The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that care of the earth is a sacred responsibility entrusted to God’s children.
The Church’s Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé spoke about this stewardship in October 2022 general conference and during an address in Brazil in October 2023. He listed six sustainability priorities of the Presiding Bishopric. They are:
- Increase energy efficiency and use of renewable resources.
- Conserve water through water-wise landscape design, smart technology use and water management plans.
- Avoid material waste through reduction, reuse and recycling; packaging solutions; and building methods.
- Improve air quality and reduce emissions.
- Practice sustainable design, development and construction.
- Engage in sustainable farming and ranching practices.
Caring for the earth is not a new endeavor for the Church of Jesus Christ. During an address at Utah Valley University in October 2022, Bishop L. Todd Budge, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, shared a quote from the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1832, inscribed by Frederick Williams and cited as part of the Joseph Smith Papers.
In that manuscript, Joseph said the sun, earth, moon, stars, birds, fish and “beasts of the field” all “bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent and omnipresent power.”
Bishop Budge then asserted the “solemn responsibility we have in taking care of this divine creation.”
Environmental Stewardship Efforts in 2023
Caring for the earth and its resources is closely tied to caring for those in need, as outlined in the Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary. Last year, the Church made continued efforts to care for the environment through initiatives such as water and energy conservation and recycling.
The Church also prioritizes sustainable solutions in humanitarian projects, using local resources and materials when possible.
Some examples of those efforts in 2023 include:
- 140,000 trees donated in Mongolia.
- 6.5 billion gallons of annual irrigation water donated to the Great Salt Lake.
- 1.15 million commuter miles reduced by Utah employees’ use of public transportation.
- Installing solar panels on meetinghouses around the world.
- Installing smart controllers, hydrometers, rain sensors and drip irrigation systems in many Church facilities.
- Transitioning to 100%-recycled plastic cups for use in the sacrament.
- Repurposing and recycling donated items at Deseret Industries.
New water-wise landscaping at Utah chapels
Some areas of the earth have an abundance of rain; other areas have periods of drought. In an effort to conserve water in the Utah Area, six meetinghouses have undergone a landscape makeover in a pilot program.
David Wright, landscape architect with the Meetinghouse Facilities Department, said, “We would like to achieve something that we feel we can easily maintain, that will save water, that the neighborhoods will be proud of and that the membership will be comfortable with.”
Smart controllers track weather data and use it to adjust the sprinklers. Lines go below the soil and apply water to the soil. Grass varieties like meadow grass are used because it does well with less water.
Church Sustainability Manager Jenica Sedgwick said the Church is trying to find options that use less water over time. “Other sustainability principles such as increasing biodiversity or the use of other natural native plants to help with pollinators, for example — those are things we are thinking about.”
What can people do to care for the earth?
As part of its Caring for Those in Need 2023 Summary, the Church listed the following ways that individuals can care for the earth.
- Learn what Church leaders and others have taught about taking care of the earth.
- Find ways to conserve energy, cut back on water usage and reduce waste.
- Volunteer in disaster relief efforts to minimize the burdens caused by environmental challenges.
“We have an obligation to be good stewards, to pass to future generations an earth better than we found it through the habits of and values of wise stewardship,” Bishop Budge said.
