"Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me"
July 3–9
FAIR Faithful Resources for Come, Follow Me 2023 July 3–9. Acts 1–5: “Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me.” Find answers to difficult questions to help you in your learning and teaching. Here is a collection of reliable resources to supplement your study of Acts 1–5. FAIR Resources link to relevant questions which have been answered on the FAIR website. Under Church Resources you’ll find links to the different Come, Follow Me manuals, as well as other helpful links as applicable. Other Resources link to resources outside of FAIR that are trustworthy and helpful.
Main points to ponder
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said that a more complete title for the book of Acts could be “The Acts of the Resurrected Christ working through the Holy Spirit in the Lives and Ministries of His Ordained Apostles.” (Teaching, Preaching, Healing, January 2003) As you begin your study of the book of Acts, keep Elder Holland’s insight in mind. Consider the role of the Holy Ghost to this end as you ponder the following passages:
- Acts 1:1–8, 15–26
- 2:1–42
- 4:1–13, 31–33
- Bible Dictionary, “Holy Ghost.”
What do you learn from these early Apostles about how you can rely on the Holy Ghost to guide your efforts?
Faithful Resources on the FAIR website:
- Must All Apostles Literally See Christ?
- What Is Meant By The “Casting Of Lots?”
- Question: Is Latter-day Saint epistemology a valid form of epistemology?
- Question: Why was a priesthood restoration by the “laying on of hands” required?
- Question: Why do Latter-day Saints not pray directly to Jesus Christ?
- Is Baptism Essential for Salvation?
- Question: Was the temple obsolete after Christ?
- Question: What are the “gates of hell” or “gates of Hades?”
- By Grace Alone?
- Question: Did Christ establish a Church while on the earth?
- Question: What scriptures explain the Latter-day Saint view of Jesus’ divine Sonship?
- Question: Why do Latter-day Saints not pray directly to Jesus Christ?
Resources on the Church website:
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families
Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School
Peter and John Heal a Man Crippled Since Birth (Acts 3:1-8)
Peter Preaches and Is Arrested (Acts 3:12-26, 4:1-3)
Peter and John Are Judges (Acts 4:5-21)
Peter and John Continue Preaching the Gospel (Acts 5:12-42)
Faithful Resources from other reliable websites:
- Come, Follow Me Study and Teaching Helps — Lesson 28: July 3–9, Jonn Claybaugh
- The New Testament in Context: Come, Follow Me Lesson 28
- Audio Roundtable: Come, Follow Me New Testament Lesson 26
- The Spirit is Poured Out, Hales Swift
- Scripture Roundtable: New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 28, “We Are Witnesses”
- Healing, Wholeness, and Repentance in Acts 3, Frank F. Judd Jr.
- The Book of Acts: A Pattern for Modern Church Growth, Ray L. Huntington
- Teachings of Jesus You Probably Never Noticed Before, Book of Mormon Central
- Come Follow Me – Acts 1-5, Book of Mormon Central Archive
- The Acts to Revelation, Discussions on the New Testament: Luke 24 & Acts 1
- The Acts to Revelation, Discussions on the New Testament: Acts 1-2
- The Acts to Revelation, Discussions on the New Testament: Acts 3-5
- Come Follow Me 2019: Acts 1-5, Book of Mormon Central
- Come Follow Me: Acts 1-5, Don’t Miss This
- Come Follow Me Podcast #26—“Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me”, Acts 1-5, Meridian Magazine
- Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families: “Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me” Acts 1-5, Meridian Magazine
- Come, Follow Me for Sunday School: “Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me” Acts 1-5, Meridian Magazine
- Acts 1—5, BYU Studies
- “Come, Follow Me” July 1–7: “Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me”, LDS Living
- Scripture Central, Lynn Hilton Wilson: Acts 1-5: New Testament with Lynne Wilson (Come, Follow Me)
- Scripture Central, Taylor and Tyler: Acts 1–5 | Jul 3 – Jul 9 | Come Follow Me Insights
- The Scriptures are Real, Kerry Muhlestein:
- Follow Him, John Bytheway and Hank Smith with Dr. Stephen Taeger: : Part 1, Part 2
- Unshaken, Jared Halverson: Part 1, Part 2
- Talking Scriptures, Bryce Dunford and Mike Day: Ep 209 | Acts 1-5, Come Follow Me 2023 (July 3-9)
Be sure to listen to Jennifer Roach’s presentation for this week!
Dig deeper:
- ConferenceTalks
- Elder Boyd K. Packer, The Cloven Tongues of Fire
- President (then Elder) Russell M. Nelson: In The Lord’s Own Way
- Elder James E. Faust, The Gift of the Holy Ghost—A Sure Compass
- BYU Devotionals
- Mark L. Pace: His Sheep Still Hear His Voice
Rachel teaches English courses at Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah, where she is completing her master’s degree in Technical Writing and Digital Rhetoric. She loves spending time with her family, and the thrill of traveling.
“The Prince of Life: We Are Witnesses”
By Rachel Huntsman Baldwin
I am inspired by the ancient Apostle Peter. We know well that after he denied the Savior three times, “Peter went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). However, Peter’s resolution to repent and stand as a witness of Jesus Christ to the end of his life should be remembered.
One account is particularly comforting to me. As a lame man was “laid daily at the gate of the temple . . . to ask alms of them that entered into the temple . . . Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed” (Acts 3:2, 4–5). Truly, what happened next was miraculous. Peter “took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:7–8).
This story has been important to me as our family goes through a challenging time. My brother-in-law, Craig, at 38 years old, has been fighting colon cancer for the last four years. Recently, Craig received news that his cancer treatments were no longer helping, and he has yet a short time to live.
To me, this news felt like a heavy blanket of impending doom. Needing comfort, I petitioned the Lord, and my mind caught hold of something glorious. Suddenly, my sadness turned to joy as I envisioned Craig being received by our Savior, family, and the great ancients—even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I envisioned Craig shoulder to shoulder with Joseph Smith in his restored athletic form; leaping through heaven, he was about his Father’s work.
I witness we are strengthened in prayer by the Holy Ghost to feel joy. I witness our Savior wants to heal us. I witness Jesus Christ is our hope. Despite us being lame, crippled, or imperfect, the Prince of Life—even the giver of new life—wants to bring us lovingly home.
Just as God raised up His Apostles to stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ, we are His witnesses too. Wilford Woodruff once testified, “Without shame I stood the gospel to declare.”1
Endnotes
1 Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, July 1, 1838, p. 46, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/journal/1838-07-01.
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