
When
I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art
mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Psalm
8:3-4)
Like the psalmist, I stand in awe at the beauty of the heavens
and the earth and the way in which they sustain the life of mankind
and his fellow creatures. Truly “the heavens declare the glory
of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1),
and “even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of
it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move
in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator”
(Alma 30:44).
During the last few centuries, science has learned a great
deal about the earth and its place in the universe. We now know
the conditions that can enable us and other living things to thrive.
From time to time, as I meditate and pray, I consider these conditions
and thank God for them. I would like to share some of my thoughts
on this matter.
The
Elements
For
man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element,
inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated,
man cannot receive a fulness of joy. (D&C 93:33-34)
The earth consists of all of the elements and compounds necessary
to life, such as oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and others. A large
percentage of the human body is comprised of water, itself made
of hydrogen and oxygen. In addition to the oxygen in water, this
element constitutes roughly one-fifth of the atmosphere we breathe.
It is essential to the process by which the body converts sugars
and fats into energy.
As we and other creatures breathe, we take in oxygen and other
gases and exhale carbon dioxide (comprised of carbon and oxygen)
as a waste product. Without other forces to counteract it, after
eons of time this could result in the depletion of the oxygen
in earth’s atmosphere. This is where plants and oceanic plankton
come in. They take in carbon dioxide, use the carbon as one component
of cells, and release oxygen into the atmosphere.
Even plants and animals that die contribute to life by being
consumed by other creatures (ourselves included) or by leaving
decomposed organic compounds that fertilize other plants. Consider
how very different things would be if there were far less oxygen
in the atmosphere or if there were less atmosphere. Mountainous
regions such as the Andes, the Alps, and the Rockies could not
support some forms of life, including humans.
The atmosphere surrounding the earth is important for more
than the oxygen it provides us and the carbon dioxide it provides
to plants. The size of the atmosphere is one of the factors in
climate, whereby water, picked from the oceans and lakes [1] and oxygen produced in the sea by plankton can
be redistributed around the globe via winds, bringing precipitation
in the form of rain and snow, and sometimes sleet or hail. This,
in turn, replenishes the lakes and streams on which many forms
of life depend.
Climate
Climate is determined by a number of other factors, including
the ratio of water to land mass, the ability of land and sea,
as well as the atmosphere, to retain heat from sunlight and transfer
it, [2] the coriolis effect (the rotation of the earth
on its axis, which affects both water and wind currents), and
the inclination of earth’s axis to the plane of the ecliptic. [3]
About two-thirds of the earth is comprised of water. Creatures
of various kinds abound in the waters at all depths and on virtually
all land surfaces. Some even live in the permanent ice caps at
the north and south poles and in glaciers atop mountains. Even
the driest deserts are home to various plants and creatures, some
of which must either migrate or hibernate underground until the
next rain. Some plants, rather than depending on rain, rely on
water vapor known as mist or fog. The variety of plant life on
the earth is due, in part, to the amount of rainfall in different
regions.
The size of earth’s atmosphere is directly attributable to
the earth’s gravitational pull, which holds the gases in place.
Gravity, in turn, is related to the size of the globe. A smaller
planet would not hold sufficient atmospheric gases, while a much
larger planet would have a gravity that would crush us under our
own weight. The thickness of earth’s atmosphere, coupled with
the layer of ozone that surrounds the earth, is also advantageous
because it screens out much of the cosmic radiation that could
destroy many life forms. A thinner atmosphere would also not be
warmed sufficiently by sunlight.
Earth’s magnetic field, generated by the churning action of
a superheated inner core composed mostly of molten iron, causes
much of the deadly solar radiation (in the solar wind) to go around
the earth, with the heaviest fall to earth being at the poles. [4]
Earth’s proximity to the sun and the moon also play a role
in providing an environment conducive to life. Diurnal tides are
largely the result of the moon’s gravitational effect on the oceans,
though solar gravity also plays a role. As the tide rises, it
replenishes the water left behind in tidal pools that support
various forms of life, bringing in fresh nutrients from the sea.
The tides, along with the wind and water currents produce the
motion that results in waves crashing on shore. This action traps
air molecules in the water, replenishing the oxygen supply it
needs to support sea life. Wave action at sea has the same effect.
The
Forces of Nature
And
every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the
field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea,
that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed;
And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all
things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell
upon all the earth. (D&C 101:24-25)
Even forces of nature that are often destructive play a role
in maintaining life on our planet. For example, while thunderstorms
can produce killer tornadoes, they also generate lightning, which
is hot enough to fuse nitrogen to oxygen, producing nitrogen oxide,
which then comes down with rain to fertilize the soil. A secondary
effect of high winds, including cyclones (tornadoes over water)
and hurricanes, [5] is that they pick up water from lakes and oceans
to provide moisture to the atmosphere. This ultimately results
in precipitation.
