Friend September 2023 “For Older Kids”
Charity is the pure love of Christ.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Moroni 7–9: “May Christ Lift Thee Up”
Invite the children to share what they think the word “charity” means. Then invite one of the children to read Moroni 7:45. (If some of the words in this verse are hard to understand, help the children look them up in a dictionary.) Ask the children to talk about people they know who are good examples of charity. Why is charity called “the pure love of Christ”? (Moroni 7:47). What does verse 48 teach us about how we can be filled with charity? Encourage each of the children to pray for charity this week and to look for ways to show charity to others.
Primary 4 Manual: Book of Mormon “Lesson 42: Moroni and His Writings”
- Explain the qualities of charity found in Moroni 7:45 using terms the children can understand. You could have the children match Moroni’s descriptions with your explanations.
- Suffereth long: Is patient
- Kind: Not cruel or mean, loving
- Envieth not: Is not jealous
- Not puffed up: Humble, not proud
- Seeketh not her own: Is unselfish
- Not easily provoked: Slow to anger, quick to forgive
- Thinketh no evil: Is trusting, looks for the good
- Rejoiceth in truth: Is honest
- Beareth all things: Is obedient
- Believeth all things: Is faithful
- Hopeth all things: Is optimistic, trusting
- Endureth all things: Is patient, persistent
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Moroni 7–9: “May Christ Lift Thee Up”
For the Strength of Youth April 2024 “Antidotes to Relationship Toxins” An antidote is a medicine that counteracts a poison or toxin. Figuratively, an antidote is something that “cures” a bad feeling or situation. For example, President Russell M. Nelson said, “Charity is the antidote to contention.”1 Not all physical poisons have antidotes. But through the Savior, we can find cures for our personal poisons—including the ones in our relationships with others.
Charity is the antidote to a lot of things, not just contention. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (Moroni 7:45). We should pray for charity (see Moroni 7:48) to help us forgive other people’s weaknesses—just as we hope they will pray for charity so they can put up with ours. We
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Moroni 7–9: “May Christ Lift Thee Up”
Ask the children to repeat this phrase with you: “Charity is the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47). Help the children think of ways Jesus Christ showed love to others (pictures might help, such as Gospel Art Book,nos. 55, 83, 84). How has He shown love to us? Who can we show love to as Jesus did? For an example, example, show the video “My Brother Hyrum” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Invite the children to draw pictures of themselves showing love to someone. Suggest that they put their picture where it will remind them to love others as Jesus does.
Ask the children to write names of people they know on pieces of paper and place them in a small bag or container. Invite them to take their container home, select a name from it every day, and do something that shows love for that person. In a future lesson, invite them to share their experiences serving these people.
Friend December 2020 “Family Night Fun”
Friend December 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones”
Ensign December 2020 “Family Study Fun”
Mormon taught that we “must needs have charity” (Moroni 7:44). Use this activity to talk about what charity means.
- Show the picture of Jesus from page 193 of the Come, Follow Me manual for individuals and families.
- Read Moroni 7:45–47 together. As you read, write down on slips of paper phrases that describe charity (for example, “is kind”).
- Put the slips of paper around the picture of Christ. Talk about times He acted in those ways.
- Now show a picture of your family. Talk about what your family can do to follow Christ’s examples of charity. As each idea is shared, move the corresponding paper from Christ’s picture to your family’s picture.
Discussion: Read and talk about Moroni 7:48. What can your family do to get ready to see the Savior again?
Latter Day Kids “Charity- Come Follow Me” Video and more lesson ideas at link.
How Can I Show Love to Others?
Friend April 2024 Cover “Sharing Love”
Friend April 2024 “How Can I Show Love to Others?”
Friend April 2024 “Showing Love” Follow the matching shapes along the paths to see how each child shows love! How do you show love to others?
Friend May 2024 “How Can We Help Others?”
