GOLIATH WAS A SPIRITUAL SHRIMP
by Brad Wilcox, Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

One little child defined spiritual growth by explaining, "It's when your
inside gets bigger than your outside."  In the Old Testament we read
about how much bigger Goliath was than David.  Spiritually, however,
young David was a giant compared to his opponent.  A similar comparison could be made among the sons of Lehi in the Book of Mormon.  Laman and Lemuel may have been older, perhaps even bigger, but Nephi and Sam were light-years ahead of their brothers spiritually.

The key to spiritual growth is one word: remember.  We must remember the Savior, our covenants, and who we really are.  We must remember the sacrifices of the many people who came before us and who enabled us to enjoy the freedoms and advantages we have today.  As we remember all these things, we will feel more motivated to pray, read scriptures, and seek the positive environments that will foster spiritual growth.

The prophet Alma gave his son Helaman some wise counsel when he said, "Let all they thoughts be directed unto the Lord: yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.  Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good" (Alma 37:36-37).  We know our spirits are growing when we fill our minds with thoughts of the Savior, our hearts with love of the Savior, and our lives with acts of the Savior (see Robert E. Wells, We Are Christians Because... [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985], 108).  That's when our insides will get bigger than our outsides.  Watch out Goliath!

Original Source: Growing Up: Gospel Answers About Maturation and Sex by Brad Wilcox (Bookcraft, 2000), pp. 27-29.