President M. Russell Ballard on the power of small and simple things

President M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985. He became acting president of the Twelve in January 2018.

"Great things are wrought through simple and small things. Like the small flecks of gold that accumulate over time into a large treasure, our small and simple acts of kindness and service will accumulate into a life filled with love for Heavenly Father, devotion to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a sense of peace and joy each time we reach out to one another.

"As we approach the Easter season, may we show our love and appreciation for the Savior’s atoning sacrifice through our simple, compassionate acts of service to our brothers and sisters at home, at church, and in our communities."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Finding Joy through Loving Service," General Conference April 2011
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Small things can accumulate into great things, when consistent and repeated effort is manifest. This applies to collecting flecks of gold in a prospecting effort; it also applies to "simple acts of kindness and service" that can turn a normal life into one that is glorious and Christlike, filled with "a sense of peace and joy":

Elder Ballard gave a particular challenge "as we approach the Easter season" in his remarks. We are within a few weeks of that time right now, this year, as well. He encouraged us to find ways in our life to give "simple, compassionate acts of service" to those around us as ways to "show our love and appreciation for the Savior's atoning sacrifice." That would be a wonderful gift for us to share, and a wonderful blessing to feel the power and peace it brings to our lives.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the importance of each unique individual

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (born December 3, 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"On those days when we feel a little out of tune, a little less than what we think we see or hear in others, I would ask us, especially the youth of the Church, to remember it is by divine design that not all the voices in God’s choir are the same. It takes variety—sopranos and altos, baritones and basses—to make rich music. To borrow a line quoted in the cheery correspondence of two remarkable Latter-day Saint women, 'All God’s critters got a place in the choir.' (Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Emma Lou Thayne, All God’s Critters Got a Place in the Choir (1995)) When we disparage our uniqueness or try to conform to fictitious stereotypes—stereotypes driven by an insatiable consumer culture and idealized beyond any possible realization by social media—we lose the richness of tone and timbre that God intended when He created a world of diversity.

"Now, this is not to say that everyone in this divine chorus can simply start shouting his or her own personal oratorio! Diversity is not cacophony, and choirs do require discipline—for our purpose today... I would say discipleship—but once we have accepted divinely revealed lyrics and harmonious orchestration composed before the world was, then our Heavenly Father delights to have us sing in our own voice, not someone else’s. Believe in yourself, and believe in Him. Don’t demean your worth or denigrate your contribution. Above all, don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours, including the loss of those who feel they are on the margins of society or the margins of the Church."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "Songs Sung and Unsung," General Conference, April 2017
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It's so hard for us to not compare ourselves with others around us. Elder Holland warns about the tendency to evaluate ourselves and see "a little less than what we think we see or hear in others." Others always seem to be doing so much better, or accomplishing so much more! But in reality, all God asks of each of us is to do the best we can with the gifts and the circumstances we are given in our individual lives. And not only that—the power and beauty of the human race require the differences and distinctions between us! Diversity is a blessing, and we should never "disparage our uniqueness or try to conform to fictitious stereotypes" that we think are so important.

It's so important that we learn to "sing in our own voice, not someone else's." We can, and should, learn from the examples of others; we can notice qualities or gifts that we might aspire to and work to develop. But we should never forget that we, too, have unique personality traits and distinct gifts that can be used to help God's work and bless His children.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on the importance of each individual in the Church

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.

"True disciples of Jesus Christ have always been concerned for the one. Jesus Christ is our greatest example. He was surrounded by multitudes and spoke to thousands, yet He always had concern for the one....

"This instruction applies to all who follow Him. We are commanded to seek out those who are lost. We are to be our brother’s keeper. We cannot neglect this commission given by our Savior. We must be concerned for the one.

"Today I would like to talk about those who are lost—some because they are different, some because they are weary, and some because they have strayed.

"Some are lost because they are different. They feel as though they don’t belong. Perhaps because they are different, they find themselves slipping away from the flock. They may look, act, think, and speak differently than those around them and that sometimes causes them to assume they don’t fit in. They conclude that they are not needed.

"Tied to this misconception is the erroneous belief that all members of the Church should look, talk, and be alike. The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

"This variety of creation itself is a testament of how the Lord values all His children. He does not esteem one flesh above another, but He 'inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God' (2 Nephi 26:33)."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Concern for the One," General Conference, April 2008
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I loved this talk by Elder Wirthlin. It expressed such caring and sympathy for each individual. He recognized the Savior's example in giving personal attention to "the one," and our responsibility as His disciples to do likewise. Then he identified specific examples of individuals who sometimes need particular love and care.

The one who is different from the normal Church member in some way was foremost on his list. We are each different from others, but sometimes those differences are more pronounced and noticeable; those are the cases where we need to show an increase of love and acceptance.

We often feel more comfortable surrounding ourselves with those who are most like us. But truly, as we discover the blessing of difference, we recognize both the opportunity to serve those in need, but also the personal growth that comes as we are blessed by the things we learn from those who are different.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)