Scripture
D & C 59 :18, 20
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
Hymn
For the Beauty of the Earth #92
1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
[Chorus]
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
2. For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
3. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lesson
Start with the questions:
How do we know that God loves us?
What has God given us?
How does God show his love for us?
Have family members write their answers down on a piece of paper.
Have everyone share their answers.
Begin discussing the things that God has gave to us: Air, Water, Food, our Bodies, Nature and much more.
Talk about the beauty of nature. Read Moses 6:63. Everything denotes that there is a God and that He loves us.
Talk briefly about the creation (see Genesis 1).
Testify.
*Adapting for Teenagers* When talking about God’s creations, discuss the following topics: the balance of nature (relationships between insects, fish, birds, mammals and vegetation); our body’s systems (digestive, respiratory, blood and nervous); the history of knowledge (technology advances and developments); the workings of God among his people.
Optional Object lesson: Place a few radio parts (or a few parts from another electronic) in a plastic bag. Shake it up and explain that from shaking the radio parts (or other parts) that it does not suddenly turn into or become a working radio (or another electronic). The same is true with the creation. It did not happen by chance. It happened because God did it.
Treat
Caramel Apples or Popcorn Balls
Carmel Apples
Prep Time: 8 Min
Cook Time: 2 Min
Ready In: 25 Min
Ingredients:
6 apples
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons milk
(It is recommended to refrigerate the apples overnight before dipping.)
Directions:
1- Remove the stem from each apple and press a craft stick into the top. Butter a baking sheet.
2- Place caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave 2 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool briefly.
3- Roll (or turn) each apple quickly in caramel sauce until well coated. Place on prepared sheet to set.
(Optional: sprinkle on crushed oreo cookies, graham crackers, sprinkles, candy corn, nuts or chocolate chips)
Popcorn Balls
Yields 15 Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups unpopped popcorn (or 3 Bags of Microwave Popcorn)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1- Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. (Or pop 3 bags of microwave popcorn–remove up popped kernels.) Place popped corn in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Set aside.
2- In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer inserted, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to boiling over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, until thermometer reads 238 degrees F (114 degrees C). Stir in vanilla.
3- Pour caramel over popped corn and stir to coat. (Or place popped popcorn and caramel in a paper bag and shake till popcorn is covered in caramel.) Butter hands lightly (Or place plastic baggies on your hands) and shape popcorn into balls about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
(Recipes taken from Allrecipes.com)
Activity
Go on a hike or a nature walk. Point out the things around you that God has created (trees, mountain, ocean, etc). Recognize and acknowledge the beauty of God’s love all around you.
(Optional) Things to do after or during your hike or nature walk:
1- Make a nature collage of items collected while on the nature walk (leaves, rocks, shells, sticks, etc) by gluing them to a paper or poster board.
2- Collect leaves to make a colorful collage. Glue them to a paper or poster board.
3- Collect leaves and make leaf rubbings.
To make leaf rubbing:
Place a leaf under a piece of paper and rub a crayon on the paper that the leaf is under. The texture of the leave should then show up on the paper. Use several different colors and leaves to make a beautiful leaf collage.
4- Gather seashells and make a seashell collection.
5- Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Provide each family member with a list of various things to find in nature. (Examples: a colored leaf, a rock as big as your fingernail, a piece of trash, a stick, an insect, etc).
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
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