The establishment of the Church of Christ (D&C sections 20–24, 26) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Scott H. Faulring, “ An Examination of the 1829 ‘Articles of the Chu...
Mar 09, 2025•48 min
Nuances of Baptism by Autumn Dickson Let’s talk about historical context again quickly so that we can have a reference for what we read this week. Chronologically, Section 21 came before Section 20. Section 21 came on the day the church was organized, and it talks a lot about how Joseph was called as a prophet and the importance of listening to the prophets. Section 20 came in between the day that the church was organized and its first conference held in June. Section 20 had a lot of administrat...
Mar 07, 2025•15 min
Truths About Eternal Punishment by Autumn Dickson My message this week is given through a couple of verses in Section 19, but it’s also given through a couple of quotes that are found in the institute manual. These quotes expand our understanding of the verses found in this week’s section. The Savior has said a lot of things throughout the scriptures and to His prophets. Only when we take them all in holistically do we find the true nature of His character and gospel. Here is one instance in whi...
Mar 02, 2025•26 min
Christ Will Lead You by Autumn Dickson As we prepare for this week, understanding the context for what we’re reading can help us understand what the Lord is saying and why He is saying it. It becomes a conversation with God rather than commandments and doctrines loosely tied together without much rhyme or reason. It also helps us connect to those who were receiving these revelations so that we can receive those same messages more effectively. One of the background pieces for this week is the fac...
Feb 24, 2025•16 min
Joseph Smith’s early revelations to family & friends; restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C sections 4, 11–12, 14–16, 18–19) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Readi...
Feb 18, 2025•48 min
An Uncomfortable Offering by Autumn Dickson This week, we learn about some of the men and women who supported Joseph in the early days of the restoration. He was supported through friendship as well as monetarily as he worked to complete the translation of The Book of Mormon. We also learn about the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist came to Joseph and Oliver and conferred that authority upon them. Plenty could be written about the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, but ...
Feb 17, 2025•14 min
In this episode, Ryan welcomes Jeffrey Thayne for an insightful discussion on worldviews and their profound influence on discipleship and beliefs. They explore the role of psychology in both conversion and deconversion, the powerful impact of media on our perspectives and psychological intuitions, and the fascinating dynamics of fast vs. slow thinking. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the intersection of cognitive psychology and the gospel. Dr. Jeffrey Thayne graduated from BYU wi...
Feb 15, 2025•53 min
Hyrum’s Influence by Autumn Dickson When I was younger, I wanted to be a famous singer. This desire followed me into college where I temporarily dropped out of school to pursue a music career. I wanted it so badly. I remember wanting it so much that it would hurt to listen to music on the radio. I ended up getting really sick, and I left Provo behind. I lived with my parents for about a week before moving in with my sister and her family for six months. Most of my connections were back in Utah, ...
Feb 10, 2025•18 min
In this episode, Ryan sits down with Debra McClendon to discuss religious OCD, also known as Scrupulosity. Debra shares valuable advice for those navigating Scrupulosity while striving to stay faithful within the church. They explore what approaches tend to be effective, what often falls short, and dive into topics like consecration, burnout, and finding balance. If you or someone you know struggles with Scrupulosity, anxiety, or toxic perfectionism, we hope this conversation offers insight and ...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Oliver Cowdery became Joseph Smith’s scribe; restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood (D&C sections 6–9, 13) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Elder Boyd K. Packer, “ The C...
Feb 04, 2025•44 min
In Every Thought by Autumn Dickson The Lord is speaking to Joseph and Oliver in the sections that we read for this week. There is a lot of fantastic material about how the Lord sets us up to try something new, knowing we’ll fail, but also knowing that we have to begin in order to learn. There are principles of revelation and how the Lord utilizes our desires to build up His kingdom. One of the principles that the Lord speaks about is pretty straightforward. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 36 Look un...
Feb 04, 2025•17 min
Translation of the Book of Mormon; the Three Witnesses (D&C sections 3, 5, 10, 17) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Learn more about the Three Witnesses and their testi...
Jan 28, 2025•50 min
Joseph’s Repentance by Autumn Dickson This week we find Joseph in an early difficult lesson. Martin Harris had faced mounting pressure from his family to abandon Joseph, and Martin wanted to show the early manuscript to his family to gain support. Joseph asked the Lord multiple times despite receiving no’s, and the Lord finally told him to do what he wanted. Martin took the manuscript and lost it. Joseph was devastated and experienced a season of repentance. There are some very poignant details ...
Jan 27, 2025•14 min
We are pleased to introduce a new podcast series that will be hosted by Ryan Sorensen. In this first episode, he talks with Brent Schmidt about “Uncovering the Truth About Grace.” Brent’s book may be downloaded here . Brent J. Schmidt earned degrees in history and classics from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in classics from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He teaches in the religion and humanities departments at BYU-Idaho. He specialized in Greek and Latin moralistic literature and he wr...
Jan 24, 2025•47 min
What is Required of Us by Autumn Dickson Like last week, I’d like to dive into Joseph’s story and find parallels to our own stories. We were not given the responsibility to restore the church in the last days, but we do have responsibilities given to us by the Lord. Every single one of us will hold callings, but even beyond that, every single one of us has more to give. When I speak of responsibilities given by the Lord, I am expanding that definition beyond formal church service. There are othe...
Jan 20, 2025•13 min
Joseph Smith’s childhood; the First Vision; Moroni, & the gold plates (Joseph Smith—History) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading “ First Vision Accounts ,” Gospel ...
