May 25, 2026

In this week's overview for Come Follow Me there is a line that says "Influenced by the beliefs and worship practices of the Canaanites—whom they were supposed to drive out of the land—the Israelites broke their covenants with the Lord and turned away from worshipping Him."

This is one reason it is so important to surround ourselves with good influence - why a ward family is so important to me actively engaged with. Yes, we love all of God's children, and we should never exclude or withhold our love from anyone. But we also cannot allow ourselves to be influenced by the beliefs of the world. We must be in the world but not of the world. We've talked a lot about things that point us towards Christ - surrounding ourselves with people, our brothers and sisters, who point us towards Christ, is powerful and will help us progress along our covenant path.

Judges 2

10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

How did this generation not know the Lord? Yes, they did not see the miracles from Egypt to Jericho, but there were countless times the Lord commanded the children of Israel to constantly teach these things to their children.

I don't want to assume and judge saying they didn't follow this charge. Children have their agency. But one way for this to surely happen is by not teaching our children.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26)