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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.
God chose, or foreordained, me to fulfill certain responsibilities on earth.
From Come, Follow Me:
Although no one is predestined to be saved or not saved, modern revelation teaches that some of God’s children were chosen, or “foreordained,” in the premortal world to fulfill certain responsibilities in accomplishing God’s purposes on earth. As you read Ephesians 1 and Gospel Topics, “Foreordination” (topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org), ponder how this truth applies to you.
“One of the most recognizable examples of foreordination for Church members is a patriarchal blessing. When we read our patriarchal blessings and seek further personal revelation, we are accessing what Elder Maxwell calls a “divine databank” of God’s knowledge. He has the past, present, and future before him simultaneously and will help us to make the right choices in this life.
Elder Maxwell teaches that if we strive to understand more about foreordination, “we will have a true perspective about ‘things as they really are,’ and we can see in them a great chance to contribute” to God’s work as we meet the challenges before us. It will be easier to rely on promptings from the Spirit and have faith that God is guiding us down our own individual paths.” Foreordination: An Invitation and a Promise - Latter-day Saint Insights
Read Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s full talk: Meeting the Challenges of Today.
Read and study your patriarchal blessing often! If you have not yet received one, see About Patriarchal Blessings. “As you make your patriarchal blessing part of your everyday life, you’ll find the strength and direction that comes from this heavenly gift.” Read more in Deepening Your Understanding of Your Patriarchal Blessing.
If you have received a patriarchal blessing, you may request a copy of it online.
Your patriarchal blessing can give you insights into spiritual gifts, blessings, warnings, promises, or challenges you may face and declare your lineage. It may also describe any related blessings that accompany your particular tribe Read more in Understanding Your Patriarchal Blessing.
From the Church of Jesus Christ website: "Each patriarchal blessing is sacred, confidential, and personal ... Church members should not compare blessings and should not share them except with close family members. Patriarchal blessings should not be read in Church meetings or other public gatherings (General Handbook, 18.17.1). They should also not be distributed or shared through electronic means, such as in the Memories section of FamilySearch or on social media, websites, or blogs."
Reading patriarchal blessings of your ancestors may give you insights into their challenges and faith, and help you to draw closer to them.
See Requesting an Ancestor's Patriarchal Blessing, and the FamilySearch Wiki.
Talk about how you have been influenced by these ancestors and their blessings, and make some goals about how you hope to influence generations to come through your faithfulness.
God will “gather together in one all things in Christ.”
From Come, Follow Me:
Why do you think our day is called “the dispensation of the fulness of times”? What might it mean to “gather together in one all things in Christ”?
After the Lord restored the sealing keys to Joseph Smith, the work of salvation on both sides of the veil began in our dispensation (see 1 Corinthians 15:22, 29; Doctrine and Covenants 128:8–18).
Boyd K. Packer taught that “this signal event went unheeded by the world, but it would influence the destiny of every soul who has ever lived or will live.” The Holy Temple [1980]
“Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] [the prophet] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—
Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:14–16).
"My beloved brothers and sisters, thank you for your faith, your devotion, and your love. We share an enormous responsibility to be who the Lord wants us to be and to do what He wants us to do. We are part of a great movement—the gathering of scattered Israel. I speak of this doctrine today because of its unique importance in God's eternal plan...We are among the covenant people of the Lord. Ours is the privilege to participate personally in the fulfillment of these promises. What an exciting time to live!" President Russell M. Nelson, The Gathering of Scattered Israel
See Week 40 2023 for a myriad of temple and family activities for individuals and families to be involved in “turning hearts,” and in the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil.
These activities will also help us to answer this question: What can we do to help each other “put on the whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:11) every day?
"There is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil." Russell M. Ballard, Be Strong in the Lord
Following the Savior’s example can strengthen my family relationships.
From Come, Follow Me:
As you read Ephesians 5:21–33; 6:1–4, think about how the counsel in these verses could strengthen your family relationships.
It is important to note that Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:22–24 were written in the context of the social customs of his era. Prophets and apostles today teach that men are not superior to women and that spouses are meant to be “equal partners” (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
(Click to enlarge
)Read The Family: A Proclamation to the World aloud and discuss the Lord's plan for eternal marriage and eternal families. Record and upload to FamilySearch Memories Each family member could take turns reading a paragraph including younger children (even if they need help) and this could be both audio and video recorded.
Memorize The Proclamation as a family. Find free printable memory cue cards here—Memorize The Family: A Proclamation to the World. You could also create your own cards with visual memory cues, or simply divide the proclamation into sections and put them (page-by-page) into a notebook to use.
Have family members sign a copy of the Proclamation to display in your home and possibly share on social media, along with your feelings about marriage and family
Creating a book with family pictures correlated to parts of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” would make a beautiful gift and heirloom to pass on.
Read more here—The Family: A Proclamation to the World
Gather in person or remotely to share your love story or the love stories of church leaders or others you admire. You may want to write it down, record it, and upload it to FamilySearch Memories (See Add Stories: FamilySearch). Post stories, photos, and other records in your home where they can be easily seen and re-read often, Teach your posterity and other loved ones about the eternal significance of marriage and families.
Consider creating a video to share with your family and others to encourage strong marriages. Review talks and presentations together to continually receive inspiration and truth.
Talk about the marriages of your ancestors and read any that have been uploaded to FamilySearch (or that you would like to upload). Find them using the FamilySearch Fan Chart, the All The Stories site, or any of the resources in this list of 10 Ways to Find Ancestor's Stories. Be sure to check your relationships to them in FamilySearch as you get to know these stories.
