The world denotes there is a God, and BYUH Religion professors share their insights into the Creation of the earth and the immensity of space
The sunrise dispels the dark.
The night sky dazzles with hope.
The mountains are our connection to heaven.
BYU–Hawaii professors said God is in the very details of everything people see.
God is in nature
Aaron Shumway, a Religious Education director and associate professor in the Faculty of Religious Education, said, “You don’t often find individuals who combine a mastery of form with a mastery of art, beauty and aesthetic. The Creation is evidence that the Savior is a functional, scientific and [all-knowing being] who is also an artist and knows what beauty is.”
Before the Lord created this earth, he had already created innumerable worlds, said Shumway. He added, “He had done this so many times and He did everything just as we needed it.” Every scientific discovery, every new material or every new way of organizing the materials God has put here make the Creation of the earth fascinating, he said. Shumway said it is mindblowing to know how God anticipated the inventions of cellphones, space travel and other future technologies.
Matthew L. Bowen, an associate professor in the Faculty of Religious Education, said the beauty, immensity and grandeur of God’s creations amazes him the most. “Scientists look out through the deep space telescopes thinking they have found the edge. They look a little further and they figure out they haven’t found the end,” he said.
Bowen continued by sharing the words to the song “If You Could Hie to Kolob,” which is written by William W. Phelps. The song says, “There is no end to the matter, there is no end to space, [...] nor seen the outside curtains.” Bowen said this concept from Phelps is talking about how when people think they have found [the edge], they actually haven’t.
Po Nien (Felipe) Chou, a professor in the Faculty of Religious Education, said, “It is incredible just to be in nature and to see the beauty and variety of God’s creation.” He said the Creation goes beyond a body of water, land masses, vegetation, flowers, animal life or even with the man and woman that were created. He shared that there is a variety of people and it is visible at BYUH, where people from other countries, cultures and languages come together.
The beauty of the world
Chou said the sunrise is one of the many details in nature that amazes him the most. “I love to watch the sunrise,” he said. He said he enjoys seeing the whole world dark and watching the sunrise suddenly rise from the horizon, “dispelling the darkness and filling the whole earth with light.”
Shumway said, in contrast to Chou, “The night sky, for me, has often been a special part of nature.” He said whenever he looks up to the sky during the night or when he is on a hike with his family or his son, he observes there is so much out there. He said these experiences show him that there is no way the earth was created by chance.
Shumway shared his experience of his grandfather’s death when he was 13. “I remember laying outside of our house and staring at the night sky, thinking, ‘Where are you, Grandpa?’ Just knowing he is out there somewhere,” he said. Out of all the nature vistas out there, Shumway said the night sky is the one that makes him say, “Wow! There is a God, He is out there.”
Bowen said he is partial to mountains and the idea of mountains as a temple. He also shared how Isaiah and 2 Nephi explain the importance of the mountain as the Lord’s house. “The idea that God meets human beings on the mountain. It’s a kind of meeting point between heaven and earth. I love things like that,” he said.
“I am deeply touched by the beauty around us here on the island,” said Bowen. He said he grew up in Utah, where beautiful manifestations of nature are everywhere. He said while teaching the Pearl of Great Price, he contemplated the relationship between Jesus Christ as the Creator and Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of Creation. “What He creates, He redeems,” Bowen explained.
Bowen said this idea leads him to the conclusion that there is something about the Redemption being a part of the Creation. He said, “Something isn’t completely created as it is intended to be until it is fully redeemed and sanctified by Christ.” He said this has important implications for the nature and people we see around us.
The reason for the Creation
Chou said he remembers his high school and college years when he took biology classes and learned about the different animals, insects, trees and vegetation. “It has strengthened my testimony of God,” he expressed.
Chou explained the more people study all things about the earth, the more people learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. “As I watch, observe and learn about nature, I stand in awe and amazement. It allows me to appreciate Him and understand Him more,” he said.
We hear many creation stories from other cultures and sometimes we forget we have our own, said Shumway. He shared a quote from one of President Nelson’s talks, “The earth was created so families could be.” Shumway continued, “It’s not random. It’s all part of His plan.”
“[The Creation] helps me prioritize what is most important in life,” said Shumway. He said the Creation is not only a place to have families but also to strengthen them. Going on outings and spending time in the environment the Lord created has helped him prioritize family trips and being out on the beach or in the mountains, said Shumway. “We have a firm testimony that this earth is created by a divine being, Jesus Christ, under the direction of the Father so that it fulfills its purposes to prepare us to return to Him,” he shared.
Bowen also said when we are out in the Creation with our family, we realize it is part of the whole purpose of our lives. He said when we realize there is an order and a purpose to life, a lot of other things will fall into place.
Chou shared about the three pillars of eternity from a devotional by Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Chou said, “In order for us to understand the atonement of Jesus Christ, we must understand the Fall of Adam and Eve. And for us to understand the Fall better, we must understand the Creation.” He said the more he understands how things were created and formed, the more he appreciates the Fall and the Atonement of Christ.
Faith and science
“Science and faith are not opposites, but some people might try to put one in opposition to the other for their own purposes,” said Bowen. Most of the prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have emphasized the importance of embracing all truth, said Bowen. He said people should take this idea seriously and embrace whatever truth they learn from science and through revelation, scripture studies and faith.
Additionally, Chou said, “Faith and science are not exclusive. They are connected.” He added he believes if people understand both, they will see how they testify of each other.
Bowen explained believing in the scriptures and believing in revelation does not compromise our opportunities to learn truths about science. “We should never put ourselves in that position,” he said.
Chou said, “I am grateful God created this earth for us to enjoy, explore and learn.” The more people understand, appreciate and take care of what the Lord has given them, they become better stewards of the earth, he said. Chou added that the Creation also allows us to know and understand Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.