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Act. Index 2023
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Act. Index 2023
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.
("Garden Meditation" by Annie Henrie Nader—used with permission)
Read more about teaching the youth theme for 2023 in this article: Teaching about the 2023 youth theme 'All things through Christ'.
See also:
Disciples of Jesus Christ become “new” as they live His gospel.
From Come, Follow Me:
Record your thoughts about how the Savior is changing you, so that you can review them in the future and ponder how you are progressing.
Hand-write, type, or video or audio your testimony and preserve using the FamilySearch Memories Audio App, the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch Discovery, or use this link. You can also visit the FamilySearch Center in Salt Lake City, or another FamilySearch Center and use available story rooms.
What a blessing for generations to come to hear your voice sharing the message you want them to know and remember! Read more here.
See these ideas for journaling and recording:
"Generations are affected by the choices we make. Share your testimony with your family; encourage them to remember how they felt when they recognized the Spirit in their lives and to record those feelings in journals and personal histories so that their own words may, when needed, bring to their remembrance how good the Lord has been to them." Ronald A. Rasband, Lest Thou Forget
Write questions (see examples below) to encourage the sharing of testimonies of Christ on slips of paper and place in a basket.
Take turns drawing one slip from the basket and sharing your feelings and gratitude for the Lord's hand in your lives (see O Remember, Remember - watch a video clip here). Audio record and upload to FamilySearch.
Consider sharing your testimony along with those of your ancestors on social media, as our leaders are doing. Copy your posts elsewhere to make them part of your preserved personal history.
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In an August 2014 talk, Elder David A. Bednar counseled church members to share "messages that are authentic, edifying and praiseworthy—and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood."
General authorities and leaders are posting to their official Facebook and Twitter pages. See examples: LDS Church leaders share testimonies of Jesus Christ on social media, President Nelson encourages Latter-day Saints to Share joy of the Savior, and Russell M. Nelson on Instagram (@russellmnelson).
(Click to enlarge)
Read, retell and preserve your ancestors' stories found on FamilySearch Memories and on All The Stories ( a searchable list of stories anyone has placed on the FamilySearch tree). Check out 10 Ways to Find Ancestor's Stories and find stories on your fan chart. .
For those without recorded stories, an idea is to find church history stories that coincide with the timeline of your ancestors’ lives to read and record. Your posterity and other loved ones will know that you cherished these.
Plan a “Gathering” activity to share the recorded testimonies and photos of your ancestors. Have a prayer of gratitude for their legacy.
See also How do I create an album in Memories?
Create a collection of the stories of the first converts in your family lines. Send with your missionaries, or use for gifts.
See this page for coloring book ideas.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is worth every sacrifice.
From Come, Follow Me:
What have you sacrificed for the gospel of Jesus Christ? What have you received? Are there any additional sacrifices you feel you need to make to become a more dedicated disciple of the Savior?
See Week 28 2022 for ideas and suggestions to sacrifice time to do more temple and family history work.
From Come, Follow Me:
What does it mean to be “grounded” and “rooted” in Christ? How can we help each other strengthen our spiritual roots?
"What is the taproot that will anchor a child in the wind?...a taproot is the first and largest root that springs from a seed. It grows downward and provides stability. Plants with taproots tend to be drought tolerant and can even store reserves of food, making them self-sufficient and resilient. With that description in mind, I thought of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies in the Book of Mormon. They talked about being taught truth that caused them to turn their hearts to Christ. They said, "God ... has made these things known unto us ... because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; ... he doth visit us ... that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations" (Alma 24:14).
"How does family history relate to this idea of anchoring to the taproot of our Heavenly Father's plan? Let's go to the tree that grows from the taproot. Consider the beautiful painting by Annie Henrie Nader titled Turning the Hearts.
The artist said the tree represents the tree of life and the fruit of the gospel. She states, ‘It also represents a family tree,’ and ‘the fruit embodies those precious pieces of information we pass down through ... generations.’
When I first saw this painting, I thought, 'I want to do that!' I want to stand under that beautiful tree and pick those precious pieces of fruit from its branches to pass down to my children and grandchildren. I want them to see themselves surrounding that tree. I want them to turn their hearts to their roots. I want them to know their progenitors—their positive attributes and their struggles. Where did their ancestors get the strength to endure? What are their stories of exercising faith in Jesus Christ that enabled them to live Heavenly Father's plan.
I love family history! I love learning my ancestors' stories. Those stories create a connection." (Rosemary Wixom, Temples, Taproots, and Family Trees)
Here are Sister Wixom's ideas (paraphrased with added references) for helping her family receive the fruit:
"To know these pieces of information about our immediate family members who have gone before is one step, but to climb into the branches of our family tree and discover names of those who are waiting for their saving ordinances is another step. In Annie Henrie Nader's painting, passing the fruit may also represent discovering names of ancestors and performing their ordinances. We can do it as a family. As we pass the fruit, we not only see ourselves in the plan of salvation, but we also offer salvation to those who have gone before. Both are important elements of family history." (Rosemary Wixom, Temples, Taproots, and Family Trees)