The May 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering Printable ties together Sister Tamara W. Runia’s April 2025 General Conference talk “Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy” and this May’s “Come, Follow Me” lesson on Doctrine and Covenants 50 and “That which is of God is light.”
May 2025 Ministering Printable (4×6)
Edvard Munch’s Solenintro (1912-1913). You can print these printables as 4×6 photo prints. My local drugstore prints them for just pennies. They are also a higher resolution if you want to enlarge them.
May 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering Message
“That Which is of God is Light”
During her April 2025 General Conference talk, Sister Tamara W. Runia said something interesting, “You are not the voice in your head or the mistakes you have made.”
We often assume that the voice in our head is “us” — that if we think something, it must reflect who we are or what we truly want. But that’s not always the case. Not all thoughts are accurate reflections of our true selves. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people and imperfect bodies. Our thoughts are going to be impacted by all these factors.
Like Sister Runia says, “[God] knows the mists of darkness are descending on all of us travelers and that our journey passes by the river of filth—so even when we’re holding to the iron rod, we’re going to get splashed.”
Thought Choosers
Our thoughts come from many different sources. Sometimes they are influenced by the world around us. Other times, they are the products of imperfect brains, like when we have negative intrusive thoughts.
Rather than think of yourself as a “thought haver,” think of yourself as a “thought chooser.” Which of your thoughts actually reflect who you are and what you want? Is the thought really true? Which thoughts come from your Heavenly Father?
The Parable of the Chocolate
Let me tell you a story from my mission to illustrate what I mean. One day while out proselytizing, we stopped by a small kiosk for something to eat. I spotted a mint chocolate that looked yummy and decided to buy it. When I took a bite, I was surprised to find it was filled with minty alcohol. At home, I had never seen alcohol in candy before. I had no idea it was something I needed to watch for. I immediately threw the rest away and bought some gum to get rid of the alcohol smell on my breath. A missionary can’t smell like alcohol while tracking!
I couldn’t believe it, my first taste of alcohol was on my mission! But should I feel guilty? Had I done something wrong? Of course not. I didn’t want alcohol and once I realized what it was, I got rid of it. I didn’t eat the rest of the candy. And I didn’t go out looking for more. Beating myself up about what had happened would have only sabotaged the rest of my day, and as a missionary, I had important things to do.
Our thoughts work the same way. Sometimes a troubling thought pops into our mind — maybe an inappropriate image, a harsh self-judgment, or a worrying scenario. Like the candy, we can label the thought for what it is. We don’t have to feel bad about it. It is not a reflection of your character or worth. Don’t dwell on it or give it added importance. Instead, find something positive to replace it, just like I did with the gum.
How to Judge Our Thoughts
But how do we know if a thought is something important or not? The Lord gives some useful instruction on this in Doctrine and Covenants 50:23-25.
“That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you.”
Using these scriptures we can come up with some markers to look for:
- Is the thought edifying or enlightening?
- Does it bring you more light or lead to greater darkness?
- Does it bring you closer to God or further away?
- Does it make you feel hopeful or hopeless?
God Never Attacks Our Worth
If the voice in your head makes you feel terrible and hopeless, it is not of God. Even when we have things we need to repent of, Sister Runia tells us that the Savior never attacks our worth.
“Satan, the great accuser and deceiver, uses shame to keep us from God. Shame is a darkness so heavy it feels that if you took it out of your body, it would have an actual weight or heft to it. Shame is the voice that beats you up, saying, “What were you thinking?” “Do you ever get anything right?” Shame doesn’t tell us we made a mistake; it tells us we are our mistakes. You may even hear, “Hide.” The adversary does everything in his power to keep the heaviness inside, telling us the cost is too high, that it will be easier if this stays in darkness, removing all hope.”
Satan would have us believe that the true punishment for our sins would be to separate ourselves from God and His light. But the Lord tells us the opposite, He wants us to give Him our sins and come to Him.
Sister Runia reminds us to, “Listen for that voice that says good things about you—the voice of the Savior, your finest friend, and your Father in Heaven, who is really there. Remember, Their love and your worth are always great, no matter what!”
Come Follow Me Ministering Handout
For the May 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering handout, I decided to use these invisible ink pens. My kids loved these when they were younger. The ink is invisible unless you shine the blacklight on it. I thought they would be a fun object lesson for kids. Sometimes we can’t judge or see something until it is illuminated by the Lord’s light!
Did you like this Come Follow Me Ministering message? Find more Relief Society Ministering Printables for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
These ministering printables are a great way to help families incorporate the “Come, Follow Me” lessons into their own study. They are also perfect for Young Women’s, Relief Society, Sunday School, or Family Home Evening. I hope that these ministering printables will be a simple way to reach out to those we minister to.
