Botanicals of the Bible - Mustard Seed

Botanicals of the Bible – Mustard Seed
By Jenny Komenda

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed…nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Matthew 17:20
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In the hills of the Holy Land, mustard plants grow wild—bright and hardy, often springing up where no one planted them. The seeds are tiny, only 1–2 millimeters across, yet they grow into shrubs that can reach over 10 feet tall. Jesus used this vivid image to teach about faith, promising, “if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

In another parable, He taught that the mustard seed “is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it becomes a tree, and the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31–32). From something almost invisible in the hand grows something large, sheltering, and life-giving.

In family life, we may sometimes feel our efforts are small—prayers offered in weakness, tiny acts of kindness, teaching gospel principles to children one conversation at a time. Yet, like the mustard seed, those seemingly insignificant acts, when nurtured by the Spirit, can grow into blessings and a legacy beyond our view.

The parable of the mustard seed teaches us that God values the beginning of belief. As President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “The mustard seed represents a small but growing faith. The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe.” Faith does not need to be large to be powerful—it just needs to be real. And as we trust in Christ and experiment upon His word, even the smallest seed of faith can take root, grow deep, and bless countless generations.

Let us plant that seed today—with a prayer, a scripture, or an act of love—and trust God with the harvest.

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