Come, Follow Me · Week 47 · November 16–22

Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel

This Week's Reading

This week’s Come, Follow Me reading focuses on the profound love of God as revealed through the prophets Hosea and Joel. Hosea uses his own painful family life to illustrate God’s relentless pursuit of a wayward people, moving from judgment to a glorious restoration where Israel is betrothed forever in righteousness. Joel calls the nation to sincere repentance, promising that if they turn back with broken hearts, the Lord will pour out blessings and remove their enemies. Together, these passages teach us that Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to heal our wounds, restore our relationship with Him, and gather all nations in His name.

Key Passages

Hosea 2:19–20 The Lord promises a permanent covenant of love, stating, "I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies."
Hosea 6:1–2 We are invited to return to the Savior who heals us, knowing that "he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up."
Joel 2:13 God calls us to genuine change of heart rather than outward show, declaring He is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness."
Joel 3:2 The Savior promises a future gathering where He will plead with nations for His people, saying, "I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat."

Questions to Ponder

How does Hosea’s personal sacrifice help you understand the depth of God’s love for you personally?
In what ways might your life currently resemble the "whoredom" described in Hosea 1, and how can you turn back to Christ today?
Joel asks us to "rend your heart," not just our garments; what specific areas of your life need a true change of attitude toward the Lord?
How does the promise that God will "betroth" His people forever give you hope for your own future and eternal destiny?

A Thought to Take Home

God’s love is not merely an emotion but a binding covenant that promises to heal our deepest wounds and restore us as His children. Just as Hosea was called to be a living symbol of Christ’s redemptive work, Jesus Christ Himself is the faithful Husband who never abandons us despite our failures. By turning to Him with humility and faith, we can experience the same mercy and restoration that these ancient prophets proclaimed, finding peace in His unchanging promise to gather us home.

Further study Hosea 1:2–9, Hosea 2:14–23, Hosea 6:1–7, Joel 2:12–21, Joel 3:1–5

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This guide was prepared with AI from the scriptures and checked against the text; it can still make mistakes. For the Church's own guidance, read the official Come, Follow Me manual for this week. Nephite Atlas is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Key passages

Hosea 1:2–9

²The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. ³So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. ⁴And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. ⁵And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. ⁶And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. ⁷But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. ⁸Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. ⁹Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

Hosea 2:14–23

¹⁴Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. ¹⁵And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁶And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. ¹⁷For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. ¹⁸And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. ¹⁹And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. ²⁰I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. ²¹And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; ²²And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. ²³And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Hosea 6:1–7

¹Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ²After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. ³Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. ⁴O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. ⁵Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. ⁶For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. ⁷But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

Joel 2:12–21

¹²Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: ¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. ¹⁴Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? ¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: ¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. ¹⁷Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? ¹⁸Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. ¹⁹Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: ²⁰But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. ²¹Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

Joel 3:1–5

¹For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, ²I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. ³And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. ⁴Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; ⁵Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: