Category Archives: Sabbath Day: Lessons

Jul 15 2020

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 1

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It is a Commandment to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy 

Game and Object Lesson

Preparation

  • Items needed: a pitcher of water, a bowl, and a clear plastic cup or a glass.
  • Either print a copy of the game and cut out the game pieces, or download and open the game in Microsoft Word. If opened in Microsoft Word, the game pieces can be moved by clicking on the center of the image or label and then dragging it to where it should go on the chart.
  • Alternative visuals: Cut out the game cards and the picture of Moses. (Optional: color cardstock can be used for the game boards.) (Game cards are from “My Creation Book” pictures – Friend, March 2002 “For Little Friends”

Game
Divide the family into two groups or more. (More copies of the game board and creation pictures will be needed if if the family is divided into more than two groups.)
Give each group a game board and a set of creation pictures.
Have each group try to put the correct pictures in each square according to which “day” it took place in the creation account (one square will get two pictures). After they are done, tell them the correct order and have them check their answers.

• On the first day God made light and divided the light from the darkness.
• On the second day God made the sky (firmament).
• On the third day God made the flowers, grass and trees.
• On the fourth day God made the sun, moon, and stars
• On the fifth day God made the birds, fish and whales.
• On the sixth day God made the land animals… and man.

Discussion or PowerPoint
After they fix their boards, ask the family what day of the week is missing on their chart. (The seventh)

• What happened on the seventh day? (Read Genesis 2:2-3) God sanctified the day and rested from his labors.

Since the beginning of the world, one day a week has been set apart for us to rest from our labors, and to focus on worship and spiritual matters. We call this day the Sabbath.

• What day do we observe the Sabbath? (On Sunday)

(Show the picture of Moses)
When Moses was on the earth, the Lord gave him some stone tablets.
• What was written on those tablets? (The Ten Commandments)

Read Exodus 20:8 Explain that keeping the Sabbath day holy was one of the Ten Commandments. Keeping the Sabbath day holy is a commandment.

Object Lesson Discussion or Video

• Why are we to keep the Sabbath day holy?

In the bible dictionary, it says that something that is holy is set apart for a sacred purpose.

• What purpose was the Sabbath day set apart for? (For worship, and to get spiritually strengthened and physically rested)

Read the scripture Exodus 31:17. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” So on the Sabbath we are to rest and refresh. We know what rest means, so what does refresh mean? (It means to be re-energized, reinvigorated, replenished.)

Heavenly Father knew we would need to be physically re-energized and spiritually replenished after a busy week, so he gave us a day to recharge and refresh our bodies and spirits.

Object Lesson:

Show a full glass of water and explain that the full cup represents being spiritually replenished and physically rested and recharged after a Sabbath day of attending our church meetings, resting our bodies, and focusing on gospel activities.

During the week we are involved in activities that may drain our spiritual and physical reserves. (Pour water from the cup into the bowl as you name several possibilities such as work and chores, sports. school and responsibilities, disagreements with a family member, or making  wrong choices.)

We can replenish our cup a little each day as we read the scriptures, pray and keep the commandments (pour a little water from the pitcher into the cup for each item mentioned), but the Lord knew we would need more.

So on Sunday we are commanded to use the entire day for spiritual refreshment and physical rest so that we can have the spiritual strength and physical renewal to help us make good choices and keep the commandments throughout the week. (Fill the cup with water) So the Sabbath tops of our spiritual and physical reserves and we are recharged and replenished for the next week. (Object lesson from Primary 6 manual, Lesson 20, Enrichment Activity #1 )

Oct 14 2019

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 2

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“To Keep Ourselves Unspotted From the World”

Materials Needed:

  • Girl and boy figures and dirt spots (Friend, February 2002, For Little Friends).  Put the girl and boy figures into a page protector, and cut out the individual dirt spots.
  • A Doctrine and Covenants for each person
  • Tape to attach the spots
  • A CD player and a CD of General Conference

Activity

In life Satan tries hard to tempt us to sin.

Show the picture of the girl, the boy, and the dirt spots. Tell the children that the dirt spots represent sin.