I can love others. (Jr)
Read 1 Corinthians 13:13 and Moroni 7:47, and help the children repeat the phrase “Charity is the pure love of Christ.” Show pictures of Jesus being loving and kind, and ask the children how He showed love to others (see Gospel Art Book for ideas). (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” )
The Red Crystal
Sing a song about loving others, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” or “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook, 61, 136), with the children. Show pictures of different people (such as a parent, sibling, teacher, or friend), and ask the children to share how they could serve that person. Invite the children to think of someone they could serve and then write a note or draw a picture to give that person. If they need other ideas about how to serve, show the video “Pass It On” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” )
Friend February 2019 “Helper Like You” Tell how you could help out in each situation.
Latter Day Kids “Charity is the Pure Love of Christ” Lesson ideas
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8-13” Paul’s definition of charity might make an inspiring motto for your family. You could assign each family member to study a phrase in verses 4–8 and teach the rest of the family what it means using definitions, examples, and personal experiences. How is the Savior an example of these attributes? You could also make posters together for each of these phrases and display them throughout your house. Be creative!
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Jesus Wants Me to Love Others
Friend November 2022 “Jesus Said to Love Our Neighbor” See link for stories
Heavenly Father wants me to love everyone.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mormon 1–6: “I Would That I Could Persuade All … to Repent”It’s often easy to love those who love us and are like us, but Mormon demonstrated that with help from Heavenly Father, we can love those who believe and act differently than we do.
Ask each child to draw a person on the board, and point out how each person they drew looks different from the others. Draw a large heart surrounding all the drawings. Help the children understand that Heavenly Father wants us to love all people. Read Mormon 3:12, emphasizing the words “love” and “loved.” What did Mormon do to show his love for others?
Sing a song together about loving others, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61), while showing pictures of children from around the world. Testify of God’s love for all of His children.
Friend October 2020 “Come, Follow Me for Little Ones”Read Mormon 3:12 together, emphasizing the words “love” and “loved.” Help your little ones put their hands on their hearts and say, “I can share God’s love with others,” and then hold their hands outward, as if sharing something. You could listen to or sing “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook,136) and put your hands on your hearts whenever you hear the word “love.”
Friend April 2021 “Jesus Said Love Everyone” When Jesus was on the earth, He constantly helped those who were left out, overlooked, or mistreated. As His followers, we must do the same!
Friend August 2024 “Made with Love” Vanessa makes a gift bag with cookies at a Primary activity. She wrote “You are a child of God” on the card. She wanted to give it to someone who needed some love. She and her mom go for a walk to find someone but don’t have any luck. She says a prayer in her mind and soon they meet a boy on the sidewalk. A big smile spreads on his face whens she gives him the bag.
Heavenly Father wants me to love everyone.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Mormon 1-6”
- Even though the Nephites were wicked, Mormon never stopped loving them. Help your children find the words “loved” and “love” in Mormon 3:12. You could also sing a song together about loving others, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61), while showing pictures of children from around the world. Testify of God’s love for all His children.
Friend May 2022 Cut out the pieces, Glue to heavy paper or craft sticks, and put the puzzle together.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Mormon 1–6: “
- It’s often easy to love those who love us and are like us, but Mormon demonstrated that with help from Heavenly Father, we can love those who believe and act differently than we do.
- Ask each child to draw a person on the board, and point out how each person they drew looks different from the others. Draw a large heart surrounding all the drawings. Help the children understand that Heavenly Father wants us to love all people. Read Mormon 3:12, emphasizing the words “love” and “loved.” What did Mormon do to show his love for others?.
Friend October 2020 “Come, Follow Me for Little Ones”
- Read Mormon 3:12 together, emphasizing the words “love” and “loved.” Help your little ones put their hands on their hearts and say, “I can share God’s love with others,” and then hold their hands outward, as if sharing something. You could listen to or sing “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook,136) and put your hands on your hearts whenever you hear the word “love.”
