Come, Follow Me is a resource offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is designed to be used in the home to support personal and family scripture study to build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Come, Follow Me is self-contained and adequate, when used properly. Products and materials designed to supplement this resource, though they may be helpful in some instances, are not necessary for a successful home study program.
Doctrine and Covenants 63: "That Which Cometh from Above Is Sacred"
"We definitely see God's hand in the lives of His people through the miracles in the scriptures. But we can also see His spiritual power when we receive an answer to a prayer, strengthen our testimonies, or have a change of heart."
"Still, there are other miracles that we tend to forget: The sun rises and sets each day; small seeds grow into mighty trees; the many components of our body work together, enabling us to breathe, run, dream, and eat. Inspired advances in medicine and technology are happening every day, and we can now communicate with almost anyone anywhere. God's power can be seen in every detail of our lives."
President Brigham Young (1801–77) taught, "Miracles ... are to console the Saints, and to strengthen and confirm the faith of those who love, fear, and serve God." Understanding why God performs miracles can help us recognize them in our own lives." Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young (1997), 254.
"Remembering these spiritually defining experiences takes us to our knees, declaring as did the Prophet Joseph:
What I received was from heaven. I know it, and I know that God knows that I know it ...
When personal difficulties or world conditions beyond our control darken our path, the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead."
You might want to consider how you will begin or continue to follow Elder Anderson's counsel. Write about your sacred memories. Share them with your family.
The Lord directs the spiritual and temporal affairs of His Saints.
From Come, Follow Me :
As you read Doctrine and Covenants 63:24–46, look for the spiritual and temporal direction the Lord gave concerning Zion. What spiritual and temporal direction is the Lord giving you?
Timelines and Stories
As you think about the spiritual and temporal direction the Lord is giving you, consider looking back on how He has also directed your ancestors or others who were living during this time period in church history. What can you learn from their response to direction from the Lord?
To discover the timeline of an ancestor, learn about the free MooseRoots site or check out the Time Line feature on the FamilySearch Person page.
Once you have discovered ancestors (or church leaders) who lived during this time period in the Doctrine and Covenants, search for stories of their varied responses to direction from the Lord. Check Ten Ways To Discover, Gather, and Share Ancestor Stories.
Enjoy a "story night" to share the stories you have found, and talk about what you learn from them. You and your family could also audio or video record the telling of these stories and their influence in your lives. You could also imagine yourselves in this time period and role play what it would have been like to follow the prophet.
How can we protect ourselves from unworthy influences, including pornography? (You can find many helpful resources for families at AddressingPornography.
ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) What are the blessings of living the law of chastity?
Stephen Jezek was able to feel the Spirit again, overcome addictions, and get baptized because of his experience indexing.
Show your family a precious family treasure. How do we treat this item differently than other things that aren't as valuable? What does Doctrine and Covenants 63:58–64 teach us about what we can do to reverence sacred things?
Digital Museum
(click to enlarge)
Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander said, "Every family has keepsakes. Families collect furniture, books, porcelain, and other valuable things, then pass them on to their posterity. Such beautiful keepsakes remind us of loved ones now gone and turn our minds to loved ones unborn. They form a bridge between family past and family future."
Elder Neuenschwander went on to explain that even more valuable than these objects are the genealogies, family stories, historical accounts, and traditions that we keep and pass on. However, the objects themselves can serve as wonderful, tangible reminders of those stories, making doubly sure the stories continue to be told and retold, stitching hearts together across generations. See Bridges and Eternal Keepsakes.
Create a Digital Museum of your family heirlooms. View it often and share with each other the meaning of each item. How will they be preserved and handed down?
Fulfillment of Promises in Your Life
Note: President Nelson encouraged us to do the following for six months, but it may be a wonderful opportunity to carry this invitation through your study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year:
"As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life." (President Russell M. Nelson, Let God Prevail, October 2020 General Conference)
