Sunday, January 13, 2019

COME FOLLOW ME....



COME FOLLOW ME…


Years ago, when Primary met on a weekday and the 9, 10, and 11-year old girls were Larks, Bluebirds, and Seagulls, and everybody met at the chapel on Sunday morning for Sunday School and later that day for Sacrament meeting, we would sometimes have lessons or talks in Church about some of the events that would have to happen before Christ’s Second Coming.  Things like temples would dot the land, and the building of a temple at the New Jerusalem.  There were about nine or ten temples at the time, each of which took considerable time to build—and hey, let’s not forget that the Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build.  Could breathe a sigh of relief on that score.  We’d have a ton of heads-up time if there were going to be lots of temples and one big one.

Oh, and there was occasionally mention that there would come a time we would be having Church at home and not in chapels.

That seemed pretty far-fetched!  I mean, after all, we had all these Church programs.  How in the world would we EVER do all that in our houses?

Well, that Primary girl is now on third base—looking toward home…!  A lot has happened during her seven plus decades that points to fulfillment of prophesy that even SHE can see.

Temples do indeed dot the land—and it didn’t take all that long to build each one since they are not the size and magnitude of the Salt Lake Temple.  And most of them have been built and dedicated since President Hinckley announced his ambitious goal for many, many smaller temples where the people are.  I just look to my own Fort Collins Temple for a perfect example of that!

The curriculum in our Church classes has slowly been revised over the years to reflect compatible topics and themes from the yearly study of one book of scripture during each year for priesthood, Sunday School and Relief Society manuals.  Those curriculum writers produced landmark manuals like Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Preach My Gospel for the Missionaries, Teaching in the Savior’s Way to improve gospel instruction, and now the rich blessings of Come Follow Me for individual and family study at home, supported in our new 2-hour block of Church meetings on Sunday. 

What blessings have come to us in spite of my limited early vision,  seeing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the perspective of the “box” that was so familiar it was difficult to think anything completely different could change our lives in such profound ways.

Since President Nelson began his ministry as our prophet, seer, and revelator just a year ago, we have had the eyes of our understanding opened wide—and I know from some of his more recent remarks—we are going to see even more change which will undoubtedly stretch us in this continuing process.

President Nelson announced in October General Conference the procedural change from three-hour Sunday meetings to two-hour meetings and called it “an adjustment”, wherein we now have a “home-centered Church, supported by what takes place inside our church buildings.  Now we will be able to learn doctrine, strengthen faith, and foster greater personal worship in our own homes.”

It could be easy to think along the lines that we will be getting out of school early now.  But the main reason we have one less hour in our chapels is so we can spend that hour at home individually or as a family in learning more about the Savior and tune ourselves into His incredible teachings drawn from His personal attributes. 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, in the December Ensign, “The Lord’s work has always been ultimately about people, not programs… what the Lord is really hoping to change is you and me.  He wants to change our hearts and enhance our future.”

So, how do we go about doing that? 

Elder Neal A. Maxwell in April 1991 General Conference taught that the fundamentals we need to perfect our faith—and therefore our relationship with the Lord so we can make that change to our hearts—are serving, studying, praying, and worshiping.  But I only want to emphasize how studying and worshiping can touch our hearts and enhance our daily lives. 

In short, I am going to share my experience with the new Come Follow Me curriculum as it has played out in my life the last two weeks.

Two weeks ago on Sunday the 30th of December, Louis and I sat down after our three hour meeting block and began to discuss just exactly what we thought we should do to implement this program into our family of two empty-nesters with grown children and grandchildren. 

During that brainstorming session of ideas, Louis suggested we each spend an hour studying something from the manual and then come together to share that in “companion study” like he did on his mission.

Now I have never served a proselyting mission. Nor have I ever studied with someone else in a more formal set-up like that.  But it sounded good to me…and the next day which was Monday, we began to implement that plan.

I was interested to hear Louis’ perspective of those first week topics based on his study and his personal experiences.  Some I had heard.  Some I had not.  We drew from the topical guide and other scriptures to flesh out some of the ideas about gaining and strengthening our own testimonies and how we could be instruments in helping others gain a testimony of the truth for themselves—family members who are not now embracing the gospel and some of those with whom we work.

Louis and I talked about the process of asking questions when we are seeking spiritual knowledge.  And acting in faith remembering it’s all about the Lord’s timetable as we develop His divine characteristic of patience.

We talked in depth about the parables of the sower and the ten virgins.  We asked ourselves when we might have been a foolish virgin and what we did to become one of the wise ones.  We observed people we knew and cared for who had been cast into stony ground and hadn’t thrived with the heat and no water. 

For some years I have wondered if I would ever have the privilege of understanding the mysteries of heaven.  Then, during our discussions of these two parables, I suddenly realized I HAVE been privy to the mysteries of the kingdom because I Do understand those parables.  The Lord said they were not for everyone to understand because they were part of the mysteries of heaven

As we talked about faith, I realized again I have always been a person of faith.  I have always had faith that all will be well—in spite of a couple of really awful things that have happened in my life.  The Lord will continue to take care of me—as He has so capably in the past.  That is a sure truth for me.

In fact, Louis and my discussions didn’t seem to end at a specific time—minute-wise.  We’d be in the car or elsewhere and observations would come to us, and we continued to discuss new aspects of a gospel topic we hadn’t addressed previously or hadn’t even thought of before. 

That was the first week. 

Then I went away for my work as I normally do every week (that first week being at home in an ideal situation with a companion was a fluke!)  During this last week when I arrived at my layover hotel every night, it was always in a different time zone from the one Louis was in.  He was in bed at home some nights.  I was in bed at a hotel on the other end some nights.  Those great discussions DIDN’T happen. 

So, I went back to studying the way I had always done on my own—only now I have dozens more resources to explore.  And reader that I am, that was just a green light to read and read and read without feeling a bit guilty!  What wonderful things I have learned from past conference addresses.  Journals of discourse. Personal experiences.  Discussions with my children…and even people who didn’t even KNOW they were discussing this week’s lesson!

I’m in a unique position:  I have a testimony of the benefit Come Follow Me is to the family—AND to an individual.  I have done both!

More importantly, I have a testimony that having a gospel centered home is just exactly what will assist us in changing our hearts and preparing for a future featuring the Lord’s Second Coming that is glorious beyond anything we could possibly imagine. 

The daily study we do becomes true worship of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Elder Maxwell said, “Failure to do that study is to be intellectually and spiritually malnourished.  In a hardening world, the Lord can pierce our consciousness by using the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

I encourage you to embrace this new program!  It is a revelation of transformation that will only make us better than we could make ourselves without the Lord’s guiding hand.








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