Stake Presidency Message 

“Littleness of Soul”

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Recently, while reading the Lord’s chastisement to Newel K. Whitney in D&C 117:11—calling out his “littleness of soul”—I couldn’t help but turn that phrase inward. “How am I little of soul?” lingered in my mind.

It led me to think of the encounter Jesus had with the rich young ruler and the parallel between that story and the idea of “littleness of soul.”

The young ruler had kept the commandments since his youth. By every outward measure, he was faithful and obedient. Yet when Christ invited him to sell all he had and follow Him, “he went away sorrowful.” His wealth wasn’t the true obstacle—it was what it represented. He was not yet willing to give his whole soul.

Perhaps that is what the Lord was saying to Newel K. Whitney—and, in a way, to each of us.  “Littleness of soul” isn’t necessarily about weakness or explicit sin. It may be about the corners of our hearts we still reserve for ourselves, instead of fully giving ourselves to Him - the hesitation to fully trust, to fully follow, or to fully consecrate.

Elder Maxwell expressed this beautifully. “A stumbling block appears when we serve God generously with time and checkbooks but still withhold portions of our inner selves, signifying that we are not yet fully His!” (Consecrate Thy Performance)

Maybe Jesus’ invitation to the rich young ruler and His rebuke to Newel K. Whitney are really the same gentle call extended to each of us: to enlarge our souls, to let go of what we cling to most, and to become “fully His.”