This week’s readings: 1 Corinthians 8–13
Don’t forget to record your impressions and read the ideas outlined in the Come, Follow Me manuals on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
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Scripture Insight
This scriptural insight comes fromVerse by Verse: Volume 2 by Andrew C. Skinner and D. Kelly Ogden.
The Greek agape and Latin caritas, both of which are translated as “charity,” mean love—a selfless concern for others that is not evoked by any love on the part of the other. It is a type of love different from eros (“erotic love”) and phileo (“spontaneous, natural, unreasoned, familial love”). It is the kind of love Christ manifested on the cross (see John 13:34–35; 1 John 3:16). It is the product of a will to be in harmony with God’s will (see Moroni 7; 10; Ether 12:28, 33–34). Moroni 7:47 says charity is the pure love of Christ. Love is the great teaching of Paul (and Peter, John, Jesus, and Joseph Smith, and all other great teachers). Love is not mere feeling but expressed feeling. We do not love if we do not show our love. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Study Ideas
These ideas and topics are compiled from Come, Follow Me and have been adapted for specific situations. Check out the manuals online for more ideas, or come up with your own as you study!
For couples:
The Come, Follow Me manual points out an interesting section about head coverings and hairstyles. You might consider spending some extra time on these verses discussing what it teaches about the importance of men and women in marriage and the Church. There are a number of resources you could refer to, including conference talks, the “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” and other scriptures.
For singles:
As you study this week, you may consider focusing extra attention on chapters 12 and 13. You could write out the spiritual gifts that are listed in these chapters, then add to the list with other gifts that might be mentioned in your patriarchal blessing if you have one or in conference talks. Once you’ve made your list, you could review gifts that you feel you have or are already developing and pick a new one that you want to develop. Then you could focus your prayers and efforts on developing that gift this week. You can use the scriptures, Gospel Topics pages, or other resources in your research.
For families with young children:
As you read the scriptures with your family this week, you may consider using the various analogies Paul mentions as teaching tools. For example, when you read Paul’s analogy about a race, you could actually hold a small race with your family and then use your family’s experience to talk about what Paul was trying to explain.
For families with teens:
Temptation, the sacrament, and the Spirit are all topics in this week’s readings. If appropriate, you might ask family members to share what kind of temptations they are each faced with and then have them list ways that Heavenly Father can help each of us escape temptation. You might tie in the importance of the sacrament and the Spirit in helping us avoid temptation, or lead into a discussion on repentance based on your family’s interest and needs. You could then have them write down a few “tools” from your family’s list that they can use and suggest that they put it somewhere where they will see it often as a reminder of what they can do when they are faced with temptation.
Stay in the loop on Come, Follow Me discussions and insights throughout the week by following the Brightly Beams Instagram account, or check out this week's related Come, Follow Me FHE lesson: The Lord Needs You.
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