“Take Time,” Friend, Nov. 1992, inside front cover
Take Time
(Adapted from an April 1988 general conference address. See Ensign, May 1988, pages 57–59.)
Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things (Mosiah 4:9).
My family and I recently had a simple but impressive experience with one of God’s creations. I gave my wife, Barbara, a dozen rosebuds for a valentine. They were a delicate shade of peach and had a rich scent. Barbara put them into a vase and placed them on the table in our family room. As the days passed, the family watched the blossoms unfold from buds to full flowers.
As I watched this miracle, I became curious about roses. I was amazed to learn from a botanist friend that there are thousands of varieties of roses. Inside each rose is a storehouse of genetic coding that develops a seed or a slip into roots, stems, thorns, leaves, colors, and blooms.
This experience led me to consider the myriad forms of plant and animal life that thrive in astounding balance upon the earth. My esteem for our little roses took on an element of wonder and reverence. I pondered the power of the Creative Genius who lovingly provided such marvels for His children. I thought about how important it is for every human soul to see and appreciate the glory and grandeur of God in everything about us.
To truly reverence the Creator, we must appreciate His creations. We need to take time to observe the marvels of nature. We can easily become surrounded by brick buildings and asphalt surfaces that shelter us from the real life around us. Share with your family the miracle of buds changing to fragrant blossoms. Take time to sit on a hillside and feel the tranquillity of the evening when the sun casts its last golden glow over the horizon. Take time to smell the roses.
Illustrated by Perry L. Van Schelt