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Act. Index 2024
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The Savior is my perfect example of ministering.
From Come, Follow Me:
About 2,500 people were present when the Savior appeared, yet He found a way to minister to them one by one. What do you notice about the way He ministered in 3 Nephi 17, 18:24–25, 28–32? What needs did He minister to? What attributes made His ministering effective? You might also think about how He ministers to you. How can you follow His example? (See also 3 Nephi 18:24–25 and 28–32.)
Even though Jesus was prepared to leave, He recognized the desires and needs of the people and took the time to minister. "By observing the nonverbal desires of their hearts, Jesus evaluated what the people needed and did the following:
Asked them to bring their sick, afflicted, lame, blind, and dumb, '... and he did heal them every one ...' (3 Nephi 17:9),
Allowed the multitude to '... bathe his feet with their tears.' (3 Nephi 17:10),
'And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.' (3 Nephi 17:11),
Knelt with them in prayer (3 Nephi 17:13-18),
Asked them to arise and blessed them (3 Nephi 17:19-20),
Then, '... he wept, ... and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.' (3 Nephi 17:21),
And after weeping again, the heavens were opened and angels '... came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.' (3 Nephi 17:24)."
See also: Ministering One by One, A Friend to All, and We Follow the Master Minister.
Family history can open doors for ministering, since people enjoy learning about their own family. Everyone has an innate desire to know who they are and where they came from. Learning about your ancestors and heritage gives you a sense of belonging. You can minister to others and help them learn of their ancestors and feel that sense of belonging.
Choose an individual or family with whom you can share family history. Maybe it's even your own family. Just as Jesus understood what the Nephite people desired, so can you discover the interests of the individual or family you are helping. Family history experiences are most successful when you personalize the time to what interests the person or family. To identify where you should start, ask them what they would like to accomplish or where they would like to begin. Then show them how to find or do it. If they are uncertain, here are a few suggestions:
Bear witness of the blessings of family history and the Spirit of Elijah that can help connect individuals and families with their ancestors. Help them take their next step.
Look forward to the next general conference, or review previous ones.
What gospel messages and feelings have you experienced during General Conferences?
See General Conference Participation Brings Blessings. The instruction and inspiration as you watch and listen to the gospel messages presented can seem to be just for you! Some messages may be just the ones that your friends and family may need to hear, as exemplified in the following video:
Discuss as a family who you might invite to watch or attend general conference and "hold up your light that it may shine unto the world" (3 Nephi 18:24). Decide as a family how to extend the invitation and then do it. After conference, discuss how you each felt. How do you think the person (or family) you invited felt? How will you follow up? Write about your experiences and goals, or record on the FamilySearch Memories App
Look up General Conference Messages on Family History. Follow the direction of Jesus Christ to "... ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow ..." (3 Nephi 17:3) Ponder and discuss how family history has blessed you and your family. What more can you do in your family history efforts? How can you use it to bless the lives of others?
Here are some favorite talks:
"Our message to the world is simple and sincere: we invite all of God's children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life. (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7)." Russell M. Nelson, Let Us All Press On
See also: Find Answers to Your Questions.
3 Nephi 17:13–22; 18:15–25; 19:6–9, 15–36
From Come, Follow Me:
Imagine what it would be like to hear the Savior pray for you. How would such an experience affect how you pray? Ponder this as you study 3 Nephi 17:13–22; 18:15–25; and 19:6–9, 15–36.
'And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.' (3 Nephi 17:11),
He knelt with them in prayer (3 Nephi 17:13-18),
He asked them to arise and blessed them (3 Nephi 17:19-20),
Then, '... he wept, ... and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.' (3 Nephi 17:21),
And after weeping again, the heavens were opened and angels '... came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.' (3 Nephi 17:24)."
Who are these angels? The Lord has revealed that “there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.” (D&C 130:5.)
Joseph F. Smith said, "When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred [and] friends . . . . In like manner, our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, of reproof and instruction to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh." Gospel Doctrine, Deseret Book Co., 1970 (read more here).
Check out these FamilySearch Activities:
Have fun exploring additional activities to get to know your ancestors in FamilySearch Discovery and in The Family History Guide Activities pages. See also 10 Ways to Find Ancestor's Stories, your FamilySearch fan chart, and check out the All The Stories site to see a searchable list of all the stories anyone has placed on your part of the Family Tree.
Sister Wendy Nelson shares about asking for angels to help you. See this article by Larry E. Dahl and this video by Elder Holland: Angels Round About You.
Write one brief story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson.