Jacob 4:4-11
From
Come, Follow Me :
One way to help your family understand what it means to be "unshaken" in their faith would be to find a large tree nearby and ask family members to shake individual branches. Then let them try to shake the trunk. Why is it harder to shake the trunk?" What can we learn from Jacob's teachings about how to develop faith that is 'unshaken'?
Shake a Tree
Find a nearby large tree and have your family try shaking different branches. Then have them try to shake the trunk. (If it's not feasible to use an actual tree, look at a picture of a large tree together.)
Discuss together:
- How easy was it to shake a branch?
- How easy was it to shake the trunk?
- Why is the trunk harder to shake than the branches?
- If you were able to shake the roots, what would happen to the branches or the trunk?
- In what ways can you compare the tree with its roots, trunk and branches to your family?
Jacob teaches that as we search the prophets through scripture study that we may have many revelations and thereby "obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken" (
Jacob 4:6). Jacob and those of his day were learning from prophets who had come before them. Just as a tree trunk is stronger because of its roots and branches, your family is also stronger because of its roots and branches. Roots anchor a tree and tie it to the ground. This provides the tree stability. Likewise, roots in your family tree also anchor your family and give you a sense of belonging. You learn and receive strength from those in your family.
Elder Quentin L. Cook said, "Our Father's plan is about families, symbolized by a great tree. In order for a tree to live and grow, it needs both roots and branches. We likewise need to be connected both to our roots—our parents, grandparents, and other ancestors—and to our branches—our children, grandchildren, and other descendants ... Never forget that family history—and the temple ordinances enabled by it—are an essential part of the work of salvation. Participating in this sacred work for the dead blesses the lives of the living. It strengthens our faith and commitment to the gospel, helps us resist temptation, draws families closer together, and strengthens our wards and stakes."
RootsTech 2015
From
Barbara B Smith:
Some years ago when one of my daughters was a small, exuberant child we were all sitting around the fireplace as families do at the happy Christmas season. It had been a good, satisfying, full holiday ... Fathers, mothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles all chatted quietly by the fire, and into this large group of people who loved each other bounded my child with the exclamation, "Look who’s here everybody!" Our curiosity was piqued by this enthusiastic announcement. We looked beyond her with interest and inquired, "Who is it?" And she returned our questioning glances with sparkling eyes and a face wreathed in smiles and announced, "Me!" It was not what we had expected, somehow, but I shall never forget that moment. This little bit of a girl taught her older kinfolk an important lesson. In a sense, she was saying what the central figure represents: "There is no one more important than the individual."
Each individual adds strength to the family tree - ancestors who came before us, our current family, and children yet to come. Our Father’s plan
is about families.
Elder Cook continues: "I have challenged families to hold ... a 'Family Tree Gathering.' This should be a recurring event. Everyone could bring to these gatherings existing family histories, stories, and photos, including cherished possessions of grandparents and parents ... However, this cannot be only a one-time effort. It requires a lifetime of diligence ... Our young people are excited to learn about the lives of family members—where they came from and how they lived. We need to help them develop a love for this work."
RootsTech 2015
See the
Kid's Corner - My Family Tree for family tree activities like the following:
K2-06 Create A Family Tree with Photographs
- Draw pictures or collect old family photographs.
- Make a family tree with the pictures.
- Be sure to write the name of each person under his or her picture.
- Decide which ancestor you resemble the most (see K2-07).
- Find more family tree activities on the Family Locket site.
Create And Connect Trees
Create a FamilySearch account, if needed, and work on filling in four generations on your part of the family tree. Find out how to set up and use a FamilySearch account in The Family History Guide
here. With information about more than 1.24 billion ancestors (as of 2019), the FamilySearch family tree strives to have just one
single, shared profile for every deceased person who has ever lived.
Check out
How To Connect To A Family Member's Tree to uncover records, find new ancestors and find new information others have posted. You can also make connections to your living family—especially as it grows! View
this blog post to learn more.
Strengthen Relationships With Living Family Members
- Sit in a family circle (extended family can join). Take turns going around the circle saying something good about the person to your right—a characteristic, a good deed, a gift, etc. Then reverse and go to the left.
- Discuss how hearing positive comments made you feel. How did it differ when you were receiving rather than sharing? How does this activity strengthen each individual? How does this strengthen you as a family?
- Consider writing a note of gratitude to family members. Write about an experience with that person or a positive characteristic that has helped you. Tell them how and why they are an important part of your life.
- Another idea is to audio-record and preserve a tribute to a deceased loved one using the FamilySearch Audio app. See instructions in The Family History Guide here.
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 restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ began with a boy's prayer in a grove of trees and continues still. Check out the
general timeline and note that many Saints began their journey to the Salt Lake Valley in 1846. Do you ever wonder what circumstances the pioneers in your own family endured to reach Zion? Finding the answer is fun and easy. Learn more
here.
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:
- How has each family member helped you become the person you are today?
- Write about a family member who has helped you.
- Write about your parents and how they have helped you.
