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.
Easter—"I Am He Who Liveth, I Am He Who Was Slain"
Most of us have not seen Jesus Christ as the Prophet Joseph Smith did. But we can know, as he did, that the Savior lives, that He knows our successes and struggles, and that He will help us in times of need. Consider your own testimony of the living Christ as you ponder the questions below and study the accompanying resources.
"The testimony that is given of Jesus Christ—his divinity, his majesty, his perfection, his love, and his redeeming power—makes this book of great value to the human family and of more worth than the riches of the whole earth." (Explanatory Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants). Read more in The Doctrine and Covenants: The Voice of Christ.
Record Your Testimony
As you find the declarations in the Doctrine and Covenants (and in Joseph Smith—History 1:17) of Christ bearing witness of His own mission and divinity, one way to carry out the suggestion to record them is to use the FamilySearch Memories Audio App or the Record My Story feature on FamilySearch Discovery. Include your testimony of each declaration. This could be done individually or in a family setting. Your living family and your posterity will know what you know to be true.
Joseph Smith knew how it feels to mourn the death of loved ones. Two of his brothers, Alvin and Don Carlos, died as young men. Joseph and Emma buried six children, each younger than two years old. From the revelations he received, Joseph and Emma gained an eternal perspective. Look for truths about death and God’s eternal plan in 29:26–27; 42:45–46; 63:49; 88:14–17, 27–31; 93:33–34. How do these revelations affect the way you view death? How can they affect the way you live?
"Because we believe the accounts in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon about the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also believe the numerous scriptural teachings that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have ever lived upon this earth. That resurrection gives us what the Apostle Peter called "a lively hope" (1 Peter 1:3). Dallin H. Oaks, First Presidency Shares Easter Message
The Eternal Family through Christ, by Judith Mehr. (Learn more here.)
"The facts of Jesus' death and Resurrection are hailed by those of Christian denominations as fundamental tenets. However, what Jesus' immortal spirit did after His death and before His Resurrection is a mystery to all but the Latter-day Saints. And the significance of what He did during those hours provides the doctrinal foundation for building temples across the earth." Spencer J. Condie, The Savior's Visit to the Spirit World
"By which also he [Jesus Christ] went and preached unto the spirits in prison." While the gospel may be accepted by spirits in the spirit world, the ordinances of salvation must be performed for them by those who are living here on Earth (1 Pet. 3:18-20). See also D&C 138:16–19.
In The Family History Guide, see Temple Opportunities for help with every aspect of finding and taking names to the temple. Learn how to use the FamilySearch fan chart to find those in need of ordinances.
Visit a Cemetery or Do a Virtual Visit
Because of our Savior Jesus Christ, death is not the end. The time around Easter is a good time to teach that lesson to your children by visiting the graves of loved ones.
Jesus Christ accomplished a "perfect atonement" for me.
From Come, Follow Me :
One way to focus on the Savior at Easter time is to study revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants that teach about His atoning sacrifice.
The Savior's Atoning Sacrifice
A good way to extend the sweet, spiritual feelings of Easter is to remind our loved ones that the sacrament offers us the opportunity to always remember Him. You could place quotes about the atonement in their scriptures so that they can look at them during the sacrament each week. You could also add photos of ancestors whose lives and testimonies have strengthened theirs.
Record and Share Your Thoughts
"As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life." (President Russell M. Nelson, Let God Prevail, October 2020 General Conference)
Journaling Suggestion: Find what the Lord has promised He will do for Covenant Israel in your study of the Savior this week and write or audio-record about what these promises mean to you.
This Easter, as the Management Team of The Family History Guide Association, we express our love of Jesus Christ and share our collective witness that He is our Redeemer, our Mediator with the Father, and our Savior. We know He is grateful for all you do to further the work of salvation for all of God's children on both sides of the veil.
We are grateful for the promises shared by Elder Renlund in his talk Family History and Temple Work: Healing and Sealing, and will continue to do all we can to help you in your efforts to receive them. Elder D. Todd Christofferson describes our feelings well:
"Our anxiety to redeem the dead, and the time and resources we put behind that commitment, are, above all, an expression of our witness concerning Jesus Christ". The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus
With gratitude, The Management Team of The Family History Guide Association
