Lessons from the Doctrine and Covenants 2021
Lesson No. Twenty-Five
Out of Small Things Proceedeth that Which is Great – D&C 64:33
The Lord uses small and simple things to bring about His great purposes – This gospel principle is repeated many time in the scriptures and great blessing come by applying it to our lives:
Jesus taught this principle in the parable of the mustard seed – “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof” (Matt 13:31-32).
The Prophet Joseph Smith applied a small and simple mustard seed to the growth of the Church and to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon – “Now we can discover plainly that this figure is given to represent the Church as it shall come forth in the last days. Behold, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto it. Now, what is like unto it? Let us take the Book of Mormon, which a man took and hid in his field, securing it by his faith, to spring up in the last days, or in due time; let us behold it coming forth out of the ground, which is indeed accounted the least of all seeds, but behold it branching forth, yea, even towering with lofty branches and God-like majesty, until it, like the mustard seed, becomes the greatest of all herbs. And it is truth, and it has sprouted and comes forth out of the earth, and righteousness begins to look down from heaven, and God is sending down His powers, gifts, and angels to lodge in the branches thereof” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 301).
The gathering of Israel and the establishment of Zion will begin as a small thing and will grow to where now it is the greatest work on earth – Less than 1.5 years after the Church was organized, the Lord told Church leaders that they were “agents…on the Lord’s errand…. Wherefore, be not wary in well-dong, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). The Lord was speaking about the work to gather Israel and establish Zion. This work is gaining great momentum. President Russell M. Nelson invited the youth of the Church, and for that matter all of us, to “take part in the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth. And what is the greatest challenge? The gathering of Israel” (Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018).
Our lives are a compilation of habits for good or for evil – Nephi understood that Satan works by promoting habits that often begin with small seemingly insignificant private decisions that cause addiction, and in this way he “leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever” (2 Nephi 26:22). Addictions include, but are not limited to tobacco, alcohol, drugs, pornography, anger. Furthermore, the habits of pride, envy, strife, and malice can become defining aspects of our lives. President Dallin H. Oaks spoke about the importance of “those seemingly insignificant private decisions of how we use our time, what we view on television and the internet, what we read, the art and music with which we surround ourselves at work and at home, what we seek for entertainment, and how we apply our commitment to be honest and truthful” (Dallin H. Oaks, Small and Simple Things, General Conference, April 2018).
Continuous and seemingly simple small decisions define our lives – “President Brigham Young was reported as saying: ‘Our lives are made up of little, simple circumstances that amount to a great deal when they are brought together, and sum up the whole life of the man or woman.’ We are surrounded by media influences and cultural deteriorations that will carry us downstream in our values if we are not continually resisting. To move upstream toward our eternal goal, we must constantly keep paddling. It helps if we are part of a team that is paddling together, like a rowing crew in action. To extend that example even further, the cultural currents are so strong that if we ever stop paddling, we will be carried downstream toward a destination we do not seek but which becomes inevitable if we do not constantly try to move forward” (Ibid).
The scriptures may seem like a small thing, but they bring about the salvation of many souls – In speaking about the importance of the scriptures Alma said: “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great thing brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:6-7). I testify that scripture study is a “small means” whereby “the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:29).