And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things. (1 Nephi 16:29)
That “and thus we see” has always made me wonder in what way did Nephi consider the Liahona as “small means.” After all, what it did was so amazing! It was a mechanical device pointing the way in a prophetic way, sharing little messages about the mind of the Lord. That’s huge!
I realized it must have been the size of the thing versus its influence that surprised Nephi. After all the difficulty Lehi and Nephi had up to that point in convincing the rest of the group to follow the Lord’s commandments, a little brass ball with spindles and writing got better respect. The great thing it accomplished was it got people’s attention and obedience once the Lord told them to look at it and read it. The influence it exerted was far larger than its physical size.
Would you say the scriptures are like this for us today?
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