What Does it Mean to Be Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause? And a CFM Activity Sheet for D&C 58-59 (Jun 8)

This blogpost features some thought and resources about what it means to be "anxiously engaged in a good cause", which could be helpful if you are preparing a talk or a lesson on this topic.  In addition, at the end, there is a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for June 2-8, which includes D&C 58-59.   These activity sheets are perfect for introducing or reviewing the material for this week.  Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
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ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED IN A GOOD CAUSE

In D&C 58:27, it reads, "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;"

This is a scripture we hear a lot in the church and, I’ll be honest, sometimes I’m hit with feelings of guilt when I hear it, because I think of all the good things I’m not doing. But, I’m not so sure that that’s how it’s meant to make us feel, so let’s dive in a little….

I actually really liked the A.I. summary that google gave me on what it means to be "anxiously engaged."

"Being anxiously engaged in a good cause means actively and zealously working towards a positive and worthwhile purpose, often driven by a strong sense of conviction and a desire to make a difference. It suggests a proactive approach, where individuals are not waiting to be told what to do but are seeking out opportunities to contribute and improve the world around them."

It is a pretty good summary, but I’m still left wondering what anxiously engaging in a good cause looks like in our everyday lives? What is a good cause? How can we be anxiously engaged when our life is full of so many distractions?

Of course the answers to these questions are nuanced and partially depend on the current circumstances of our lives, but there are a few universal truths here that can be applied no matter where we are in our journey.

TRUTH #1: FEAR IS NOT FROM GOD.
The word anxious has multiple meanings and I believe that God does not want us to have a sense of fear or foreboding when we are thinking about how we can get engaged in good causes. The definition of anxious we are meant to embrace is “ardently or earnestly wishing; with eagerness.” It changes things to look at that phrase through that lens. We should absolutely eagerly look for ways we can serve and help others, but out of love, not fear or guilt.

TRUTH #2: OUR LIVES ARE FILLED WITH GOOD CAUSES.
At the time I am writing and researching this topic, April 2025 General Conference was just a few days ago, so it was hard not to think of our church leaders who literally live their entire lives dedicated to building up the kingdom of God. It is their calling to be anxiously engaged on a full-time basis. And a few months ago, I sent off a missionary, who is diligently serving the people of Ventura, California. She is also anxiously engaged in serving God on a full-time basis.

Of course, most of us will never have the opportunity to serve in such a full-time capacity as the General Authorities that speak in General Conference. We are everyday people with everyday struggles, like raising kids, holding down jobs, helping out with aging parents, and a million things that can easily take up our time.

And that’s the point.

Raising our kids, supporting our families, dealing with problems that arise, and helping our parents, absolutely are good causes and there will be times in our lives when that is all we can do. And that’s okay. Focus on what matters most, keep your hearts and eyes open for good causes you may be called to be a part of, but don’t feel guilt when your life is the good cause! Taking care of your families and helping them come to Christ is one of the best causes there is!

TRUTH #3: THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS TO GET ENGAGED IN GOOD WORK AS THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.
So many messages in General Conference  included beautiful accounts of people who are "anxiously engaging" in the work. I loved Elder Uchtdorf's account of him visiting a small branch with a nonmember friend and at first being a little embarrassed by the imperfect talks and lessons, then later being amazed when the friend remarked on none of that, but rather commented on how loving and welcoming the members had made her feel. That was thought provoking to me. How often do we worry about making everything as perfect as can be and we lose sight of what really matters? What really matters, of course, is helping bring others (and ourselves) to Christ. Well prepared talks and lessons are a wonderful way to do that, but so is helping people feel loved and welcomed. Each of us is unique and each of us will find different ways to be "anxiously engaged". And there are many good causes that may not be affiliated with the church.

Last, but not least, let’s not forget the verse after, which reads: 
"For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."  D&C 58:28

That's a powerful promise.  As we allow God to work through us to bring to pass much righteousness, we are promised the greatest gift of all! 

What are your favorite ways to engage in the work?   Feel free to share below! 

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I thought this video would be a great accompaniment to a lesson on this topic. 

VIDEO PERFORMANCE OF "HAVE I DONE ANY GOOD IN THE WORLD TODAY": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oih_GBF2u4A



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PRINTABLE CFM ACTIVITY SHEET

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. 

HERE IS A LINK TO THE ACTIVITY PAGE (in case it's not showing below): 



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BE SURE TO BOOKMARK THIS SITE AND COME BACK EACH WEEK FOR MORE "COME, FOLLOW ME" RESOURCES! 

Enjoy learning the Gospel together!

