English professor illustrates how everyday decisions can add up to great things – or not – by sharing stories of her ancestors and from her own life
Assistant Professor Caryn Lesuma shared during the BYU-Hawaii devotional on May 28 how her upbringing in Laie and the faith of her ancestors profoundly shaped her life and others lives through the enduring impact of making small and simple choices.
A member of the BYUH Faculty of Arts & Letters, Lesuma highlighted the lives of her ancestors, such as the faith and sacrifices of her great-great-grandfather Pinemua Soliai in American Samoa and her great-grandmother Lorraine Soliai Hill Cravens, who have significantly impacted her family’s faith and service in the gospel and the Church. Soliai was instrumental in getting his village to allow the Church’s missionaries to teach people there, and Cravens missionary service in the San Diego area brought hundreds to the Church.
“Both Papa Soliai and Grandma Noanoa died long before I was born,” said Lesuma, “but stories like these help me to feel closer to them and to understand my own responsibilities as their descendant. When I defend my faith and share the gospel, I am honoring their legacy and setting an example for my own children and nieces and nephews.”
However, Lesuma also warned “the power of small and simple things goes both ways. It can lead to great things, or it can lead to awful things. Sometimes… the consequence comes by choosing NOT to act,” said Lesuma. She shared when she was college, she failed to do the small and simple things like regularly studying and attending her calculus class. She ended up failing a course for the first time in her life and had to retake the calculus class.
“As a former valedictorian, this was the absolute lowest point of my academic career,” she said. But how did this happen? “Well, I’ll tell you,” Lesuma recounted. “I sometimes missed class to sleep in or study for other classes. I told myself that I would cram before the final and that it would all work out somehow. I didn’t attend office hours or tutoring, and I didn’t give my best effort to my daily assignments. When it was time to study, I usually chose to go out and do fun things with my new college friends instead. Now, arguably none of these small actions would have had a big effect if they happened only once or twice during the semester. But enacted consistently over the course of the semester, they added up to a failing grade.”
Christian Tanicala, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in mathematics and intercultural peacebuilding, referenced a scripture from the Book of Mormon included in Lesuma’s talk, specifically Alma 37:6-7. He said, “This is where she shared about ‘small and simple things, great things brought to pass.’ That begs the question of how to make small and simple things happen in our everyday lives at BYUH.”
Tanicala added, “I like how she taught us to set our mind to consider even the smallest decision. Though small, making it and thinking about it can make a big difference in our life.” He added Lesuma’s speech clarified that decisions determine destiny, and while big things matter, small things are just as important.
Lesuma said as a wife and mother who works full-time, she doesn’t always succeed at doing the small and simple things. “But I have a testimony that as I continue to try my best, the overall cumulative impact of my willing efforts will echo positively into the eternities. I know that each and every one of us has tremendous power to bless our families and our communities by adding our efforts to the efforts of those who came before us.”
Jezel Asong, a freshman majoring in psychology from the Philippines, emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and living as a disciple of Jesus Christ at all times. She stated, “Whatever circumstances you are in, always learn to have fun and be a disciple of Jesus Christ. After all, no matter how seemingly small our choices are, they will echo through eternities.” •
