5 TEACHING IDEAS FOR COME FOLLOW ME LESSONS

See the complete list of CFM Lessons

Doctrine and Covenants 133 – 134

This week’s lesson plan includes: wheat and the tares, bearing vessels of the Lord, the extra power obedience gives us, the glory that awaits us, and the importance of fighting for religious freedom.

Tips for delivering a successful lesson are located at the end of the article.

Note: All blue quotes are from the Doctrine and Covenants (unless otherwise noted).

Quote #1 (wheat and tares)

Possible Intro: Explain the phrase “The wheat and the tares” in your own words or have someone read:

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus describes a farmer who sows good wheat seeds in his field, only for an enemy to secretly plant weeds among them (Bible describes tares which look just like wheat – hard to tell the difference); the farmer instructs his servants not to pull the weeds early, lest they uproot the wheat too, but to let both grow until harvest time, when the wheat is gathered into the barn and the weeds are burned. In Latter-day Saint teachings, this illustrates church life as a mixed field where righteous members (the wheat) and those who may falter or oppose the faith (the tares) coexist until Christ’s Second Coming when the tares are burned, emphasizing patience, personal growth, and divine judgment rather than hasty human intervention.

Possible engagement tool: Invite your class to notice who Jesus Christ is talking to specifically in verse 1 and then notice the last line in verse 2.

Note: Please divide among several readers for emphasis.

1 Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you—

Possible quick teacher point: Concerning who? (A: People in His Church. You.)

2 The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. (Doctrine and Covenants 133:1-2)

Possible quick teacher point: Among who? (A: People in His Church. You.)

—AND—

“The Lord explained that in this final time prior to His return, the ‘wheat,’ whom He describes as ‘the children of the kingdom,’ would grow side by side with the ‘tares,’ or those who do not love God and do not keep His commandments. They would ‘both grow together,’ side by side. This will be our world until the Savior returns, with much that is good and much that is evil on every side.” He further encouraged: “It is a wondrous journey to be wheat among the tares, sometimes fraught with heartache but always calmed by the maturing and assuring settling of our faith.” (Elder Andersen, Drawing Closer to the Savior – Oct 2022)

—AND—

“It is in the nature of a fallen world—where the devil rages and where everyone is imperfect—that there will be disappointments and offenses, suffering and sorrow, failure and loss, persecution and injustice. It is only by looking to God that individuals, families, and even nations can flourish.” (President Christofferson, Look to God and Live – Oct 2025)

Possible discussion questions: Is simply being a member of the Church enough to be exalted? Can we be a member of the Church and be ungodly? Can we be tested and tried by other people at Church? Why is it absolutely essential to serve faithfully and be strong in the faith despite the “tares”? (Accept all reasonable answers – it’s part of the test of our faithfulness to see if we would endure. Our eventual success in rising above such things strengthens us like any trial does.) What kinds of things can we do that help us endure hard experiences with “the tares”?

Quote #2 (vessels)

Possible engagement tool: Write “Vessels of the Lord” on the board and invite your class to think about what that phrase might mean as we read the following verses and quote.

Note: Please divide among several readers.

5 Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. (Doctrine and Covenants 133:5)

—AND—

And go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Even so. Amen. (Doctrine and Covenants 38:42)

—AND—

Bearing the vessels of the Lord: It refers to the ancient Israelite practice where sacred temple vessels (such as bowls, urns, and utensils used in religious ceremonies and offerings) could only be handled or carried by authorized priesthood holders who were ritually clean and worthy.

—AND—

“Personal righteousness is one of the most important qualifications to represent the Savior before the world. It also qualifies us to have the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord with us.

“My dear brothers and sisters, your unworthiness may compromise your ability to reflect the Savior in your words, in your actions, and guiding influence of the Spirit of the Lord. Furthermore, when we are unworthy, our mission advances more slowly. We are not happy, and we do not benefit from the pleasure of serving the Lord.” (Elder Soares, Missionary Devotional – March 18, 2021)

Possible discussion questions: What does “bear the vessels of the Lord” mean? Why is it important to you to be clean in front of the Lord? According to Elder Soares (pronounced Suar-ez), could two different missionaries be in the same mission, have the same companions, but one have a great experience and the other have a lousy one? Why is that? What are some things we can do to increase our personal righteousness?

Quote #3 (one land)

Possible Intro: One of the prophecies or signs of the times is that all the continents become one land mass again.

24 And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.

25 And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh. (Doctrine and Covenants 133:24-25)

Possible discussion questions: Why is it important to understand and know about some of the cataclysmic events that are coming?

Quote #4 (partakers)

Possible Intro: The Gospel can have a profound effect on us if we are faithful.

Note: Be sure to welcome comments and questions if they come up throughout this section.

57 And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fulness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity— (D&C 133:57)

Possible discussion question: What are the glories in verse 57? (Accept all reasonable answers – refers to the glories of the celestial kingdom.)

Let’s explore the phrase, “partakers of glories”

First read: D&C 93:20 For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.

Have someone read:

Grace for Grace: The process of receiving divine attributes gradually, where obedience to God’s commandments leads to increasing light, truth, and glory until one receives a fulness.

Possible discussion question: Have you ever met someone who was full of light and goodness? What happens to us when we choose not to obey God’s commandments? (Accept all reasonable answers – we lose light – see D&C 93:39.)

And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. (D&C 93:39)

Possible discussion question: What stands out for you from the verses we just went through?

Quote #5 (religious freedom)

Possible intro: If we lose religious freedom, we lose the right to be a Church and worship as we believe.

Note: Please divide between two readers.

We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul. (Doctrine and Covenants 134:4)

—AND—

“What is religious freedom? It is freedom of worship in all its configurations: freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom to act on personal beliefs, and freedom for others to do the same. Religious freedom allows each of us to decide for ourselves what we believe, how we live and act according to our faith, and what God expects of us.” (Elder Rasband, To Heal the World – April 2022)

Possible discussion questions: Why is religious freedom so important? Who or what is a threat to religious liberty? What can we do to make sure religious freedom survives? Is it right for us to suppress anyone else in their religious beliefs? (See Articles of Faith #5 if needed.)

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 Doctrine and Covenant teachings into the lives of others.

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.

(You can find the Church’s Come, Follow Me lesson h5 Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.ere.)

How to Teach Successfully and Give a Better Lesson

You have great content; now let’s ensure the lesson goes smoothly.

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 would make a meaningful discussion for your group of personalities.

Lesson Prep

• If you want the discussion to be more robust and meaningful, hand out reading assignments ahead of time and ask the reader to answer one question about them (i.e. pick one of the questions from each quote and give it to them, along with the assigned quote). The sooner you do this, the better, but if possible, at least show it to them before the Sacrament meeting. You can also send it via text or email.
• Ask various people to read and participate, especially those who are not often asked to do so.
• Don’t ever worry about covering all the quotes and verses…rushed lessons are less effective.

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 during class. If you want more discussion and engagement, here are some tips:

• Ensure every class member has a set of scriptures in front of them or on their phone. Always invite the class to read along—hearing and seeing the words together increases comprehension and engagement.
• Avoid videos – they shut down discussion. Save them for personal study.
• If the discussion becomes too non-spiritual, pull it back by moving on to the next quote or question.
• Make sure you assign others to read the quotes. You’re talking enough already, and 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 the discussion takes a different turn than you had planned, roll with it. The Spirit intends for you to be successful.