... As recorded in 1 Nephi 11–14, Nephi saw the ministry of the Savior, the future of Lehi's posterity in the promised land, and the latter-day destiny of God's work. This vision helped to prepare Nephi for the work that lay ahead of him, and it can also help prepare you—for God has a work for you to do in His kingdom. You are among "the saints of the church of the Lamb" seen by Nephi, "who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory" (1 Nephi 14:14).
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."
Jeffrey R. Holland: "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—a magnificent congregation of young adults like you tonight gathered by the hundreds of thousands around the world in a determined effort to see the gospel prevail and triumph....
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! ("Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast," CES Fireside for Young Adults, September 12, 2004) Watch the entire presentation here.
President Nelson gives specific counsel and encouragement to the youth of the church concerning their part in gathering Israel on both sides of the veil:
"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.
...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!
Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps, I might say, His finest team—for this final phase. Those noble spirits—those finest players, those heroes—are you!
You are part of the finest team, which includes family members from the other side of the veil.
"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
How can you learn more about these loved ones who are cheering you on, right alongside the prophets? How can getting to know about their lives help open the door to receive their influence in your life?
Try some of the activities below to learn more about your ancestors.
Read Ancestor Stories
Read your ancestors' stories on FamilySearch (find them in Memories, or on your fan chart). Or, check out the All The Stories site to see a searchable list of all the stories anyone has placed on your part of the FamilySearch family tree.
You can make it easier to find stories of your ancestors' stories on FamilySearch by creating albums in your memories. Some categories are: Adventure stories, Conversion Stories, Ancestor Stories Told In First Person, Stories of Faith, etc.
A Book of Stories
Create a book of your ancestor stories. You may also want to consider creating a collection of the stories of the first converts in your family lines. See the Come, Follow Me Companion New Testament Week #10 for ideas to illustrate conversion stories.
"So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders Among You
"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." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Created for Greater Things
"The Lord so declared: 'I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.' What a promise! When we are faithful, He and His angels will help us." (Russell M. Nelson, April Conference, 2011)
To help family members understand the value of the "plain and precious" truths in the Book of Mormon, compare a clearly written message to a scrambled message. Why might Heavenly Father want His truths to be taught clearly? Family members might bear testimony of some "plain and precious" truths they have learned from the Book of Mormon.
Record Personal Testimonies
You may want to record your personal testimonies of the Book of Mormon on FamilySearch using the FamilySearch Memories Audio App or the "Record My Story" feature on FamilySearch Discovery. This could be done individually or in a family setting.
Your Ancestors' Testimonies
You could do research to find and read the testimonies of the Book of Mormon that your ancestors have written. If these have not been added to FamilySearch Memories, you might want to make sure that they are there. You and your family members could audio-record these during the coming year also, by reading them while using the audio feature of the FamilySearch Memories app.
Favorite Book of Mormon Verses
Another idea is to 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. Talk together and share with each other those "plain and precious" truths that you love.
Preparing for April 2020 General Conference
President Russell M. Nelson closed the October 2019 general conference with an invitation for Latter-day Saints to prepare for the subsequent April 2020 general conference, 200 years since Joseph Smith's First Vision. The year 2020 will be designated as a bicentennial year. "General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel."
You may have ancestors who lived during the time period of the restoration. The Week #1 lesson describes placing their birthdates on a calendar for 2020, with the idea of researching, preserving, and sharing many of their stories during the year. The idea of creating a timeline of your ancestors was also shared. In addition, the following activities listed in the headings above would also be great ways to tie your family history and the Book of Mormon into preparing for April conference: Read Ancestor Stories, A Book of Stories, and Your Ancestors' Testimonies. For those whose ancestors were not in the Restoration area at this time, you may want to read stories from people who were, and share them with your family. Some examples are found Some examples are found here, as well as in this article and in "Church History Tells of Extraordinary Pioneer Youth."
Your Personal History
Write one brief story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have compiled 50 stories to add to your personal history. Save as a story (also consider audio-recording it) and add it to your FamilySearch memories to preserve it. Use your own questions or those from (or inspired by) the #52 Stories Project below. For example:
In addition to recording your testimony of the Book of Mormon, write about a time when you felt you helped someone else strengthen theirs.
Describe one of your favorite ancestor stories about how he or she gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon. How does that story strengthen your own testimony?
Do you have a prophet in the Book of Mormon with whom you feel a special tie? Write about how his life and teachings have influenced and inspired you.
Do you have some favorite Book of Mormon scriptures, stories or events that have taught you eternal truths? How did you come to love them?
