When the Church’s “Come, Follow Me” program was announced, many homeschooling mothers rejoiced, (Hooray for free curriculum!) but some women-- homeschooling or otherwise-- felt overwhelmed at the idea.
Honestly, I fell somewhere in the middle. I was excited and felt the Holy Spirit witness that the program is divinely inspired, but I had concerns about how I was going to add something new to our family study time.
I have pondered a few initial questions I had, and found some wonderful answers from many of our Church’s leaders.
Q: Why do we need to study the scriptures even more than we already do?
The simple answer is that we live in more difficult, complex times than any generation before us!
“Our children will be strengthened at a time when they need it most, when they are being bombarded by the darts of the adversary. This will suit them in their protective armor every day.
“There is remarkable faith and strength in today’s children. You can see their light and courage in their actions and examples. I pray for the children and for their families to be happy. I am so grateful for the love of our Savior and Father in Heaven for each of us.”
Her counselor, Sister Harkness added:
“Children are facing increasingly difficult challenges at younger and younger ages. This new curriculum will fortify families and children as they study the scriptures together and learn how to apply them as they serve and love each other.”
Q: What does a home-centered, Church-supported curriculum look like? And how do we implement it in our homes?
Answer #1: Jump in and try it!
Just as with our homeschooling, every family can and should implement the new program differently. The beautiful part about how the lessons are structured is that we are given several things we can cover, but ultimately, we should seek the counsel of the Holy Ghost on how to teach the given scriptures.
For us, we have found that diving right into the scriptures has most easily brought the Spirit into our lessons. Our children are used to reading rich, beautiful, inspiring words, but even for families who do not usually read together, the scriptures are the best examples parents can have of living books! We take turns reading different verses, and then we discuss them using the questions provided, or we ask the questions that come to our minds.
The practice my kids have had doing narration has really prepared us for using the “Come, Follow Me” program. Our children know how to listen, and are not shy to answer questions or retell the stories we have been reading in their own words.
Answer #2: Let the children help teach!
In the article mentioned above, Sister Joy D. Jones also said:
“Children are very sensitive to the Spirit, and they will be a strength to their families in this wonderful revelation process. We hope our children will share their voices, ask questions and give their thoughts about what they are reading and what they are feeling. In doing so, we know they will be an influence for good in their families. Their little voices will have such an impact.”
In our home, our younger children especially love being assigned to teach! (Teenagers are another matter, but we keep presenting them with the opportunity...) The Church has so many wonderful resources that can help, such as The Friend and New Era magazines, not to mention the multitude of resources like coloring pages, videos, stories, and images that can be found for free on lds.org!
There are many other programs out there that women have created to supplement the “Come, Follow Me” lessons, but with all the other Church materials we have access to online, I have not found any supplements necessary for our family.
Answer #3: Prepare myself to teach the lesson.
This wonderful new program makes it super easy for us to simply open up the book and begin teaching, which works great, but I find that our lessons are much more spirit-filled and impactful if I have studied them beforehand. We cannot rush the Spirit, and there may be promptings we will miss if we come to the lessons unprepared. I love that these inspired lessons work well for group learning AND for personal scripture study.
Answer #4: Pray to know the needs of your family.
As we homeschooling mothers know, no two children learn in exactly the same way. Hopefully, we have some ideas about the struggles our children are facing. We can receive precious inspiration that can truly help them during our sincere study and discussions using the “Come, Follow Me” program.
Some of our best inspiration can be found in the quiet, reverent rooms of the Lord’s house. We can attend the temple with questions on our minds and more easily find the answers we are seeking.
The important thing is that we should involve the Lord in our lesson preparation. He knows what you need to teach and it is essential that we are as receptive to the influence of the spirit as we can be.
Parents love their children more than anyone else, with the exception of the Lord. Working together with the Holy Spirit to teach these sacred truths will give our children the spiritual armor they need to battle the attacks that the adversary is waging in these turbulent times.
Answer #5: Use Music
Sister Harkness of the Primary General Presidency suggested:
“Sing with your children! Primary music has the ability to plant the seeds of doctrine deep into the hearts of your children. Talk about the gospel as you sing — it will help them apply gospel principles to real world experiences. Look for the songs suggested in the ‘Come, Follow Me’ lessons. Have fun singing them as a family during the week. These songs will provide strength and protection for them as they grow. Your children will remember the gospel truths you sang about as you studied the scriptures together.”
Music is a very important teaching tool in our home, and I have found that nothing brings the Holy Spirit into learning more quickly than a sacred hymn or Primary song.
Answer #6: Teach Doctrine
President Boyd K. Packer once said:
“True doctrine understood changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will change behavior quicker than the study of behavior will change behavior.”
The “Come, Follow Me” curriculum teaches us and our children in a powerful way. I love that we are not just learning abstract principles, but that we are diving into the scriptures to find the basic, pure doctrine. We are being given the opportunity to learn at the feet of the Master Himself as we study His life and His teachings.
Q: So how do we keep going, even through the difficult times?
Elder Steven R. Bangerter of the Quorum of the Seventy said:
"Every parent faces moments of frustration and varying levels of determination and strength while raising children. However, when parents exercise faith by teaching children candidly, lovingly and doing all they can to help them along the way, they receive greater hope that the seeds being sown will take root within the hearts and minds of their children."
The Lord knows that we are not going to be perfect teachers, but He can send His Spirit to make up for our weaknesses. All He asks is that we keep doing our best to implement His teachings that we receive through His holy prophets. This program is great practice for us to do just that.
I love what the inspiring speaker Hank Smith has said:
“Strive for improvement, not perfection. … There is a difference between the ideal and real... but we have to deal with the real… There will be wonderful moments when the real becomes the ideal, but don’t stress out when you have to deal with the real most days.”
I have a sincere testimony that the “Come, Follow Me” program is inspired of the Lord. He will not leave us to implement it alone-- He will help us every step of the way, if only we ask for His help.
With love,
Mama Rachel
