From
Come, Follow Me :
"Jacob, who was Nephi's younger brother and now ordained as a teacher for the Nephites, wanted the covenant people to know that God would never forget them, so they must never forget Him. This is a message we surely need in our own world, where covenants are belittled and revelation rejected. "Let us remember him, ... for we are not cast off. ... Great are the promises of the Lord," he declared (2 Nephi 10:20–21). Among those promises, none is greater than the promise of an "infinite atonement" to overcome death and hell (2 Nephi 9:7)."
2 Nephi 9:1-26
Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ delivers all people from physical and spiritual death.
From
Come, Follow Me :
What did Jacob teach about "that monster, death and hell" and the "escape" that God has prepared for us? (2 Nephi 9:10).
"Family history and temple work offer us an opportunity to join in Jesus Christ's work of salvation ... Family history, in its essence, teaches us the grand scope of creation and redemption and simultaneously reminds us of the personal and merciful reach of Christ's Atonement." (
How Family History Changes Heart and Minds, Amy Harris, Ensign, 2015 Feb) Because of His Atonement, we can overcome both physical and spiritual death.
Frozen Tag
Play several games of Frozen Tag in a large outdoor area, gym or large room free of obstacles. This is a simple variation of the game Tag and is best played with 4 or more players. Begin by choosing one player to be "It." Then all the other players begin running around trying not to be touched (tagged) by "It." When "It" tags a player, that player must stop and freeze (cannot move). "It" continues trying to "tag" and freeze other players. "It" wins by tagging and freezing all players. However, if another player can touch a "frozen" player without being tagged by "It," the frozen player becomes unfrozen and is then free to run around again. (If there are a large number of players, you may want to set a time limit and rotate "It" or choose more than one "It.")
Discuss some of the thoughts and feelings players and spectators experienced during the game. Some ideas may include:
- When you were frozen, what did you want to happen? (be free, get back in the game, move, etc.)
- Could you unfreeze yourself? Why not?
- What had to happen in order for you to be unfrozen? (needed help, someone had to touch you, couldn't let "It" be near you, etc.)
Read
2 Nephi 9:23. Can you think of anyone who may be "frozen" or doesn't feel free to move forward that needs your help? Compare this with how our ancestors in spirit prison cannot be released or progress without our help. (If disabilities, present day sin, or other topics are presented, discuss those as well with your family. Some may be temporary, while others could have eternal consequences.)
When individuals have died without receiving the gospel or baptism, they go to spirit prison. (See
D&C 138:32 and
Death, Physical). Through proxy ordinances, these individuals have an opportunity to accept ordinances that others do for them because they cannot do them for themselves. Heavenly Father has a great plan that enables everyone to be able to receive the blessings of Jesus Christ's Atonement. You can read more here:
Why We Do Baptisms for the Dead.
"In 1741, George Frideric Handel composed an oratorio about Jesus Christ titled Messiah. Handel determined that the proceeds of a performance of Messiah would be donated to pay for the release of debtors from debtor's prison. Over 140 people who had been jailed because they were unable to pay their debts were set free as a result. Commenting on this event, President Russell M. Nelson said, 'Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would all be hopelessly indebted, just as were those people in debtor's prison. Our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to pay a debt He didn't owe because we owed a debt we couldn't pay.'" (
Come, Follow Me 2019 - Easter)
President Russell M. Nelson said, "Those ordinances can bring liberty to captives on the other side of the veil." (General Conference April 2010,
Generations Linked in Love.)
Discuss how the release of these prisoners in this video can also represent the redemption of our ancestors through baptismal and other ordinances for the dead.
Ordinances Ready
As a family, find ancestors you can go do baptisms for in the temple. If you haven't used Ordinances Ready yet, learn how
here and read
Ordinances Ready—Inspiring Members Around the World.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead."
Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Joseph Smith (2007) 475
Redeem the Dead
Redeem the Dead is another activity (created for a stake but adaptable to a ward or family setting) you may want to do. It can be found in the 2019 Come, Follow Me Companion, Week #24 (visit the link above).
Preparing for April 2020 General Conference
President Russell M. Nelson closed the
October 2019 general conference with an invitation for Latter-day Saints to prepare for the subsequent April 2020 general conference, 200 years since Joseph Smith's First Vision. The year 2020 will be designated as a bicentennial year. "General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel."
You may have ancestors who lived during the time period the
Kirtland Temple was built and in use, but every church member is connected to the events of the restoration including the building of this temple and the blessings it provided to the saints.
Watch a video about the building of the Kirtland Temple
here.
At certain sacred times, God has sent his holy angels to instruct and minister to his children. One such time was when angels brought the keys of the Restoration to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple. As you study the restoration in preparation for April Conference, consider how have you been blessed by the restoration of these priesthood keys: the keys of missionary work, eternal families, and temple work. Learn more
here.
As an individual, a group, or as a family, you may want to write the many ways you have been blessed by the restoration of these keys on slips of paper and discuss them one by one as you draw them from a basket. "The priesthood of God, with its keys, its ordinances, its divine origin and ability to bind in heaven what is bound on earth, is as indispensable to the true Church of God as it is unique to it and ... without it there would be no Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Elder Holland,
Our Most Distinguishing Feature, Ensign or Liahona, May 2005
Your Personal History
Write one brief story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have compiled 50 stories to add to your personal history. Save as a story (also consider
audio-recording it) and add it to your FamilySearch memories to preserve it. Use your own questions or those from (or inspired by) the
#52 Stories Project below. For example:
- Write about a time you felt the comfort of the Savior in your life. What was happening during that time in your life? How did His comfort strengthen you?
- Write about the places you have lived during your life. Did you move frequently? Did you grow up in the same area? How did you feel when you moved? How did you adjust to your new surroundings?
- What can I do to more faithfully "wait" for the Savior and His promised blessings?
- How have I been blessed by the restoration of priesthood keys?
