BECOMING

  I was running through Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden in Kāneʻohe, Hawaii. My head was down the entire time, just trying not to trip over roots or uneven pavement. I wasn’t thinking about scenery. I wasn’t thinking about anything beautiful. I was just trying to get through the run. But near the end, as I approached the small lake, I finally looked up — and my breath was taken away. (Well… whatever breath I had left after running.) In front of me stood the towering Kāneʻohe mountains — misty, vibrant green, waterfalls cascading down their crevices. They looked alive. Majestic. Almost sacred. And I thought about how those mountains were formed. They were born from ash. From upheaval. From violent eruption. They likely were not beautiful at first. But over time — by obeying the laws God set in nature — they became breathtaking. And I realized: We are like that. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us even more than those mountains. Through obedience to God’s laws and throu...