Life has gotten a little crazy around here and I'm not sure I'll be able to do very many more Come, Follow Me study guides anymore. I'll still try to share my activity sheets every week and perhaps I'll have time to do a few here and there, but sadly it definitely won't be every week anymore.
This blogpost features a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for September 29-October 5, which includes Doctrine and Covenants 109-110. Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks. *************************** FAMILY HISTORY: A STUDY GUIDE This week during my CFM studies, I was drawn to the section of the manual entitled:
THE SAVIOR WANTS ME TO TURN MY HEART TO MY ANCESTORS
It made me reflect on an experience I'd had several years ago, while I was YW president, and our stake president issued a challenge to all the youth in our stake to do enough family history work that they could supply all the names for our next ward temple trip to do baptisms.
Sounds great, huh?
Except, I was just like most people...living a busy life raising kids, serving in the church, and thinking that family history was something I'd do SOMEDAY...when I magically had enough time. I had heard about all the technological advances that had been made since the days of holing up in family history centers looking through rolls of microfiches, but I didn't really have the desire to figure out what that meant. Until the challenge was issued.
After the challenge, I decided it was time to humble myself, find someone to teach me a few things, so I could learn how to do it myself, and hopefully help the youth while I was at it. And we did it. We held several family history nights at our house and got to the point where ALL of the names for our temple trip for the 60+ youth in our ward were provided by the youth. It was a humbling, yet empowering experience for me.
That was several years ago and I’m here today to tell you that family history in 2025 is NOT the same as family history 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. Changes in technology have made family history easier than ever and have made it so we don’t even have to leave our homes if we don’t want. Basically any and all excuses you’ve been tucking away as a reason why you’re not doing your family history are no longer valid.
EXCUSES When I polled some people about why they don’t do family history, I heard these four main excuses repeated over and over :
1. It’s not my season in life to spend time doing genealogy. I’ll do it someday….
2. My great-aunt (or some other relative) is a professional genealogist and has already done all of the work. There’s literally nothing for me to do.
3. It’s too complicated and I don’t know how.
4. I’m too busy.
PROMISED BLESSINGS We have powerful promises given to us by modern apostles that when we
engage in family history work our entire families--both living and
dead--will be blessed. These promised blessings range from increased
protection from the adversary, strengthened testimonies, and greater
light and knowledge from the Holy Ghost. These are blessings that we
all could use….no matter what season of life we are in.
Why are we making excuses and not allowing ourselves to receive those blessings?
In
Malachi we read: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before
the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn
the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children
to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
Have
you felt your heart turning to your fathers? It is rare thing to feel
the spirit of Elijah UNTIL we obey. We have to begin. We have to
start now and do something. The Spirit of Elijah is a real and powerful
motivation–but it seems we have to choose to put one foot in front of
another to be able to feel it.
THE LORD'S MATH AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO FAMILY HISTORY
If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you've heard me refer to the "Lord's Math" before, but if you're new here, let me give you a recap.
What is 0x0?
It's zero, of course.
The answer is simple and applies to family history work as well. When we put zero effort into doing family history, we get zero of the promised blessings from it.
So, 0 x 0 = 0 but here’s another simple math question for you. What is 1x 52 ? Most kids in the room can tell that the answer is = 52. If you could work on family history just one hour per week, that’s 52 hours of work over the course of a year to help in the salvation of YOUR ancestor’s souls! That’s 52 out of nearly 9000 hours in a year or less than half of one percent of your time to help our departed loved ones be able to enjoy the full blessings of eternal life.
Still sound like too much of a sacrifice to you? What about doing just one hour a month….maybe on Fast Sundays? 1x 12 = 12, and twelve hours of family history (and the blessings that come with it) is still a whole lot better than 0.
In D&C 64:33 we read, ‘Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”
In no area of our lives does this apply more than in family history. Start now. Do small things; and I promise great things will happen! The Lord's math is that He takes our small efforts and rains down blessings upon us for those efforts. The blessings far out-weigh the efforts we put into it.
