Back in October 2018 during the 188th Semiannual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Nelson announced a “…new balance and connection between gospel instruction in the home and in the Church.”
According to President Nelson, this new change will, “…strengthen families and individuals through a home-centered and Church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith, and foster greater personal worship.”
An adjustment was needed to address the pattern of thinking among Latter-day Saints who largely feel that ‘church’ is only something that happens at our meetinghouses.
Additionally, President Nelson said, “It is time for a home-centered church, supported by what takes place inside our branch, ward, and stake buildings.”
This definitely was an unexpected change, but one we embraced, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke directly after President Nelson to address and clarify the new Sunday meeting schedule and adjustments.
“Beginning in January 2019, the Sunday Church meetings will consist of a 60-minute sacrament meeting each Sunday, focused on the Savior, the ordinances of the sacrament and spiritual messages.”
Elder Cook went onto explain the length of time for the other meetings to be held and to acknowledge that Sunday School will be held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays while Priesthood quorums, Relief Society, and Young Women meetings will be held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Primary will be held each week but will only include singing time and class time with lessons.
A new curriculum resource called, “Come Follow Me,” was introduced to further strengthen families in the home. Inside the manual it reads, “This resource is for every individual and family in the Church. It is designed to help you learn the gospel—whether on your own or with your family.”
The Come Follow Me 2019 manual is designed to aid families as they read the scriptures together, hold family home evenings, or study on their own. Each week there is an outline of different reading schedules depicting important principles found in the New Testament. This manual is not meant to replace anything good a family may be doing but rather to add to the good. Each of these lessons also correlates with the lessons taught in Primary and Sunday School. This means families can talk about lessons all together as one unit.
Each family will decide, on their own, what works best for them and how they can incorporate Come Follow Me into their schedules. For our family, we felt it was best to involve our children with these lessons on Sunday mornings, prior to going to church. In this way, we are able to teach our kids all about the upcoming lessons which will be given in their respective classes in Primary and Young Mens and Young Womens.
Also, once a month we meet at my parent’s house to discuss a lesson from Come Follow Me. It has been a great experience to gather my family and let them hear from their grandparents! Plus, the learning is elevated as we all edify one another as we strengthen our testimonies of Jesus Christ. Additionally, my brother Todd and his family, who live in Texas, are also able to join in the lesson on these special Sundays.
When teaching young children, it can be a challenge to maintain their attention during a lesson. Therefore, many guidelines/resources for helping your young children can be found in Come Follow Me:
If you don’t have a manual but you’re interested in learning more about, Come Follow Me—For Individuals and Families, you can go to www.lds.org and find information there. This is a powerful tool to help our families draw closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
