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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.
From Come, Follow Me:
The many prophecies that Israel would be scattered were accompanied by many promises that God would one day gather them.7
That day is today—our day. The gathering has already begun. In 1836, thousands of years after Moses gathered the children of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses appeared in the Kirtland Temple to commit to Joseph Smith “the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:11). Now, under the direction of those who hold these keys, the tribes of Israel are being gathered from every nation where the Lord’s servants are able to go.
President Russell M. Nelson has called this gathering “the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it.”8
How do you do it? What does it mean to gather Israel? Does it mean restoring the twelve tribes back to the land they once inhabited? Actually, it means something much greater, much more eternal. As President Nelson explained:
“When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.…
“Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”9
"There are more resources to search out your ancestors than there have ever been in the history of the world. The Lord has poured out knowledge about how to make that information available worldwide through technology that a few years ago would have seemed a miracle." (Hearts Bound Together)
How has technology helped you research, preserve, and share your family history? How are you taking advantage of some of the technological miracles available? Check out the following resources and make a plan to use and share them.
The FamilySearch Family Tree app enables you to do many essential FamilySearch tasks right from your mobile device. You can complete tasks, record hints, view your relationship, add memories, tag a photo, and search records that tell your ancestors' stories.
Try out some of the tasks below:
For additional information and ideas, read How to Use FamilySearch's Mobile Apps or watch the following videos:
Does your family descend from royalty? Are you related to a prophet? Maybe you are related to a famous movie star. Become familiar with Relative Finder and discover who you are related to. This is a fun way you can introduce friends and family to family history. You can help them discover if they are related to presidents, prophets, famous Americans, European royalty, or movie stars (just to name a few categories). Think of someone you can share this fun discovery experience with to help them become acquainted with family history. (Individuals will need information in their FamilySearch Family Tree in order for this to work. If they have not added their information to Family Tree, you can help them add it.)
One approach you can use to introduce individuals to family history is to utilize Relatives Around Me. When you are with a group of people (within about 100 feet of each other), have everyone sign into the FamilySearch Family Tree app. Everyone will be able to see how they are related to others. Try it in church groups, out with friends, with co-workers or even with your neighbors as you are visiting. (If any individuals have not added their information to FamilySearch Family Tree, the app won’t be able to find their relatives. To help your friends add their families for the Family Tree, visit the Getting Started page.
I can stay true to the Lord during challenging times.
From Come, Follow Me:
Most of us have experienced times that challenge our faith. For Hezekiah and his people, one of those times came when the Assyrian army invaded Judah, destroyed many cities, and approached Jerusalem. As you read 2 Kings 18–19, imagine that you lived in Jerusalem during this time. How might you have felt, for example, to hear the taunts of the Assyrians as recorded in 2 Kings 18:28–37 and 19:10–13? What do you learn from what Hezekiah did in response? (see 2 Kings 19:1–7, 14–19). How did the Lord sustain Hezekiah? (see 2 Kings 19:35–37). Ponder how He has sustained you in challenging times.
You might also ponder the description of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:5–7. What do these verses suggest about why Hezekiah was able to remain faithful when challenges came? How can you follow his example?
Researchers have found that “cross-generational family stories play an important role in children’s self-definition. When children see themselves as part of a larger family narrative, they feel more secure and more confident. They have a stronger sense of self. As a result, they have a greater ability to overcome challenges, as well as greater emotional resilience in the face of life’s ups and downs.” (Want Emotionally Healthy Children? Tell Family Stories - Church News and Events)
What stories from your life or your ancestors' lives can you share to inspire greater faith when challenges come?
Find some of the stories of your ancestors. If you need help locating some stories, All the Stories is a tool which syncs with FamilySearch to help you easily find the stories of your ancestors. Read these stories together as a family. Discuss the following questions and share your thoughts and feelings with each other.
Note: You can also locate stories on your part of the FamilySearch tree using the Stories option in the fan chart. Read more here. Also, check out this list of 10 Ways to Find Ancestors' Stories.
Your past experiences have helped shape the person you are today, just as the experiences of your ancestors made them who they are. As you read stories of your ancestors, you can learn about their experiences, the choices they made and how they trusted in God. You will begin to connect with them and learn why you are who you are. Watch this video to see how one family shared this experience.
How can you and your family learn from your ancestors’ experiences? Learn more about Finding Spiritual Strength from Family Stories or some Helpful Hints for Collecting Family Stories.
Use Research Suggestions from FamilySearch
In Family Tree you may see a purple icon next to an ancestor’s name. That means FamilySearch has a research suggestion for you, which usually includes one or more record collections to search. Learn more about Research Suggestions in Project 4: Discover, Goal 4.