  • What are some sins that Satan tries to tempt us to make in life?  (Answers might include: lying, disobeying a parent, fighting with siblings, cheating, stealing)  Have a family member put a dirt spot onto the girl or boy figure for each answer they give. You may need to help or direct their answers so that everyone has a turn.

Satan doesn’t want us to excel and succeed in life. He wants us to live lives that are full of degradation and worldly thoughts and actions such as greed, selfishness, and pride.

Heavenly Father wants us to live upright, clean lives so that we can gain exaltation, and he provides ways for us to achieve this.

  • Have the children look up and read the first phrase of D&C 59:9, and ask if they know what it is saying.  (In order to keep ourselves unspotted from the world we need to go to church, take the sacrament and renew our covenants on the Sabbath.) Take a spot off the girl or boy figure for each item mentioned: going to church, taking the sacrament and renewing our covenants.
  • What other things does D&C 59:9-14 say that we should do on the Sabbath in order to keep ourselves unspotted from the world? (devotions and worship of God, resting from our labors, oblations (which is service to God), confessing and repenting, preparing food with singleness of heart, fasting and prayer)  Take a spot off for every item mentioned.
  • Why would doing these things help keep us clean and unspotted from the world?  (Because we are spiritually and physically strengthened and renewed, and we are not as susceptible to worldly thoughts, temptations, and sin.)

Object Lesson

Turn on a general conference CD (or DVD).  Also turn on some other items that make noise such as a TV, radio, hand vacuum, blender, etc.

  • Is it difficult to hear and listen to the conference CD with all the noisy distractions?

We would have to turn off all the competing noises in order to hear and focus on the conference CD. That is why Heavenly Father has given us the Sabbath Day, so we can turn off all competing influences and focus on things that will strengthen us spiritually and keep us unspotted from the world.

Nov 9 2018

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 3

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“Jesus Kept the Sabbath Day Holy”

Preparation

Print the Sabbath Story Pictures. Tape the pages together along the back bottom edges in the order they were printed. Roll the pictures into a scroll. Tie the scroll with a piece of yarn or string. (Optional Ideas: tape a dowel rod to the top edge and to the bottom edge of the scroll. You could also print off the numbered words below and glue them to the back of their matching picture. This makes it easier to read the words as you show the pictures. )

Scripture Story 

Unroll one side of the scroll until the first picture is showing. Read the words to the family that go with each scroll picture (see below). When finished with one page, roll up the top roll with one hand as you unroll the bottom roll with the other hand until you get to the next picture.

1.    When Jesus lived on the earth he honored the Sabbath day. The bible tells us how he kept it holy. On the Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogues (churches) to worship and teach.

2.    One day when Jesus was in a synagogue he saw a man whose right hand was crippled. He also saw some Jewish leaders called Pharisees. The Pharisees were a people who opposed Jesus because they thought he would take away their power and authority from them. They tried to trap him into saying things that were wrong or against the law. They asked Jesus if it was against the law to heal someone on the Sabbath day. They thought it was.

3.    The Jews in Jesus’ time were not living the Sabbath as they had been commanded. They had made up strict rules that did not help them worship Heavenly Father. For example, it was forbidden to set a broken bone or reset a dislocated joint on the Sabbath. Another of their strict rules was that a knot which could be untied with one hand was lawful to tie on the Sabbath, but if it required two hands to untie, it was not lawful.

4.    Jesus taught the Jews that these rules were wrong. Jesus answered their question concerning the unlawfulness of healing on the Sabbath by asking them what they would do if one of them had a sheep and it fell into a hole on the Sabbath. He asked if they would lift it out. When none of the Pharisees answered him, Jesus continued by saying how much better a person is than a sheep.

5.    He then called to the man with the crippled hand. Jesus asked the man to stand and hold out his hand. As the man did so, Jesus healed his hand.

 

Review Questions

Where did Jesus go on the Sabbath? (To church)

Why did Jesus go to church? (To worship and teach)

What else did he do? (He healed a man with the crippled hand)

Tell the family that if it is something that Jesus would do on the Sabbath, such as giving blessings to the sick, attending church, worshiping, and teaching the gospel, it is a good thing to do on the Sabbath Day.

