Small and Simple

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple means are great things brought to pass; Alma 37:6

William Barclay shares an encouraging principle with us:

“There is an experiment which shows the effect of small forces on great masses. It can be performed in two ways, One is to suspend from the ceiling a block of iron weighing more than one hundred pounds; and to suspend beside it a cork which weighs less than an ounce. The cork is then swung against the iron in little blows. It seems impossible that the gentle taps of the cork will ever have any effect on the mass of iron and indeed at first nothing seems to happen. But after a while the iron begins to tremble; then to move; and finally it is swinging in a wide arc as a result of the continuous tapping of the cork.

Lord Kelvin performed the same experiment in an even more vivid way. He supplied himself with little pellets of paper about the size of a pea; and began to pelt the iron mass with the pellets of paper. At first nothing happened but after a time the iron began to vibrate; then to sway; until finally it was swinging freely.

We may think that anything we can do is so little as to be ineffective; but the cumulative effect of the small efforts of every man (and woman) can be used mightily by God in the bringing forth of his kingdom.”