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"It is unrighteousness in general that is bringing the earth down, not just environmental abuse; indeed, one gets the impression from all that Enoch sees and hears in this vision that a little smog is the least of the earth's worries. But that in itself is an important point and teaches a lesson that is often overlooked in discussions about the environment: nature suffers when man is unrighteous. Enoch is telling us [in Moses 7:48] that the earth, like God, has a low tolerance for sin of any sort, and that the strip mining, overgrazing, air pollution, and animal abuse that constitute the meat and drink of mainstream environmentalism today are actually only part, and probably a small part, of the problem. Just as devastating to the planet, perhaps in ways not as immediately apparent but every bit as real, is the 'great chain' Satan holds in his hand, with which he veils 'the whole face of the earth with darkness' (Moses 7:26). One shows 'compassion upon the earth,' to use the prophet's phrase, by keeping all God's commandments, not just those that speak directly to the subject" (Moses 7:49).

Other Sources
Andrew Hedges
Other Writings of Mormons | “'Compassion upon the Earth': Man, Prophets, and Nature,” in Stewardship and the Creation: LDS Perspectives on the Environment, eds. George B. Handley, Terry B. Ball, and Steven L. Peck (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center), 81–8.
Read 392 times Last modified on June 19, 2019