Scholarship, context and study plans for Come, Follow Me
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 27
“If the Lord Be God, Follow Him”
June 29 – July 5, 20261 Kings 12–13; 17–228 chapters · 283 verses
Solomon's son Rehoboam rejects wise counsel, and the kingdom splits in two. The northern kingdom sinks into Baal worship under Ahab and Jezebel. Then Elijah appears: he seals the heavens, is fed by ravens, multiplies a widow's flour and oil, and challenges 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel: “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him.” Afterward, exhausted and afraid, he hears the Lord in a still small voice.
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Study guide
These chapters cover the split of Israel and the ministry of Elijah. These notes help you keep track of the two kingdoms and see Elijah's importance for our day.
How to read this week
Learn the divided kingdom. From 1 Kings 12 on, there are two kingdoms with two lines of kings. Israel (north) is ruled from Samaria; Judah (south) from Jerusalem. Elijah works in the north.
Read Carmel as a contest of gods. Baal was supposed to control rain and fire. The drought and the fire answer whether he's real.
Don't skip chapter 19. Elijah's despair after Carmel is deeply human. The Lord's response (rest, food, a quiet voice, a companion) is a model of care.
Notice the prophets who stand alone. Elijah on Carmel and Micaiah before two kings both speak only what the Lord says, against the majority.
Connect Elijah to the Restoration. Malachi 4:5–6 and D&C 110:13–16 show why Elijah matters to temple and family history work today.
The divided kingdom and Elijah
c. 930 BC — Rehoboam's harshness; the kingdom splits (ch. 12)
Jeroboam — Golden calves at Dan and Bethel (12:25–33)
Ahab and Jezebel — Baal worship established in Israel (16:29–33)
Drought — Elijah seals the heavens; the widow of Zarephath (ch. 17)
Carmel — Fire from heaven; rain returns (ch. 18)
Horeb — The still small voice; Elisha called (ch. 19)
Ahab's death — Fulfilled as Micaiah foretold (ch. 22)
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
1 Kgs 12:28
Golden calves
Convenient religion replacing true worship.
1 Kgs 17:16
Meal and oil that don't run out
The Lord's provision for those who give first in faith.
1 Kgs 18:38
Fire from heaven
The Lord's power answering His prophet.
1 Kgs 18:44
Cloud like a man's hand
Great blessings that begin small.
1 Kgs 19:12
Still small voice
How the Lord most often speaks.
1 Kgs 19:19
Elijah's mantle
Prophetic authority passed to a successor.
Restoration connections
D&C 110:13–16 — Elijah restores the keys of the sealing power in the Kirtland Temple, 1836.
Malachi 4:5–6; D&C 2 — Elijah will turn the hearts of the fathers and children.
Helaman 5:30; 3 Nephi 11:3 — The voice of the Lord as a still, small voice that pierces the soul.
Helaman 10:5–10 — Nephi, son of Helaman, given power to seal the heavens, like Elijah.
Questions for the week
Where are you tempted to “halt between two opinions”? What would full commitment look like (18:21)?
What “little cake first” is the Lord asking you to give in faith (17:13)?
When have you felt like Elijah under the juniper tree? How did the Lord care for you (19:4–8)?
How do you recognize the still small voice (19:11–12)?
How does Elijah's mission bless your family today (D&C 110:13–16)?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.