When the “Come Follow Me” program was
announced last year, it was also announced that our Sunday church meetings
would go from three hours down to two but that we, as members, were still
responsible for filling that third hour on our own and were provided with a
manual – one per family. Jenna and I
both predicted that many, though may have started out with great intentions,
would not keep on their studies on their own.
As the program was new to all of us, I
thought our family could invite others to learn with us and we could all
struggle through it together. Not that
going through the scriptures is a struggle.
I had taught the youth when the Church did away with traditional manuals
and so had a familiarity – the trying to learn it without instruction seemed a
little more trying.
I felt inspired to invite families or
individuals to learn with us. Trying to
squeeze dinner in at the same time was NOT a good idea as my focus was on the
learning part whereas Roland seemed to be more interested in the food
part.
Meanwhile I had purchased notebooks
for those who might not have. My
intention was to sit down together and learn things at the same time – well,
sort of. Jenna and I had continued to go
through the scriptures and manual first thing after we came home from
church. Roland did not participate with
us as he was still at the church fulfilling his clerical calling.
“Dinner’s ready,” he announced before
we had an opportunity to study or discuss.
We hadn’t communicated how we had wanted to present ourselves. We hadn’t prayed about who we should
invite. We had more people than we did
seats at the table. It didn’t turn out
as I had hoped. There was no discussion.
From then on I prayed about who we should
invite. I encouraged Roland to pray
about this decision in his personal prayers as well as our family prayer. We went to the home of a widow and had a
really great discussion with her. Every
other appointment we had attempted had fallen through. Eventually so did our efforts to make
connections. Too bad.
Jenna and I would still continue to
read scriptures and go through the manual.
I don’t when one of the counselors in
RS posted a link to Emily Freeman/David Butler videos (found here) gradually I
allowed the video to replace my efforts of setting up appointments with other
members. Jenna and I would return from
church and watch the videos. Sometimes I
would print out the study sheet to pass out to my primary class. I started to slide though when it was Danny’s
turn to teach.
If I did miss a week, I would watch
the missed video the following week in addition to the current week – which I
tried to do this week as I missed last week.
I realize I’ve become dependant on the videos and a lot lax on the
manual. I’m always embarrassed to find
the bookmark in a spot more than six weeks back.
On Friday I watched this video
followed by the one for first and second Peter.
I took notes on the video for James.
Loved it. I always get more out of presentations if I take notes. I did not take notes for “Peter’s” part. I tried watching again later on. Still, nothing resonated with me. Yesterday morning I watched it again. I was in the other room and did not have
access to any of my notebooks. Still
nothing.
Usually, when “Don’t Miss This” video
ends, a conference address will automatically play, but yesterday it was
followed by this video. Butler/Freeman videos are not the only video resource for “come follow me” as there are several
options. I got more out of the second
video “Teaching with Power”. I rewatched
it after Roland and Jenna got up as I figured Roland would sit through more of
it then he does of “Don’t Miss This” – we are two different people. Videos that usually grab me and Jenna don’t
work for him and vice-versa. He can sit
through a monotone documentary.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ – not me. Jenna and
I prefer the animation.
I was impressed by how much she paid
attention and how many correct answers she was able to provide on the
questionnaire.
When Sunday school started yesterday
morning, I could see the questions and scriptural references all had to do with
James – and I had brought my notebook. I
figured I’d be able to participate – which I did. There was more participation yesterday than
there had been the time we had met before.
As we wrapped up James, the instructor
played a couple of videos and erased the board and rewrote Peter 3:18, 19, and
4:6. There were also three references
for D&C – the last being about 35-40 verses. I don’t even remember any emphasis being placed
on those scriptures in either video – not to say it wasn’t present, I just hadn’t
seen it. In my mind, each of the three
messages had been presented differently enough that the three of them together
covered more ground as each of them took certain scriptures to dwell on – and
there is still so much more. And I need
to reread and study better than I have done.
I enjoy learning different points of
view and what may be meaningful to someone may be overlooked by somebody
else. I enjoy connecting the pieces – or
seeing the pieces presented rather so that I may make the connection.
