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.
We might not have an invading army at our doorstep threatening to destroy us, but sometimes we do feel surrounded by adversity and evil. Our path to deliverance is the same one Jehoshaphat sought, and our prayer can be like his too: “O our God, … we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
Trusting in God will bring me peace.
From Come, Follow Me:
Why do we sometimes stop trusting the Lord?
“Writing spiritual impressions in my journal has helped me in my efforts to overcome my sins and weaknesses, endure difficult circumstances, and stay close to Jesus Christ. I invite you to consider the blessings that will flow as you utilize your personal journal to record impressions from the Holy Ghost, so that you can remember these precious communications, and, most importantly, act on them.” Larry Tippets, Why Writing in Your Journal Is Key to Increasing Personal Revelation
Consider keeping a written journal of God's hand in your life and in the lives of your family members. Write about your gratitude for the tender mercies you have experienced and that you see around you. You can also record journal entries using the FamilySearch Memories Audio app or the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch Discovery.
"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." President Henry B. Eyring, O Remember, Remember
Plan a time to verbally share with your family the spiritual experiences you have had, and invite family members to share theirs also. This might be a “gathering” type setting where you are not audio recording. Preserve these stories in another way at another time.
"Embrace your sacred memories. Believe them. Write them down. Share them with your family. Trust that they come to you from your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. Let them bring patience to your doubts and understanding to your difficulties. I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining events in your life, more and more will come to you. Heavenly Father knows you and loves you!" Neil L. Andersen, Spiritually Defining Memories.
You might want to consider creating a collection of your spiritual experiences, and the spiritual experiences of your family members that they would like to share. This book can be a beautiful and meaningful gift for siblings, children, parents, grandparents, and other family members.
When recorded and preserved on FamilySearch Memories, you have the option of placing them in an individual album. See How do I create an album in Memories?
Recording spiritual experiences in a family journal can be a benefit and blessing to your current family and generations to come. Read more here and find more practical suggestions and links in this blog post.
I can defend the truth, even when it’s unpopular.
What gives you courage to stand up for the Lord and His teachings?
“As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone? As holders of the priesthood of God, it is essential that we are able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way. Remember the words of Tennyson: “My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.” Thomas S. Monson, Dare to Stand Alone
Character is often defined in the face of trails. Alison Taylor explained, "Sometimes a single story has the power to change a life. More than once, a story of an ancestor has dropped into my proverbial lap, at exactly the right time, to lend strength and perspective in a time of trial." Read how Alison found strength in her ancestors' experiences in her blog article Why I Am Addicted to Family History. Many others have also found strength from ancestors to face life's challenges.
“Family Stories directly impact how we see ourselves because they give us an idea of where we come from and how we fit into our family...Sharing family stories helps us to evaluate the actions of others and create meaning from the past. When facing challenges, we can draw strength from stories of relatives who also struggled with similar challenges and obstacles and were then able to overcome them.” (How Family Stories Shape Our Identities) Watch David Isay’s RootsTech presentation to see how family stories help make up our family history.
Check out this list of 10 Ways to Find Ancestor's Stories. Discover ancestor stories on the FamilySearch Fan Chart along with family lines, birth country, sources, photos, research helps, and ordinances. You can print a chart with any of this information. With The Family History Guide, you can easily learn how to add memories in FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast.
Find ancestor stories by clicking the Memories tab on the FamilySearch Person page for each ancestor. Check out the following sites for more options: Women of Faith, Military Records of Your Family's War Veterans, My Pioneer Ancestors, Missionaries, and more on the FamilySearch Discovery page.
The All The Stories site is a free way to synchronize with FamilySearch all the stories of your direct ancestors and their siblings, up to 9 generations back. It is a searchable list of any story anyone has placed on your part of the tree, along with how you are related to that ancestor, and how long the story takes to tell.
This game is fun for all ages and all kinds of groups. As individuals or with others you select from the group, you take turns acting out family history stories that you draw from a hat (key words from the story are written on a slip of paper). The object is to get the rest of your family to guess the answer using gestures alone. That's right: when players are acting out the word or phrase, they aren't allowed to talk.
Guided Learning Videos
Check out the Guided Learning videos, which are a great resource for self-paced learning, as they can be used without instructors. This makes them ideal for use in homes, libraries, and family history centers.
Read more here: New: Guided Learning Video Series
