SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints attended a conference in Brazil on Friday, Oct. 20. They, along with civic, academic, and business leaders, discussed environmental sustainability, public engagement, caring for human life, and other related topics.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles attended, and said that stewardship of God’s creations should be done through the lens of how to best fulfill God’s purposes.

“In all aspects of our earthly stewardships, our love of God and our discipleship of Jesus Christ will be a sure guide, and surely we will do real good in the world,” he said. “May each of you be an instrument in the hand of God, and may your life be a blessing to past, present, and future generations.”

The conference was hosted by Roble del Sur, a group of members and friends of the Church, and reportedly comprised of nearly 100 young professionals from 10 South American countries. The theme was “Our stewardship of God’s creation.”

The Church’s Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé attended the conference virtually and said that the earth and everything in it was created for one purpose: to enable His sons and daughters to inherit exaltation and immortality in eternal family units.

Elder Christofferson added to that, saying “The Lord Himself said that without the formation of eternal families through all their generations, the earth’s creation would be ‘utterly wasted.'”

Bishop Caussé said that the earth is a gift and because of that, the Church “seeks to be a wise steward of natural resources through responsible management of its global operations.” This includes six sustainability priorities, as outlined by the Presiding Bishopric:

  • Increase energy efficiency and use of renewable resources
  • Conserve water through waterwise 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

Bishop Caussé asked event participants to care for their environment and to respect, preserve, and beautify the earth.