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Being a Wise and Faithful Steward Lesson Plan and a CFM Activity Sheet for D&C 51-57 (Jun 1)

 This blogpost features a lesson plan on being a wise steward and a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  May 26 - June 1, which includes D&C 51-57.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
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BEING A FAITHFUL AND WISE STEWARD

Here is a sample lesson based on the section in the Come, Follow Me manual this week, entitled:  "The Lord wants me to be a faithful, just, and wise steward."      It's likely too much information for one class, so you'll need to adjust it  for the age, understanding, and attention span of your class.

DEFINE THE WORD, "STEWARD":  
I found this great definition on the church website, here.  "A person who takes care of the affairs or property of another. That which a steward cares for is called a stewardship. All things on earth belong to the Lord; we are His stewards. We are accountable to the Lord, but we may report on our stewardship to God’s authorized representatives. When we receive a calling of service from the Lord or His authorized servants, that stewardship may include both spiritual and temporal affairs."  

Make sure they really understand the concept that whenever we're given something to take care of or to watch over that we are given stewardship.  This could be as simple as a chore they've been assigned, a calling they have, making sure they are completing homework, helping take care of a pet or younger sibling, etc.

DISCUSS THE KINDS OF THINGS EVERYONE HAS STEWARDSHIP OVER:  
Talk about how there are certain things that God has blessed us with that everyone in the whole wide world has been given the same stewardship over for our whole lives.   Ask if they have any thoughts first, before sharing my thoughts below.  Each of these could make for a whole lesson in and of themselves, so keep it pretty short, unless this is the direction you feel inspired to go:
 
1. Our bodies:  This is HUGE.   Ask how many bodies each of us has?  Of course the answer is ONE.   Remind them that our bodies are a beautiful gift from Heavenly Father and that He expects us to take care of it, by exercising, getting enough sleep, and not putting harmful substances into it, etc.  This is a stewardship we have our whole lives.  
2. The world we live in:  Every single person on the whole earth is a part of of the human community and we should do our best to be a wise steward of the beautiful earth that God created.  This could mean not leaving trash outside, planting flowers, or finding ways to reduce energy usage. 
3. Our spirits:  Our parents can teach us and help us, but ultimately it's up to us whether we seek to stay close to Christ.  We can be wise stewards when we turn away from internet sites, shows, music, books, and video games that would damage our spiritual sensitivity. 
4. Our talents/spiritual gifts:   Every person in the world has their own talents and spiritual gifts and Jesus taught that to be a wise steward, we should share those talents and gifts with others.  Remind them that every person is unique and that we shouldn't compare our talents and gifts to another person's. 
5. Our time:  We each have 24-hours a day and to be wise stewards, we should be aware of those things in our life that distract us from doing what we need.  

 SUMMARIZE D&C 51:
Depending on the age of your students, you can have them skim the chapter and look for stewardship principles, or you can read a few key verses {51:8-9, 51:13-14, 51:18-19}.  Or if your students are too young to read fluently, tell them about the examples of stewardship found in the aforementioned verses. 

SHARE AN EXAMPLE FROM YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU'VE BEEN A STEWARD. 
Talk about how you ended up with the responsibility and how you performed it.  

GO AROUND THE ROOM AND ALLOW EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A TIME WHEN THEY'VE BEEN A STEWARD
Give them a minute to think and make sure to let them know you'll be going around the room and asking everyone to share.  If someone is struggling to come up with one on their own, use prompts to help them think of something.   If it's a student that just refuses to speak up, don't push it.  

SHARE AN EXAMPLE FROM YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU HAVE NOT BEEN A FAITHFUL STEWARD. 
Don't make this a long story, but share a time when you were trusted to take care of something and you failed. {this could be as simple as forgetting to feed the dog, not practicing your music, or not doing your chores...whatever you think will resonate with your class}  Talk about the consequences of your failure and how it affected whomever or whatever you were given stewardship over.   Maybe mention how it affected your relationship with the  people who assigned you the stewardship.

DISCUSS:   TRUST AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO STEWARDSHIP
After hearing your class members share about their experiences with stewardship and sharing your experience with failing at a stewardship, talk about how TRUST is an important part of stewardship.  When we receive a calling or are given responsibility to do something, that means that that person trusts enough to follow through.   Talk about how the best way to keep someone's trust is to honor that by being a wise and faithful steward.  

DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE
Note:  Keep this discussion super positive.  Many people often have a negative view of repentance and think they're "bad" if they're not doing everything right and I think it's really important to discuss how everyone messes up sometimes and that Christ does not expect us to be perfect.  What really matters is what we do when we do make mistakes.  Do we seek to repent and change?  Or do we keep on doing whatever it is we're doing?  

