Remember the Worth of Souls

Hiking is in my blood.

I love it so much.

The thing that I love the most is being outside.

When I have been asked when I feel the Spirit the most, my answer is always - in nature.

What is it about hiking and being outside in nature that moves me so much?

The beauty.

The gratitude I feel for the Creator.

The connection I feel with my body.

The disconnection from the world.

The serenity and peace.

The accomplishment of working towards and achieving hard things.

The scripture that comes to my mind most often when I'm hiking is found in the Book of Mormon.

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." (Mosiah 4:9)

I believe in God and still my belief is strengthened as I observe His creations.

And there are so many thing I don't understand, but I know that God does.

That gives me so much peace.

Knowing that God understands even when I don't allows me freedom.

Freedom from my daily anxieties and worries.

The other thing about hiking is that I get to use my physical body while feeling God's love.

I am a spiritual being with a physical body.

Which in the scriptures is defined as my soul.

My soul is nurtured when I take time to enjoy God's creations with my body.

And like David describes in Psalm 23, my soul feels restored.

I am so thankful for the times I am able to detach myself from the noisy part of the world and become immersed in the quiet beauty of this earth.

And my hope is that everyone can get an opportunity to connect their souls with God is this way.