“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:28). Our Father in Heaven has given us all kinds of gifts and He has commanded us to lay hold of every good thing and find ways to multiply all that is good, but just as importantly, to multiply in a way that replenishes. It is entirely possible to experience great gains very quickly, so long as we focus only on the local, short-term benefits at the expense of long-term global stability. But multiplying without replenishing will have negative consequences for ourselves and others in the long run. Sometimes we see so many of the negative consequences from people who kill the goose that laid the golden eggs, as it were, that we may think it more virtuous to not try to multiply at all. But we are commanded to use our creative powers to make our lives and the world better and more beautiful and rich and full of joy. As we exercise our time, talents and energies in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will show us how we can not only multiply but also replenish so that others can build on our own creative efforts and multiply and replenish in their own way.
