I can gain my own witness of the Savior and His gospel through the Holy Ghost.
From Come, Follow Me :
Alma bore powerful testimony of the Savior and His gospel, and he also explained how he gained that testimony...How can you follow his example in your efforts to gain or strengthen your testimony? What do you learn about the Savior from Alma's teachings in Alma 5:33–35, 48–50, and 57–60?
Alma 5:46—Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
"Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work (emphasis added)." President Nelson, Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, General Conference April 2018
Regular Time On The Sabbath For Temple and Family History Work
President Russell M. Nelson invited us to make the Sabbath a delight by spending time doing family history: "Searching for and finding family members who have preceded you on earth—those who did not have an opportunity to accept the gospel while here—can bring immense joy" (The Sabbath Is a Delight, Ensign or Liahona, May 2015).
See The Family History Guide for links, webinars, articles, and videos to know how to find Temple Opportunities. This page includes how to use Ordinances Ready. Also, see this FamilySearch blog post: Ordinances Ready on the FamilySearch App. Ordinances Ready is a FamilySearch tool that simplifies finding names for the temple, allowing you more time to serve your family and enjoy the blessings of the temple. Use it in the Family Tree mobile app or on the web to simplify your next temple visit to connect our families in the Lord's temples.
Why did Alma want his people to remember the Lord's mercy toward their ancestors? What stories from your family history teach you about His mercy?
Alma 5:13—And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.
Alma hoped his people would follow the example of their ancestors. Do we not all have that same hope for those we love?
Alma 5:14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
The following activity ideas can help us find stories that teach us about the Lord's mercy in the lives of our ancestors, and to learn how our hearts can be changed by what we discover, learn, and share. Many of these activities can also help and encourage us to write, preserve, and share our own stories. See also How Family History Changes Our Hearts and Minds.
Discover ancestor stories on the FamilySearch Fan Chart along with Family lines, birth country, sources, photos, research helps, and ordinances. You can print a chart with any of this information. Make a fan chart place mat or frame and hang a chart on the wall for fun! Play Fan Chart Bingo (see Week #9: Come, Follow Me Companion 2020), or toss dice onto the chart and share a fact or story about the person it lands on. If you don't know much about that relative or ancestor, this is a great time to use the ideas here to discover more about him or her!
Search Family Repositories
Diaries, letters, postcards, scrapbooks, photos, baby books and other passed-down items from trunks, closets, and attics hold "everyday life" details and stories you won't find anywhere else. Go through your house (and your relatives' houses, if they'll let you) for these home sources and examine them for clues. Watch this video to see how one man discovered his grandfather through a box of photos and a movie reel that was given to him.
Find "All The Stories" on Your Branch of the FamilySearch Tree
The All The Stories site is a free way to synchronize with FamilySearch all the stories of your direct ancestors and their siblings back 9 generations. It has a searchable list of any story anyone has placed on your part of the tree, along with how you are related to that ancestor, and how long the story takes to tell.
The Family History Guide Activities Index offers a myriad of ways to find, learn, record, be inspired by, and share ancestor stories to inspire others.
One idea is to write a story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have 50 stories! Save as a story (also consider audio-recording) and add it to your FamilySearch memories. What would you like your posterity to know about you and your life? For ideas, see Define Your Dash: Start Writing Your Personal History with the #52Stories Project.
