Moses 7:48 -- On Rest through Righteousness

"And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I crest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?"
Moses 7:48

I really like the idea here of the earth having a voice.  On one hand, it is sad to think of the earth mourning because of us.  But on the other hand, the idea that the earth is alive, and that it "will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory" (Articles of Faith 1:10) is also amazingly cool, because God will make things right in that way as well.

Now, of course I don't know how much of this is literal and how much is figurative, but either way, it is a cool idea, and also helps us to understand that when we choose to make bad choices, we are never just harming ourselves.  What we do affects others, and affects the world around us.

Earlier in this chapter, God also shows Enoch humanity: "the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept" (verse 41).  So, there is more than just the earth that we can help with our determination to make good choices.  We can also help ourselves, and the people around us.  We can all benefit from better choices, and a greater dedication to God and to righteousness.  Those are the things that will eventually allow the earth to rest, and they can bring great peace to our lives as well.