The Domino Effect

This week I taught a seminary lesson about the importance of marriage within the covenant. There was an accompanying video that compared it to a chain of dominoes. Just like how the whole chain of dominoes falls down when you tip the first one, a whole chain of lives is affected when a couple chooses--or chooses not to--make covenants with the Lord and marry in the temple. (And then, of course, keep those covenants.)

Well, the lesson didn't go the way I wanted it to. First off, we only had one student show up. Second off, the stake supervisor was there to observe our class--which was mostly fine, but it's always a little scary, and besides, we only had one student show up. Third, I got the TV and DVD player all set up in the classroom, only to find out that I'd left the DVD at home. So, we didn't get to watch the domino video after all.

In a moment of inspiration--or maybe desperation--I invited our one student to make a domino chain with the hymn books in the room. There were enough in there that they illustrated the effect well enough. And we talked about the effects that our choices have on others. We talked about the marriage covenant and the effect his making it in a few years would have on his children and grandchildren. We talked about the effects our choices have on our families now--for instance, if we go yell at our brother, what's our brother likely to do? Go yell at someone else, right? And then pretty soon the whole family's mad.

Or if you do something nice for your sister, then she's likely to be happier and do something nice for someone else. And then maybe they'll be nice to someone different in turn--just like a domino chain.

Even going past that, an author in Blogland this week talked about writers that have had an influence on their own writing. When you send your words out there for the world to see, you have no idea who will be touched by them and what it will inspire them to do in turn. The list goes on and on.

We all have a powerful potential to bring about good in the world, one domino at a time. (And next time we have seminary class I'd better remember my video.)