Come, Follow Me Companion

Doctrine and Covenants 133-134

“Prepare Ye for the Coming of the Bridegroom”

From Come, Follow Me:

When the Church was barely 19 months old, the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders laid out ambitious plans to compile God’s latter-day revelations into one volume and print 10,000 copies—double the first print run of the Book of Mormon. Unfortunately, high costs tempered these plans, and mobs attacked the Church’s press while printing was in progress. They scattered the unbound pages, and although courageous Saints preserved some of them, no complete copies of the Book of Commandments are known to have survived….While the original plans for the Book of Commandments were not fulfilled, this revelation is a reminder and a witness that the Lord’s work cannot be thwarted, “for he shall make bare his holy arm … , and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God” (verse 3).

Have you considered how your important records, photos and memorabilia will be preserved? What do you want to pass on to future generations? 

First, gather records of your family and ancestors. Scan or make paper copies of each item. Original documents then need to be protected and preserved.

Gather important records such as vital and religious records, and legal documents. List missing records and get replacements. (See Gather Family Information)

Gather photos of your ancestors and the stories behind them, making note of the date, place, event by writing or audio recording. Continue on to preserve them (see the next activity).

Look through some of the ideas below and determine how you will preserve your family memories.

• Simple Steps to Preserve Your Precious Family Memories
• Gather and safeguard your own important personal records
• Organizing and Preserving Photograph Collections
• Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share
• Create Video Slideshows for Free with Joyflips • FamilySearch
• Five Websites To Preserve Your Family History Online
• Family History Preservation: Preserving Your Family's Letters and Documents 
• Social Media - "The New Language of Family History"
• Google Photos: What It Is & How to Use It for Genealogy 
• 5 Great Ways to Share Your Family History

Doctrine and Covenants 133:1–19

The Lord wants me to prepare for His Second Coming.

From Come, Follow Me:

Both section 1, the Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, and section 133, the original appendix to the book, begin with the same plea from the Lord: “Hearken, O ye people of my church” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:1; 133:1). What does it mean to hearken?...What are you inspired to do to better prepare for His coming? How will you help those around you to prepare?

“A necessary prelude to that Second Coming is the long-awaited gathering of scattered Israel….This doctrine of the gathering is one of the important teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints….We not only teach this doctrine, but we participate in it. We do so as we help to gather the elect of the Lord on both sides of the veil. As part of the planned destiny of the earth and its inhabitants, our kindred dead are to be redeemed...Part of their preparation, however, requires the earthly efforts of others. We gather pedigree charts, create family group sheets, and do temple work vicariously to gather individuals unto the Lord and into their families.” (Preparing the World for the Savior's Second Coming - President Russell M. Nelson) 

Learn How to Find Ancestors in Need of Temple Work in the Family Tree using the The FamilySearch Fan Chart. Discuss and plan as a family how you can find those ancestors needing help completing their work.

You may want to view additional Family Tree Views on FamilySearch or print fan charts and pedigree charts. For additional help printing, watch How to Print Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets on FamilySearch. See thefhguide.com/project-1-family-tree if you need help accessing your family tree in FamilySearch.

“A family group record is created to show at least the names of the husband, wife, and children of a family. Most family group records also show birth, marriage, and death information, additional spouses (if any) of the parents, and children’s spouses...The best family group records also show many other events in the lives of each member of the family.” (Family group record: roadmap for researchers • FamilySearch) 

You can download a copy of a Family Group Record if you need one to start compiling information about your family member. See how to print family group records from FamilySearch.

Doctrine and Covenants 134

“Governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man.”

From Come, Follow Me:

The early Saints’ relationship with government was complex. When the Saints were forced out of Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833, they received no support or compensation from the local or national government despite their appeals for help. At the same time, some people outside the Church interpreted teachings about Zion to mean that the Saints rejected the authority of earthly governments. Doctrine and Covenants 134 was written, in part, to clarify the Church’s position on government.

For centuries, birth, deaths, and marriages were documented in church records. Later, governments at various levels and for various reasons became involved. “To keep track of their citizens, governments began keeping records of persons who were neither royalty nor nobility. In England and Germany, for example, such record keeping started with parish registers in the 16th century. As more of the population was recorded, there were sufficient records to follow a family. Major life events, such as births, marriages, and deaths, were often documented with a license, permit, or report. Genealogists locate these records in local, regional or national offices or archives and extract information about family relationships and recreate timelines of persons' lives. (Family History and Genealogy - wikipedia)

Government records can help you with your research. Here are a few free resources to help you research your family tree. Take some time to look at these resources and determine if they may benefit your research efforts.

• The Family History Guide Records: United States - Click on the State you are researching. At the top, you will see a variety of goals. Not all records may be available for all states, but some government records may be found such as archives and libraries, vital and census records, emigration and immigration, military, probate, land and court. 
• The Family History Guide International Research Knowledgebase - After clicking on the knowledgebase, scroll down to the country you are researching. You will be able to identify which records are listed. Not all records are available for all countries, but some of the government records available could include: archives, census, civil registration, court, election lists, emigration, immigration, land and property, land and tax, naturalization and citizenship, probate records, and vital records. Exploring the World with The Family History Guide describes how you can find this information through the Countries tab.
• US Vital Records Class Handout • FamilySearch - Provides some basic information on vital records.
• Start Your Genealogy Research | National Archives - The most commonly used records used by genealogists include census, military, immigration (ship passenger lists), naturalization, and land records.
• Genealogy and Family History - usa.gov - Provides links to other historical and government sites.
• For additional information on researching, check out Where Are the Records?, and Searching for Clues: When Census and Vital Records Are Not Enough.

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 for 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)

Suggestion for journaling this week: Find the promises in Doctrine and Covenants 133-134. Write or audio-record about their influence in your life, and share with your family.