All humankind are stewards over the earth and should gratefully use what God has given, avoid wasting life and resources and use the bounty of the earth to care for the poor and the needy.
The Church teaches that God created the earth to provide a place for the human family to learn, progress and improve. God first created the earth and all living things spiritually, and all living things have great worth in His eyes. One of Mormonism’s most sacred religious ceremonies includes a portrayal of the loving care taken by God in creating this earth as a place for learning, experience and joy.
The earth and all things on it should be used responsibly to sustain the human family. However, all are stewards — not owners — over this earth and its bounty and will be accountable before God for what they do with His creations.
Approaches to the environment must be prudent, realistic, balanced and consistent with the needs of the earth and of current and future generations, rather than pursuing the immediate vindication of personal desires or avowed rights. The earth and all life upon it are much more than items to be consumed or conserved. God intends His creations to be aesthetically pleasing to enliven the mind and spirit, and some portions are to be preserved. Making the earth ugly offends Him.
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Latter-day Saints live in a variety of environmental and economic circumstances throughout the world and have differing needs and capabilities. Though the Church does not typically take a stand on specific governmental or regulatory proposals for dealing with environmental challenges, it teaches these important principles of stewardship and reverence, hoping they are remembered and applied in the lives of members as they care for God’s creations.
The state of the human soul and the environment are interconnected, with each affecting and influencing the other. The earth, all living things and the expanse of the universe all eloquently witness of God.
Video and transcript: Elder Marcus B. Nash Address: "Righteous Dominion and Compassion for the Earth"
Selected Scriptures and Church Leader Statements on Environmental Stewardship and Conservation
Additional Articles and Resources on Environmental Stewardship and Conservation
The book, Stewardship and the Creation: LDS Perspectives on the Environment, is a publication of the Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. It includes seventeen essays encouraging readers to consider carefully their stewardship in caring for God’s creations. The book is not a formal expression of policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.