There Is Beauty All Around

Yes, I named this post after the first line of the popular hymn "Love at Home".  I know it's a little bit past Thanksgiving, but we should be looking for the beauty around us all year long, not just at the end of November.  I've been known to be ungrateful in the past, and I felt to post about some of the many sources of beauty that the Lord has placed all around us.

Let's start with some of the easy ones.

There is beauty in our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.  There is beauty in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There is beauty in the atonement, which makes it possible for all of us to return to the presence of God.  There is beauty in repentance, which allows us to overcome our mistakes and choose a better way.

There is beauty in the scriptures.  There is beauty in the Holy Bible, both the Old and the New Testament.  There is beauty in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  There is beauty in the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.  There is beauty in having a living prophet on the earth.  There is beauty in the Twelve Apostles, the other General Authorities, and our stake and ward/branch leaders.  There is beauty in the Aaronic and Melchezidek Priesthood, authority given to man to do the Lord's work on earth and help provide salvation to His children.

There is beauty in nature.  There is beauty in the grandeur of God's creations.  There is beauty in the mountains, the forests, the deserts, the plains.  There is beauty in the sun, the moon, the stars, and all of the planets that move in their regular motions.  There is beauty when our Creator paints a sunset in the sky each night.  There is beauty in the animals and the plants.

Now let's move on to some of the ones that sometimes feel like blessings, and sometimes feel like something else.  There is beauty in our families.  There is beauty in our parents, most of whom did their best to raise us as honest, upright people.  There is beauty in our spouse, even when we don't always get our way.  There is beauty in our children, each one a unique and precious soul learning their way here on the earth.

There is beauty in good, honest hard work.  There is beauty in being employed and providing for your family.  There is beauty in coming home content in a job well done.  There is beauty in having a roof over your head, no matter how humble it may be.  There is beauty in having enough food on the table and clothes on our backs.  There is beauty in modern conveniences, washers and driers, microwaves, computers, hot and cold running water, and indoor plumbing.

But we can go further still.  Some blessings are harder to see because they are more hidden.  There is beauty in pain, as it helps us to grow.  There is beauty in mistakes, which help us learn.  There is beauty in loneliness, for it helps us to appreciate friendship better.  There is beauty in sorrow, as it can open our heart to even greater joy if we allow it to.

There is beauty in trials, for He that is faithful will be with us every step of the way.  There is beauty in suffering, which helps us to find patience in the Lord's will.  There is beauty in delayed blessings, which teach us to trust His timing (no matter how hard that may be).  There is beauty in the darkness inside each one of us, for it humbles us and helps us to remember how very much we need Him.

Look for the beauty all around you, and you will surely find it.