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The “love of God … did dwell in the hearts of the people,” and “there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God” (4 Nephi 1:15–16).
From Come, Follow Me:
How would you summarize what He [the Savior] said in 3 Nephi 27:13–22? Based on this definition, what does it mean for the Church—and for you—to be built on His gospel?
The chapter heading for 3 Nephi 27 reads: “Jesus commands that the Church be called in His name—His mission and atoning sacrifice constitute His gospel—Men are commanded to repent and be baptized that they may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost—They are to be even as Jesus is.”
Take turns telling about your baptismal day. Where were you baptized and by whom? Who was there to share your baptism? What do you remember about that day? How did you feel? What does baptism mean to you?
Capture these stories as they are being told, using the FamilySearch Memories App, or use Record My Story (see this blog post). You might want to create a folder, book, or digital file of baptism memories of family members. This would be a beautiful gift for anyone of any age preparing for baptism or just a wonderful way to share memories with those you love.
"What a marvelous thing that is that you ... can stand in the place of some great man or woman who at one time lived upon the earth but who is now powerless to move forward without the blessing that you can give to him or her." Gordon B. Hinckley, Baptism for the Dead
To find those persons in your family tree without the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, find step-by-step instructions in the Church of Jesus Christ section of The Family History Guide. Here you will find links to the following and more:
Check out Youth: Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch In-Home Activities.
When you exercise faith, you will receive inspiration to find the information needed for the temple. As Quentin L. Cook taught, you should not "underestimate the influence of the deceased in assisting your efforts."
Read more about proxy work for the dead here, and decide how you and your family can do your part and receive the promised blessings for helping those who cannot do this work for themselves.
You and your family may enjoy reading a printed baptismal program or searching for other documents about an ancestor's baptism. Where was he or she baptized? At what age? Who performed the baptism and confirmation? How are you related to this person? If you are related, can you find the person in the FamilySearch Family Tree? For help finding baptismal records, see the Research Projects in FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, or Findmypast.
From Come, Follow Me:
Note what the Savior taught His disciples in 3 Nephi 27:23–26. Why is it important to keep a record of spiritual experiences? What do you feel inspired to record as you’ve studied the Savior’s ministry in 3 Nephi?
“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
“Think of your own life. Over the years, I have listened to thousands of profoundly spiritual experiences from Latter-day Saints all across the world, confirming to me beyond any question that God knows and loves each of us and that He eagerly desires to reveal Himself to us. These experiences may come at pivotal times in our lives or in what may at first seem as uneventful happenings, but they are always accompanied by an exceptionally strong spiritual confirmation of the love of God.
Remembering these spiritually defining experiences takes us to our knees, declaring as did the Prophet Joseph: “What I received was from heaven. I know it, and I know that God knows that I know it.” (see Joseph Smith—History 1).” Neil L. Anderson, Spiritually Defining Memories
See this form for an outline to think about as you write about or audio-record your spiritual experiences. See this blog post. Remember, spiritual experiences are sacred and should not be talked about unless family members are comfortable sharing.
See also: Are You Capturing Your Spiritual Experiences?, and O Remember, Remember (Henry B. Eyring).
You could create a collection of the spiritual experiences of your family members that they would like to share.
From Come, Follow Me:
According to 3 Nephi 29:1–3, how do you know God’s work of gathering His people “is already beginning to be fulfilled”? (see also 3 Nephi 21:1–7)...How does the Book of Mormon strengthen your faith in these things?
"As you continue to read daily from the Book of Mormon, you will learn the doctrine of the gathering, truths about Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and the fulness of His gospel not found in the Bible.
The Book of Mormon is central to the gathering of Israel. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur." President Russel M. Nelson, Worldwide Youth Devotional
Genealogy was certainly important to Book of Mormon writers. It was one of the reasons given for recovering the plates of brass. "This also sheds light on the importance of keeping personal and family histories today. Personal and family histories preserve not only the warm memories of important family occasions, but also transmit traditions and heritage to new generations." (Learn more in this article from Book of Mormon Central).
Record your personal testimonies of the Book of Mormon on FamilySearch using the Memories Audio App or the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch Discovery. This could be done individually or in a family setting. Share these with those you love.
Mark each other's favorite one or two verses in the copy of the Book of Mormon belonging to each family member by signing your name in the margin next to that verse. You could also write the name of ancestors by their favorite scriptures. A missionary would especially love to come across those scriptures that are marked by loved ones as he studies. A combined list of the favorite scriptures (and why) would be wonderful to have in a document saved on FamilySearch.
See also: Latter-day Saint Youth: Gather Israel
From Come, Follow Me:
Why is the name of the Church important?
“If we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord's Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord." (President Russell M. Nelson, October 2018 General Conference.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is named after our Savior Jesus Christ, because it represents Him. How does your name represent you? A name is an important part of your identity and individuality, and an important part of connection. Your name gives you belonging with your earthly family and your ancestors.
"Your good name connects you with your past family history…Your name is special. It is recorded in the histories of our Father in Heaven, and how you value that, how you treat it, will literally affect generations to come." L. Tom Perry, The Value of a Good Name
You are part of all the ancestors who came before you. Your descendants will be part of you. Family names often have family or cultural connections. Names can be derived in a number of ways, such as an occupation, a nearby location, a geographic feature, a characteristic, matronymic or patronymic patterns (mother's or father's names), or some religious significance. To learn more about why names are important, read Given Names and Naming Patterns. If you are having difficulties with names in your genealogical research, you may find some tips in Names: What's In A Name?
Find the meaning and origin of your surname at Surname Search. Before looking, have fun letting family members guess what the meaning of your surname might be. After looking, discuss as a family what you discovered.
One idea is to write (or audio-record) one story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson.