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.
Doctrine and Covenants 51-57: "A Faithful, a Just, and a Wise Steward"
From Come, Follow Me :
For Church members in the 1830s, gathering the Saints and building the city of Zion were spiritual as well as temporal works, with many practical matters to address: Someone needed to purchase and distribute land where the Saints could settle. Someone needed to print books and other publications. And someone needed to run a store to provide goods to those in Zion. In the revelations recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 51–57, the Lord appointed and instructed people to handle these tasks.
But while skills in such things as purchasing land, printing, and running a store are valuable to the temporal work of building Zion, these revelations also teach that the Lord desires His Saints to become spiritually worthy to be called a Zion people. He calls each of us to be "a faithful, a just, and a wise steward," having a contrite spirit, "stand[ing] fast" in our appointed responsibilities (see Doctrine and Covenants 51:19; 52:15; 54:2). If we can do that—regardless of our temporal skills—the Lord can use us to build Zion, and He "will hasten the city in its time" (Doctrine and Covenants 52:43).
"Have you ever wondered if your ancestors were carpenters, traders, farmers, architects, or perhaps even royalty? The careers your ancestors led come with intriguing stories and hint at the kinds of lives they led, what their social classes were, and what their interests were. The same is true about the jobs you and your family hold." (Occupations: A Piece of Family History - FamilySearch)
Discover Your Ancestor's Occupation
If you could step back in time, what would your ancestor's occupation look like?
Look at some of your ancestors on your family tree and see if you can determine their occupations. Was it a family business? Did their parents have the same occupation? Did you find any unusual occupations?
Over time, certain jobs became obsolete. Have you found any ancestors with occupations that are now obsolete? Why was their occupation no longer considered useful? What trade did your ancestor choose to move on to? Have fun Testing your Knowledge on Jobs that No Longer Exist. You can look through a List of Old English Occupations and Descriptions and see which ones you recognize. How many are still relevant today?
With many people claiming spiritual manifestations, the early Saints were concerned about being deceived. What warning did the Lord give them in Doctrine and Covenants 52:14? What was His solution? (see Doctrine and Covenants 52:14–19verses 14–19).
A pattern is something that repeats in a regular, predictable way. Examples include counting by even numbers or the sun rising and setting each day. What other examples can you think of? As you search Doctrine and Covenants 52:14–19, identify the Lord’s pattern for avoiding deception. It might help to note that “contrite” implies a feeling of humility and repentance; “meek” suggests gentleness and self-control; and to “edify” means to instruct, improve, or build up. Why do you feel the Lord’s pattern includes these qualities, as well as obedience? How can you apply this pattern to avoid deception?
As you discuss the pattern described in these verses, your family might enjoy looking at other patterns you use—such as patterns for sewing clothing or making a craft.
"When you research your family's history it is important to keep track of patterns and parallels that you observe in your ancestors' lives. By using some of the tools [timelines, map plotting and spreadsheets] ... you will be able to keep track of your ancestors and make certain that you have the right people in your family tree." (Tracking Patterns and Parallels - FamilySearch)
Timelines
"Using a timeline to keep track of events in your ancestor's life will help you in your search for your ancestor's records. If you find that your ancestor is frequently switching from one county to another, during that same time period, you may have a case of two people with the same name. Timelines may also help you realize new record sets that you can search. When you plot each document on a timeline you will be much better able to establish an ancestor's identity." (Tracking Patterns and Parallels - FamilySearch)
Creating Ancestor Timelines from The Family History Guide Blog shares ideas on how using a timeline can help move your research forward.
Plotting a Map
"Plot the locations where your ancestor had records made. Sometimes we assume that just because a record has our ancestor's name that it is their record. But, when the locations are plotted on a map we discover that the location of a record may be outside the probable area in which our ancestor lived and created records ... Mapping also helps to establish associations with other potential relatives. There is a good chance people living close to your ancestor were relatives. When you plot the area around your ancestor's residence you will be able to see relationships between your ancestor and his or her neighbors." (Tracking Patterns and Parallels - FamilySearch)
On a Person page for one of your ancestors in FamilySearch, find "Time Line" below the Name header. Click on "Time Line." You will see your ancestor's information formatted in a timeline with a map of those events to the right. (You may need to click on "Map" if the map is not currently appearing. For more information on navigating the "Time Line" menu, see Family Tree Person Page Update | FamilySearch. You can also see eight historical events on your ancestor's timeline to see what they may have been experiencing at the time. Read Timeline and Map in Family Tree for more information on using the map feature.
I should always keep my covenants.
From Come, Follow Me :
"... priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fulness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior's Atonement. They arm sons and daughters of God with power, God’s power, and provide us with the opportunity to receive eternal life—to return to God’s presence and live with Him in His eternal family." (Do We Know What We Have? Carole M. Stephens)
Elder Dale G. Renlund states, "Through our covenants and ordinances, we have access to the power of godliness in our lives--no matter our circumstances. That power of godliness comes because we’ve entered into a covenant that’s been part of an ordinance. And as we keep that covenant, then the power of godliness can be in our lives...Our ability to access the power of godliness depends on us keeping the covenants we’ve made with Him." (How We Can Access the Power of the Temple during COVID-19)
Power through Temple Ordinances
Watch the video above highlighting how holding a temple recommend can give you strength to keep your temple covenants. Discuss as a family how you receive power from the temple to face the challenges of life. Look over the Temple Recommend Interview Questions which are made public so members of all ages can better understand the requirements for temple worship and prepare to enter the temple.
Set goals as a family to make temple and family history more a part of your lives.
Fulfillment of Promises in Your Life
Suggestion for journaling this week: Find the promises in Doctrine and Covenants 51-57. Write or audio-record about their influence in your life, and share with your family.