“The Lord’s ways are higher than our ways—and so is His arithmetic. It
is different than ours.” (Chad Webb, S&I Broadcast, August 2015
The Lord's math is pretty awesome, isn't it?
Whether you’re finding names, indexing, keeping a journal, interviewing relatives, or researching sources, there is a work for us all to do--a work that will bless our families through the eternities. Don’t let these blessings slip away because your great-aunt Judith already wrote a book about your family. The only way to get zero blessings from family history is to give it zero effort.
Verse #2 is particularly apt for this topic. "In many a temple the Saints will assemble And labor as saviors of dear ones away. Then happy reunion and sweetest communion. We'll have with our friends in the beautiful day.”
SCRIPTURES "To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—" D&C 110:15
"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead
rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? " —1
Corinthians 15:29
"The Lord is in his holy temple, the
Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the
children of men." —Psalms 11:4
"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the
heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth
with a curse.” --Malachi 4:6 "I have hallowed this house,
which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and
mine heart shall be there perpetually."—I Kings 9:3
QUOTES:
“When you were baptized, your ancestors looked down on you with hope. Perhaps after centuries, they rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find them and to offer them freedom. In your reunion, you will see in their eyes either gratitude or terrible disappointment. Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them."--Henry B. Eyring “It is no coincidence that FamilySearch and other
tools have come forth at a time when young people are so familiar with a
wide range of information and communication technologies, “Your fingers
have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work
of the Lord—not just to communicate quickly with your friends. The
skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a
preparation to contribute to the work of salvation” Elder Bednar
“No work is more of a protection to [us]
than...genealogical research. ... No work is more spiritually refining.
No work we do gives us more power. No work requires a higher standard of
righteousness. Our labors...cover us with a shield and a protection.”Boyd K. Packer
**************************** GRACE My husband and I just received challenging new callings that seem very daunting and this is a topic that's very near and dear to our hearts right now.
#1 “The Savior’s gift of grace to us is not necessarily limited in time to ‘after’ all we can do. We may receive his grace before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts” (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart: Applying the Atonement to Life’s Experiences [1989], 155–56)
#2 “So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now. It is not a finishing touch; it is the Finisher’s touch.” Elder Brad Wilcox
#3 "...every one of us aspires to a more Christlike life than we
often succeed in living. If we admit that honestly and are trying to
improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human. May we refuse to let our
own mortal follies, and the inevitable shortcomings of even the best men
and women around us, make us cynical about the truths of the gospel,
the truthfulness of the Church, our hope for our future, or the
possibility of godliness. If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity
our refinement will be finished and complete—which is the New Testament
meaning of perfection.
I
testify of that grand destiny, made available to us by the Atonement of
the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself continued “from grace to grace” until in His immortality He received a perfect fulness of celestial glory.
I testify that in this and every hour He is, with nail-scarred hands,
extending to us that same grace, holding on to us and encouraging us,
refusing to let us go until we are safely home in the embrace of
Heavenly Parents." President Jeffrey R. Holland
#4 “The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed.”Elder Brad Wilcox
#5 “God’s grace is sufficient. Jesus’s grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is all we need. Don’t quit. Keep trying. Don’t look for escapes and excuses. Look for the Lord and His perfect strength. Don’t search for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ, and, as you do, you will feel the enabling power and divine help we call His amazing grace.” Elder Brad Wilcox
#6 “Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity. I testify and witness that the enabling power of the Savior’s Atonement is real.” Elder David A. Bednar
#7 “In all of these cases there should never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano, are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace, we understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness. When we understand grace, we can, as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants, “continue in patience until [we] are perfected”. Elder Brad Wilcox
#8 "Another
element of God’s grace is the opening of the windows of heaven, through
which God pours out blessings of power and strength, enabling us to
achieve things that otherwise would be far beyond our reach. It is by
God’s amazing grace that His children can overcome the undercurrents and
quicksands of the deceiver, rise above sin, and “be perfect[ed] in
Christ.”
Though
we all have weaknesses, we can overcome them. Indeed it is by the grace
of God that, if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can
become strong."Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.