Dec 26 2016

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 4

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 Calendar & Chart Activity

Activities that Fulfill the Purposes of the Sabbath

Preparation

  • Items needed: tape, four different pages of stickers, thin binder, page protectors.
  • Use this Microsoft Word activity in the lesson, or print and cut out the Calendar Activity Items. Tape the two pieces of the calendar together. Tape the calendar onto the back of a cookie sheet or on a display board. Tape the small pictures around the calendar.
  • Print the Things to Do on Sunday Activity. Put the pages in page protectors. Put the pages in the binder. Put a different sticker on each page. Put the sticker pages with the chart.
  • Note: Images on the Spencer W. Kimball quote are from the LDS Media Library-Children’s Primary Songbook

Presentation

 Spencer W. Kimball said that the Sabbath “is not a day of recreation and amusements.” He also said that abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts.

Click on image to see larger version

Activity

Have the family members take turns choosing a picture and placing it on the calendar. Ask them to put the things that fulfill the purposes of the Sabbath on the Sunday squares and put the other things on one of the weekday squares. Before posting a picture tell them to ask themselves the question, “Does it bring me closer to Heavenly Father, increase my spiritual strength, or rest my body?”

Point out all the days on the calendar that the family has for themselves to do their work, sports, and recreation. Point out the one day of the week that is the Lord’s.

Show to the family the four pages of “Things to Do on Sunday.”  Explain that there are many wonderful things we can do on the Sabbath that fulfill the purposes of the Sabbath.

Point out that each page has a sticker on it. Write the family members names on the chart. Explain that family members get to put a matching sticker on their Sunday square each time they do something from that page. They must do one item from each page before they can begin again. (Make more copies of the chart when needed)

Put the binder in a “Sunday Box.” Fill the box with things that fulfill the purposes of the Sabbath and keep it holy such as gospel and scriptural videos, puzzles, games, books to read, coloring books, etc.  (You may want to make it a box of things they only get to use on Sunday.)

Dec 27 2015

Sabbath Day Holy: Lesson Item 5

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Song: Remember the Sabbath Day

 (Children’s Songbook pg. 155)

Preparation

  • Materials needed: double-sided tape, page protectors.
  • Print one set of the song activity items. (Print the synonym words and the correct words onto two different colors of paper to help avoid mixup.) Cut out the words and write the word’s number on the back of each piece. Check the list below to find the numbers. (Example: The words “Remember” and “Keep in mind” would be #1).
  • Put the song page and the Synonym Match-up page into page protectors. Put a piece of double-sided tape on the back of the synonym words and put them onto their correct numbered spot on the song page. Using double-sided tape, put the correct words on the Synonym Match-up page in random order.
  • A recording of the song can be found here, or a CD of the Children’s Songbook can be checked out from the meetinghouse library.

Song Directions:

Show the song page to the family and read it to them. Tell them that some of the words are not correct. The incorrect words are synonyms of the correct words, which mean that they are similar in meaning to the correct words.

Show the page that says Synonym Match-Up. Tell the family that the correct words are listed on this page, and they need to replace the synonyms on the song with the correct words.

Have them take turns choosing a word and finding its match. (You may have to read the choices to younger children.)  They can check the numbers on the back of the words to see if they have found the right match.

After all the correct words are in place, sing the song. (You may have to say each sentence out loud before singing to help small children who can’t read.)

You can take off words and try singing again to see if the family remembers the words to the song.

Answers:

Correct Words                  Synonyms

1) Remember                     1) Keep in mind

2) the Sabbath day             2) Sunday

3) always keep                   3) continually hold

4) it holy                            4) it sacred

5) The Lord                        5) God

6) blessed                            6) set apart

7) hallowed it                     7) consecrated it

8) worship                          8) show devotion to

 

 

Jan 2 2015

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 6

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Story Match-Up

“Choosing to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy”

Preparation

  • Items needed: Two different colors of good quality construction paper – three pages of each color, a display board, and a glue stick.
  • Print the story activity pages. Cut each page in half at the dotted lines. Cut the construction papers in half. Glue each of the story pages to one color of construction paper and each of the picture pages to another color.
  • Before the lesson, post the pictures and stories face down on a display board using sticky tack or some other removable adhesive method.

