5 TEACHING IDEAS FOR COME FOLLOW ME LESSONS

See the complete list of CFM Lessons

1 Nephi 11-15

Nephi experiences the same vision with more details.

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 give 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

Put the quotes in any order that makes sense to you. I would start with the ones you feel are most important and work 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 (most)

Nephi’s dream illustrates symbolic powerful points about what is most important.

Possible invitation to engage: Ask your class to listen for what we want most but what the world has the least to give us (love and joy).

21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul. (1 Nephi 11:21-22)

Possible Discussion Questions: How much time do you dedicate to experiencing love in your heart? What are some ways to help you feel more love? (accept all reasonable answers – service, prayer, activities that help you feel the Spirit, like scriptures or music)

“One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.” (President Nelson – April 2023)

Possible Activity: Pass this list out and ask class members to pick a couple that they would enjoy someone doing for them. Let them talk about that for a few minutes, and allow them to add their ideas. Then, ask them to take a minute to pick something they can do today or tomorrow for someone else. Ask if anyone would like to share an idea they picked or came up with.

• Surprise them with an unexpected visit, phone call, or text.
• Give them a big hug.
• Express your empathy. Often the greatest gift we can someone else is the gift of empathy.
• Give them a handwritten card or letter.
• Babysit for free. To new parents especially, this can mean the world.
• Make them a meal.
• Tell your parent(s) how much you appreciate them (or at least one thing about them you appreciate).
• Treat someone to their favorite drink.
• Say ‘I love you’ or ‘you’re important to me’ with meaning.
• Tell them how wonderful they are and how happy you are to have them in your life.
• Ask, “How can I help you?”
• Make them cookies or brownies
• Listen to them carefully without interrupting
• Say, “I’m sorry.”
• Buy them a gift from the dollar store.
• Help with a household chore.
• Tell them you wish you understood.
• Bring someone Ibruprofen for their headache.
• Invite them to hang out.
• Acknowledge and respect their feelings even if you feel they are not accurate / appropriate.
• Hold an elderly person’s hand.
• Buy them a small chocolate.
• Gently wash and dress their cut/wound.
• Tell them about the best part of the day you just spent with them.
• Let them sleep.
• Offer them a drink of water.
• Wear or use a gift they gave you in their presence.
• Keep that sigh to yourself.
• Use a kind voice even if you have to fake it.
• Listen for the feelings behind the words.
• Put chocolate chips in their pancakes.
• Visit a sick friend.
• Respect someone’s wishes.
• Write messages of love and put them in their lunches, lockers or under pillows.
• Choose one of your books they might like and lend it to them.
• Take the garbage out for a friend.
• Hold them while they cry.
• Invite them over for scones.
• Text a copy of a photo to the person in it.
• Make someone else’s bed.
• Share produce from your garden.
• Share your enthusiasm about the gospel with someone who needs it.
• Share a good recipe.

Quote #2 (the loud fall)

Great and spacious buildings can tempt us and then cause us to fall.

Quick review: In Lehi’s dream, what were the people doing in the great and spacious building? (Only read the following verse if needed for review.)

27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine, and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. (1 Nephi 8:27)

Possible discussion questions: Have you ever had someone give you a hard time over being a Latter-day Saint or having higher standards? Why is the great and spacious building so tempting for some people? (accept all reasonable answers – it gratifies appetites for material things, bodily passions, status, and acceptance)

18 And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men… (1 Nephi 12:18)

Note: The following quote can be split up into two smaller quotes.

35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (1 Nephi 11:35-36)

Possible discussion questions: What represents the great and spacious building to you – where do you notice evidence of it? Does it bother you that most people in the world are in a great and spacious building? What do the people in the great and spacious building want you to do? How can we resist the temptation or shame of the great and spacious building? What does it mean to fight against the twelve apostles of the lamb? (accept all reasonable answers – it means fighting against Christ’s gospel and truths) Why is holding to the rod (all God’s words) important?

Quote #3 (white)

Some words have meanings in Joseph Smith’s time that are uncommon today. Consider these two words as you read the Book of Mormon

From Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
white: “having the color of purity; pure; clean; free from spot; as white-robed innocence.”

dark: “not enlightened with knowledge; destitute of learning and science; rude; ignorant; as a dark age.” [Think ‘Dark Ages’]

Possible engagement tool: Tell your class we’re about to compare two verses, and please listen for how “white” and “dark” are used.

11 And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him. (1 Nephi 12:11)

23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. (1 Nephi 12:23)

Possible discussion questions: How would you explain to a friend the difference between white and dark in these two verses? What happens to a people, in general, when they dwindle in unbelief and reject Christ? (accept all reasonable answers – the light of Christ withdraws, and darkness takes its place)

Possible engagement tool: Ask your class how they can become white-robed and pure as we read this next verse.

27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? (Alma 5:27)

Possible discussion questions: How can we keep ourselves blameless before God? Is anyone perfect? (accept all reasonable answers – only Christ can make our robes completely white) How can we approach Christ and have Him wash us clean? (accept all reasonable answers – daily prayer and repentance, reading scriptures, striving to keep the commandments, service, baptism, Sacrament, and going to the temple help cleanse us and keep us ‘white’)

Quote #4 (plain and precious)

Note: “last records” refer to The Book of Mormon and other books in the Pearl of Great Price. (Please refer to the footnote for verse 39a.)

40 And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved. (1 Nephi 13:40)

Possible discussion questions: What are the last records, and what does it mean to “establish the truth of the first”? (last = Book of Mormon and books in the Pearl of Great Price / first = Bible) How did we lose plain and precious things out of the Bible? (multiple translation errors and human interference) How do you feel when you read the Book of Mormon? Does the Book of Mormon have the same translation problems? (No, and the plain and precious truths once lost are still in the Book of Mormon) How do you feel about our Savior Jesus Christ? What do you think of Him, and why is He important to you?

Quote #5 (everywhere)

A possible engagement tool: Tell your class that the Church currently has more than 17 million members in 195 countries and territories, which averages out to only 1 out of 500 people. See if this matches Nephi’s vision of the saints of God in our day.

12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. (1 Nephi 14:12)

Possible discussion questions: How do strong testimonies help us be that 1 in 500 people? What do you do to keep your testimony strong? Have you ever attended church in another state or country? Where did you go, and what was it like? Were the songs and lessons somewhat familiar to you? Why must the Lord’s Church be run the same everywhere? (accept all reasonable answers – unity of the faith)

⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:5-6)

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 put the quotes in any order that makes sense to you.