Weekly Family History Activities

A Come, Follow Me Companion

2025: Doctrine & Covenants

Week 1: December 30–January 5

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.

Week 1: The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World is a “monument not just to the First Vision but also to everything Jesus Christ has done—and is still doing—since then. The Restoration of His gospel started when one person turned to God and heard Him. It continues that same way: one heart, one sacred experience at a time—including yours.” Come, Follow Me.

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Jesus Christ has restored His Church.

From Come, Follow Me :

Why are you grateful for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Share Your Testimony

"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

Hand-write, type, video or audio your testimony and testimonies of family members. Preserve using the FamilySearch Memories App, the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch, or see this link.

What a blessing for generations to come to hear your voice sharing the message you want them to know and remember! Read more here.

Conversion Stories

Consider creating a collection of the stories of the first converts in your family lines. See 10 Ways To Discover, Gather, and Share Ancestor Stories. If you don't have many stories from the lives of your ancestors, learn from conversion stories from the lives of church leaders. Preserve in

FamilySearch memories. The Family History Guide gives step-by-step instructions for preserving your photos and stories in Project 2: Memories.

See A Miracle In Denmark.

Plan a “Gathering” activity to share the recorded testimonies and photos of your ancestors. Have a prayer of gratitude together.

The promised Restoration goes forward.

From Come, Follow Me :

Have you ever thought of yourself as part of the Restoration of the gospel? Consider these words from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “Sometimes we think of the Restoration of the gospel as something that is complete, already behind us. … In reality, the Restoration is an ongoing process; we are living in it right now.” Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?

As you prepare to study how the gospel was restored in the 1800s, you might start by pondering how it was restored in your life. Read the Restoration proclamation with questions like these in mind: How have I come to know that this is true? How do I participate in the Restoration today?

“When we speak of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, we are referring, of course, to missionary, temple, and family history work. We are also referring to building faith and testimony in the hearts of those with whom we live, work, and serve. Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.” President Russell M. Nelson, Let God Prevail

Gethering Israel

Study and discuss together the following invitations from our prophet:

To the brethren:

After some 4,000 years of anticipation and preparation, this is the appointed day when the gospel is to be taken to the kindreds of the earth.This is the time of the promised gathering of Israel. And we get to participate! Isn’t that exciting?

To the sisters:

My dear sisters, we need you! We “need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices.”4 We simply cannot gather Israel without you.

To the Millennials:

"Spend more time on your knees in prayer, more time in the scriptures, more time in family history work, more time in the temple. I promise you that as you consistently give the Lord a generous portion of your time, He will multiply the remainder."

To the Youth:

"You—my dear, extraordinary youth—were sent to earth at this precise time, this most crucial time in the history of the earth, to help gather Israel ... There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth."

"Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?"

"As you pray about this sacrifice of time, you will be guided to know both what you can give up that week and what you can do instead to help gather Israel."

Creating a role-play is a fun way to practice using family history in introducing someone to the gospel.

"Missionary work and family history and temple work are complementary and interrelated aspects of one great work, 'that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him'" (Ephesians 1:10) "... The artificial boundary line we so often place between missionary work and temple and family history work is being erased; this is one great work of salvation." David A. Bednar, Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work

Divide into companionships and practice door approaches with this guidance from Preach My Gospel: "Talk to people about their families. Help them see how the restored gospel can be a blessing to their families. Offer to help them find the names of grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors. Enlist the help of ward temple and family history consultants."

President Nelson: “If I were a missionary today, my two best friends in the ward or branch where I served would be the ward mission leader and the ward temple and family history consultant.

People have an inborn desire to know something about their ancestors. That becomes a natural opportunity for our missionaries. As missionaries learn to love the people they teach, they will naturally ask about their families. “Are your parents living? Are your grandparents living? Do you know your four grandparents?” Conversations flow easily when those who are drawn to speak with the missionaries are invited to talk about the people they love.

At that point it can be natural for the missionaries, including member missionaries, to ask, “Do you know any of your great-grandparents? Do you know their names?” The probability is that investigators will not know the names of all eight of their great-grandparents.

Then the missionaries can make this suggestion: “I have a friend at our church who can help. If we could find the names of some or maybe even all of your great-grandparents, would it be worth a couple of hours of your time to find out who your great-grandparents are?” That friend at church, of course, is the ward temple and family history consultant.”

Sister Nelson: “I think it can be comforting for missionaries to know that they are never alone when they are finding and teaching those who are receptive to the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), who served as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church, taught that in these latter days, those who are joining the Church are joining precisely because their ancestors have been praying for one of their posterity to join the Church so that they, the ancestors, can receive their essential ordinances by proxy.” Open the Heavens through Temple and Family History Work

Find step-by-step instructions to do temple work in the “Church of Jesus Christ” section of The Family History Guide. See also Take Ancestors To The Temple.

See Ordinances Ready - a tool that simplifies finding names for the temple. Learn more here. Read how to verify names and relationships here.