Week 23 (June 1–7): “My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord”

Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–7

Orientation to the Week (Doctrinal Architecture, three lenses)

Ancient context

Ruth and Hannah live at the hinge between the era of the judges and the rise of prophetic monarchy. Social vulnerability, famine, infertility, and military threat form the lived setting. The record places covenant loyalty and revelation in ordinary family life, then exposes Israel’s temptation to treat holy things as protective objects rather than as covenant realities (1 Samuel 4–7, as framed in the CFM lesson).

Modern application

The Come, Follow Me lesson frames discipleship as a path with “delays and detours,” where faith looks like steady covenant belonging and patient prayer rather than predictable outcomes:

“Sometimes we imagine that our lives should follow a clear path from beginning to end… And yet life is often full of delays and detours that take us in unexpected directions.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, “June 1–7. ‘My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord’: Ruth 1; 1 Samuel 1–7”)

Eternal principle

God governs salvation through covenant relationship, not through possession of sacred symbols or control of outcomes. Ruth’s hesed (covenant kindness) and Hannah’s consecrated petition show faithful agency under constraint, while the ark narrative shows that divine power is not mechanized.

Historical and Cultural Matrix (background from the lesson’s framing)

The lesson highlights the precarious status of widows in ancient Israel:

“In Israelite culture at the time, a woman without a husband or sons had no right to property and very few ways to earn a living.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, “June 1–7. ‘My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord’”)

This context clarifies why Ruth’s integration into Israel, and Boaz’s role as redeemer, function as more than romance. They display covenant-protected social belonging. In parallel, Hannah’s “bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:1–10, referenced in the lesson) situates prayer as covenant speech offered from within unresolved longing, not after it.

Exegetical Analysis (8 key passages, with doctrinal synthesis)

1) Ruth’s covenant belonging in a moment of loss (Ruth 1:4–18; referenced)

The lesson foregrounds Ruth’s choice: return to the familiar or embrace Israel’s faith and Naomi’s people (Ruth 1:4–18, referenced). Reading Ruth as a covenant convert is consistent with the lesson’s emphasis on “embrac[ing] the Israelite faith and a new home” (CFM lesson, June 1–7).

Modern application: covenant belonging can precede circumstantial security.

2) Trust formed under scarcity (Ruth 2:12; quoted in lesson)

The lesson connects personal hardship to Ruth’s growing trust:

“Consider how you have ‘come to trust’ the Lord (Ruth 2:12) during your difficult times.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7)

Doctrinal note: The phrase “come to trust” frames faith as cultivated relationship over time, not a single event.

3) Redemption through Boaz as a Christ-type (Ruth 4:4–10; referenced)

The lesson asks readers to observe how Boaz “redeem[ed] Ruth from her desperate situation” (Ruth 4:4–10, referenced) and then asks, “How were both Ruth and Boaz like Jesus Christ?” (CFM lesson, June 1–7). Within the lesson’s bounds, Boaz functions as a lawful redeemer who restores standing and future.

Modern application: Christ’s redemption is personal and covenantal, restoring belonging and hope.

4) Hannah’s prayer offered from “bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:1–10; referenced)

The lesson highlights Hannah’s unfulfilled righteous desire and emotional pain (1 Samuel 1:1–10, referenced). The doctrinal point is not a guarantee of outcomes, but that turning to God is always met with guidance and sustaining help:

“Of course, not everyone who prays for a child receives one… But everyone who turns to the Savior receives His help and guidance.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7)

Modern application: prayer remains faithful even when the desired blessing is delayed or differs.

5) Hannah’s praise as theology (1 Samuel 2:1; quoted in lesson)

The lesson anchors the week in Hannah’s rejoicing:

“My heart rejoiceth in the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:1) (quoted in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7)

Her praise becomes a model for worship that coexists with life’s detours.

6) Hannah’s poem as covenant warning and covenant hope (1 Samuel 2:1–10; referenced)

The lesson recommends reading “Hannah’s poem of praise” and asks what in her words “could have helped Eli’s sons and the rest of the Israelites” (1 Samuel 2:1–10; CFM lesson, June 1–7). The implication within the lesson’s framing is that worship should shape priestly conduct and national trust, preventing the later ark misuse.

7) The ark narrative: sacred objects cannot substitute for covenant obedience (1 Samuel 4–6; referenced)

The lesson identifies Israel’s error:

“When their enemies attacked, the Israelites apparently thought that simply possessing the ark of the covenant would protect them.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7)

It also points to priestly corruption (1 Samuel 2:12–25, referenced) and asks why the ark did not “work” as a talisman (1 Samuel 4–6). The Philistine aftermath (1 Samuel 5–6, referenced) shows that God’s holiness is not domesticated by capture, while Israel’s recovery of protection in 1 Samuel 7 (referenced) ties divine help to renewed covenant posture.

8) Learning to recognize revelation (1 Samuel 3; D&C cross-texts listed)

The lesson frames Samuel as a model for learning revelation:

“At times, you may feel like Samuel, who heard the voice of the Lord but did not recognize it.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7)

It then provides a canonical “revelation laboratory” across dispensations: 1 Kings 19:11–12; Luke 24:15–32; 3 Nephi 11:3–7; Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23; 8:2–3; 9:7–9 (all listed in the lesson). The doctrinal unity is that God speaks, disciples learn to discern, and obedience follows recognition.

