SCHEDULE
Home
FB
2024
2023
2022
2021
Act. Index 2024
SCHEDULE
Home
FB
2024
2023
2022
2021
Act. Index 2024
From Come, Follow Me:
By the time he was only about 10 years old, Mormon was remarkably different from the people around him. As you read Mormon 1–6, look for ways that Mormon’s faith in Jesus Christ made him unique and gave him opportunities to serve and bless others.
What do you learn from Mormon’s life and teachings that inspires you to live righteously despite living in a wicked world?
In the video below, Elder Holland gives a description of our day, the work we have been sent to do, and the gratitude of those prophets who have gone on before as they cheer us on to accomplish our part in the "drama of history."
"In short, apostasy and destruction of one kind or another was the ultimate fate of every general dispensation we have ever had down through time. But here's my theory. My theory is that those great men and women, the leaders in those ages past, were able to keep going, to keep testifying, to keep trying to do their best, not because they knew that they would succeed but because they knew that you would. I believe they took courage and hope not so much from their own circumstances as from yours ...
Ours, not theirs, was the day that gave them heavenly and joyful anticipations and caused them to sing and prophesy of victory. Ours is the day, collectively speaking, toward which the prophets have been looking from the beginning of time, and those earlier brethren are over there still cheering us on! In a very real way, their chance to consider themselves fully successful depends on our faithfulness and our victory.
I love the idea of going into the battle of the last days representing Alma and Abinadi and what they pled for and representing Peter and Paul and the sacrifices they made. If you can't get excited about that kind of assignment in the drama of history, you can't get excited!" Jeffrey R. Holland, Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast Watch the entire presentation here.
President Russel M. Nelson: "Just think of the excitement and urgency of it all: every prophet commencing with Adam has seen our day. And every prophet has talked about our day, when Israel would be gathered and the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior. Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that! ...I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real." Worldwide Devotional
See activities centered on gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, invitations from President Nelson to do our part, and the promises in store as we do:
How can you learn more about loved ones who are cheering you on, right alongside the prophets? Getting to know about their lives can help open the door to receive their influence in your life to help you through troubled times.
"In the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed." (Jeffrey R. Holland, Created for Greater Things)
In the video below, see what Sheri Dew shares about asking for angels to help you.
"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." Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine (Read more here).
"Interrupting Angels" by Annie Nader (used with permission)
Try some of the activities below to learn more about your ancestors.
Have fun exploring additional activities to get to know your ancestors in FamilySearch Discovery and in The Family History Guide.
Here are some examples (find more on The Family History Guide - YouTub Channel - see the activities playlist), and check out 10 Ways To Discover, Gather, and Share Ancestor Stories:
From Come, Follow Me:
Mormon observed that the Nephites did not acknowledge the ways that the Lord had blessed them. As you read Mormon 3:3, 9, you might ponder how you are acknowledging God’s influence in your life. What blessings come when you acknowledge His influence?
"When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day...so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it ... Before I would write, I would ponder this question: 'Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?' ...I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done. More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened." Henry B. Eyring, O Remember, Remember
Begin or continue to write in your daily journal, or in a “Gratitude,” or "Tender Mercies" journal. Consider making a visit, or writing a letter to express gratitude to a friend, neighbor, or family member. Create a gratitude catalog of your blessings. What you record becomes your personal history and can influence generations to come—changing hearts and bringing your family members to Christ.
With the FamilySearch Memories Audio app or the Record My Story feature on FamilySearch Discovery, Record My Story, digitally recording, sharing, and preserving has never been easier. Read more in The Family History Guide here.
See President Nelson’s Prayer of Gratitude, Message of Hope and Healing in which he invited each of us to “turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. Post every day about what you are grateful for, whom you are grateful for, and why you are grateful. At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace. Use the hashtag #GiveThanks. Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth. Perhaps this will fulfill, in part, the promise God gave to Father Abraham, that through his descendants "all families of the earth [shall] be blessed."
From Come, Follow Me:
If you ever feel discouraged about your own sins, Mormon’s description of the Savior standing “with open arms to receive you” could provide reassurance. As you read Mormon 5:8–24 and 6:16–22, what do you learn about Heavenly Father’s and Jesus’s feelings toward you, even when you sin? How have you felt Jesus Christ reaching out to you with open arms? What do you feel inspired to do as a result?
You are invited to watch Special Witnesses of Christ, and this video:
Audio or video record your own family taking turns reading The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles and then preserve it on FamilySearch Memories.
You could also audio record it directly to FamilySearch using the Memories App, or the Record My Story feature. You could record excerpts or read it all.
Preserve your personal testimony also. Sharing will leave no question about what you know and love. What a blessing for generations to come to hear your voice sharing the message you want them to remember!
Write (or audio-record) the tender mercies in your life every day both for yourself and for generations to come.