How can we follow Jesus?

2 Nephi 31

10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

In 2 Nephi 31:10, Nephi frames “follow” not as a casual trail-walking, but as a covenantal alignment. To follow Jesus is to pattern our steps after His, not merely admire Him from afar. The verse ties “follow” directly to willingness—a heart disposition before the actual deed.  

Here are a few layers to consider:  

- Imitation of Example: Christ was baptized though sinless, showing that following Him means entering the same waters of obedience, even when we don’t “need” it by worldly logic.  

- Submission of Will: “Willing to keep the commandments” emphasizes that following is not just external compliance but inward surrender. It’s about yielding our will to the Father’s, as Christ did in Gethsemane.  

- Continuity of Path: Follow implies movement, not a one-time act. It’s ongoing discipleship—faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Spirit, and enduring to the end (the “doctrine of Christ” Nephi outlines in this chapter).  

- Relational Nearness: To follow is to stay close enough to hear His voice, to walk where He walks. It’s not distant admiration but intimate apprenticeship.  

So the verse presses us: Can we truly claim to follow Jesus if we resist the Father’s commandments? Nephi’s answer is no—because following is more than belief; it’s embodied obedience.  

📕 Matthew 

📜 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

📜 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

📜 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

📜 9:9 ¶ And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

📒 Moroni 7

📜 11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.

📘 Doctrine and Covenants 56

📜 2 And he that will not take up his cross and follow me, and keep my commandments, the same shall not be saved.

Taken together, these passages form a single, unbroken witness: to “follow” Christ is not passive admiration but covenantal discipleship. Nephi roots it in willingness—an inward surrender that precedes outward action. The Savior’s own baptism shows that following Him means stepping into obedience even when logic or pride might resist.  

The Gospels echo this call with urgency: “Follow me” is not an invitation to convenience but to leave nets, customs, and even competing loyalties behind. Moroni clarifies that following Christ and serving the adversary are mutually exclusive—our fountain cannot pour both waters. The Doctrine and Covenants seals the point: discipleship requires taking up the cross, keeping the commandments, and enduring in that path, for salvation is bound to obedience.  

In sum, to follow Jesus is to walk His path with both heart and deed—imitating His example, submitting our will, continuing in covenant faithfulness, and drawing near enough to hear His voice. Anything less is not truly following, but only watching from a distance.