Scholarly Cross-Reference Web Matrix

Doctrinal Threads Across Dispensations

Primary Pattern: Covenant trust expressed through loyal love, consecrated prayer, and obedient responsiveness to revelation ├─ Ancient Foundations (Genesis through Malachi) │ ├─ Ruth 2:12: “come to trust” (quoted as a phrase in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ ├─ 1 Samuel 2:1: “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord” (quoted in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ └─ Ark narrative (1 Samuel 4–6): Israel “thought that simply possessing the ark of the covenant would protect them” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ ├─ Meridian Fulfillment (New Testament parallels) │ ├─ Luke 24:15–32: see also (listed in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ ├─ Apostolic witness: see also Luke 24:15–32 (listed; no excerpt provided in bundle) │ └─ Gospel fulfillment: see also Luke 24:15–32 (listed; no excerpt provided in bundle) │ ├─ Restoration Revelation (D&C/Pearl of Great Price) │ ├─ Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23: see also (listed in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ ├─ Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3: see also (listed in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ └─ Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9: see also (listed in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) │ └─ Living Prophets (From bundle sources only) ├─ Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives” (May 2018):

“Does God really want to speak to you? Yes!” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 93–96; quoted in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7) ├─ Amy A. Wright, “Abide the Day in Christ” (Nov. 2023): see also Amy A. Wright, “Abide the Day in Christ,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 9–11 (cited in the lesson; no excerpt provided in bundle) └─ For the Strength of Youth: “Walk in God’s light”: see also “Walk in God’s light” (For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, 16–20) (cited in the lesson; no excerpt provided in bundle)

Modern Prophetic Synthesis (bundle-only)

President Russell M. Nelson’s assurance anchors the week’s revelation theme:

“Does God really want to speak to you? Yes!” (May 2018, Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” quoted in Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, June 1–7)

The lesson then directs readers to identify invitations and promised blessings within that message (see May 2018, Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, 93–96) and to seek additional guidance in “Walk in God’s light” (For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, 16–20).

Seminary and Institute Integration (from the bundle’s teaching emphases)

The “Learning at Home and Church” structure aligns with classroom aims: doctrine grounded in narrative, then applied through guided questions. Two pedagogical anchors stand out in the lesson:

Christ-centered typology in Ruth: “How were both Ruth and Boaz like Jesus Christ?” (CFM lesson, June 1–7).
Revelation literacy in Samuel: learning to recognize the Lord’s voice across canon (1 Samuel 3; cross-references listed in the lesson).

Theological Discussion Points (10)

How does the lesson’s description of “delays and detours” reshape expectations for covenant life? (CFM lesson, June 1–7)
What does it mean to “come to trust” the Lord as a process rather than a moment? (Ruth 2:12; CFM lesson, June 1–7)
How does the widow’s lack of property rights in the lesson’s description sharpen the meaning of redemption in Ruth 4? (Ruth 4:4–10; CFM lesson, June 1–7)
How does the lesson’s caution, “not everyone who prays for a child receives one,” protect a sound doctrine of prayer? (CFM lesson, June 1–7)
How can Hannah’s rejoicing coexist with unresolved mortality and uncertainty in the lesson’s framing? (1 Samuel 2:1; CFM lesson, June 1–7)
What covenant failures are implied by the lesson’s note about Eli’s sons (1 Samuel 2:12–25) in relation to the ark episode (1 Samuel 4–6)? (CFM lesson, June 1–7)
What does the lesson identify as Israel’s mistaken theory of protection, and how does that apply to discipleship? (1 Samuel 4–6; CFM lesson, June 1–7)
How does President Nelson’s statement, “Does God really want to speak to you? Yes!” function as a doctrinal premise for 1 Samuel 3? (May 2018, Nelson; CFM lesson, June 1–7)
How do the lesson’s listed cross-references (1 Kings 19:11–12; Luke 24:15–32; 3 Nephi 11:3–7; D&C 6:22–23; 8:2–3; 9:7–9) frame revelation as consistent across dispensations? (CFM lesson, June 1–7)
What practices might fit the lesson’s invitation to “increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation,” using only the sources it points to for further study? (CFM lesson, June 1–7; see also May 2018, Nelson; For the Strength of Youth, 16–20)

Teaching Applications (home, class, and quorum)

Narrative mapping: Use the lesson’s suggested chart structure, “Trials, Actions, Blessings,” applied to Ruth and Hannah (CFM lesson, “Teaching Children,” June 1–7).
Revelation role-play: Reenact 1 Samuel 3:1–10 as the lesson suggests, then read the listed Doctrine and Covenants passages as interpretive companions (CFM lesson, “Teaching Children,” June 1–7).
Sacred symbol versus covenant reality: Discuss the lesson’s line about the ark being treated as protection, then ask what covenant obedience looked like in 1 Samuel 7 (all referenced in the lesson).

Personal Study Pathways (structured)

Ruth as covenant belonging: Read Ruth 1–4, marking decisions that reflect loyalty and trust (Ruth 2:12; CFM lesson, June 1–7).
Hannah as consecrated prayer: Read 1 Samuel 1–2, then read 1 Samuel 2:1–10 as interpretive theology for the narrative (CFM lesson, June 1–7).
Samuel as revelation apprenticeship: Read 1 Samuel 3, then study the lesson’s listed cross-references in one sitting to compare patterns of divine communication (CFM lesson, June 1–7).
Ark narrative as covenant correction: Read 1 Samuel 4–7, tracking the lesson’s question, “why that didn’t work,” when Israel relied on possession rather than obedience (CFM lesson, June 1–7).

Research Extensions (Church-approved sources named in the bundle)

Bible Dictionary entries on Ruth and 1 Samuel (CFM lesson, June 1–7).
Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 93–96) (quoted and cited in the lesson).
“Walk in God’s light” (For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, 16–20) (cited in the lesson).
Amy A. Wright, “Abide the Day in Christ,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 9–11 (cited in the lesson).

These texts merit careful rereading with the lesson’s guiding questions so that covenant trust, consecrated prayer, and responsive revelation become more intelligible across dispensations.

Scholarly Study Guide: Ruth;1 Samuel 1–7