5 TEACHING IDEAS FOR COME FOLLOW ME LESSONS
See the complete list of CFM Lessons
Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon
Several wonderful life lessons are woven throughout these chapters. Prayerfully study these quotes, prioritize the ones that feel most important, and teach them first so you don’t run out of time. Quote #5 is probably quite valuable in our lives today.
Lesson Notes
You can find the full Come, Follow Me lesson here. Unless you opt to spend a lot of time on a particular quote, try to pick around 2 questions per quote. Choose the questions that resonate the most with you and make a meaningful discussion for your group of personalities.
All blue quotes from the Book of Mormon (unless otherwise noted).
Lesson Prep
- If you want the discussion to be more meaningful, hand out reading assignments ahead of time and ask the reader to answer one question about it (pick one of the questions below and give it to them, along with the assigned quote). The sooner you do this, the better, but at least show it to them before Sacrament meeting if possible. You can text it or email it, too.
- Ask various people to read and participate – especially those who aren’t asked as much.
Lesson Delivery
You can arrange the quotes in any order that makes sense to you. I suggest starting with the most important ones and working your way down. Don’t worry about covering all the quotes.
- Make sure you assign others to read the quotes. You’re talking enough already. Letting others read allows more people to participate.
- Encourage discussion by accepting all reasonable answers. Validate people for participating and be thankful they spoke up. Engage with the answer in a conversational way whenever it feels natural. Never say, “That’s not the right answer,” or “We haven’t got to that part of the lesson yet.”
- Remember, spiritual discussion is golden. We want people to talk about the gospel together.
- If a lesson takes a different turn, roll with it. The Spirit intends for you to be successful.
- If the discussion gets too non-spiritual, pull it back by going to the following quote or question.
- Avoid videos – they shut down discussion. Save them for personal study.
Quote #1 (how)
5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
7 And I said: Lord, how is it done? (Enos 1:5-7)
Possible discussion questions: How is it done—how do our sins get forgiven? (Accept all reasonable answers – see Enos 1:8)
And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole. (Enos 1:8)
Possible discussion question: What important principle did Enos highlight for us? (Accept all reasonable answers—that we are forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement.)
Quote #2 (voices)
Possible engagement tool: Listen as Enos describes the kind of voice that had to be used with his people to keep them on the path.
And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them. (Enos 1:23)
Possible discussion questions: What kind of voice did the people need to help them stay on the path during Enos’s time?
Possible engagement tool: Tell your class that Jesus Christ listed all the different voices He will use with people in hopes of getting through to them, to give them another chance, and to save them – some people can only hear harsh voices. See which ones stand out to you:
How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not! (Doctrine and Covenants 43:25)
Possible activity: Have your class help you pull out all the different voices Christ uses with mankind.
Voices Christ Will Use
- Send prophets
- Send angels
- His own voice
- Thunder
- Lightning
- Tempest (violent windstorm with rain, hail, or snow)
- Earthquakes
- Hailstorms
- Famine (severe food shortage)
- Pestilences (plagues, outbreaks and disease)
- Sound of a trump
- Voice of judgment (Reproof like Enos described)
- Voice of mercy (tender blessings and expressions of love)
- Voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life (teaching us about the great number of rewards that come from obedient living)
Possible discussion question: Different people respond best to different voices. Which voice best stirs you to remember God better, repent, and live more faithfully?
Quote #3 (whole soul)
Possible engagement tool: Amaleki (Ah-mal-eh-k+eye, think Amalekites) gives a formula for being saved. See if you can pick it out of this verse.
And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved. (Omni 1:26)
To Be Saved
Write on the board: To be saved = Offer Whole Souls + Fasting + Prayer + Endure to the End
According to Joseph Smith, “offering your whole soul” means “serving God with all your ‘heart, might, mind and strength.” It is to put on the altar of God your time, talents, gifts, and blessings, your willingness to serve, to do all that He asks.”
Possible discussion question: What does it mean to you to “offer your whole soul” to Christ? When you hear that phrase, “offer your soul to Christ,” what could you do more to offer your whole soul? (I need to be more submissive and not grumble when it’s time to do tasks and errands for the Lord that are not fun.) Be ready to offer an answer to that question yourself.
Quote #4 (trials)
Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to notice how some of the most righteous, chosen men who have ever lived—whose words we read as scriptures—had complex lives with lots of adversity.
Note: These quotes can be divided between three readers.
Mormon
And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites. (Words of Mormon 1:1)
King Benjamin
13 And it came to pass also that the armies of the Lamanites came down out of the land of Nephi, to battle against his people. But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban.
14 And in the strength of the Lord they did contend against their enemies, until they had slain many thousands of the Lamanites. And it came to pass that they did contend against the Lamanites until they had driven them out of all the lands of their inheritance. (Words of Mormon 1:13-14)
And the first Mosiah (the first Mosiah, father of King Benjamin, grandfather of Mosiah)
Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom. Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, who was made king over the land of Zarahemla; for behold, he being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness. (Omni 1:12)
Note how King Benjamin’s father, Mosiah, had to flee into the wilderness with his people and start life completely over.
Possible discussion questions: If we have difficult experiences or lives, does that mean God doesn’t love us? Name another important person in the scriptures or Church History who faces sore trials. Why do very good people have significant trials? (Accept all reasonable answers – God is in the business of growing and strengthening us, not giving us a problem-free life. Trials grow us and add stature to our spirits.)
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
~Charles Swindoll
Quote #5 (false voices)
Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to think about how many different voices and philosophies there are in the world today. Even within our Church, sometimes.
15 And it came to pass that after there had been false Christs, and their mouths had been shut, and they punished according to their crimes;
16 And after there had been false prophets, and false preachers and teachers among the people, and all these having been punished according to their crimes; and after there having been much contention and many dissensions away unto the Lamanites, behold, it came to pass that king Benjamin, with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people— (Words of Mormon 1:15-16)
Possible discussion question: Mormon carefully selected records, knowing the Book of Mormon would benefit our day. Why did he write about false Christs, prophets, and teachers? Is that a problem today? Why is it important to choose our influences wisely?
Quote by President Nelson
When someone you love attacks truth, think celestial, and don’t question your testimony. The Apostle Paul prophesied that “in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”
There is no end to the adversary’s deceptions. Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, who “will show unto you all things what ye should do.” Please do the spiritual work to increase your capacity to receive personal revelation. (President Nelson, Think Celestial! – Oct 2023)
Possible discussion questions: What stands out for you from the quote we just read? Have you ever had someone try to fill you with doubts about your faith? How often should you seek counsel from those who don’t believe? Who is the deceptive adversary? (Satan)
Summary
Summarize class discussion highlights and/or share your testimony and feelings about the lesson. Thank your class for their excellent contributions and insights.
Final Comment
As you study and teach, you can help others find more truths in the scriptures. Thank you for bringing powerful Book of Mormon teachings into other people’s lives.
If you would like some tips on how to feel more confident while teaching, try “9 Tips for More Class Participation.” Please arrange the quotes in any order that makes sense to you.
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