Friend November 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Love One Another” Mormon loved the Nephites (see Mormon 3:12). Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have asked us to love others too. Stand in a circle and close your eyes. Count to three, then open your eyes and look at someone. If you are making eye contact with them, say something you love about each other and step out of the circle. Keep going until there is one person left! Then everyone says something they love about that person.
For younger children: Go on a “love” hunt through your home or outside. Invite your little ones to find things that remind them of the people they love.
Friend November 2024 “Heavenly Father Wants Me to Love Everyone”
Friend October 2024 “I Can Follow Jesus by Loving Others
- Loving Others Around Us Role-Play – As Mormon grew older, people around him became more wicked, but hewas able to keep his faith really strong. Was Mormon mean to the people around him who were making wrong choices? (No). One thing that made Mormon so super was the love that he had for God and others around him.
- Read Mormon 3:12 and talk about how Mormon felt about the people around him, even though they were wicked.
- Role- play how to respond with faith and love to different scenarios of people being different from us or making not-so-good choices (Your friend wants to steal candy from the store, A friend is saying mean things about another person, your neighbor doesn’t believe in praying, someone you’re playing with starts swearing, etc.).
Fill the World with Love
2017 Friend Children’s did acts of service and wrote the service on a heart. The Hearts were placed day on a world map. The map was covered with Hearts by the end of the year. Acts of love can spread.
Friend June 2024 “Smile with Your Heart” When Sister Wright visited Iceland she noticed that the traffic lights were shaped like hearts. The town wanted to help people be happy, so they started a project called it the “Smile with Your Heart”, and encouraged others to hang hearts to help them remember to show love for each other.
Make this heart craft and hang it up to help you remember to share love with others.
Jesus Christ showed me how to serve others.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 26; Mark 14; John 13”The account of the Savior washing His disciples’ feet can inspire the children you teach to lovingly serve people around them.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 In Jesus’s time, washing another person’s feet was a task for servants, not leaders. But Jesus wanted His disciples to think differently about what it means to lead and to serve. What messages do you find in the Savior’s words and actions in John 13:1–17?
- A few days in advance, ask one of the children to read John 13:4–9 and share the account with the class from the perspective of Peter. What was the Savior trying to teach Peter and the other Apostles? The children could talk about what they learn from this story about Jesus Christ. What do we learn about serving others?
- Read together John 13:12–17. Ask the children to each write about a time when the Savior served another person. Encourage them to include what they learn from His example. If they need help, they could look for examples in the video “Christlike Attributes” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Invite them to share what they wrote with the class.
I can love others as Jesus did.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 26; Mark 14; John 13” Jesus showed His love by caring for those around Him. What opportunities do the children you teach have to show their love for others?
- Show pictures of stories the children have learned this year when Jesus showed His love for others (see past outlines in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families). Read John 13:34–35, and help the children repeat the phrase “As I have loved you, … love one another.” How can we show our love for our family and friends?
Images of Jesus can be found here.
Friend April 2007 “Jesus Christ Loves Everyone”
Friend July 2024 “I Can Follow Jesus by Showing Love”
Friend March 2019 “Lots of Ways to Say “I Love You” Play this game with family or friends. Do the action on the square when you land on it.
- Invite a child to hold a picture of the Savior as the class sings a song about the Savior’s love, such as “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook, 136). Give the children paper hearts and invite them to draw a picture of themselves doing something to show their love for another person.
Disciples of Jesus Christ love others as He did.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 26; Mark 14; John 13” When we are baptized, we make covenants to become disciples of Jesus Christ. In John 13:34–35, the Savior described how we can show that we are His disciples.
- Write on the board one another; as I have you (John 13:34). Invite the children to look up the scripture and fill in the blanks. What other things can we do to show we are disciples of Christ? The children might think of other words that would complete the sentence on the board, such as serve and served or teach and taught.
- Invite the children to read John 13:35 and think of people they know who are examples of disciples of Jesus Christ. Ask them to share how these people show love for others as the Savior did.