If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, Mom, why do I need to practice? None of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.
“But Brother Wilcox, don’t you realize how hard it is to practice? I’m just not very good at the piano. I hit a lot of wrong notes. It takes me forever to get it right.” Now wait. Isn’t that all part of the learning process? When a young pianist hits a wrong note, we don’t say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We don’t expect him to be flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection may be his ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right direction. Why is this perspective so easy to see in the context of learning piano but so hard to see in the context of learning heaven?
In all of these cases there should never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano, are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace, we understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). When we understand grace, we can, as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants, “continue in patience until [we] are perfected” (D&C 67:13).
***********************************
FILL IN THE BLANK SCRIPTURES ABOUT GRACE
Doctrine and Covenants 106:8 "And I will give him grace and ______________ wherewith he may __________; and if he continue to be a faithful witness and a light unto the church I have prepared a _____________ for him in the mansions of my Father. Even so. Amen."
2 Nephi 25:23 "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be ____________ to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are ____________, after all we can do."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do _________ things through _____________ which strengtheneth me."
Moroni 10:32-33 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny youselvs of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all you might, mind and strenth, then is his grace __________________ for you, that by his grace ye may be ______________ in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the _______________ of _________."
Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is ___________ for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they ________________ themselves before me, and have ___________ in me, then will I make weak things become ______________ unto them."
************************************ AN ORIGINAL ACTIVITY SHEET (PRINTABLE)
These
activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.
They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the
Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom
or home setting. I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling
working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament
programs each week. Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them...especially when it's a word search!
D&C 105:38-40 "And again I say unto you, sue for
peace, not only to the people that have smitten you, but also to all
people. And lift up an ensign of peace, and make a proclamation of peace
unto the ends of the earth. And make proposals for peace unto those who
have smitten you, according to the voice of the Spirit which is in you,
and all things shall work together for your good."
Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Matthew 5:9, 44 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." 44 "But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. How Christ is the perfect example of being a peacemaker.
2. How can I find and share peace in a world filled with turmoil?
3. How can we be peacemakers in the contentious society we live in? "HOW CAN I BE A PEACEMAKER?" VIDEO CLIP (WITH VISUALS)
FROM PRESIDENT NELSONhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqM7LFOIXBs
"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." D&C 101:16
One of the things I love to do is hike. Because we lived at sea level for so many years, though, we sometimes get a little intimidated by hiking in the mountains. One day we were trying a new trail that had a pretty significant incline early on in the hike. I was ready to turn around and find a flatter trail, when we came across a group coming down the mountain. I stopped and asked one of them if it was worth the effort to continue on, and his answer surprised me. Instead of a yes or no, he simply said, “You can hear the sounds of peace.”
To be honest, at that point in the hike, the only sound I could hear was my own heavy breathing and I certainly wasn’t feeling very peaceful! But something about that comment inspired us to keep going.
Although the trail didn’t get easier for a while, I noticed that when I shifted my focus from thinking “this is so hard” to listening for the “sounds of peace,” my entire experience changed.
Later, I reflected on that moment and realized it taught me something profound about peace. I used to think peace was just something that fell upon you in quiet, perfect moments. And while that can happen, the more life experiences I have, the more I’ve come to believe that peace is most often something we must actively seek and choose, especially in hard times.
I want to explore that idea a little more.
Elder Waddell (source) taught us in a general conference talk several years ago that, “Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache. Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course, not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. Nevertheless, we have been promised peace–but with a condition....The peace we all seek requires more than {just} a desire. It requires us to act—by learning of Him, by listening to His words, and by walking with Him. We may not have the ability to control all that happens around us, but we can control how we apply the pattern for peace that the Lord has provided—a pattern that makes it easy to think often about Jesus.”
When I look back at different times in my life when I desperately needed peace, I see how different those situations looked on the surface.
There were times when I was making big decisions, or caught in conflict, or facing a huge trial. Other times it was more internal—moments of doubt, guilt, anxiety, or just feeling overwhelmed by life.
In the New Testament, Jesus says:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
I love that verse—but I’ll be honest: not letting my heart be troubled is easier said than done!
