Come, Follow Me – 2024 (Book of Mormon)

The introductory pages of the Book of Mormon teach us that (1) God does not forget His children, (2) a covenant is more than an agreement, (3) Jesus Christ is the Savior of the entire world, and (4) God’s perfect work is carried out by imperfect people.

1. Record-keeping is important. 2. God frequently sends “tender mercies.” 3. Hardened hearts result in poor decisions. 4. We can look forward with optimism to our promised land. 5. God sometimes lights the path before us only one step at a time.

Lessons from 1 Nephi 6-10: 1. Sometimes, instead of delivering us, God empowers us. 2. Forgiveness is like dropping ballast, allowing us to soar. 3. Consistent immersion in the word of God leads us to the Savior. 4. We are lost until we rely on Him.

Lessons from 1 Nephi 11-15: 1. Pondering invites revelation. 2. Temptation disrupts our thoughts and our feelings. 3. It’s important to ask questions. 4. God watches over His people.

Lessons from the final chapters of 1 Nephi: 1. God provides help as we follow Him. 2. We need quiet places to pray and hear God’s voice. 3. Jesus suffered for us because He loves us. 4. Temporal things can have spiritual value.

Key Themes from 1 Nephi 1 and 2: 1. God created us to act for ourselves, not to be acted upon. 2. The adversity we experience can be beneficial to us. 3. Jesus Christ is the Great Mediator.

1. We make better decisions with a long-term perspective. 2. Repentance includes awareness of our failings, and trust that God can help us change. 3. We can achieve happiness and success when we build on a foundation of true principles.

1. God can help us overcome every obstacle we face. 2. As we trust God and follow Him, we walk in the light. 3. God will magnify our efforts as we act in faith.

1. The words of Isaiah can point us toward Christ and bring us joy. 2. The temple is a refuge, a place of peace. Our homes can also be holy places. 3. Just as tithing belongs to God, some of our possessions rightly belong to the poor. 4. God is with you.

1. God loves the poor and the needy, and so should we. 2. We can be both recipients and conduits of the Savior’s power. 3. Turbulence can be redemptive. 4. God’s grace can give us relief from sorrow, fear, and bondage. 5. Jesus can heal all our wounds—physical and spiritual.

1. God loves all of His children and invites us all to come unto Him. 2. God provides multiple witnesses for the truths He reveals. 3. The Book of Mormon confirms and clarifies the Bible. 4. God gathers His word. 5. Knowledge leads to peace.

1. Jesus set the perfect example by being baptized. 2. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one God. 3. The Holy Ghost can teach us far more than we can teach one another. 4. The gifts we receive from Jesus are individualized and personal.

1. Jesus overcame every obstacle we will ever face. 2. Because of Jesus, we will all be resurrected. 3. We partake of the sacrament to show God that we remember His Son. 4. There is a paradise in the world of spirits, a place of peace and happiness.

1. God loves all of His children, and all are precious in his sight. 2. God will give us “errands” if we are willing to receive them. 3. Writing in a journal can help us understand our experiences. 4. We can find solace and strength in the scriptures.

1. God is patient with us as we learn to produce good fruit. 2. We can thrive even in unfavorable circumstances. 3. Strengthen your testimony to avoid being shaken. 4. We can receive revelation regularly. 5. Search the scriptures to experience peace.

1. Some blessings come only after we exercise faith. 2. Written records are important. 3. A consistent practice of fasting and prayer helps us draw closer to Christ. 4. God knows all things including the future. 5. Leadership requires effort and patience.

1. Scripture helps us learn to recognize the voice of the Lord. 2. Loving God and loving His children are interconnected. 3. The temporary aspects of life contribute to our eternal journey. 4. There is power in a name, when that name represents our Savior

1. God can purify you and change your heart. 2. Jesus makes it possible for us to be spiritually reborn. 3. Retain a remission of your sins through remembering, prayer, humility, and steadfastness. 4. Priests teach us and remind us of our covenants.

