Spiritual Sunday- Potential Energy

Spiritual Sunday

Potential is the amount of energy that an object has in relation to its position. For example, when Oliver Queen (Superhero from DC, and star subject of the CW TV show “Arrow”) is holding his bow regularly there is not energy in it and the bow arrow, should it be let go, would just fall straight to the ground (which still means it has potential energy, seeing as how it’s position is above the ground. So I suppose that the more accurate example is if the bow and arrow were on the ground and not being moved. But in relation to the earths movement, the arrow would still have potential energy seeing as how it is pulled on by gravity thereby holding a position that, should the earth open up beneath it, would prove that the arrow still had potential energy as we could observe the potential energy transforming into kinetic energy and see the work that the said energy performed. But for the sake of examples we will say that the position of Oliver Queen holding the arrow in an un-drawn bow is ground Zero and will be our reference point for the rest of the analogy that would not take nearly as long as the explanation of the analogy). Once Oliver pulls the arrow back in the bow, the Arrow now gains potential energy. Upon release of the arrow, the potential energy of the arrow now changes to kinetic energy.

at resting position, the arrow has no energy

when the arrow is drawn, it recieves potential energy, ready
to spring into action as kinetic energy, which then gets work done.
yay superhero physics!

A lot of what the savior has taught us in scripture is relation to our potential to do great things. Saying things like “ye are the salt of the earth” or “ye are the light of the world”. I think that is significant that everything we are about is our potential. In physics, potential is a ready position to transform into kinetic energy which then gets work done, so what Christ is telling us over and over is that we are ready to do work. The question we have to ask is: do we believe that?

I met a man once who thought he didn’t have any potential. He was older, going blind, going deaf, needed a walker most of the time, and the only real social interaction that he received was when he went to the old folk’s home to play bingo. In his younger days, he served as a missionary, as a branch president, raised a family, and did many other good and worthy things. Now he lost a lot of motivation to do good things of his own free will and simply did the minimum “because I’m supposed to” things.

That’s when I and an associate called on him to help us do some missionary work. There was a lady who went to the same old folk’s home. The difference was that she was full of life and excitement, but nowhere to put that kind of energy. We had the man come with us every week to talk with her and help her on her way to joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After a while, my associate and I noticed something interesting happening. The man was starting to do many things of his own free choice. He started serving more, started doing more, interacting more, and we even noticed his health started to improve.

The man had potential energy. When he realized that, he moved to kinetic energy and got work done.

As we go through this upcoming week, let’s look for our potential energy. We all have it. And when we discover that potential energy, let’s act on it and get work done. Let go of the arrow, and watch it fly.

The articles that fall under the banner of Spiritual Sunday are all by me and are not officially endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or it's affiliates. the thoughts expressed are of the author. Spiritual Sunday is not a recommended source for material in a sermon, talk, or other ecclesiastical event.