Come, Follow Me Living, Learning, and Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Come, Follow Me Living, Learning, and Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ For Young Women and Relief Society Pilot Test for Come, Follow Me: Living, Learning, and Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for Young Women and Relief Society Thank you for participating in this pilot your experiences at church better Together, these two books will help you test of Come, Follow Me: Living, Learning, support your gospel learning at home. as you teach. They will also strengthen and Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your participation and feedback as a members in their efforts to learn and This resource is an effort to improve Young Women or Relief Society leader live the gospel at home. gospel learning and teaching at home or teacher and as a Church member and at church. We hope that you will will be very valuable. For the period of the test, these two have a wonderful experience using books will replace your current Young these materials. What materials should I use for Women and Relief Society Sunday the test? meeting materials, including Come, What is Come, Follow Me? As part of this test, you are invited to Follow Me: Learning Resources for Youth Come, Follow Me is composed of use the following resources as you and Teachings of the Presidents of the five books: prepare to teach on Sundays: Church: Howard W. Hunter. After the test is over you can return to teaching from • Come, Follow Me for individuals and 1. Come, Follow Me for individuals and the previous materials. families at home families at home. Each family in your ward or branch has received a copy of • Come, Follow Me for Sunday School How do I share my feedback? this book and has been encouraged At least weekly, please share your • Come, Follow Me for Primary to use it for gospel study at home experiences, comments, and sugges- • Come, Follow Me for Young Women (scripture study, family home evening, tions. You will remain completely anon- and Relief Society and so on). ymous, and you can comment as often • Come, Follow Me for Aaronic and 2. Come, Follow Me for Young Women as you would like. Thank you for your Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and Relief Society. This book contains help. May the Lord bless you in your lessons that will support the topical efforts to learn and live the gospel of Why this test? study that class members are doing at Jesus Christ. Under the direction of the First Presi- home during the month. It will also help dency and the Quorum of the Twelve To share your comments, go to sisters in Young Women and Relief Soci- Apostles, the Church is exploring ways lds.org/test/learn. ety fulfill their divine roles in the work of to (1) better help your family live and salvation. learn the gospel at home and (2) help Contents Our Meetings Are More Than Classes. ii Using Come, Follow Me for Young Women and Relief Society. .iii Outlines for Young Women and Relief Society Meetings. 1 April Young Women and Relief Society: Learning from General Conference. 2 May Week 1 Relief Society: What Is Our Sacred Work as Relief Society Sisters?. 6 Young Women: How Do I Build My Life on the Gospel of Jesus Christ?. 8 Weeks 2–3 Young Women and Relief Society: Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 10 June Week 1 Relief Society: The Savior’s Atonement Is Evidence of God’s Love for Us . .14 Young Women: We are Daughters of our Heavenly Father . .16 Weeks 2–3 Young Women and Relief Society: The Plan of Salvation. 18 Topics for Fourth-Sunday Meetings. .22 Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah © 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America PD60000672 Our Meetings Are More Than Classes Young Women and Relief Society who can speak with the power and (“A Plea to My Sisters,” Ensign or Lia- meetings help daughters of God be authority of God! . hona, Nov. 2015, 96). prepared to fulfill their divine roles in their homes, in the Church, in their “ . We need women who know how As daughters of God fulfill this work, communities, and in the world. Sisters to make important things happen by they find themselves drawing closer to discuss gospel principles and establish their faith and who are courageous Christ. Their conversion to His gospel a doctrinal foundation to help each defenders of morality and families in deepens. Their desires, attitudes, and other understand and accomplish their a sin-sick world. We need women who actions align more closely with Heav- divine roles in the work of salvation. are devoted to shepherding God’s chil- enly Father’s will. They become happy dren along the covenant path toward and confident, and they delight “to act Regarding the important work that exaltation; women who know how to . and not to be acted upon” (2 Nephi covenant-keeping daughters of God receive personal revelation, who un- 2:26). They strive to obey the prompt- perform, President Russell M. Nelson derstand the power and peace of the ings of the Holy Ghost, resist temp- made this powerful plea: “The kingdom temple endowment; women who know tation, and “do many [good] things of of God is not and cannot be complete how to call upon the powers of heaven their own free will” (D&C 58:27). They without women who make sacred cov- to protect and strengthen children and become “saint[s] through the atone- enants and then keep them, women families; women who teach fearlessly” ment of Christ” (Mosiah 3:19). ii Using Come, Follow Me for Young Women and Relief Society Come, Follow Me is designed to help • Learn Together. Provides doctrinal Me for individuals and families. Young Young Women and Relief Society sisters resources and ideas to engage the sis- Women and Relief Society meetings build a strong doctrinal foundation ters in gospel discussions each week. share the same outline for these weeks, and engage in meaningful participation but meet separately. • Plan to Act. Includes suggestions for in the work of salvation—at home, at how to invite the young women or church, and in everyday life. Topics for Fourth-Sundays Meetings Relief Society sisters to share their Fourth Sunday meeting topics are impressions and counsel together Young Women class presidencies take prayerfully chosen by Young Women about what they will do to act on the an active role by leading discussions at and Relief Society leaders based on things that they have learned. the beginning and end of each meeting needs and in consultation with the as the young women share experiences Meeting Outlines for the First bishopric or branch presidency and and plan to act. In Relief Society, the Sunday of Each Month ward or branch council. The same Relief Society president or a counselor • First-Sunday Young Women lessons pattern used for the first three Sundays leads and teaches the meeting, rather introduce a doctrinal topic that cor- (“Share Experiences,” “Learn Together,” than a formally called teacher. responds with the monthly doctrinal and “Plan to Act”) could be applied. These discussions may be held in sep- Each of the weekly outlines includes focus in Come, Follow Me for individu- arate meetings or as group discussions the following sections. The time spent als and families. in any of the following combinations: on each section will vary according to • First-Sunday Relief Society meetings Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Soci- the needs of those you teach. For in- are dedicated to discussing an as- ety, Relief Society and Young Women, or stance, if the discussion during “Share pect of the purpose of Relief Society, Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women. Experiences” is especially meaningful, counseling together about how to the teacher may spend more time on do God’s work, and planning ways to Fifth-Sunday meetings are under the this section. carry out this work. direction of the bishopric or branch presidency. • Share Experiences. Contains sample Meeting Outlines for the Second questions to encourage the young and Third Sundays of Each Month women and Relief Society sisters to Outlines for the second and third share their insights and experiences Sundays of each month focus on a doc- from learning and living the gospel trinal topic that corresponds with the each week. monthly doctrinal focus in Come, Follow iii Outlines for Young Women and Relief Society Meetings ”I plead with my sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to step forward! Take your rightful and needful place in your home, in your community, and in the kingdom of God—more than you ever have before. I promise you in the name of Jesus Christ that as you do so, the Holy Ghost will magnify your influence in an unprecedented way!” (Russell M. Nelson, “A Plea to My Sisters,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 97). 1 APRIL | YOUNG WOMEN AND RELIEF SOCIETY Learning from General Conference GENERAL CONFERENCE My Spiritual Impressions Each Sunday in April, Young Women and Relief Society meetings focus on learning from the counsel given in the April 2016 general conference. Tran- scripts and videos from general conference are available online (see lds.org/ general-conference) and on the Gospel Library app. When determining which conference talks to study together, consider the following questions: • What are the needs and challenges of young women or Relief Society sisters in the ward? • Which conference talks would best help them? SHARE EXPERIENCES The Relief Society president (or a counselor) or Young Women class presi- dent (or a counselor) asks questions like the following to help sisters share experiences: • What inspired us as we listened to general conference? • What did we do in our homes to prepare ourselves to make general confer- ence meaningful? How are we helping our families study the counsel given? • What counsel from general conference seemed particularly relevant to young women and women? • What central messages did you hear? What did you hear that was not said? • How are you different because of what you learned or experienced at gen- eral conference? 2 My Spiritual Impressions LEARN TOGETHER Teachers use one or more of the activities below or a related idea from Come, Follow Me for individuals and families to help sisters learn from general con- ference.