Every spring, the earth testifies of Jesus Christ’s Atonement and reminds us that everything and everyone can begin again.
I feel in nature, more than almost anywhere else, the presence of God. Walking in the lush temperate rainforests of Western Washington, I can sometimes catch glimpses through the trees of mountains and valleys that are interspersed with lakes and rivers. Alma taught that “all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it…do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44). Perhaps more than any other season, spring testifies of God’s glory as the earth renews itself.
Photo by Fahim Mohammed Jaseem
In “Beginning Again: Reflections on Exodus 35–40 and Leviticus,” Sister Jenny Champoux also notices how “the earth itself reminds us of the miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which gives each of us the possibility of fresh starts, healing, and new life” through the principles of “purification, sacrifice and atonement, and obedience.” Sister Champoux emphasizes how God taught the Israelites these principles through the Law of Moses. When the Savior came to earth, he fulfilled that law and instituted a new sacrifice: We must want “to sacrifice our old life and begin again” through him. Today, we can also “find God in ordinary, everyday things” just like the Israelites who found “God right there in the wilderness,” as we are obedient to God’s commandments and willingly and frequently sacrifice our old selves to him.
The natural cycles of the earth act as a visual reminder of the plan God has for each of us. At times, we may struggle to find our way in the world, especially as we begin our adult lives. This transition, like seeds traveling in a springtime breeze, may require us to go to places we never expected and learn things about ourselves that we never anticipated. When we rely on Jesus Christ, this doesn’t have to be a frightening experience. We can take comfort in the patterns across scripture and nature that teach us of the renewal and strength that come from our Savior. Every walk with Jesus “is not just a beginning, but a beginning again.”
Read and listen to Jenny Champoux’s article “Beginning Again: Reflections on Exodus 35–40 and Leviticus” for a quick, insightful overview of what Christ’s Atonement means for us.
Source: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
—Faith Murri, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY JACHAN DEVOL
Find more insights
Take a look at Daniel Gifford’s Liahona article, “This Easter, Stop and Consider the Lilies,” for how to find peace in the little things because of Jesus Christ.
Read Sky Gallagher’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Be Forever Changed” to learn how the Resurrection of Jesus Christ can help you navigate trials.
Watch Dr. Francis S. Collins’s BYU speech, “The Road To Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust,” for more ways to recognize God’s hand in nature and for insights into how to situate yourself as a believer in an unbelieving society.