Friend March 2021 “Getting to Know the Doctrine and Covenants” Jesus gave Joseph Smith special messages, called revelations, to help set up His Church. These messages were written down so people could remember them. Then Church leaders put these messages together in a book. That’s how we got the Doctrine and Covenants! (Match each scripture to the special message taught in the Doctrine and Covenants.)
Friend January 2021 “Scripture Time Fun”
Friend January 2021 “Hear Him” Doctrine and Covenants reading chart
Doctrine and Covenants Scripture Stories “Chapter 23: The Doctrine and Covenants: August–November 1831” Images and Video
For the Strength of Youth January 2021 “The Doctrine and Covenants: An Overview”
When God talks to His children, it’s called “revelation.” Ensign January 2021
Friend January 1989 Information about the Doctrine & Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants Coloring Book “Joseph Smith Prayed for Answers”
Ensign January 2021 “Prophets and Revelation: Family Study Fun” President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught, “Virtually every page of … the Doctrine and Covenants … teaches about the Master.”1 Doctrine and Covenants teaches us of Christ.
Finding Christ Activity
- Set a timer for two minutes.
- Family members will quickly look through the beginning of the Doctrine and Covenants to count the number of references they can find to Christ. Start in the introduction and end with section 9.
- After the time is up, give additional time for each person to choose one of these verses that is especially meaningful to them. Take turns sharing.
Ensign January 2021 “Prophets and Revelation: Family Study Fun The Doctrine and Covenants accompanies the Bible and the Book of Mormon in teaching us of Christ and His revelations to us. The introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants explains that we can hear “the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ” in the revelations contained in this book.
1,2,3, He Speaks to Me Activity
- Secretly assign each family member a number: (1) Bible, (2) Book of Mormon, or (3) Doctrine and Covenants.
- Each person will find a meaningful verse in that book which has the “tender and firm voice” of the Lord teaching or explaining principles to us.
- Without revealing scripture references, take turns sharing verses out loud. Others will hold up either 1, 2, or 3 fingers to guess which book of scriptures each verse came from.
Discussion: How do scriptures from ancient times work together with modern revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants to help us learn more of Christ and hear His voice?
Doctrine and Covenants Coloring Book “Doctrine, Covenants, and Commandments”
Title
“This title which the Lord gave when they got out this edition—let me refer to the title page: ‘The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’—is very significant and tells the story of what this book actually is. It contains the doctrine of the Church; it contains the covenants the Lord will make with the Church, if we are willing to receive them.” (Joseph Fielding Smith Doctrines of Salvation, volume 3, page 198)
For the Strength of Youth January 2021 “Hear, Hearken, and Heed” “The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken (see Doctrine and Covenants 1:1). It means “to listen with the intent to obey.” To hearken means to “hear Him”—to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. Where can we go to hear Him? We can go to the scriptures. We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. And, finally, we hear Him as we heed the words of prophets, seers, and revelators.”(President Russell M. Nelson)
Through His prophets, the Lord warns us of spiritual danger.
- Let the children hold pictures of warning signs—such as traffic hazards, bad weather, or poison—and talk about how they warn us of danger. Or tell a story about a time when you obeyed a warning. Compare these warnings to the warnings the Lord gives us through His prophets. Testify that He warns us because He loves us and wants us to be safe (see also this week’s activity page).
- Read to the children from Doctrine and Covenants 1:4: “And the voice of warning shall be unto all people.” Share something that the prophet has recently taught that can keep us safe. Show related pictures, if possible. Talk about how you are following the prophet’s counsel.
Latter Day Kids “The Voice of Warning” See link for more lesson ideas and questions to ask after watching the video.
The Lord knew the challenges we would face, so He restored the gospel through Joseph Smith.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:15–17, 29–30
Tell the children that in the Doctrine and Covenants they will learn about the commandments the Lord gave to the Church through Joseph Smith.
- Help the children think of some of the problems in the world today. Review Doctrine and Covenants 1:15–16 with them, and help them identify some of the problems that the Lord prophesied would occur. Invite them to discover in verses 17 and 29–30 what the Lord has done to help us face the challenges of our time.
- Ask the children to imagine they are preparing for a trip. What would they pack? How would it help them to know that it would rain during their trip or that their car would get a flat tire? Read together verse 17, and discuss what the Lord knew would happen to us and how He prepared for it. (If necessary, explain that a “calamity” is a disaster or terrible thing.) How do God’s commandments help us deal with the challenges of our time?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s “true and living church.”
- Invite the children to list some things that are living and some things that are not (if possible, bring pictures or examples). What is the difference between a living thing and a nonliving thing? Read together verse 30. What does it mean that the Church is “true”? that it is “living”?
- Display a picture, such as a painting of the Savior, and ask the children to describe it with the lights in the room turned off. Use this activity to help the children see that for many people, the Savior’s true Church is in “obscurity” and “darkness.” How can we help others learn about the Church?
For the Strength of Youth January 2021 “To the Point” The Lord Himself said to Joseph Smith that this Church is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.(Doctrine and Covenants 1:30). This statement certainly does not mean that we’re better than anyone else. But it does mean that this is Jesus Christ’s Church. He leads it, He restored it, and He gave it His authority. Because of this, there are certain things that only this Church can offer, such as prophets and apostles, temple ordinances and covenants, and the Book of Mormon. We’re grateful for these things, and we want to share them with others out of genuine love—not because we want to “be right” or “grow the Church.”
While we can boldly and confidently testify of the Church, we should never be arrogant toward others or disrespect their beliefs. The Prophet Joseph Smith once said, “We don’t ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 155).
The prophet’s words are God’s words.
The children you teach may have heard the President of the Church speak, but they may not realize that his words come from God.
Play a simple game by giving instructions to one child and asking him or her to repeat the instructions for the other children. Help them see that following the child’s instructions is the same as following your instructions and that following the prophet is the same as following the Lord. Read to them the last line of Doctrine and Covenants 1:38: “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”
Sing together a song about prophets, such as the last verse of “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, 110–11). Share your testimony that the prophet speaks the word of God.
The word of the Lord lasts forever.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:37–38
- Help the children compare things that are temporary, like a bubble or a snowflake, with things that seem permanent, like a mountain or the sun. Ask them to find in verses 37–38 something that the Lord said is permanent. Why is it a blessing to know that God’s word “shall not pass away”?
- Help the children understand that the “voice of my servants” includes the voices of our apostles and prophets. Help the children find “prophecies and promises” in a recent general conference address by one of the Lord’s servants. Bear your testimony that these words are inspired by the Lord and “shall all be fulfilled.”