5 TEACHING IDEAS FOR COME FOLLOW ME LESSONS
See the complete list of CFM Lessons
2 Nephi 20 -25
Here are some more essential understandings from Isaiah to discuss! He powerfully wrote for our day.
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
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 (corruption)
Isaiah writes to warn our day of repeating patterns. First comes the corruption, then comes the destruction.
To begin, let’s read Isaiah as it is written and then read a more modern English version written by a Latter-day Saint scholar named Avraham Gileadi. You can read his bio here.
Possible engagement tool: Tell the class Isaiah wrote to warn us of wickedness and destruction in our time. Nephi picked these Isaiah chapters, especially for us. What do these two prophets want us to be aware of?
Note: These quotes can be split up between two or more people.
1 Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. (2 Nephi 20:1-4)
From Avraham Gileadi – a Jew who speaks Hebrew and is now a Latter-day Saint.
1 Woe to those who enact unjust laws, who draft oppressive legislation—
2 denying justice to the needy, depriving the poor of my people of their right, making plunder of widows, mere spoil of the fatherless!
3 What will you do in the day of reckoning when the holocaust overtakes you from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
4 There shall nothing remain but to kneel among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this his anger is not abated; his hand is upraised still. (Isaiah 10:1-4)
desolation: the state of a place that is empty or where everything has been destroyed
holocaust: historically, holocaust meant a sacrifice in which the offering was burned completely on an altar. The modern use of this word means destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war.
Possible discussion questions: What word does Isaiah use for ‘holocaust’ in verse 3, as quoted by Nephi? (desolation) What is Isaiah warning us about? Why will desolation come? (accept all reasonable answers – because of wickedness) What specific wickedness does Isaiah describe? Do you see any evidence of that today? (my personal opinion – abortion fits perfectly; it robs the fatherless of life)
Optional comfort quote:
Note: These quotes can be split up between two or more people.
Admittedly, the Lord has spoken of our day in sobering terms. He warned that in our day “men’s hearts [would fail] them” and that even the very elect would be at risk of being deceived. He told the Prophet Joseph Smith that “peace [would] be taken from the earth” and calamities would befall mankind.
Yet the Lord has also provided a vision of how remarkable this dispensation is. He inspired the Prophet Joseph Smith to declare that “the work of … these last days, is one of vast magnitude. … Its glories are past description, and its grandeur unsurpassable.”
Now, grandeur may not be the word you would choose to describe these past few months! How are we to deal with both the somber prophecies and the glorious pronouncements about our day? The Lord told us how with simple, but stunning, reassurance: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”
What a promise! It is one that can literally change the way we see our future… (President Nelson – October 2020)
Quote #2 (relief)
As difficult as life becomes because of the wickedness of the world and the destruction it brings, it becomes like paradise when Christ comes again to rule.
Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to picture these verses in their minds.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Nephi 21:6-7, 9)
‘Mountain’ symbolizes a kingdom or nation in Isaiah’s writings.
Christ will bring so much light, love, and unity with Him that even the animals will be at complete peace.
More possible questions: What stands out for you from these verses? Can you see why some people look forward to the Second Coming? Look at verse 9 carefully – WHY will there be so much peace? (accept all reasonable answers – because the earth will enjoy a complete acquaintance and understanding of Jesus Christ and His teachings) How would our world be different if the gospel of Jesus Christ was fully embraced everywhere? Can we live more Christ-like lives than we are living now?
Possible activity: Hand out pieces of paper and have people write 1-3 ways to be more Christ-like. What do they need to stop doing or start doing? Give them 2 minutes. Use music or silence. Then, ask, “Would anyone like to share something they wrote?” Be ready to share one of your own.
Quote #3 (song)
Isaiah writes a poem/song to express the joy people will have when Jesus Christ lives among us.

4 And in that day shall ye say: Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. (2 Nephi 22:4-6)
Possible discussion questions: What do you imagine will be different when Christ lives on earth again? How do you imagine you will feel?
Quote #4 (christ)
Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to listen for what they think is the most essential message of the Book of Mormon.
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)
rejoice: feel or show great joy or delight.
Optional: Sing “Tell me the stories of Jesus” (found here)
Possible discussion questions: What does it mean to talk of Christ? Who should we be talking to about Christ? Have you ever felt great joy or delight for Christ? What are some of your thoughts about Christ today? What is one of your favorite stories about Jesus? What do you think of when you hear the words ‘Jesus Christ’?
Quote #5 (worship)
Possible engagement tool: Write the word worship on the board and ask what that means (accept all reasonable answers).
worship: show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites. revere, venerate, pay homage to, honor, adore, praise, pray to, glorify, exalt
29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out. (2 Nephi 25:29)
Possible activity: Pass out a sheet of favorite hymns that worship and speak to Jesus Christ directly. Have people volunteer which ones they like best and why. Pick out a favorite hymn to sing as a class.
Here’s a powerful quote about our relationship with Jesus Christ by President Nelson:
Note: This quote can be divided between two people.
“When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.”
“When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you… The gospel of Jesus Christ is filled with His power, which is available to every earnestly seeking daughter or son of God. It is my testimony that when we draw His power into our lives, both He and we will rejoice.” (Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ Into Our Lives – April 2017)
Possible discussion questions: What stands out for you from these scriptures, songs, and quotes? Could you draw closer to the Savior? How would you do it?
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.
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