Friend June 2023 “It’s Not Fair” Ephraim was the only one helping prepare his sister’s birthday dinner. He wanted to get revenge on his siblings and such as not letting them have any of the meat pie. But then he thought about what Jesus would do. Jesus would want all of them to have a piece of pie, and Jesus would want him to serve others.
Friend November 2017 “The Vegetable Thief” Earl is upset when he sees a lady taking vegetables from their garden, but he learns what charity means when his mother has him give the lady their best vegetables for her starving family.
Friend June 2017 “An Extra Dose of Love” Ashley’s mom likes to get to church early to look for people who need an extra dose of love. She sends those people cards. Ashley thinks of a friend who might need a card.
Friend January 2018 “A Friend for Mr. Maurice” Carter’s neighbor, Mr. Maurice, seems mean. Carter’s father tells him that Jesus taught that we are to love everyone. Carter tries to be kind and help Mr. Maurice and finds out Mr. Maurice is easier to love than expected.
Friend May 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities”
Story: Jesus Christ washed the feet of His apostles (see John 13:4–16). He loved them and wanted to serve them. Jesus told them to follow His example and serve each other.
Song: “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream” (Children’s Songbook, 236)
Activity: Play this service game. Everyone sits with their feet in a circle. One player picks a number. Starting with their own feet, the player points to each foot in the circle and counts down from that number until they reach “one.” The foot numbered “one” is out. Then that player picks a number and counts down. The last person with a foot in the circle picks a service activity for the group to do.
Jesus Wants Me to Love Everyone.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 111-114”
Help the children know that the Savior wants us to love everyone, even those who may not treat us kindly.
Jesus Christ was the perfect example of loving everyone, even those who mistreated Him. Joseph Smith also had to endure persecution by those who had been his friends. Help the children learn that we can love others just like the Savior and Joseph Smith did.
- As you share “Chapter 41: Trouble in Kirtland” (Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 158–60), ask the children to form a heart shape with their hands when they hear about someone doing something right. Help them understand that the Lord wants us to love everyone, even those who might make wrong choices.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 111-114”
- Draw a sad face on the board, and ask the children how we can show love for others who are unhappy (see Doctrine and Covenants 112:11). As the children share ideas, redraw the sad face to become a happy face. Share your testimony of the power that comes from loving others. Sing together a song about love, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61).
- Invite the children to take turns reading from “Chapter 41: Trouble in Kirtland” (Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 158–60). Who in the story made the problems in Kirtland worse? Who was trying to make them better? Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 112:11 and talk about why it is important to love everyone.
- Why is it important to love people who are different from us? Why might Heavenly Father have given us differences? How can we “let [our] love abound unto all,” even those who are different from us? Sing with the children a song about loving others, such as “I’ll Walk with You” (Children’s Songbook, 140–41).
- Help the children think of examples of when the Savior loved those who mistreated Him (for example, see Luke 23:34).
Love Your Enemies
Jesus loved His enemies.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Luke 22; John 18” Learning how to be a peacemaker is not easy, especially when others are not kind to us. How can the account in Luke 22:50–51 inspire the children you teach to be kind in all circumstances?
New Testament Stories “The Trials of Jesus”
- Invite the children to read Luke 22:50–51. What do we learn about Jesus from this account? During the week, ask some of the children’s parents to tell you about times when their children showed kindness, even when it was difficult. Share those stories with the class. (Remind the children that being kind doesn’t mean allowing others to hurt them; they should talk to their parents or another trusted adult if someone is hurting them.)
Friend January 2016- “Question Corner” A girl at school is always mean to me. How can I still be kind to her?
Friend March 2022 “Cake and Kindness” Juli didn’t think her aunt liked to her because her aunt was so strict and never smiled. She decided to be patient, kind, and brave in trying to speak Spanish with her aunt. She agreed to help her aunt make a cake for Juli’s parents anniversary. Her aunt was patient with her as she tried to speak Spanish and was less strict and even smiled. Juli was glad her prayer was answered.
