As we study Come, Follow Me with our families, the influence of the adversary will get weaker as we strengthen our testimonies together.
Photo by Markus Spiske
As a part of the new emphasis on a “home-centered Church,” President Russell M. Nelson announced in October 2018 that Sunday services would be shortened by an hour to give families more time to study the gospel together at home. Along with this change, we were given a new Sunday School manual, Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Since this announcement, I’ve struggled to use this extra hour productively, but recently, I found the motivation I need in the talk given by Brother Mark L. Pace at our most recent general conference for the Church in October 2019.
In his talk, “Come, Follow Me—the Lord’s Counterstrategy and Proactive Plan,” Brother Pace reminds us of promised blessings for those who study the scriptures as a family: as the adversary’s attacks increase on our homes, scripture study (especially accompanied by Come, Follow Me) will be a proactive counterstrategy against those attacks. Brother Pace teaches us that family scripture study and a firm testimony of Jesus Christ is “a spiritual foundation needed for our journey through mortality and back to our heavenly home.” He also gives several examples from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who testified of the goodness that their home study has brought them. One such member insightfully comments, “The goal is not to make church one hour shorter; it is to make church six days longer!”
With increased attacks from the adversary, we must have a strong, gospel-centered foundation in our homes. As we continually study Come, Follow Me at home, our families will grow closer as we strengthen our testimonies and our gospel foundation together.
Read more about the promised blessings of home scripture study in Brother Mark L. Pace’s full talk, “Come, Follow Me—the Lord’s Counterstrategy and Proactive Plan.”
Source: General Conference
—Noelle Conder, Latter-day Saint Insights
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Find more insights
Watch President Russell M. Nelson’s “Opening Remarks” from October 2018 general conference for more promised blessings of Come, Follow Me.
Read or watch Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk, “Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” for more insight behind the home-centered church inspiration.