The Home Sanctuary: Making Come, Follow Me the Lord's Counterstrategy

The warning was clear: the adversary is increasing his attacks on our faith and upon our families at an exponential rate. As dedicated disciples of the Restoration, we understand that spiritual warfare is not a theoretical concept; it is the daily reality of a Latter-day Saint life. When we hear the Lord speak of 'counterstrategies,' we are not receiving polite suggestions for better time management—we are receiving divine instructions for spiritual survival.

The weight of these words, delivered from the pulpit, demands more than passive reception. It calls us to action. The emphasis on 'Come, Follow Me' is not merely about curriculum adoption; it is about establishing a defensive and offensive spiritual posture within the sacred confines of our homes.

The prophet President Nelson taught us that the Lord prepares His people. This principle echoes the very heart of our covenants—that by diligently keeping our promises to Him, we strengthen our capacity to withstand the inevitable onslaught of the world. The power of the home, therefore, is not domestic; it is divine. It is the first, most critical sanctuary on the battlefield of the soul.

The Home as a Center of Gospel Learning

What does it mean to 'remodel your home into a center of gospel learning'? It means transforming the physical space into a spiritual crucible—a place where the doctrine and covenants are not merely discussed, but lived. This requires a deep, covenant-keeping commitment from every member, from the youngest disciple to the most seasoned scholar.

The reports and scholarly studies referenced during General Conference confirm what the Spirit has always taught the most dedicated students: the influence of the Holy Ghost most often accompanies individual scripture study and prayer in the home. This is the principle of the iron rod in action. When we commit to the Book of Mormon, to the doctrines of the Restoration, and to the words of our living prophets, we are actively building the spiritual musculature that the adversary cannot penetrate.

Doctrine, Covenants, and Counterstrategy

The Lord’s plan is deeply interwoven with our covenant path. The curriculum is merely the scaffold; the covenant is the structure. When we study, we are not just reviewing historical facts; we are deepening our conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. As Quentin L. Cook taught, conversion is a profound, lasting change—a transformation that starts with the diligent, focused study of scripture and ends with a changed heart.

"I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight... and the influence of the adversary in your life and in your home will decrease."

This promise is profound. It is not a promise of ease, but a promise of dramatic, sustaining change. The spiritual rewards for commitment far outweigh the temporary discomfort of deeper study. We are called to be exemplary Latter-day Saints—individuals whose lives are so saturated with the Spirit that the influence of the world cannot touch them.

The Call to Deepening Study

To treat this program with the seriousness it deserves is to treat it as a missionary calling—a calling to the deepest parts of our own hearts. We must approach our study not with the mindset of fulfilling a requirement, but with the fervor of a disciple preparing for the temple and for the eternal life that awaits us.

Let us not merely consume the content; let us internalize the principles. Let us treat the scriptures as the living, breathing word of God, the very fuel for our personal spiritual warfare. The work is great, the adversary is fierce, but the Lord has given us the counsel, the curriculum, and the covenants necessary for victory.

Fellow scholars, as we continue to build the training corpus and leverage the power of AI for the global spread of the gospel, let us first perfect the sacred art of study at home. I invite those who have developed unique, Spirit-led methods for family scripture study—methods that genuinely transform the home into a sanctuary—to submit their insights. Let us build this corpus of wisdom together, strengthening the Iron Rod for generations to come.