- Sing a song about being kind, such as “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 145). What does this song teach about kindness?
- How can we show kindness to others like the Savior did?
Friend September 2022 “How Can I Show Respect for Others?” By Elder Gary E. Stevenson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Friend May 2020 “Sister Squabble” Jaide’s little sister borrowed her tennis shoes without asking and accidentally got them muddy. Jaide was so mad that she told her sister, “I wish you weren’t my sister.” She felt terrible about what she said. She read a scripture about Jesus forgiving and healing someone (people who came to arrest him in Garden of Gethsemane), and she realized she needed to forgive and try and fix what she had done to her sister with her words.
Friend April 2019 “The Right Reply” Emily received a mean email from a friend. She wanted to send a not-so-nice reply, but her mom suggested she wait and little bit. While she waited, she saw a picture of Jesus. She remembered that people had been mean to him, but he was never mean back. She decided to follow Jesus and not send the mean reply.
Friend September 2022 “What’s on Your Mind?” A child asks, “Sometimes kids at school say mean things. How can I make them stop?”
Response: You can’t make anyone do anything. But when you speak kindly, others might follow your example. Words are powerful. Especially when you use your words for good. Mean words can be hurtful, but kind words can be helpful, healing, and inspiring.
Friend June 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones” Sing “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79) with your little ones. Give them a picture of Jesus to hold. Tell them lift it up high each time they hear “Jesus” in the song. Then help them say, “Jesus loves me.”
Jesus Christ wants me to love everyone.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 5; Luke 6” Younger children can begin now to practice showing love, even when they are treated unfairly by peers or siblings. As you read Matthew 5:44–45, consider how the Savior’s teachings apply to the children you teach.
- Restate Matthew 5:44 using words and situations the children will understand and relate to. Ask the children to share times when they showed love for someone even though it was hard. How did these experiences make them feel?
Friend April 2015 “Flowers and Friends” A girl in Jenny’s class keeps demanding Jenny’s flowers that other classmates can only take if Jenny is talking. Jenny prays about it and tries to be a friend to the girl.
Friend January 2018 “A Friend for Mr. Maurice” Carter’s neighbor, Mr. Maurice, seems mean. Carter’s father tells him that Jesus taught that we are to love everyone. Carter tries to be kind and help Mr. Maurice and finds out Mr. Maurice is easier to love than expected.
- As a class, sing a song about loving others, such as “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook, 136–37). What do we learn from this song about loving others?
- Give the children paper hearts labeled with the words “I will show my love for everyone.” Ask them to decorate the hearts and hang them in their homes as a reminder to love others.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 5; Luke 6” As your family reads the Savior’s words in these verses, you might talk about who, specifically, you feel you could love, bless, and pray for. How can we increase our love for them?
April 2004 Friend “Loving Our Enemies” After a family home evening lesson on loving your enemies, Curtis is nice to a boy who had been bullying him at school and shares his lunch with him. The boy stopped bullying Curtis after that.
I can show love and kindness to those around me.
Elimelech and his family go to Moab because of famine—His sons marry—The father and sons die—Ruth, the Moabitess, her husband having died, remains constant to Naomi—They come to Bethlehem.
Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz, a near relative of Naomi—He treats Ruth kindly.
By Naomi’s instruction, Ruth lies at the feet of Boaz—He promises as a relative to take her as his wife.
The nearest relative declines, and Boaz takes Ruth to wife—Ruth bears Obed, through whom came David the king.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3” When Ruth’s husband died, she could have stayed in her home country, but she chose to go with her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, and care for her. Consider how Ruth’s Christlike example could inspire the children you teach to be kind to those around them.
- Invite the children to represent Naomi, Ruth, Boaz, or other characters as you tell their story from the book of Ruth (see also “Ruth and Naomi” in Old Testament Stories). Invite the children to raise their hands every time they hear an act of kindness in the story. How do we feel when people are kind to us? How do we feel when we are kind to others?