Presentation

Explain that on the display board are stories of children choosing to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. Have a family member choose a story card and a picture card from the board. Explain that the object of the game is to find a story card and its matching picture. Have the family member read the story card out loud, or if the story has already been read, have them tell the story again in their own words. If the family member makes a match, then the cards are removed. If a match is not made, the cards are place back into their original position. Continue in this manner, with family members taking turns choosing cards and trying to find matches, until all the matches have been made,

(The stories are from the “Trying to Be Like Jesus” pages of the Friend Magazine.)

Jan 8 2014

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 7

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“Sunday Morning Problem”

Friend March 1998 pg. 31

Written by Adrianne Pearson Coleman

Illustrated by Julie F. Young

Preparation

  • Download this PowerPoint presentation of the story. Read the story out loud, or listen to it being read by clicking on the audio icon on each slide.
  • Or print the story pages. Cut the pictures and the words apart at the dotted lines. Glue each page of words onto the back of its coinciding picture.
  • Items needed: Paper and a pen or marker

Presentation

  • Have you ever felt like Sunday mornings are chaotic and stressful instead of peaceful and holy?

As you listen to this story see if you can think of some ways to help make Sunday the holy day it should be. (Going in numerical order, show the pictures and read the back story captions to the family.)

After Story Discussion:

  •  Why was Kelly’s mom unhappy at the beginning of the story?
  •  Has anyone in the family ever felt the same way Kelly’s mom felt on Sunday mornings?
  • What do you think Heavenly Father and Jesus want our Sunday mornings to be like?
  • What did Kelly do to help Sundays be a happy, peaceful day?
  • How can you help make Sunday a happy, peaceful, holy day? (Make a list of things the family members mention. Post the list in a place where the family members will see it and be reminded to do the things on it.)
Jan 9 2013

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 8

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Sabbath Preparation

 Scripture Story Activity

“The Israelites Prepared Ahead for the Sabbath”

Preparation

  • Items needed: Bible for each family member, one piece of heavy paper, exacto knife, glue,
  • Print and cut out the PDF or Word illustrations. Fold back the tabs on the basket. With an exacto knife, cut slits on the family picture along the side edges of A and C.  Line up the bottom edge of the basket to the bottom edge of B on the family picture, and then tape tab B down (the tab should be inside the basket, not facing outward). Insert the A and C basket tabs into the A and C side slits. Tape those tabs to the back of the picture. The top of the basket should bow out like a basket. Fold the tabs back on the bottom of the Israelite family picture. Tape the tabs to the top of a heavy piece of paper. The family figure should be standing up on the heavy paper, but you should be able to fold it down to store the picture.
  •  Cut out the scripture references (and the two numbers), and glue one to the back of each manna piece. (Israelite family and manna images are from the Friend Nov. 2004 pg. 390

Presentation

Display the picture of the Israelite family on the table or floor so that the family figure is standing up.  Put the manna pieces in front of the family figure.

Tell the family that after Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, the Israelites had to travel through the wilderness to reach the Promised Land. They did not have enough food to make such a long journey, so the Lord provided manna from heaven for them to eat.

Activity Instructions:

Tell the family they are going do an activity that will teach them more about the story of the manna from heaven.

Have each family member take turns choosing pieces of manna until they are all gone. Have them look up the scripture references that are on the back of their manna pieces. (A couple of pieces will have numbers instead of scriptures on them. Those will be used later in the activity.)

Going in numerical order read the following questions to the family. After a question is read, ask the family if anyone has the answer to it. Have the person tell what the answer is. (Optional: Also have them read the scripture) After they tell the family the answer, have them put that piece of manna into the basket.

