. COME, FOLLOW ME MOMS April 27 – May 3 Exodus 35–40 | Leviticus 1, 4, 16, 19 The Tabernacle, The Temple, Come, Follow Me Study “Holiness Is Built… One Small Step at a Time” Hey mamas, welcome back to Come, Follow Me Moms. This week we are in Exodus and Leviticus, and I’ll be honest… I started out thinking, “wow, this is kind of boring,” and it quickly turned into, “wait… this is actually so powerful.” This is one of those weeks where you might open your scriptures and think, “What is happening… and how does this apply to my life?” There are sacrifices, detailed laws, measurements, and instructions. And if you’re a busy mom, it’s easy to check out. But if you lean in just a little, this week becomes one of the most powerful lessons on how we come closer to God and how we actually become holy. Not in a perfection way, but in a real life, middle-of-motherhood kind of way. God brings His people out of Egypt, but getting them out wasn’t the end goal. He wanted to get Egypt out of them. He wanted to change their hearts. He wanted relationship. He wanted holiness. Leviticus 19:2 says, “Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.” President Henry B. Eyring taught, “The plan of happiness is for everyone. Wickedness never was happiness” (General Conference, October 2019). When God gives commandments, it’s not to restrict us. It’s to lead us to happiness. To teach this, God gives His people the tabernacle. Everything about it is symbolic. Everything points to Jesus. Everything shows us how to come back to God. The tabernacle teaches progression. You don’t just walk into God’s presence. You move step by step. And this is key for us as moms. Holiness is built. It is not instant. The first step is sacrifice. The people bring offerings, not just because they’re told to, but with willing hearts. Exodus 36:5 says the people brought “much more than enough.” These are the same people who just made the golden calf, and now their hearts are changed. That is repentance. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming than about who we once were” (“You Matter to Him,” General Conference, October 2011). So what are you offering God right now? Not perfectly, but willingly. Your time, your patience, your effort, your desire to try again. That counts. The next step is washing. This represents being made clean. Psalm 51:2 says, “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Ezekiel 36:25 says, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.” This is Jesus. We cannot become holy without being made clean first. One of the most powerful insights this week is the difference between saving grace and exalting grace. Saving grace rescues us. Exalting grace changes us. Exodus shows us being saved. Leviticus shows us becoming something new. Emily Belle Freeman taught, “Grace is not just the power that saves you… it is the power that changes you” (BYU Women’s Conference, 2015). Then we move forward into clothing and anointing. This represents identity. Isaiah 61:10 says, “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation.” We are becoming someone new. One of my favorite lines from this week is this: living differently doesn’t mean we lower our standards or values. It means we rise. Eventually, the progression leads to the presence of God, the Holy of Holies. We don’t live there perfectly, but we are invited to move closer every day. Leviticus can feel intense with all the sacrifices and laws, but these rituals were meant to teach principles like repentance, holiness, and the Savior’s Atonement. Everything points to Jesus. And this is so real for us. Sin can creep in. It’s a slippery slope. It’s also easy to forget the Lord if we don’t take time. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives” (“Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016). If we are not intentionally remembering Him, we will naturally drift. So we choose consistent remembrance of God. The Spirit brings a feeling of happiness and assurance that we are becoming more holy. That’s how we know. Not perfection, but peace. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” Leviticus teaches us the manner of access to God and the holiness that comes as a result of that access. Holiness is the result of being close to God, not the requirement before. Elder David A. Bednar taught, “We are not expected to be perfect… but we are expected to become better” (General Conference, April 2012). God holds us to a higher standard, not to shame us, but to refine us. The process is simple and powerful. Repent often. Be humble. Have meekness and patience. Doctrine and Covenants 122:7 reminds us, “All these things shall be for thy experience,...
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May 12 202635 mins