Jan 14, 2025•36 min
Turn to God by Autumn Dickson For this week, we read the account of the First Vision of Joseph Smith. It is nearly impossible to overestimate the gravity of this event in the backdrop of the history of mankind, and we have it readily available to read and learn about it. When we read about what Joseph learned through this experience, we can learn a lot of direct truths that had been lost over time. There were doctrines that were explicitly laid out. There are also a lot of gospel principles to b...
Jan 13, 2025•15 min
Introduction; reception, editing & publication of Joseph Smith’s revelations (D&C Section 1) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A ...
Jan 07, 2025•39 min
He Cannot Allow Sin by Autumn Dickson By the time Doctrine and Covenants 1 was written, Joseph had already written 60 revelations. In my mind, I imagine Joseph receiving communication from the Lord and writing it down so that he could try and follow and teach it. As time went on and more and more were received, it became clear that the Lord had plenty to say and that these sacred revelations should be made available to others. It hadn’t been originally considered that these words could be consid...
Jan 06, 2025•15 min
Joseph Trusted by Autumn Dickson This week, we are studying the bicentennial proclamation called, “The Restoration.” It has been approximately 200 years since the beginning of what we call the Restoration in which the Lord once again actively taught His gospel to a prophet on the earth. With the clarified doctrine came the priesthood authority to bind us to the Savior in a way that He could save us. Proclamations are interesting things. They are official statements given by our leaders. They rea...
Dec 30, 2024•15 min
As He Is by Autumn Dickson The message I want to share about Christ today is a message I have taught indirectly through other topics for some time. It is a message that has changed my relationship with Him, and therefore, it is a message that has changed my life into a joyful and hopeful one. I am so immensely grateful for it. This year in Come Follow Me, we have read The Book of Mormon. It is called The Book of Mormon because of the prophet, Mormon, who compiled all of the records together so t...
Dec 21, 2024•17 min
Belief to Knowledge by Autumn Dickson This week, we are left with the final testimony given in The Book of Mormon. Moroni testifies of The Book of Mormon, spiritual gifts, and Christ’s ability to perfect us. Moroni also speaks about revelation. He talks about how to know whether The Book of Mormon is true (as well as the truth of all things), and he also speaks about the role of the Holy Ghost in this process. Moroni 10:7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I wo...
Dec 16, 2024•17 min
Additional teachings of Mormon; Moroni’s final witness (Moroni 7–10) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes Additional Reading Mormon₂ wrote of “the light of Christ” ( Moroni 7:15–19 ) and Joseph S...
Dec 10, 2024•38 min
May Christ Lift Thee by Autumn Dickson I had an experience right before I went on my mission. An article had come out about Texas making abortion more legal and accessible. I want to be very clear here in the beginning that this post is not about abortion itself. This is the story I’m choosing to tell in order to teach my principle, but the principle isn’t actually regarding abortion. Anyway, the article that I read actually went into detail about abortion. It outlined different ways in which ba...
Dec 10, 2024•14 min
Moroni and Loneliness by Autumn Dickson Moroni understood the concept of loneliness. Even before all of his people were wiped out, Moroni practiced his beliefs on his own except for his father. He likely found himself surrounded by his peers, unable to connect with them because of gaping differences in beliefs, desires, and values. People probably didn’t understand him, and though he loved his people, he probably still felt awfully alone. And then came the genocide. Moroni was the last Nephite p...
Dec 02, 2024•14 min
Valuable Weakness by Autumn Dickson For the chapters this week, we go back and forth a bit between Moroni speaking directly and his abridgment of the Jaredite record. Whenever Moroni is directly speaking (and this is true of the chapters that we read in Mormon as well), we find that Moroni is really concerned about his weakness in writing. He talks about it plenty in Mormon, and he brings it up again during these chapters in Ether. He did not believe himself to be a strong writer, and this was p...
Nov 25, 2024•21 min
A Tiny Hinge by Autumn Dickson In the chapters of Ether this week, we watch kingdoms rise and fall with few details. There were plenty of general patterns of righteousness and wickedness, and we likely missed a great many details in the abridged version. On the flip side, there were certain stories that Moroni chose to include. Recognizing which stories and details he prioritized can help us understand the gravity of certain principles. In one of the stories that included more of the detail, we ...
Nov 18, 2024•13 min
The rise & fall of the Jaredites (Ether 1–3, 6–11, 13–15) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class . The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.) Class Notes [The below is additional content not included in Mike Parker’s original lesson] This video by Ch...
Nov 12, 2024•53 min
Faith-Building Experiences by Autumn Dickson We have now moved into the book of Ether. Though the people described in the book of Ether occurred before the rest of The Book of Mormon, this record was inserted towards the end of The Book of Mormon. Moroni was the one who worked to add these plates to the records that had been kept by the Nephites. Though the book of Ether ends in tragedy, there are also recorded stories of extremely righteous people. The brother of Jared was one such righteous pe...
Nov 11, 2024•23 min
In this special episode, Sarah Allen and Zachary Wright host a panel discussion on the question “Are Prophets Infallible?” Panel participants: Don Bradley: https://gregkofford.com/collections/don-bradley Ben Spackman: https://benspackman.com/ J. Max Wilson: https://www.sixteensmallstones.org/ The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Are Prophets Infallible? appeared first on FAIR ....
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 58 min
