Come, Follow Me: Joseph Smith-History 1:1-26 (January 13-19, 2025) [bonus image]

So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally (Joseph Smith-History 1:14).

Come, Follow Me: Joseph Smith-History 1:1-26 (January 13-19, 2025) [bonus image]

While I was laboring under the difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (Joseph Smith-History 1:11).

Come, Follow Me: Joseph Smith-History 1:1-26 (January 13-19, 2025)

Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying “Lo, here!” and others, “Lo, there!” Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist (Joseph Smith-History 1:5).

Come, Follow Me: Doctrine & Covenants 1 (January 5-12, 2025)

And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh; For I am no respecter of persons, and will that men shall know that the day speedily cometh; (Doctrine and Covenants 1:34-35) …

Come, Follow Me: The Restoration of the Fullness of the Gospel (December 30,2024-January 5, 2025)

The morning breaks, the shadows flee;
Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled!
The dawning of a brighter day,
The dawning of a brighter day
Majestic rises on the world. (“The Morning Breaks,” Hymns, No. 1)

Come, Follow Me: Christmas (December 23-29, 2024) [bonus image]

And behold, [Samuel] said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name. And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven…. And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you (Helaman 14:2-3, 5).

Come, Follow Me: Christmas (December 23-29, 2024) [bonus image]

And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart (Helaman 13:4).

Come, Follow Me: Christmas (December 23-29, 2024)

From Nephi to Moroni, every Book of Mormon prophet was committed to the sacred purpose summarized on the book’s title page: “the convincing of [all people] that Jesus is the Christ.” One prophet saw Him as a premortal spirit, and another saw His mortal ministry in a vision. One stood on a wall to proclaim the signs of His birth and His death, and another knelt before His resurrected body, touching the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. All of them knew this essential truth: “There is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who … cometh to redeem the world.” (From Come, Follow Me, Christmas 2024, emphasis added)

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And the Lord said unto [the brother of Jared]: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me…. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you (Ether 3:9-10, 13).

For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases (Mosiah 3:5).

But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death…. Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up… (Helaman 14:20-21).

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come…. And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord and did kiss his feet (3 Nephi 11:15, 19).

Come, Follow Me: Moroni 6-9 (December 9-15, 2024) [bonus image]

Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them (Moroni 9:4).

Come, Follow Me: Moroni 1-5 (December 2-8, 2024) [bonus image]

The manner of their elders and priests administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church; and they administered it according to the commandments of Christ; wherefore we know the manner to be true; and the elder or priest did minister it– And they did kneel down with the church, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ… (Moroni 4:1-2).

Come, Follow Me: Moroni 1-5 (December 2-8, 2024) [bonus image]

After they had prayed unto the Father in the name of Christ, they laid their hands upon them, and said: In the name of Jesus Christ I ordain you to be a priest, (or, if he be a teacher) I ordain you to be a teacher, to preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. Amen. And after this manner did they ordain priests and teachers, according to the gifts and callings of God unto men; and they ordained them by the power of the Holy Ghost, which was in them (Moroni 3:2-4).

Come, Follow Me: Moroni 1-5 (December 2-8, 2024)

And he called them by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles (Moroni 2:2).

Come, Follow Me: Ether 12-15 (November 25-December 1, 2024) [bonus image]

And it came to pass that when it was night they were weary, and retired to their camps; and after they had retired to their camps they took up a howling and a lamentation for the loss of the slain of their people; and so great were their cries, their howlings and lamentations, that they did rend the air exceedingly. And it came to pass that on the morrow they did go again to battle, and great and terrible was that day; nevertheless, they conquered not, and when the night came again they did rend the air with their cries, and their howlings, and their mournings, for the loss of the slain of their people (Ether 15:16-17).

Come, Follow Me: Ether 12-15 (November 25-December 1, 2024) [bonus image]

And it came to pass that when they were all gathered together, every one to the army which he would, with their wives and their children–both men, women and children being armed with weapons of war, having shields, and breastplates, and head-plates, and being clothed after the manner of war–they did march forth one against another to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not (Ether 15:15).

Come, Follow Me: Ether 12-15 (November 25-December 1, 2024) [bonus image]

And Coriantumr gave Shared battle again in the valley of Gilgal, in which he beat Shared and slew him. And Shared wounded Coriantumr in his thigh, that he did not go to battle again for the space of two years, in which time all the people upon the face of the land were shedding blood, and there was none to restrain them (Ether 13:30-31).

Come, Follow Me: Ether 12-15 (November 25-December 1, 2024) [bonus image]

…Great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether; but they esteemed him as naught, and cast him out; and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people. And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock he made the remainder of this record, viewing the destructions which came upon the people, by night (Ether 13:13-14).

Come, Follow Me: Ether 12-15 (November 25-December 1, 2024)

And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen (Ether 12:41).

Come, Follow Me: Ether 6-11 (November 18-24, 2024) [bonus image]

And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla (Ether 9:31).