1. Great leaders speak with confidence and hope. 2. We can change our circumstances by making better decisions. 3. Seers are also communicators. They learn and they share. 4. We should prepare physically and spiritually. 5. Anger can impair your judgment.

1. God loves us, but He lets us suffer some consequences of our actions. 2. Gaining knowledge requires effort. 3. Laws can help us develop divine attributes. 4. Jesus has borne your griefs and carried your sorrows. 5. God will resolve all injustices.

1. We must lighten people’s burdens 2. Spiritual experiences can make places special 3. Pure motives strengthen our resolve 4. Authority enables the transfer of trust 5. Trials can strengthen us 6. Our fears can be calmed 7. Patience and faith go together

1. Salvation is an individual matter. 2. Belief and understanding are interconnected. 3. God will help us make difficult decisions. 4. Pride disturbs our peace. 5. Jesus Christ can change our nature. 6. When we are changed, we want to help others change.

1. Salvation is an individual matter. 2. Belief and understanding are interconnected. 3. God will help us make difficult decisions. 4. Pride disturbs our peace. 5. Jesus Christ can change our nature. 6. When we are changed, we want to help others change.

1. Good works flow naturally when your heart is right. 2. God can help us align our hearts with what we should do. 3. Jesus leads gently, like a shepherd. 4. Jesus understands our pains and afflictions. 5. Equality is a core gospel principle.

1. The Savior is generous, fair, and honest. 2. He is responsive to us, yet patient when we are unresponsive. 3. He saves us from our sins. 4. Because of Him, we will all be resurrected. 5. When we intentionally disobey God, we separate ourselves from Him

1. We were all foreordained to accomplish specific things. 2. We can enter the rest of the Lord. 3. Sacrifice makes a witness more credible. 4. God doesn’t always spare us from trials. 5. Miracles happen when we believe.

1. We receive the power of God through prayer, fasting, and scripture. 2. Good listening requires time. 3. How we teach is as important as what we teach. 4. Cynicism prevents us from seeing truth. 5. We can pray without knowing God exists. 6. We must abandon our sins.

1. Religious freedom includes the right to share your beliefs. 2. Covenants help us retain our conversion. 3. God can help us measure outcomes more accurately. 4. God fulfills all of His promises perfectly. 5. God expects us to care for refugees.

Words matter. Korihor not only confused people by preaching false doctrines, he also motivated them to commit sinful actions. (See Alma 30:18.) Appropriately, his career came to an end when he was struck dumb and could no longer speak. (See Alma 30:49-50.) When Alma learned that the Zoramites were becoming radicalized and feared that they……

1. People learn when they’re ready, not when we want to teach them. 2. Faith leads to knowledge, and knowledge strengthens faith. 3. Pray, believe, and repent. 4. Mercy and justice are not in conflict. 5. Only an infinite Being could atone for our sins.

1. God supports those who trust HIm. 2. The Savior heals us and those whom we have harmed. 3. Scripture enhances our memory and teaches us how to come to Christ. 4. The word of Christ will lead us safely on our journey home to God.

1. Chastity is an affirmation of loyalty to our most important relationships. 2. Our spirit and body will be reunited after we die. 3. The Final Judgment is the natural outcome of our current decisions. 4. God is both just and merciful.

1. Examine your motives. 2. We can defend truth while treating our opponents with respect. 3. You are creating your future self by your current choices. 4. We can overcome severe storms if we are united. 5. We make wiser decisions when we counsel together.

1. Covenants strengthen faith. 2. A mother’s testimony is powerful. 3. Prayers may be answered in unexpected ways. 4. It’s easier to retain something than to regain it. 5. Acts of courage can be inspiring. 6. Adversity can either harden or soften us.

1. We influence best by supporting, not attacking. 2. Pride grows automatically, like weeds. 3. We grow by being stretched. 4. If you claim to be self-reliant, you may be left alone 5. Good government depends on good citizens. 6. Disciples must be steady.

