A week or so ago my companion and I were able to do a little bit of gold panning. The picture to the left is the flakes I was able to find. I know it doesn't look like that much but it was still pretty neat to see it at the bottom of the pan. We were reminded of a story M. Russell Ballard shared in the April 2011 General Conference. He speaks of a young man caught up in the California Gold rush. He moved from his home in the East and went pannin' for gold. However, he was not having much success when one day an old prospector showed him that by breaking the rocks open you could see several flecks sparkling in the sunlight. The young man stated that he didn't want tiny flecks, he wanted nuggets. The wise prospector said, "Son, it seems to me you are so busy looking for large nuggets that you’re missing filling your pouch with these precious flecks of gold. The patient accumulation of these little flecks has brought me great wealth."
Elder Ballard compared this story to service. He said, "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."
Finding Joy through Loving Service, by Elder M. Russell Ballard
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