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Weekly Family History Activities


A Come, Follow Me Companion


Week 24: June 6– June 12
Old Testament


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.



June 6–June 12

Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3

“My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord”


From Come, Follow Me:

Ruth was not an Israelite, but she married one, and when her husband died, she had a choice to make. Would she return to her family and her old, familiar life, or would she embrace the Israelite faith and a new home with her mother-in-law? (see Ruth 1:4–18).

Ruth was a foreigner, childless, and a widow, which left her in complete poverty with no source of support. Nevertheless, Ruth faithfully accepted the gospel and joined the Lord’s covenant people…Ruth married Boaz, a kinsman, was fully accepted as an Israelite, became a woman of some wealth, and was blessed with children. Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Israel and of all mankind, was one of Ruth’s descendants (see Matthew 1:5–16). 




First Convert Stories

“The story of Ruth beautifully illustrates the conversion of a non-Israelite into the fold of Israel, giving up her former god and former life to unite with the household of faith in the service of the God of Israel (see Ruth 1:16).” Bible Dictionary - Ruth). 

Latter-day Saint history is replete with stories of those who made sacrifices to become members of the church once it was restored in the latter days. Like Ruth, many gave up a former life, former friends, their country, and many were alienated from family. 

You may want to create a collection of the stories of the first converts in your family lines. See 10 Ways To Discover, Gather, and Share Ancestor Stories. If you don't have many stories from the lives of your ancestors available, you could learn from conversion stories of our church leaders. Read more here. Place these stories in your memories on FamilySearch. The Family History Guide gives step-by-step instructions for preserving your photos and stories in Project 2: Memories.




Illustrate Family History Stories

Stories illustrated by anyone, of any skill level, can be copied for gift-giving, shared for bedtime stories, or used as coloring books to make family connections. See Week #10, 2019 for ideas to illustrate conversion stories. One young man gave drawing lessons to improve the skills of his cousins.

Have fun discovering, illustrating, and sharing your own family history stories, including the conversion stories and the miracles in your family!

See more illustrations in this blog post: A Miracle In Denmark.




Women Of Faith

If you have filled out four generations in your part of the family tree, you can view information about the Women of Faith who came before you (see example below):

Find special ways to honor the women who are your ancestors and ways to be reminded of their legacy. You may want to include living relatives also.


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See more ideas for honoring and remembering the “past and present” women in your life in The Family History Guide here. 

See also: Extraordinary Women in Your Family Tree




Strength from The Past

Have an Ancestor Look-Alike activity, make a photo collage, or try the FamilySearch activity Compare-A-Face. You can hopefully “see yourself” in the faces of your ancestors and gain strength from these visual comparisons. List the character traits you would like to emulate and commit to become more like your strong, courageous, faithful ancestors. 




Life Sketch

In The Family History Guide, find ideas for writing a life sketch for yourself or another person. See this info and Simple Tips For Writing Life Sketches.

You may also want to consider making a short video like the one below:






Ruth; 1 Samuel 1

I can trust that God will guide and help me regardless of my situation.

From Come, Follow Me:

Can you see yourself in the stories of Ruth, Naomi, and Hannah? Perhaps you have suffered a great loss, as Ruth and Naomi did (see Ruth 1:1–5). Or maybe, like Hannah, you long for blessings you have not yet received (see 1 Samuel 1:1–10). Ponder what messages you can learn from the examples of these faithful women. How did Ruth and Hannah show faith in God? What blessings did they receive? How can you follow their examples? Consider how you have “come to trust” the Lord (Ruth 2:12) even when life feels difficult.




Interviewing Living Family Members

What loved ones still living have been an example of exercising faith in God - especially during difficult challenges? 

From FamilySearch: "The more stories you know of your family bouncing back from hard times the easier it will be for you to bounce back when life gets hard." Try these We Bounce Back activities. You may also want to consider audio-recording the stories that are told, and adding them to FamilySearch Memories.



Ask questions and preserve the answers!

Schedule a visit, make use of dinners together or off moments, or call parents, grandparents, and other living relatives to ask them family history questions. You can take a photo of what you write and then upload it to FamilySearch Memories. Another option is to have someone else record the conversation and then preserve it. See also 10 Questions Everyone Should Ask Their Grandparents.




1 Samuel 3

I can hear and obey the voice of the Lord.

From Come, Follow Me:

Like all of us, Samuel had to learn how to recognize the voice of the Lord. As you study 1 Samuel 3, what do you learn from this young boy about hearing and obeying the Lord’s voice? What experiences have you had with hearing His voice? What opportunities do you have, like Eli, to help others recognize when the Lord is speaking to them? (see 1 Samuel 3:7).






"Hear Him" Through Temple and Family History Work

One of the ways we can help others recognize when the Lord is speaking to them is to help them get involved in family history and temple work.

President Nelson: "We can ... hear Him in the temple…please schedule regular time to worship and serve in the temple. Every minute of that time will bless you and your family in ways nothing else can. Take time to ponder what you hear and feel when you are there. Ask the Lord to teach you how to open the heavens to bless your life and the lives of those you love and serve…I promise that as you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him." (Hear Him)

You can help others learn to do family history by teaching them about The Family History Guide. See the menus at the top of each website page; or click on "Get Started." Use the search bar for any questions you have. For example, if you want to teach others how to upload Memories to FamilySearch, go to FamilySearch Project 2: Memories and you'll find all the help you need. With The Family History Guide, you don't need to be the "library," you're just the "librarian!"




1 Samuel 2:1–10.

From Come, Follow Me:

Hannah’s poem of praise to the Lord may lead you to think of songs that you use to praise the Lord. You could sing some together. Your family members might also think of other ways to express their feelings for Jesus Christ.



See also: Hannah's Prayer and Hannah, Eli, and the Temple




Favorite Hymns and Songs

What hymns and songs are especially meaningful to your family? Sing, play, record and share them! You could also create a collection in a booklet or in a digital playlist to share with your family members. Preserve in Memories.


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What’s Your Strategy? 

Solid strategies can make all the difference in your research on family lines. Find out how to develop them in Project 4: Discover, Goal 3.