“October 24–30. Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47: ‘A New Spirit Will I Put within You,’” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: Old Testament 2022 (2021)
“October 24–30. Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47,” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: 2022
Come, Follow Me, by Scott Sumner
October 24–30
Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47
“A New Spirit Will I Put within You”
The words of Ezekiel have been preserved by the Lord for a wise purpose and can bless the members of your class. Ponder this as you study Ezekiel’s writings this week.
Record Your Impressions
Invite Sharing
The people who heard Ezekiel thought his words were “lovely” and “pleasant,” “but they [did] them not” (see Ezekiel 33:30–33). Class members might share a passage they found in Ezekiel’s writings that inspired them to do something.
Teach the Doctrine
The Lord invites us to feed His sheep.
To help class members find personal meaning in Ezekiel 34, you could write on the board situations they might face, such as preparing to serve a mission, raising children, or receiving a ministering assignment. Class members could pick one to ponder as they silently read Ezekiel 34:1–10. Invite them to share what counsel based on these verses they might give to someone in the situation they picked. What does it mean to feed ourselves instead of the Lord’s flocks? How can we be shepherds like the Savior is? (see verses 11–16).
You might feel inspired to ask questions that help class members ponder the symbolism in Ezekiel 34:11–31. For example, what might the “good pasture” and “good fold” represent in verse 14? What’s the difference between a sheep who is “lost” and one who is “driven away”? (verse 16). How does the Savior rescue both kinds of sheep? Class members could share other symbols they find in these verses and talk about what these symbols teach them about Jesus Christ.
The Lord is gathering His people and giving them new life.
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Reading Ezekiel 37 and thinking about the Lord’s promise to gather Israel can give us insights about what the gathering means and how we participate in it. To help class members find these insights, you could write on the board questions like What is the Lord trying to accomplish through the gathering of Israel? How is He accomplishing it? You could then ask half of the class to read Ezekiel 37:1–14 and the other half to read Ezekiel 37:15–28 as they search for insights these two passages might provide to the questions on the board. It might help to explain that the sticks of Joseph and Judah mentioned in verses 16–19 represent the Book of Mormon and Bible. As class members share their answers, encourage them to talk about their role in the latter-day gathering of Israel.
Ezekiel saw in vision a river flow from the temple and heal the Dead Sea.
The temple brings spiritual healing.
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Pictures could help class members understand the vision described in Ezekiel 47:1–12. For example, you could show a picture of a temple, a river, a desert, and the Dead Sea (see the images in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and Bible Photographs, no. 3, “Judean Wilderness”). It might help to explain that the Dead Sea is so salty that fish and plants can’t live in it. Class members could read verses 1–12 and share what impresses them about the waters described in the vision (see also Revelation 22:1 and the statement in “Additional Resources”). They could also draw pictures of Ezekiel’s vision. What might the waters symbolize? What could the trees described in verse 12 represent? Perhaps class members could share how the temple and its blessings have brought them spiritual life and healing.
Additional Resources
Temple blessings can heal us.
Referring to the water flowing from the temple in Ezekiel’s vision (see Ezekiel 47:1–12), Elder Dale G. Renlund observed:
“Two characteristics of the water are noteworthy. First, though the small stream had no tributaries, it grew into a mighty river, becoming wider and deeper the farther it flowed. Something similar happens with the blessings that flow from the temple as individuals are sealed as families. Meaningful growth occurs going backward and forward through the generations as sealing ordinances weld families together.
“Second, the river renewed everything that it touched. The blessings of the temple likewise have a stunning capacity to heal. Temple blessings can heal hearts and lives and families” (“Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 47–48; see also the video “And the River Will Grow,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Improving Our Teaching
Help others receive the Spirit. “Sometimes teachers may be tempted to think that it is their knowledge or methods or personality that inspires those they teach. … Your purpose as a teacher is not to make an impressive presentation but rather to help others receive the influence of the Holy Ghost” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 10).