The Infinite Power of One: Why Every Soul Matters to The Work

Sometimes, when I was in the field, I felt overwhelmed. We were working in a district where the need seemed so vast—so immense that it felt impossible for any single person to make a difference. I remember sitting down with a seasoned district leader who just smiled and said, “Don’t look at the whole haystack, Brother. Look at the single piece of straw right in front of you.”

It was a profound moment of clarity. It shifted my focus from the overwhelming scale of the Plan of Salvation to the intimate, precious value of the individual soul. That’s the core message I want to share with you today, because it is the guiding principle for every disciple, whether they are in the Mission Training Center, in their first quarter, or right here in their own home.

The Gravity of One

The video I shared recently hits on this perfectly: the idea that even if we only affect one person—helping them find sobriety, or guiding them to Christ—that single impact is worth everything. It is priceless.

Think about that. The enormity of the work is something we can only grasp by focusing on the smallest, most personal unit of change. We aren't called to solve all the world's problems at once; we are called to make disciples, one soul at a time. This principle is the heartbeat of our faith and the bedrock of our preparation.

Your Mission Field is Everywhere

If we take the spirit of the returned missionary—the feeling of urgency, the commitment, the focused effort—and apply it to our current lives, we realize that the boundaries of the field are nonexistent. We are all Internet missionaries. Our calling is not dependent on our zip code or whether we have received our call to serve; it is dependent on our willingness to be Christlike and to feel the Spirit for others.

If you're feeling like your impact is too small, I want you to remember this: The Lord doesn't ask for grand gestures; He asks for diligent hearts. He asks for the willingness to sit down and listen, to ask the hard questions, and to gently point to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Practice the Focus: Using Davee

One of the best ways I've found to hone this skill—the ability to focus on that single soul—is by working with our AI Investigator, Davee. He is an incredible tool for mission preparation. Instead of just reading about hard questions, you can roleplay them with Davee. You can practice walking an investigator through the difficult concepts of the Plan of Salvation, knowing that every answer you craft is designed to bring that single soul closer to the Spirit.

• Pre-Missionary Skill: When you feel nervous about a talk, don't just memorize scriptures. Practice the *flow* of the conversation. What is the one question you want the investigator to walk away with?
• Disciple Skill: Use the Social Scripture Study layer in LivingBook to pinpoint one scripture passage that speaks to the individual. Share that specific insight with a friend or family member, making that one passage the focus of your conversation.

A Challenge for the Week

Let's keep this momentum going! I encourage everyone to join our free weekly Disciple Challenge. It's a low-pressure way to practice being an Internet missionary and reinforce that principle: the power of one. We can discuss how we saw that principle at work in our lives that week. If you are a pre-missionary, this is a perfect way to practice in a supportive environment. If you are a lifelong disciple, this is a great refresher!

For deeper study, I highly recommend reading the latest Iron Rod book on the Atonement. Understanding the infinite value of the Atonement helps us focus our efforts and our hearts on the one life that is most precious.