Ordinance Progression

Preparation

• Print the stairs, labels and child progression pictures. Cut out the pictures and labels. (Optional: Cut out the stairs and attach it to a sheet of colored card stock.) Put the stair page into a page protector.
• Items needed: tape to attach the labels to the stairs, and blocks – or some other kind of building material.

• Ask which of the saving ordinances is performed first in a person’s life? Baptism (Have a family member attach that label to the front of the first stair.)
•  At what age is baptism usually performed?  Eight  (Have a family member put the picture of the eight year old child on the first stair.)
• What ordinance is performed next and at what age? Confirmation/Holy Ghost, age eight (Have a family member put that label next to baptism on the first stair.)
• What ordinance is performed after that, and at what age is it performed? The Aaronic Priesthood ordination is the next saving ordinance that a boy would receive. This usually happens at age twelve. (Have a family member put that label on the second stair, and take off the eight year old boy and put the twelve year old boy on the second stair. Explain that the Aaronic Priesthood is not a saving ordinance, but it is preparatory to receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood.) Girls do not receive the priesthood, so the next saving ordinance that a girl would receive would be the endowment.

Continue in the above manner until all the ordinances labels are on the stairs, and the final picture of temple marriage is on the top stair.

• Why do we receive saving ordinances at different times in our lives? Do the following activity to help answer this question.

 Activity  

Direct the family to build a temple using the blocks or other building materials.  Point out that when building a temple, it is necessary to start with the bottom foundation and build up. Just as there is a natural progression to building a temple, so is there a natural progression in participating in Saving Ordinances. We need to start with ordinances that lay a foundation and then add to that as we understand and are prepared to receive more.

Have the family look up and read  2 Nephi 28:30.  (“I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” )

• What does this scripture mean? We do not receive everything at one time. As we grow and develop in our understanding and knowledge of the gospel, and obey the covenants we have received, we are then given more.
• After we receive the final saving ordinance of temple marriage is exaltation guaranteed?  A temple marriage is necessary to gain exaltation, but it does not guarantee exaltation. In order to obtain exaltation we must continue to be obedient to all the covenants we have made, enduring to the end.