BEAUTIFUL QUOTE FROM APRIL 2025 GENERAL CONFERENCE ABOUT REPENTANCE:
"It saddens me to admit this, but I used to measure my relationship with the Savior by how perfectly I was living. I thought an obedient life meant I would never need to repent. And when I made mistakes, which was every single day, I distanced myself from God, thinking, “He must be so disappointed in me.”   That’s just not true.  I’ve learned that if you wait until you’re clean enough or perfect enough to go to the Savior, you’ve missed the whole point!  What if we thought about commandments and obedience in a different way?  I testify that while God cares about our mistakes, He cares more about what happens after we make a mistake. Are we going to turn to Him again and again? Are we going to stay in this covenant relationship?" Tamara Runia

TALK ABOUT HOW JESUS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF BEING A WISE AND FAITHFUL STEWARD
 Ask your students to think of examples from Jesus's life that showed that he was a wise and faithful steward.   This list could be quite long, but here are a few I thought of: 

1. his stewardship of teaching people the principles of the gospel
2. his stewardship of showing the power of the priesthood by healing and helping the sick and poor
3. his stewardship of loving and serving the people (even washing the disciples' dirty feet)
4. ultimately his stewardship of redeeming us from our sins.  

CONCLUSION:  ASK  IF THEY CAN THINK OF ANY WAYS THAT THEY CAN FOLLOW THE SAVIOR'S EXAMPLE OF BEING A WISE STEWARD.
Listen to their thoughts and be encouraging. 

Bear your testimony and finish up. 

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ADDITIONAL STUDY MATERIAL: 
My  daughter pointed out to me that this recent Young Adult devotional  by Sister Johnson goes along perfectly with this topic and would be good to add to your studies when preparing your lesson/talk on this topic. 

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PRINTABLE CFM ACTIVITY SHEET

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.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ACTIVITY SHEET, IN CASE IT'S NOT SHOWING BELOW.

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Be sure to bookmark this site and come back every week for more CFM material!

Enjoy learning the gospel together! 💗
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Sharing the Light and Sparkle of Christ and a CFM Activity Sheet for D&C 49-50 (May 25)

     This blogpost features some thoughts about the Light of Christ, as well as a  half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  May 19-25, which includes D&C 49-50.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
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SHARING THE LIGHT AND SPARKLE OF CHRIST

I love the section  in this week's reading entitled:

“That which is of God is light.”

The section is based on these scriptures:

"And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;"  D&C 50:23-25

I have always loved the analogy of  Christ being a light.   I think of how, even in the darkest abyss, a flicker of light will instinctively draw you to it and as long as we keep Christ in our lives, He can be the flicker of hope and light when our lives seem dark.  

This thought reminds me of a time when I was younger and I came to an open field in the summertime that was glittering with thousands of fireflies. It was a magical experience and it made think that God placed fireflies on the earth to bring sparkle and light to dark places.   If you haven't ever experienced this phenomena, I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list!

picture source

Just as the moon could not shine without the light of the sun, our power to be a light is increased when we have Christ as our guide.  

In the Bible, it says this about Jesus, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

I believe that all light--literal and figurative--comes from Christ. The sparkle and light that emanate from each of us are a gift from God to give us perspective in dark times and to help brighten the lives of those around us. If you ever feel that your light is feeling a little dim, look to Christ and allow His light to ignite yours.

I love this quote from Elder Uchtdorf about feeling like you’re in the dark:
“Even in the darkest of nights, the sun does not cease to radiate its light. It continues to shine as bright as ever. But half of the earth is in darkness. The absence of light causes darkness.

When the darkness of night falls, we do not despair and worry that the sun is extinguished. We do not postulate that the sun is not there or is dead. We understand that we are in a shadow, that the earth will continue to rotate, and that eventually the rays of the sun will reach us once again.

Darkness is not an indication that there is no light. Most often, it simply means we’re not in the right place to receive the light.”

We all have times when we feel like we’re in the dark and I  have to remind myself sometimes that darkness is temporary.  It doesn't mean that it doesn't feel suffocating when you're in the midst of it, but when I'm in those times, it helps to shift my perspective a bit, to express gratitude for whatever flicker of light I can see, and to make time for Christ in whatever capacity I can.   When I seek out the light, I can always find it, though it sometimes feels dim and far off.   Then, one step at a time, I shakily make my way toward that light.

"A New Light Shining" by Yongsung Kim

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PRINTABLE CFM ACTIVITY SHEET

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.  

Here is the link to the activity sheet, in case it's not showing below:


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Make sure to bookmark this site and check back every week for new resources to go along with the Come, Follow Me reading for the week. 

Enjoy learning the gospel together!

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Spiritual Gifts Lesson Ideas and an Activity Sheet for CFM; D&C 46-48 (May 18)

     This blogpost features some ideas for teaching a lesson on spiritual gifts and a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  May 12-18, which includes D&C 46-48.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
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SPIRITUAL GIFTS LESSON IDEAS

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OPTIONAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY (super meaningful, but will take extra work):
If you feel so inspired and have given yourself enough time, contact  the parents of each of your students and ask them to let you know what some of your students' spiritual gifts are.   Create a list for each student, adding some of your own observances and present it to them at the end of the lesson.  Present it to them with reverence and a moment of quiet reflection to read through it.  Encourage them to keep the list to themselves and challenge them to tape it into their journals when they get home and to add their own thoughts and reflections on them. 

