“Follow Me”

By Vicki F. Matsumori

“Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).

Peter and Andrew earned their living by catching fish. One day as they cast their nets into the Sea of Galilee, they saw Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, “Follow me.”

Even though Peter and Andrew were in the middle of their work, “they straightway [immediately] left their nets, and followed him.”

Jesus then invited two other fishermen, James and John, to follow Him, and they too “immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” (See Matt. 4:18–22.)

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you saw the Savior and He called to you, “Follow me”? Would you leave what you were doing to follow Him?

Today we are also invited to follow the Savior. How can we follow Him? We follow Jesus Christ when we have faith in Him, repent of our wrongdoings, and are baptized. We follow Him when we listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the words of the living prophet, and the wise counsel of our parents. We follow Him when we choose the right.

Just like His disciples of old, we will be blessed when we answer the Savior’s call to “follow me.” Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “I … give you my witness that those who, in faith, … follow the Savior will experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend [understand]” (“‘Follow Me,’” Liahona, July 2002, 18).

Scripture Maze

Mount page 15 on heavy paper; then cut out the large rectangle and the maze pieces on the dotted lines.
Locate the scripture referred to on each maze piece, read it, find the person or persons mentioned in that scripture on the large rectangle, and glue that piece of the maze on that part of the large rectangle.
Find the path through the maze that leads to the Savior.
Display the maze as a reminder of your choice to follow Jesus Christ.

Illustrations by Thomas S. Child and Beth M. Whittaker

Alma and Helam are baptized.
The 2,000 warriors do not doubt.
Paul testifies of Jesus Christ.
Nephi tells his father that he will obey the Lord.
Enos prays and is blessed.
Peter and Andrew put down their nets and follow the Savior.
The sons of Mosiah search the scriptures.
Jacob goes to the temple.
Jesus’ disciples partake of the sacrament.
Ten lepers obey and are healed.
Naaman obeys the prophet Elisha.
The children of Israel keep the Sabbath day holy.

Alma 53:22; Alma 56:46–48, 54–56

Sharing Time Ideas

Review Jesus’ teachings on prayer by reading and discussing Matt. 6:7–13. Explain that Jesus also taught us by example that we can pray at any time, in any place. Give each class one of the following scripture references: Matt. 14:23; Matt. 26:36; Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46; Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 18:1. Have them discover where or when a person could pray. Then have a child from each class draw a simple picture that illustrates that class’s scripture. Have the rest of the Primary guess the time or place that was illustrated and then locate the scriptures and read them aloud. Sing a song or hymn about prayer. Discuss additional places and times we can pray (see Alma 34:17–27). Tell about a time when a prayer was answered, and bear testimony that Heavenly Father will answer the children’s prayers for their good.
Invite adults to read or recite from memory their favorite scriptures and tell in what context the scripture was given. Have them tell how the scripture helps them follow the Savior. Emphasize that learning about Jesus through the scriptures and being obedient to His teachings help us follow the Savior in faith. Sing a song or hymn about following the Savior. Help the children share a scripture that has meaning to them. For those who need help choosing a scripture, list familiar scriptures on the board. Have each child copy a scripture on a piece of paper (you may need to copy a scripture for younger children). Invite them to display the scripture at home where they can memorize it during the week. Challenge them to prepare to recite their favorite scripture the following Sunday.