When the angel of the Lord asks, “Who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10), he is speaking of less-than-glorious conditions under which Jewish returnees from exile in Babylon sought to reestablish Jerusalem and its temple. In comparison to the prophesied end-time restoration of all twelve tribes of Israel, what has been called the Post-exilic Period was indeed a time of hardship and “small things” that constituted a severe test of God’s people.
Parallels with the restoration of the gospel and priesthood through the prophet Joseph Smith are all too evident: converts to the gospel leaving homes and kindreds in foreign lands in order to “gather to Zion”; dealing with life-threatening harassments from locals as well as infighting from fellow returnees; a difficult and protracted period of building new homes and establishing themselves as a viable society; dealing with doubters and those less than loyal to their God.
Scriptural types of the end-time restoration of Israel, on the other hand, portend “great things” to come—as when Israel came out of Egypt (Psalms 106:21; 2 Samuel 7:23); when God gave his people a new Promised Land (2 Nephi 1:1–3; Ether 7:27); when only God could deliver his people out of bondage (Mosiah 27:16; Alma 62:50); when sacred records are obtained (1 Nephi 7:11; Mormon 8:12); and when Jesus performed mighty miracles (Mark 3:8; 5:30; Luke 8:39).
Such “great things” and “great and marvelous things” are predicted to accompany the end-time gathering of Israel—as when God grants marvelous revelations to those who serve him (1 Nephi 1:14; 18:3; Mormon 8:34; Ether 4:13–15); when holy men perform mighty miracles (Doctrine & Covenants 35:8–10); when the heavens open and his people see and hear for themselves (3 Nephi 19:36); and when “new things” resembling the old take place in the earth (Isaiah 42:9).
The question hanging over us during this our own “day of small things,” therefore, is who “despises” it to the point of allowing trials and paradoxes to alienate them from their God? Or, whose hands have weakened, or else become heavy handed, so that neither are helpful but are impeding God’s work? The scriptural lesson here is that those who find reason to despise the day of small things will inevitably be excluded from the day of great things now at the door.