{NOTE:  be extra sensitive to those with non-member or less engaged parents.  If you have a parent that doesn't respond...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't exclude that student or make them feel "less than" in any way.   Add your own observances, counsel with other youth leaders...do whatever it takes to add authentic gifts to every person's list and distribute it with the rest.)

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DISCUSSION STARTER:
What traits did you inherit from your parents?
I'm a firm believer in having at least one question during every lesson that everyone can answer uniquely and without stress and this one is perfect for that.  I usually tell them from the time I pose the question that I'm going to go in a circle and allow everyone the chance to answer, so they have a chance to think about it.   Engage them as they go and allow everyone to answer (being sensitive to those who may be adopted).    Let this be a catalyst to start talking about how we inherit physical traits from our earthly parents and how spiritual gifts come from our Heavenly Parents (the next quote would be a good segue to make that transition). 

QUOTE:
"Because we are the spiritual offspring of God, and indeed by virtue of our very existence, each of us possesses a portion of that element which is variously identified in the scriptures as intelligence, light, truth, spirit, life, law, power, glory, knowledge, etc.—the light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space … which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne.” (D&C 88:12, 13.) This light gives life to our physical bodies and enables us to discern between good and evil and to make intelligent choices as we interact with others of our Father’s children and perform our work upon the earth."  (LINK)


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QUESTIONS TO ASK: Don't rush to fill the silence when you ask a question.   I am totally the kind of person who needs a little time to gather my thoughts before speaking up in a class and I feel like a lot of teachers get uncomfortable when no one speaks up in 10 seconds or less.   Just wait.  Silence is not just okay, but you'll often get more thoughtful responses than if you hurried forward.   

What are spiritual gifts? -
"Spiritual gifts are blessings or abilities that are given by the power of the Holy Ghost. As children of Heavenly Father, we all have spiritual gifts. God gives us these gifts so that we can serve others and help build His kingdom. He has commanded us to diligently seek out and develop our spiritual gifts."  SOURCE HERE

"In the most basic sense any increase in light that an individual experiences may be regarded as a spiritual gift—or a gift or free offering of the Spirit."  (LINK)

What are some examples of spiritual gifts?
There are some great ones listed in the scriptures below and some more unusual ones listed in this page on the church website.

How can we learn to recognize our spiritual gifts? 
This would be a great time to share a personal experience about discovering a spiritual gift that you've recognized in your life.  In my own life, I would share of the time when I was called to be a RS president in my BYU YSA ward and felt like I was blessed to be able to remember faces and names far better than I ever could before or since.   It was definitely a spiritual gift for a specific time and role in my life.  

"We can recognize our spiritual gifts as we “reference our patriarchal blessing, ask those who know us best, and personally identify what we are naturally good at and enjoy. Most important, we can ask God.” As we discover the gifts Heavenly Father has given us, we can come to know Him and ourselves better."  (SOURCE)

What can we do with our spiritual gifts once we recognize one in our life?
"According to scripture, the ultimate purpose of our spiritual gifts is to draw us to Jesus Christ and to make this mortal sojourn a little easier for our brothers and sisters—“for the benefit of the children of God” and for “the edifying of the church”."  (SOURCE)
  

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SCRIPTURES:
1 Corinthians 12:8-10

"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"

Moroni 10:9-16

"For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;    And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;  And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;  And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;  And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;  And again, to another, all kinds of tongues; And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues."

Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-26

" To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.  To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.  To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful. And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.  And again, it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God, that the manifestations of the Spirit may be given to every man to profit withal.  And again, verily I say unto you, to some is given, by the Spirit of God, the word of wisdom.  To another is given the word of knowledge, that all may be taught to be wise and to have knowledge.  And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed; And to others it is given to have faith to heal.  And again, to some is given the working of miracles; And to others it is given to prophesy; And to others the discerning of spirits.  And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues;  And to another is given the interpretation of tongues.  And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God."

Article of Faith #7--
“We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.”


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STUDY RESOURCES:
How to Receive Spiritual Gifts

Gifts of the Spirit Study Guide

4 Questions and Answers about Spiritual Gifts

 Gospel Principles on Gifts of the Spirit


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ACTIVITY SHEET:
These sheets are designed to be printed double-sided and cut in half.  They make for a good review or intro to the CFM material for the week. 

 HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL ACTIVITY PAGE (in case it's not showing below)



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Be sure to bookmark this website and come back every week for a new Come, Follow Me blogpost!


Enjoy learning the gospel together!

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