Year two of the Come, Follow Me program has come to an end! I had an absolute blast this year studying the Book of Mormon. There was so much to read and learn from. I hope you enjoyed your studies no matter how they were done. Let’s recap what we learned, shall we? I often find that reflecting back on my studies helps me to learn even more!
Related: How to Get the Most Out of Your D&C Study this Year
January
In January, we began by reading the introduction to the Book of Mormon. We then studied the incredible and classic story of Nephi and his family leaving Jerusalem and heading to the promised land. I remember especially loving the week when we focused on Lehi’s dream. The month ended with a reminder to put on the whole armor of God!
January seemed to have a theme of introducing the importance of the Book of Mormon and how helpful it can be for our families. I know I definitely saw positive changes in my life as I began to study its pages.
February
Month two began with a study on the Liahona as we reflected on how God guides us in these latter days. Next, we had a whole week dedicated to the Plan of Salvation (specifically Adam and Eve) as we were reminded that we’re on this earth to experience joy! What an inspired truth as a tumultuous year was just around the corner.
February also included an in-depth study of Christ’s atonement. One of the sections said, “Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, I can ‘cheer up’ my heart.” There is no doubt in my mind that the prophets saw the days of difficulty to come and were helping us prepare! The last week focused again on Christ and how the scriptures testify of Him.
March
March began with another admonition to study the Book of Mormon regularly. It promised that by reading the Book of Mormon, our families could be strengthened. We later read about the importance of keeping the commandments!
We had an entire week dedicated to forgiveness (which was a huge one for me). This section reminded me to focus on the Savior as I work to overcome my weaknesses in this area. Next, we read the allegory of the olive trees and then ended the month by reading the story of Enos.
April
April was a special month thanks to Easter and General Conference. This was our first virtual General Conference and therefore unforgettable. Come, Follow Me encouraged us to rely on Christ in all that we do. We also studied the teachings of King Benjamin and I was inspired to do more service for others (especially during the tough times).
The last week of the month centered on the phrase, “A Mighty Change.” With the world locking down, I remember having the realization that I needed to change my heart and turn towards God. Perhaps you had a similar experience. I hope we all experienced positive changes during the COVID-19 pandemic!
May
May began with stories of King Mosiah, Ammon, and the people of Zeniff. We also studied the courage of Abinadi and were empowered to stand up for our beliefs. Later in the month, we read about covenants and the importance of keeping them. I love the promises we are reminded of in this section!
The month came to a close with one of my all-time favorite stories, Alma the Younger. This tale is truly inspiring and reminds me that everyone is capable of change. We all need to repent and no one is beyond Christ’s reach. We also studied the beginning of Alma and its messages of having a steadfast testimony.
June
As we reached the halfway point, Come, Follow Me offered yet another sweet reminder of the Savior and His ability to help us change. One section read, “Let the Savior change a hardened, sinful, or wounded heart into one that is humble, pure, and new.”
June also included admonitions to have patience and persistence as we grow our testimonies. We learned that sacrifices need to be made and the path isn’t always easy. However, God has a plan for all of us and we need to trust Him!
July
July continued with the theme of change and began with the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. The second week included the story of Korihor and the importance of having faith in the word of God.
This month also featured the classic reminder that faith is like a seed! Don’t you love that allegory? Come, Follow Me asked us to consider our faith and prayers. Could they be stronger?
It seems that July was full of spiritual nuggets of wisdom. We got to read the forever favorite scripture that reads, “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” What a great month!
August
August started out strong with lessons regarding the Law of Chastity. However, this might have been a difficult month for you because of the war chapters. I know it was for me! But I loved the help of Come, Follow Me and I was able to learn a lot about the war against the adversary I am fighting every day.
During week three, we read about the 2,000 stripling warriors. I hope you felt their courage and testimonies. We later jumped into Helaman and were blessed with another classic scripture about how we must build our lives “upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God.” The month ended with Helaman urging his sons to always remember Christ and rely on Him.
September
In September, we learned about Samuel the Lamanite and discussed the signs of the Savior’s birth. How cool is it that we have prophets today just like they did back then? After the signs were fulfilled, we got to read about the Savior’s visit to the Americas in 3 Nephi 11.
I always love studying Christ and His teachings to these people. The fact that He invited them all to come meet Him one by one is so touching. The month ended with even more of His words and commandments (all of which are still applicable to us today!).
October
October featured our second virtual General Conference. That was such a great weekend! Come, Follow Me continued with stories of Christ in the Americas. We learned about ministering and how to care for others like He would. We were also encouraged to participate in missionary work!
During the last week of the month, we found ourselves in 4 Nephi and the workbook asked us how the teachings we’ve learned so far are changing us. We were prompted to write about our experiences to provide learning for future generations as well.
November
I loved the reminder in November that it’s okay to be weary sometimes. Life can get hard (and COVID-19 wasn’t making it any easier)! Come, Follow Me said that the scriptures were written for our day and to help us when times get difficult. We should study the words in the Book of Mormon diligently.
Near the end of the book, there are many voices of warning. Wickedness is abounding, governments are falling, and there is a lot of destruction. Any of this sound familiar? The bleak stuff can be hard to read (and experience), but there are so many lessons to learn from these verses. What did you learn from the sad events in the Book of Mormon?
Later in the month we read in Ether. This story is one of my favorites! There are so many valuable teachings in these chapters that can apply to our daily lives. Faith in Jesus Christ truly can lead to miracles!
December
Finally, we reached the end of 2020. What a year! In the last month, we had the incredible opportunity to focus on Christ’s birth and become more like Him during #LightTheWorld. We read Moroni’s final words about priesthood ordinances and studied the importance of being a disciple of Christ.
Some other final urges from Come, Follow Me were to “lay hold upon every good thing,” and endure to the end. This last month really highlighted Jesus Christ and how crucial it is to make him central in our lives. I hope you came closer to Him through your studies this year!
Related: God Wants Us to Slow Down: A Lesson Learned From COVID-19
What’s one thing you learned from Come, Follow Me this year? We would love to hear it in the comments below!
P.S. Don’t forget that we here at Third Hour offer free resources to help with your Come, Follow Me study all year long! Check them out by clicking here.