Volcanoes provide additional gases and molten rock (both ash-like
tephra and lava) to the earth’s surface. Indeed, basalt, a black
rock resulting from cooled lava, when decayed, provides some of
the most fertile soil. One need only see color photos of the lush
volcanic islands of Hawaii to appreciate the value of this process.
Scientists got a first-hand look at how volcanoes affect life
when a new island, Surtsey, was formed by an undersea volcano
near Iceland in 1963. Within a few years, the island was supporting
plants, insects, and sea birds. All of Iceland itself is composed
of volcanic outcropping and its inhabitants trap the volcanic
steam-vents to warm their homes in wintertime.
A less dramatic destructive process is erosion by both wind
and water, which is the major means whereby rocks decay, producing
soil in which plants can grow. In many places, diurnal temperature
changes also help speed up this decay process by causing the rocks
to expand when heated and contract when cooled, producing fissures
into which water can work its magic. [6]
In the face of danger from lightning, heavy rains and hail,
snow, floods, winds, and other phenomena of nature, the earth
provides us and various creatures with shelter, in the form of
caves and rocky overhangs; houses built of stone, wood, or brick;
both high and low ground when needed. [7]
The
Medicinal Value of Plants and Animals
But
ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of
the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and
it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto
thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath
wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,
and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:7-10)
In addition to being a food source, plants and animals provide
medicines used by humans to ward off disease and disability. The
Book of Mormon includes a passing reference to this topic, in
Alma 46:40: “And there were some who died with fevers, which at
some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not
so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of
the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the
cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of
the climate.”
Mankind has used herbal remedies for thousands of years. Even
our modern pharmaceuticals are largely based on derivatives of
plants and other organisms that heal or prepare the body’s immune
system to resist disease. Take, for example, the most commonly-used
medicine, aspirin, is derived from the bark of the yew tree. Prior
to the arrival of Europeans, the natives of Peru used an infusion
of the bark of the cinchona tree to treat fever. From it comes
quinine sulfate, used to lessen the symptoms of malaria. In the
ancient Near East, poultices of grapes or figs were placed on
wounds (cf. 2 Kings 20:7). [8] Alcohol, fermented from various plants, is still
used as a disinfectant (cf. D&C 89:7). [9]
Microorganisms are frequently used to fight infections of other
microscopic creatures. For example, dead forms of flu and smallpox
virus can be used to inoculate against the live forms that cause
disease. One of the most widespread medicines used during the
20th century was penicillin, which is a living mold
such as one finds on stale bread. (Egyptian history professor
Aziz Atiya believed that stale bread, which was the staple diet
of early Egyptian Christian hermits, was the reason they lived
up to a century, with the mold fighting off diseases.)
For
the Beauty of the Earth
Another major benefit that we receive from the earth is its
beauty. Consider how you feel while seated on a bed of grass,
watching the clouds drift by, listening to the sound of water
gently falling over rocks in a riverbed and birds singing in the
trees and other creatures feeding nearby. Can anything be more
relaxing? There is more to nature than the food and shelter it
can provide. The beauties we perceive by the senses, especially
sight and sound, overcome anxiety and fear, lowering our blood
pressure and causing the brain to release the endorphins that
provide a sense of well-being.
Man’s
Stewardship
For
it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable,
as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared
for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and
built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are
mine. (D&C 104:13-14)
In view of all the gifts that God has provided us on the earth,
should we not treat our planet with the greatest respect and love?
Should we not do all in our power to sustain it as it sustains
us? If God observes even the fall of a sparrow (Matthew 10:29),
can we be any less concerned about the welfare of his creatures?
Should we not, as stewards of God’s creation, thank him for all
he has given us?
Mortality is a testing-ground, a place of training where we
learn to do God’s work. If we cannot take care of the earth and
God’s creatures, how can we expect that he will trust us to take
care of other planets? If faithfully fulfill our duties as God’s
stewards, he will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew
25:21).
And
again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things,
by which they move in their times and their seasons; And their
courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth,
which comprehend the earth and all the planets. And they give
light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their
minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their
months, in their years—all these are one year with God, but not
with man. The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his
light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the
stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in
their glory, in the midst of the power of God. Unto what shall
I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand? Behold, all these
are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or the least of these
hath seen God moving in his majesty and power. (D&C 88:42-47)
