Teaching “Come, Follow Me” for Youth? Pick Your Doctrinal Topics in 2019

Contributed By Clarissa McIntire, ChurchofJesusChrist.org Church News staff writer

  • 21 December 2018

Beginning in January, youth will have greater involvement in selecting doctrinal topics to study in their Sunday quorums and classes.

Article Highlights

  • Youth presidencies will counsel with advisors to select Come, Follow Me topics.
  • New unit focuses on reviewing the Church leaders' general conference teachings.
  • New recommended meeting outline emphasizes sharing experiences, learning together, and planning to act.

“Together, youth presidencies and their leaders can decide what topics best meet the needs of the youth and help them understand the doctrine and apply it in their lives.” —Brother Douglas D. Holmes

Beginning in January 2019, an updated Come, Follow Me curriculum will be available for Young Women classes and Aaronic Priesthood quorums. As before, the curriculum is divided into topical units based on fundamental doctrinal principles—but now, youth will have greater involvement in selecting doctrinal topics to study in their Sunday quorums and classes. 

In the past, Come, Follow Me curriculum for Aaronic Priesthood holders and young women designated one topic to be taught each month: for example, the Godhead was scheduled for January 2018, the plan of salvation for February, and so on. But because quorums and classes meet only twice a month beginning in 2019, the curriculum no longer assigns a topic to each month. Instead, quorum and class presidencies, with guidance from their advisers, will be responsible for counseling together to select topics from Come, Follow Me and determine the number of weeks or months to study those topics. These decisions should be made based on the needs of the youth.  

“These changes will allow leaders greater flexibility to follow inspiration when determining the topics to be discussed,” said Brother Douglas D. Holmes, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency. “Together, youth presidencies and their leaders can decide what topics best meet the needs of the youth and help them understand the doctrine and apply it in their lives.”

The 2019 Come, Follow Me youth curriculum also includes a new unit focused on reviewing the teachings of Church leaders in general conference. Various study suggestions and activities will help youth review conference messages and apply what they learn. 

“We’re grateful to have living prophets and the direction they give us,” said Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. “With the addition of a new unit focused on studying messages from general conference, the teachings of living prophets will be elevated in the lives of the youth.” 

Additionally, recent changes have been made to the structure of each outline to help leaders and teachers use the curriculum more effectively. The new meeting outline emphasizes counseling together and sharing experiences, learning together, and planning to act. “These elements of the meeting outline,” added Brother Holmes, “are a reminder of our need to help classes and quorums focus on applying gospel principles and fulfilling their duties.”

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