If I turn to the Lord, trust Him, and serve Him, He will deliver me.
From Come, Follow Me :
Meeting Ammon, who was a Nephite from Zarahemla, gave King Limhi a spark of hope, and he wanted to pass that hope on to his people. As you read Mosiah 7:14–33, notice what Limhi said to his people to encourage them, strengthen their faith, and give them hope that God would help them ... You will notice, for example, that Limhi reminded his people about past accounts of God's deliverance (see verses 18–20). How do these accounts, as well as other scriptural accounts or personal experiences, help you trust God?
Note the examples that Limhi pointed to in order to encourage his people to have faith. What examples from the scriptures inspire us to "trust in God"? What does it mean to put our trust in God? (see also Mosiah 9:17; 10:19). What stories from our lives or our ancestors' lives can we share to inspire greater trust in God?
Your past experiences have helped shape the person you are today, just as the experiences of your ancestors made them who they are. As you read stories of your ancestors, you can learn about their experiences, the choices they made and how they trusted in God. You will begin to connect with them and learn why you are who you are. Watch this video to see how one family shared this experience.
Also, watch how a descendent of Eliza Leuella Stewart Udall describes how she draws strength from her 2nd great grandmother's life. She learns, "With God, you can do anything."
Ancestor Stories
Find some of the stories of your ancestors. If you need help locating some stories, All the Stories is a tool which syncs with FamilySearch to help you easily find the stories of your ancestors. Read these stories together as a family. Discuss the following questions and share your thoughts and feelings with each other.
What do you learn about your ancestors? In what time period did they live?
What were conditions like at that time?
What was going on around them?
What were their challenges?
How did they overcome them?
What brought joy into their lives?
What else can you learn about your ancestors?
How do their experiences help you?
How do their lives help you have gratitude for your life?
How can their challenges help you face yours?
Note: You can also locate stories on your part of the FamilySearch tree using the Stories option in the fan chart. Read more here.
Scavenger Hunt
Go on a scavenger hunt to learn about your ancestors.
Log in to your FamilySearch account and click Family Tree.
Look for ancestors in your family tree that match each of the clues. You will discover some interesting facts about your ancestors and also learn how to better navigate FamilySearch. (A FamilySearch account is required for this activity.)
According to Mosiah 10:11–17, how did the actions and attitudes of the Lamanites' ancestors prevent the Lamanites from knowing the truth? How did the choices of the Lamanites' ancestors affect future generations?
Every day you make choices that affect your life and can influence the lives of your children and future generations. What choices did your ancestors make that have affected or influenced your life? Whom did they marry? Where did they choose to live? When did they accept the gospel? What was their choice of occupation? What characteristics might you have in common? How did they share their talents? What were their strengths?
In his October 2003 General Conference address The Phenomenon That Is You, James E. Faust stated: "In many ways each of us is the sum total of what our ancestors were. The virtues they had may be our virtues, their strengths our strengths, and in a way their challenges could be our challenges. Some of their traits may be our traits. I noticed a while ago that one of my great-grandsons, a toddler, seemed to have an interesting kind of a walk. My wife said, ‘He walks just like you do!' Now I wonder from whom I inherited this characteristic ...
"We can have exciting experiences as we learn about our vibrant, dynamic ancestors. They were very real, living people with problems, hopes, and dreams like we have today. It is a joy to become acquainted with our forebears who died long ago. Each of us has a fascinating family history. Finding your ancestors can be one of the most interesting puzzles you...can work on."
Each decision and choice of an ancestor's life becomes a piece of the puzzle. Watch how you can discover more about your ancestor—every family has a story!
You are here because of what your ancestors went through and the choices they made. Below is a video of some inspiring experiences shared by some individuals that they had while they were researching their ancestors.
How can the examples and experiences of your family members and ancestors help you? See what you can learn about your ancestors? Try the following activity found in The Family History Guide Family Activities section.
Ancestor Guessing Game
Decide on the ancestors whose stories you want to include for the game. You can find stories from your personal collections, or sometimes online. As a shorter option, you can study just the vital facts for the ancestor.
Study the stories or vital facts for the ancestors.
Draw an ancestor's name out of a hat or basket.
When it is your turn, act out something (using words is OK) that person would do or say.
The person who guesses who it is gets to portray his or her ancestor next, but only after the actor tells more of the story about the ancestor portrayed.
Optional: Capture the portrayals on video for more fun!
Ancestor Look-Alike
Have an Ancestor Look-Alike activity, make a photo collage, or give this FamilySearch app a try: Compare-A-Face. You can see where you got your good looks! This activity will need your part of the FamilySearch tree filled out for a few generations.
Your Personal History
Write one story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have 50 stories to add to your personal history (also consider audio-recording it) and add it to your FamilySearch Memories to preserve it. Use your own questions, those from (or inspired by) Come,Follow Me, or the #52 Stories Project. For example:
Think about the people who might be influenced by your beliefs and choices. What are you doing to help them more fully have faith in Christ?
How does God strengthen you in your life and help you in the choices you need to make?
What are choices you have made that can affect future generations?
