Four years after embarking on its first foray, the rotation begins again this year with the study of the New Testament “Come, Follow Me” lessons.

Sunday School General President Mark L. Pace said in a Church News interview that “Come, Follow Me” is “meant to help members study the scriptures and gain personal experience with the Holy Ghost that changes their hearts and converts them again and again and again as disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Cache Valley members of the faith, along with others of various religious denominations, share what they have experienced throughout their life in the study of the New Testament, as well as what they plan to pursue this year.

Father Robin Cruz, Parochial Vicar, St. Thomas Aquinas, Hyde Park, stressed that the New Testament has many stories of great importance.

“For instance, the Nativity is one of my favorite stories in the New Testament. The Nativity speaks of the birth of Jesus Christ because it is when he becomes one of us so that he could understand to be human,” Cruz said.

The New Testament largely focuses on accounts of Jesus Christ’s life through the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Patrick Degn, Logan Institute of Religion instructor, recommended approaching the New Testament with the perspective of the authors.

“Mark’s use of the word Gospel comes from the Greek euaggelion, commonly called ‘good news,’” Degn said. “What we are reading is news—good news! Mark’s intention is not a systematic theological treatise, doctrinal discourse, or philosophical exposition. He is proclaiming news, in fact, the best news one could possibly declare and receive. The Gospel of Mark opens with this line: ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’”

Degn further emphasized that the Gospels in the New Testament are not meant to be read as “Tweets” but received as testimonies.

“In this day of instant messaging, instant banking, and instant potatoes, we are conditioned to want things in an instant. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is caught more than it is taught. This is one reason why Jesus taught and illustrated the meaning of the kingdom of heaven through parables,” Degn said. “... My recommendation? Read the New Testament. Then read it again, and again and again. Let the story—God’s story—wash over you. Receive it.”

Reverend Jason Samuel of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Logan said that to him, the Gospel of Matthew, of all the books in the New Testament, best brings the fullness of its teachings with a passage telling the story of the Pharisees and Jesus, when he pinpointed loving “the Lord your God with all your heart” and loving “your neighbor as yourself” as the first and second most important commandments.

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,” ends the passage referenced by Samuel.

“This scripture is deeply profound, simple and should be life-changing. At the same time, if we are honest, it can be a difficult thing to practice, if we take Jesus’ words here seriously. Think about it. Love God completely with everything you are and love your neighbor (everyone) as yourself. This is a lot to ask,” Samuel said. “In practice, I think it is less difficult to follow specific rules or commandments, like the Ten Commandments, given to Moses. The two great commandments of Jesus call us to love God and our neighbor at all times, with all that we are.”

Samuel said that although this task may initially be daunting, he interprets this love as a reflection of the love of God.

To understand that love, Terry Young of Smithfield has studied and read the scriptures daily, studying in the morning at breakfast and in the evening—her usual times for over 50 years.

“With the ‘Come Follow Me’ for 2023 being the New Testament, I needed to up my game another notch. What could I do?”

Young said she remembered a message from church President Russell M. Nelson challenging members to “prayerfully and vigorously” try to understand the various titles of Jesus. Young said her plan for 2023 is to study the ‘Come Follow Me’ at breakfast, putting together her own list of the names and attributes of Jesus.

“I will then list the scriptural references for each name and study them. This will be my year-long project. And since it is my own study project, there is no right or wrong. I will go where the Spirit leads! I have already started and I am excited for it!” Young said.

Adding an extra element to the usually private focus on studying scriptures, one local family recently traveled to Israel, a visit they said deepened their connection to the stories and concepts of the New Testament.

Farley and Helen Anderson, along with their son Ben, of Paradise, returned from the trip last month. For them, being able to not only read the passages but also visit the locations described in them gave increased personal meaning.

“When I walked into the Garden of Gethsemane and sat down among those same trees that were alive when Jesus was there, I was overcome with the feeling of bounteous love, and felt no pain that he suffered as I thought I might feel by being there. Instead, I heard a voice in my head ‘My friend, I did this for you,’” Farley Anderson said. “That thought, coupled with my being there, I felt more love from the savior than in combination of when I have read that account every time from my home. Being there was a life-changing experience to me.”

As they were visiting during a busy time of year, the city was very crowded, but Helen insisted they take their time at the garden.

“I wanted to have time to think about it,” Helen said. “As I sat and looked at that grove of trees, I could really feel the spirit there. I could picture the atonement happening, seeing it in my mind. What took place there was amazing. I was very grateful that I could be there but, to me, I realize it is not so much being where Jesus walked but to know how he walked.”

Ben Anderson accompanied his parents to Israel to help take photographs.

“It was the coolest experience for me to be in Jerusalem. It contextualized for me what I have read about over the years,” Ben said. “... I saw the ancient city wall that is still intact. The same streets are still there. The main walkway that Jesus walked down I walked on, too. When I stood in the Garden of Gethsemane, I saw the very same thousand-year old trees that grew there when Jesus was in the garden.”