Scout camp at Maple Dell — 1999
Our troop and scout leaders had a great week at Camp Maple Dell during July of 1999. Our boys earned 125 merit badges and several rank advancements. It was a very productive and enjoyable week.
An incident occurred which had deep meaning for me. Andrew Law worked on the Wilderness Survival merit badge, and as one of the requirements, he had to start a fire using flint, steel, char cloth, and a cedar bark nest. After he accomplished the task, he came back to camp grinning widely and made this profound statement: “I can’t believe that such a small spark can start such a large fire!” This truth applies not only to fire building, but to productivity and accomplishment in our lives as well. Alma stated this principle thusly: “…by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;” (Alma 37:6). Also, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith “…that the fulness of my Gospel [will] be proclaimed by the weak and the simple before kings and rulers.” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:23) We would all like to say that we had accomplished or initiated some earth-shaking feat in our lives, but seldom is this the case; rather, success in our secular and spiritual lives is usually achieved by very small yet very consistent steps in a proper direction. Taken individually, these steps seem mundane and even inconsequential, but viewed collectively, they indeed carry us to our great accomplishments and eternal rewards. Yes, small sparks can lead to monumental fires!
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