Creator

If you have even the smallest amount of contact with the internet, you’ve likely witnessed at least some of the AI craze from last year. People have used generative artificial intellegence to create pictures, stories and essays and poems, life-like videos, and even software. All with varying degrees of quality, for sure, but it is still a mind boggling leap in technology.

All the pandemonium has had me thinking a lot about what it means to be an artist, to be human, and what it takes to truly create something.

I’ve found myself looking at everyday objects differently, too. That desk, or that blanket, or that spoon… Somebody made that. Maybe they did it entirely by hand, or maybe they had a machine help them. Maybe it was mass-produced following a template, or maybe it is one-of-a-kind. Maybe it came from a line of factory workers who just needed the paychecks, or maybe it was crafted with love as a personal gift.

Whatever the case, that object only exists because someone, somewhere conciously decided to design and create it. Even supposed “creations by AI” were originally initiated by a person. Not to mention that AI in and of itself is a tool created by humans.

One of my neighbors works as packaging designer. She spends her days deciding how wide the seam of a chip bag should be, or what thickness the plastic holding your cereal needs to be. Even disposable packages that are thoughtlessly torn open then tossed away have a designer and creator!

So what about the cherry blossoms? The sparrows? The sunsets? Whether handcrafted or created by some divine tool, shouldn’t these works of art have an artist too?

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”

Alma 30:44

From the largest super nova down to the smallest forget-me-not, Jesus Christ created the entire universe under the direction of His Father. Jesus Christ is “the Creator of all things from the beginning.” “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (Mosiah 3:8; John 1:3).

Creativity is something that feels innately human. Yet it is something very godly, as well. We all have an artist of one type or another within us. To me, that seems like a seed of divinity that connects us to our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

I am so thankful that we live in a gorgeous world created by a Supreme Creator! I love hiking, star-gazing, and getting my fingers dirty in the garden. Our Creator has given us so much to be grateful for. I could go on and on, but I feel like this sweet Primary song sums it up just right:

“I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world

Heav’nly Father created for me.”

My Heavenly Father Loves Me, Children’s Song Book

Take some time today to ponder the beautiful creations around you. Let the love of your Creator sink in.

Image credit: “Worlds Without End” by Greg Olsen

Thoughts about Jesus Christ—our Advocate, our Savior, and our Friend.

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Questions To Ponder On

What does it mean to create something?

Everything that was ever created had someone, somewhere, consciously decided to design and make it. Even something as simple as a spoon exists because of a choice to bring it into being—whether made by hand, mass-produced, or aided by a machine. Even creations by AI are initiated by a person.

What do the scriptures say about the creation of the universe?

Jesus Christ is described as “the Creator of all things from the beginning.” “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

How is creativity both a human and divine trait?

Creativity feels innately human, yet it is also something very godly. We all have an artist of one type or another within us, which seems like “a seed of divinity” connecting us to our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

How does the natural world point to the existence of a Creator?

The scriptures say that that “all things denote there is a God,” from the motion of the earth to the regular movement of the planets (Alma 30:44). Beautiful things like cherry blossoms, sparrows, and sunsets are described as works of art, suggesting they too must have an Artist.

What does the natural world and its creation tell us about Jesus Christ?

The natural world and its creation show us that there is a Supreme Creator who lovingly designed everything—from the largest supernova to the smallest forget-me-not. The scriptures teach that “all things denote there is a God” and that Jesus Christ created the entire universe under the direction of His Father. The beauty around us is a reminder of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. Take time to ponder these beautiful creations and let the love of our Creator sink in.