January 2020 Come Follow Me Ministering – Lehi’s Dream
This month, the January 2020 Come Follow Me Ministering Printable ties together Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s 2019 October General Conference talk “The Joy of the Saints” with this January’s “Come, Follow Me” lesson on Lehi’s Dream.
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 or Sunday School.
Download January 2020 Come Follow Me Ministering Printable
Since we are talking about the Parable of the Mechanic and potholes, I thought cars were the perfect theme! And since we are avoiding potholes, I decided to pair it with a Rocky Road candy bar.
January 2020 Come Follow Me Ministering Printable
Lehi’s Dream and The Parable of the Mechanic
The other day while scrolling through the news, I stumbled on a relationship column that caught my attention. As I started to scan through some of the questions, my heart broke. The questions included things like infidelity, porn, and STDs. Many had made decisions that brought them a lot of suffering and prevented them from developing strong and nurturing relationships. I thought about what my life would be like if myself or people I loved had made similar decisions.
In that moment, seeing the contrast, I received a strong testimony of the Lord’s commandments. Many of the commandments that seemed so restrictive when I was younger made so much sense now. And while my life isn’t free of trials, I am so grateful for the safe path the Lord has left for me.
The Tree of Life
This month in “Come, Follow Me” we are studying Lehi’s dream in 1 Nephi, which is a wonderful visual representation of this very principle. In the dream, Lehi sees the Tree of Life with fruit representing joy and the love of God. To get to the tree, you have to follow an iron rod that leads along a strait and narrow path. Those who hold firm to the rod (which represents the word of God) were kept safe from the mists of darkness, the river of filthy water, and the mocking in the great and spacious building.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson in his 2019 October General Conference talk “The Joy of the Saints” said:
Keeping the Lord’s commandments enables us more fully and more easily to feel His love. The strait and narrow path of the commandments leads directly to the tree of life, and the tree and its fruit, the sweetest and “most desirable above all things,” are a representation of the love of God and fill the soul “with exceedingly great joy.”
The Parable of the Mechanic
While not nearly as cool as Lehi’s Dream, I often think about what I like to call the “parable of the mechanic.” My dad knows cars very well and taught me how to drive and care for them. He taught me that if I changed the oil and kept up on maintenance, my car would run well for a long time. I knew that when I wore my seat belt, I was safer. As a teenager, I even learned that I had to remember to turn my headlights on at night because sometimes in well-lit areas I would forget!
I also knew that the limitations put on my car weren’t to make me frustrated, but to save me from disastrous or dangerous situations. Cars are not designed to fly, float, or navigate any terrain. It is just the nature of the car. I might be able to drive my Honda Prelude off a cliff, into the sea, or off the road, but it wouldn’t end well. The guidelines didn’t keep me from driving but helped me drive more and with more freedom. I didn’t blame the engineer of the car for restricting me but was grateful for the rules and guidelines that kept me safe.
When I drove off for college and my dad reminded me to change my oil, I knew that he wasn’t bossing me around but saying, “I love you and want to make sure you are taken care of.”
The Master Mechanic
Just like my dad is a born mechanic, I often think of God as the master mechanic or engineer. He created us and knows how we operate. We are created in His image. He knows that the same things that make Him happy are also the things that will bring us true joy. He also knows the things that will make us unhappy because they run counter to our divine natures. It won’t always be smooth driving, but God knows how to keep us safe and help us reach our destination.
And when God reminds of the commandments, He isn’t restricting our freedom but saying, “I love you and want to make sure you are taken care of.”
In John 15:10–11 is the reminder that just like Christ receives joy by following Heavenly Father’s commandments, so do we.
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
An Eternal Perspective
Not only do the Lord’s commandments bring us joy, but they teach and protect us. Elder Christofferson says:
God sees things in their true perspective, and He shares that perspective with us through His commandments, effectively guiding us around the pitfalls and potholes of mortality toward eternal joy. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: “When His commandments teach us, it is in view of eternity; for we are looked upon by God as though we were in eternity; God dwells in eternity, and does not view things as we do.”
I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who cares enough to keep us safe from the potholes of life. In Lehi’s Dream, those who held to the iron rod were still surrounded by the mists, the filthy water, and the great and spacious building, but they had everything needed to push forward to the Tree of Life and the source of true joy.
Thank you. Great message!
Love it. Thank you so much. The printable is a perfect idea.