Recently, my dad found his calling in life, and believe it or not, it's baking bread. Not only is he the bread winner for our family, but he's probably gonna win an award someday for his baked goods.
Anyway, a key ingredient in most all breads is yeast. Yeast is a microscopic fungus that consumes sugar and in turn creates carbon dioxide causing the bread dough to "rise". My mission president once encouraged me to "leaven the loaf" when I returned home, to lift those around me. We will all leave our mark on this world. We can choose to help each other rise.
In Alma 23 many of the Lamanites were choosing to join with the Nephites in worshipping the true and living God. Ammon and his brethren were "leavening the loaf". However, the Amalekites and Amulonites "did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt..." It's true that we can also have the opposite effect on those around us. But it's up to us. We can decide how we impact our brothers and sisters.
So like the yeast, all we have to do is feast upon the word of God (sugar) and then live and breathe (CO2) His teachings. It's as simple as that.