So what is this pattern for peace, and how do we live it and apply it in all the different situations?
Elder Waddell quotes the Savior directly:
“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” D&C 19:23
Learn. Listen. Walk. A simple pattern—with a powerful promise.
As part of my reflections on peace while preparing this, I decided to look back at a couple of experiences in my life where I sought for and received peace and see how that pattern came into play.
One of the biggest experiences was when several years ago my husband and I were preparing talks on the topic of the “Worth of Souls” to share in sacrament meeting. It was a busy season in our lives with 5 young kids at home, so taking time to dive into a gospel topic took a very deliberate effort on our parts. I had a couple hours while everyone was at their various activities, so I turned off my phone and ended up having one of the most memorable spiritual experiences of my life when I read these words from Elder Uchtdorf:
“The most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love. God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.” President Dieter Uchtdorf, “You Matter to Him,” General Conference, October 2011
I had read them before, but this time the words hit me differently and I became overwhelmed with an immeasurable peace and reassurance that I was a child of God and that the worth of my soul was indeed great. I was overcome with an unmistakable feeling that God was keenly aware of me personally, as well as my family. My heart was touched and I packed up my talk that day with a deep sense of calm and gratitude for God’s love in my life.
Although it was meant to be preparation for a talk, in reality that experience instead became a much needed spiritual preparation for the storm that was about to befall our family. Within a few hours of that powerful, yet very personal spiritual experience, we received the news that our sixteen-year-old son, Spencer, didn’t have mono like we thought, but actually had leukemia. Further tests showed that his leukemia was aggressive and would require many months of fully in-hospital treatment. A few days after our son’s diagnosis, my husband was very unexpectedly laid off from his job.
In a matter of days, our world was turned upside down. But somehow, amid the chaos, we still felt peace—because of that quiet experience I’d had just before the storm hit. I knew deep down inside that whatever happened-- it would be okay. Not that we wouldn’t experience fear, or that we’d enjoy every moment along the way, but that whether our son lived or died or whether my husband found a job soon or not, that God was in the details and that in the end it would be alright. And it was. I had learned of Christ, I had listened, and when it came time to walk with Him, we found those sounds of peace throughout that journey.
Our son is now 30 years old, and that experience still reminds me that peace is not about circumstances—it’s about Christ.
Thankfully, not all my experiences with seeking peace have been that dramatic. More often than not, my need for peace comes in the middle of everyday chaos—when there’s too much to do and not enough time, or when I feel inadequate or stretched thin.
But the pattern still applies in those moments. Learn. Listen. Walk.
Sometimes it can feel like too much. Like how can I take the time to learn, listen, and walk when I already feel too stretched? How can I possibly fit in one more thing? It’s those times in life when I feel like Christ has invited me to think outside the box. Why not do scripture study in the car? Or during my morning workout? Why not pray in the shower when my phone is put away and no one bothers me? Those are things I’m doing anyway and changing the focus from just me to me and Christ can absolutely change the trajectory of my day.
And while sometimes that may feel like “checking a box,” it’s better than not doing it at all. And I’ve learned that He honors even small efforts.
In my personal experience, I think the listening part of the pattern is the hardest. It requires me to quiet my mind, put down my phone, and push past the noise of life and self-doubt—so I can hear those sounds of peace. The temple is a great place to do that. So is being out in nature. But, even in those quiet places, it takes effort. If I’m not deliberately trying to quiet my mind to listen, the noise in my brain can easily drown out the sounds of peace.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah calls Christ the Prince of Peace. And it is through Him that we find the peace our souls long for.
Just like that steep mountain trail, peace often requires us to keep climbing—but if we stay the course, we’ll hear the sounds of peace. Not just in stillness, but in the midst of the struggle.
And those sounds—His peace—can carry us through anything.
********************************** PEACE IN CHRIST MUSIC VIDEO
********************************** ORIGINAL ACTIVITY PAGE
These
activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.
They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the
Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom
or home setting. I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling
working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament
programs each week. Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them...especially when it's a word search!