1. Sin is turning away from God. Repentance is turning back toward Him. 2. God can empower you to accomplish great things. 3. Our testimony can rely on multiple types of evidence. 4. Adversity can turn us to God. 5. God will support us in our afflictions.

1. The way you respond to messages from prophets says a lot about your level of pride 2. The Savior brings light into our lives, even in the darkest of times. 3. God can help us act in accordance with true principles 4. God chastens us because He loves us

1. God’s words will be fulfilled in His time. 2. Miracles can motivate us to take actions that strengthen our faith. 3. Don’t allow fear to cloud your judgment. 4. Disciples seek to emulate their teacher’s actions. 5. Inequality and pride destroy peace.

1. Jesus is the Son of God, the light and life of the world and Alpha and Omega. 2. Silence can prepare us to hear the Holy Ghost. 3. God shares His power with us so that we can serve and bless each other. 4. The spirit of contention is not of God.

1. Jesus fulfilled the law in several different ways 2. We can accomplish more when we let God govern us 3. God loves His children and answers when they call 4. Religious practices change, but principles do not 5. The gospel can help us see eye to eye

1. Jesus can heal all afflictions. 2. Our souls are filled as we partake of the sacrament. 3. The Savior invites all to come unto Him, and He wants us to be inclusive. 4. We can have spiritual experiences as we support others in making covenants with God.

1. The sacrament nourishes our souls. 2. Covenants give us purpose, connectedness, and confidence. 3. God is gathering His people. 4. When we are taught by God, we find peace. 5. Gospel principles are interrelated. 6. Jesus communicates God’s love for us.

1. We should take upon ourselves the name of Christ. 2. Because of Him, we can become spotless. 3. God cares about our desires. 4. The Book of Mormon is a sign of the Savior’s coming. 5. Jesus can help us overcome every sin.

1. Prosperity is based on trust. 2. We can be spiritually anchored in unstable times. 3. God can use imperfect people to do His work. 4. The Savior can remove the chaff from our lives. 5. God loves all of His children and wants us to be happy.

1. Jesus is risen. 2. We must use our spiritual knowledge in order to receive more. 3. People are more important than things. 4. God can perform miracles in your life. 5. The Savior redeemed us, which means that He brings us back into the presence of God.

1. Coming unto Christ is an incremental process. 2. God uses prayer as a tool to help us grow. 3. Knowedge provides a foundation for belief. 4. It takes effort to remove a veil of unbelief. 5. Our testimony can be based on multiple types of evidence.

1. Chasing worldly power leads to instability and unhappiness. 2. Righteousness means doing what’s right without being asked. 3. Sustainable leadership is built on love, respect, and honesty. Leaders should serve unselfishly and defend the vulnerable.

1. Overcome feelings of inadequacy by remembering that God’s grace is sufficient for us. 2. God shows us our weakness to help us improve. 3. Hope is both a characteristic and an outcome of faith. 4. We can help build the New Jerusalem by promoting unity.

1. Some things are more important than life. 2. Priesthood authority is given by the laying on of hands. 3. Priesthood brings order into our lives. 4. Sacrament prayers consist of a petition, a purpose, and promises. 5. Church members support one another.

1. The gospel is about embracing good, not just rejecting evil. 2. Charity never faileth. 3. Parents need to be mindful of their children. 4. Different people respond to different teaching approaches, so keep adapting. 5. Jesus Christ can lift us up.

1. God provides wisdom and knowledge. 2. His past kindness is evidence of His love. 3. We should seek spiritual gifts from Him. 4. He can improve our communication. 5. Holiness requires letting some things go. 6. Christ’s power comes when we turn to Him.

The birth of Jesus Christ was highlighted by Nephi, Benjamin, Alma, and Samuel. When Jesus was born, the Nephites and Lamanites experienced a night filled with light. Here are some lessons I’ve learned as I’ve studied the Book of Mormon at Christmastime.