[Come Follow Me 2020 - Lehi's dream]

I love this bookmark/handout I made about Lehi's dream and what we need to do to endure to the end.

We need to continually hold on to the rod of iron and to press forward against any opposition we face.

We need to feel our way through the mist of darkness with the help of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we won't see clearly but we can feel what is right with the help of the Spirit.

We know we have the Spirit with us when we feel the fruits of the Spirit.

We need to keep partaking the fruit of the tree. The Atonement of Jesus Christ, our ordinances and covenants, feel the love of God in our lives. I find it interesting that the Book of Mormon says "partake" the fruit. The same word is used in the sacrament prayers. When do we feel the love of God the most? When we partake of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and feel the love and mercy of God as we are forgiven of our sins.

We should ignore the world and the people who mock and persecute us. We need to focus on living the gospel and notice the blessings that come from it.

The more we realize how wonderful and amazing the fruit is, the more we will want to share the gospel. 

I just noticed that I forgot to include one picture - a picture of a person kneeling in prayer. Lehi says that the people "fell down" at the tree. To me, that symbolizes humility, acknowledging our dependence on our Savior, always praying for protection and guidance, giving thanks to God for the tree and its most precious fruit. 

I already printed the handouts but I just might have to redo them. The kneeling/prayer is that important.

Here's is the updated handout. I make four columns in a Microsoft Word document and add the pictures. My photo editing program's collage maker doesn't allow various sizes of photos to be added like this. I print the handout on glossy photo paper.

[somehow, we are being carried forward]

{continually hold the rod of iron to endure to the end}

Elder David A. Bednar talks about the two groups in Lehi's vision who held on to the iron rod and made it to the tree of life.

"It is significant that the second group pressed forward with faith and commitment. They also had the added blessing of the rod of iron, and they were clinging to it! However, as they were confronted with persecution and adversity, they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. Even with faith, commitment, and the word of God, this group eventually was lost - perhaps because they only periodically read or studied or searched the scriptures. Clinging to the rod of iron suggests to me only occasional "bursts" of study or irregular dipping rather than consistent, ongoing immersion in the word of God.

In verse 30 we read about a third group of people who pressed forward continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree. The key phrase in this verse is continually holding fast to the rod of iron.

...Perhaps it was the spiritual nourishment and strength provided by continually feasting upon the words of Christ that enabled this group to heed not the scorning and mocking of the people in the great and spacious building. This is the group you and I should strive to join."

Ensign, October 2011, page 35