Creation

We gathered on a picnic table in the backyard of a friend's house. And yes the weather permits it! Thank you Texas. Anyway, we were talking about the gospel when I looked above Elder Albeston's head into the window. The Duke basketball game unfolded on the TV inside. It looked like a whooping was taking place so congratulations Matt. I sat there a little torn. The game was going on inside, but there were more important things to be done outside. Fortunately, and somewhat ironically, I read earlier that morning in a 1998 Ensign about the Maccabees. Apparently, shortly before Jesus' birth there was a small scale apostasy that the Maccabees helped restore. But what is interesting is one of the main catalysts of the apostasy was a new Greek gymnasium in Jerusalem that lured the Priests away from their service at the altar. It escalated until the priests "despised the temple and neglected the sacrifices". I remembered that story as I saw someone hit a three pointer from downtown. Haha! It made it easier to refocus on the task at hand!

I enjoy the conversations about God we participate in. Everyone has a unique background and different opinions. That is the way it is meant to be! It is good to have differences! When we put all our stories, ideas and beliefs together we create a beautiful tapestry of opinion. And somewhere in the middle of it stands absolute truth. 

The other day we participated in a conversation that intrigued us. This man had a coworker that didn't know if there is a God or not. We gave him some suggestions to help his friend know for himself that there is a God, that He loves him, and He has a plan for him. Since that dialogue took place I've pondered the existence of God and how I can explain this fundamental belief to someone.

My thoughts draw immediately to the words of Alma found in the Book of Mormon " all things denote that there is a God; yea, 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". I love this approach. Whenever there is something created there is always a creator. If we were to happen upon a watch in a field we wouldn't think "Wow! what are the odds the wind blew these materials together to create a time piece!". We would probably think "was that made by Rolex or some other watch company?" The same is true for the universe. When we look into the firmament and ponder the complex nature of the galaxies we wonder how it was made. Was it happen chance? Or was it all planned and prepared specifically for us?

The Second Law of Thermodynamics seems to support the idea that the universe couldn't have aligned itself-- that there had to have been a divine being who helped form it all. Entropy will always exist and will always cause a system to be less organized than it was before. If there was no God there would be no order. There would be no earth, nothing on the earth, no planets and no elliptical orbit! There needs to be a God! My firm belief remains that there is a God!

One more scripture jumps out at me when I think about the creation and the power of God. This scripture was given by revelation to Joseph Smith the prophet. "The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the 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 88:45-47).

I love you all!