"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."
From Come, Follow Me :
Sometimes we may feel like our problems are so big and complicated that the solutions must be big and complicated too. Yet time and time again, the Lord chooses to use "small and simple things" (Alma 37:6) to accomplish His work and bless the lives of His children. As you read Alma 37:6–7, ponder and record ways you’ve seen this principle at work in your life. What are some small and simple things the Lord uses to bless you and accomplish His work?...What are some of the "small and simple things" (Alma 37:6) that bring about great things in our lives?
By following the small and simple things that Jesus Christ taught, we can help bring great things to ourselves and to others. Dallin H. Oaks stated, "We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these small things bring to pass great things." Small and Simple Things, General Conference, April 2018
"In contrast to what we so often observe in the world, the Lord...accomplishes His work by bringing to pass great things through small and simple means," stated Elder David A Bednar at the 2011 BYU Women’s Conference.
"I believe many, if not all, of the most satisfying and memorable accomplishments in our homes, in the Church, in our jobs and professions, and in our communities will be the product of this important spiritual pattern—of simple and small things. We should find great comfort in the fact that ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results...The spiritual pattern of small and simple things bringing forth great things produces firmness and steadfastness, deepening devotion, and more complete conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel." By Small and Simple Things Are Great Things Brought to Pass
Alma taught his son Helaman, "...behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;...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)
How can you use small and simple things to bring about the salvation of souls through family history work? How can you find time to fit family hIstory into your busy schedule? Many worthwhile things in life compete for your time—family, work, church, friends, and volunteering to name just a few. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by family history or felt that doing family history was too complicated or that you did not have enough time to accomplish anything worthwhile?
At a RootsTech 2017 presentation, President Russell M. Nelson challenged, "As Church members, our interest in family history work has been motivated by instruction from the Lord that our ancestors cannot be made perfect without us, and we cannot be made perfect without them….I would like to extend a challenge to each one of us. I invite you prayerfully to consider what kind of sacrifice, and preferably a sacrifice of time, you can make to do more family history and temple work this year." (Open the Heavens through Temple and Family History Work, Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, RootsTech 2017)
Family history can be broken into small time segments. You can make progress learning family history in as little as 15 minutes a day or take small steps beginning with just 5 minutes a day. However, as with most successes, the best progress is made when you are consistent in your efforts. You should give heed to the same counsel that Alma gave his son Helaman, "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good ..." (Alma 37:37) Include your family history efforts in your prayers to receive guidance for the steps needed for your and your family. Let small steps bring about great things and the salvation of many souls.
Elder Bednar stated, "I invoke the blessing upon you that, according to your desire, your faithfulness, and your diligence, you may have eyes to see and the capacity to press forward and persevere in the powerful spiritual pattern of small and simple things bringing to pass great things—in your individual lives, in your families and in your righteous pursuits." (By Small and Simple Things Are Great Things Brought to Pass)
Experience how you can make meaningful and enjoyable progress in your family history efforts by doing small and simple things. Check out some of the activities below to see how you can do family history in a small amount of time.
Learn how to sign in and navigate FamilySearch here (FamilySearch Project 1, Goal 1 in The Family History Guide).
Continue with FamilySearch Goals 2 - 14. Read how Projects, Goals and Choices enable your continued learning.
Use The Family History Guide Online Tracker or Word Trackers to document your progress. The Trackers will enable you to study for as little or as long as time allows and then you mark where you left off so you know exactly where to begin the next time.
Make Time to Make Family History
Make something new that documents, creates, or contributes to your family history and legacy. See makefamilyhistory.org for a myriad of fun and doable ideas. Here are just of few of the many suggestions:
Make a list, perhaps on your phone, to have handy for the odd moments when you could use a family history time filler! Some ideas are:
"I am thinking of an ancestor who (lived in this place ... did this ... was this age when ... had this many children ... etc.)". Everyone guesses who it is as more clues are given.
20 Questions, to discover who you are thinking of (everyone asks you yes-or-no questions).
Tell family stories with a twist, such as each person telling a part of the story and the next person starting when the previous person stops).
"Matthew Mark Luke John" played with names of ancestors (see instructions here).
Family History Pictionary where you draw pictures about your family history, and everyone guesses what they are.
Write a letter of gratitude to a deceased ancestor.
Other Resources to help you fit family history into your life:
Write (or audio-record) one story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson to have 52 by the end of the year. Save as a story and add it to your FamilySearch memories to preserve it. Use your own questions, those from (or inspired by) Come, Follow Me, or the #52 Stories Project. See below for ideas:
How are the scriptures a blessing in your life?
How have you broken a big goal into smaller steps to accomplish something great?
What are some small and simple ways the Lord has blessed you?