Questions:

  1. Why did the children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron?  (murmur means to complain or rebel) Exodus 16:2-3
  2. Why would the murmuring against Moses and Aaron really be murmuring against the Lord? Exodus 16:6,8
  3. What food did the Lord provide for the Israelites in the mornings, and what food did the Lord provide in the evenings? Also describe how the food arrived. Exodus 16:11-15
  4. Describe the manna’s characteristics such as what it looked like, and what it tasted like. Exodus 16: 14, 21, 31
  5. How much manna did the Lord command the Israelites to gather each day? Exodus 16:16-18
  6. What happened the next day to the manna when more was gathered than was needed? Exodus 16:19-20
  7. What did the Lord instruct the Israelites to do differently in regards to the manna on the day before the Sabbath? Exodus 16: 22-23
  8. How were the Israelites blessed by preparing ahead for the Sabbath? Exodus 16: 24, 29
  9. What happened when some of the people did not prepare ahead and expected to gather manna on the Sabbath? Exodus 16:27
  10. What did the Israelite people do on the Sabbath? Exodus 16:30
  11. How long did the Lord provide food for the Israelites? Exodus 16:35

* Have the family members with the numbered manna pieces answer the following questions.

  1. What did the Israelites learn about the Sabbath? (That they should not work on the Sabbath. They should prepare ahead for the Sabbath so they can rest on the Sabbath day because it is a holy day.)
  2. The Israelites prepared for the Sabbath by gathering twice as much food the day before. Name three things we could do to prepare ahead so that our Sabbaths can be peaceful, restful, and holy?
Sep 25 2012

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 10

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Item 10:  Stringboard Activity

Saturday Preparation for the Sabbath

Preparation

  • Items needed: Pencils, white cardstock, yarn or string, tape.
  • Activity assembly instructions: Print one of the visual aid pages (girl or boy) per child onto white cardstock. Cut the stringboard out by cutting on the dotted line, and then cut out the child figure on each page. Cut out small pieces of yarn and tape a small loop onto the back of each child figure. Cut out one piece of yarn, 12 inches long, per each stringboard. Put the yarn through the loop on the back of the child figure and then tape each end to the back sides of the stringboard, making sure the string goes across the string mark on the church and that the string is pulled tightly in place so that it doesn’t sag. Move the child figure to the far left-hand side of the stringboard. (Resource for Stringboard: Star B Manual, pg. 82)

Presentation

Give each child a stringboard and a pencil. Have the children name some things they could do on Saturday to help prepare for Sunday. (See ideas below. Parents may want to think ahead of things they would like each child to do so they can help direct the answers.)

Have the children write each idea on one of the pathway stones (for little ones, draw some simple pictures on the stones). Tell the children that on each Saturday they can move their figures across their stringboard as they accomplish each item. Tell them that their Saturday preparation for Sunday will help them have a peaceful, holy Sabbath day.

Alternate Idea: Cut out the stones and church. Glue the church building to the far upper-right edge of a half sheet of light blue cardstock. Write the children’s ideas on the stones and give the stones to the children to put on their stringboards with sticky tack. Tell the children that on Saturdays they can put their stones on their stringboard as they accomplish each item. They can move their figures forward on the stones as they do the things that help prepare them for Sunday. (This allows children to choose the order in which they do the tasks.)

Family Saturday Preparation Ideas:

  • Get Sunday clothes out and check to make sure they are clean and ironed.
  • House cleaning chores (including washing and ironing clothes if needed), yard chores and clean room.
  • Find and put out clean shoes, clean socks (or tights), ties, belts, and scriptures.
  •  Finish weekend homework.
  • If church is early in the morning, finish working on talks, lessons, and other church assignments.
  • Prepare or buy cookies or flowers to take to someone who is sick or in need of a visit–a family member, widow, shut-in, etc.
  • Do any other shopping that needs done.
  • Prepare meals to eat on the Sabbath, or plan light meals.
  • Get gas in the car and check to make sure the car is clean.

Optional Idea: Some families put up shelves or make a special place in each room to place Sunday items as they are collected on Saturday.  Or they put up a long family shelf with hooks below it to collect items on. Shelves can be painted and decorated as part of FHE. The children could post their stringboard reminders by the shelf.