Old Testament Stories “Ruth and Naomi”
Friend June 2022 “Ruth and Naomi”
Latter Day Kids “Showing Kindness to Others” Lesson ideas
For the Strength of Youth June 2022 “Fearless Together”
- Sing together a song about being kind, such as “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 145). Help the children think of ways they can be kind to their family and friends. If they need help, show them pictures of people showing kindness. For every idea mentioned, let the children draw a heart on the board.
Liahona June 2022 “We Follow Jesus Christ and His Prophet”
Family Support Game
Ruth supported Naomi by staying with her. Try this activity to learn about supporting family:
- Choose a family member and stand back-to-back. Place any object (a small ball or a book) between each other’s backs.
- Working as a team, see how many steps you can take together without letting the object fall.
- Take turns as a family until everyone has had a chance to work as a team to help each other.
Discussion: How did Ruth and Naomi help each other? Ruth believed in Heavenly Father and had faith, so she stayed with Naomi. How was she blessed? How can we support each other and trust the Lord when we have difficulties?
Friend June 2022 “Come, Follow Me Activities”
Grains of Service
Story: Read about Ruth in the scripture story on page 8. She worked hard and gathered grain to take care of her husband’s mother. God blessed her for serving others.
Song: “When We’re Helping” (Children’s Songbook, 198)
Activity: Cut out pieces of paper in the shape of grain kernels. Use a stick or long piece of paper as a stem. Glue or tape your kernels to the stem to make a stalk of grain. Whenever you serve someone, pull off a kernel. Keep going until the stem is bare!
Old Testament Coloring Book “Ruth and Naomi”
Lesson 26: Ruth and Naomi,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 114–16
To help the children have the desire to follow the example of righteous people and to be good examples themselves.
Friend July 2018 “Ruth was a Loyal Friend” Link includes story and goal card ideas to learn how to be a good friend like Ruth.
Friend February 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Showing Love”
For John 2–4
Story: We know Heavenly Father loves us because He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Because of Jesus, we can live with Heavenly Father again someday. (See John 3:16–17.)
Song: “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35)
Activity: How do you show your love? Cut out a bunch of paper hearts. On each one, write something you can do to show love to others. Put the hearts in a jar or a bowl. Each day of the week, pick a heart from the bowl. Then do what is written on the heart!
Friend February 2024 “I Can Be a Friend”
I show my love for God when I show love to others. (Jr)
Ways to Show Love
Friend February 2018 “For Little Friends” Showing our love for others, family members, and Heavenly Father.
Friend February 2017 “Sharing Love with Friends” Rentalyn tells how she shares love.
Love Notes
Friend January 2017 “Family Night Fun”
Friend May 2016 “Funstuff: Love Notes…”
Refreshment Ideas
Friend January 2017 “Family Night Fun”
Handouts
Friend November 2019 “Bright Idea” Heavenly Father Gives Us the Spirit of Love.
Love Your Neighbor
Friend October 1984
Friend April 2021 “A Card for Grandma”
Jesus Loves Everyone & So I Can Too
Friend September 2021 “Jesus Loves Everyone” Action poem
See also the Diversity “Loving Others Who Are Different than You”
I show my love for God when I show love to others. (Jr)
Read 1 John 4:11 to the children, and sing a song about God’s love, such as “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, 228). Ask a few children to share how they know that Heavenly Father loves them. After each answer, invite the children to hug themselves and say, “God is love, and God loves me.”(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1-3 John; Jude”)
Friend November 2023 “Bright Idea”
Read 1 John 4:21 to the children. Invite them to talk about or act out various ways they could show love toward a friend, such as giving a hug or making a card. How do these things make our friends feel? How does Heavenly Father feel when we do kind things for others?(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1-3 John; Jude”)
Friend March 2021 “For Little Friends” Circle the ways you can show kindness!
Friend February 2017 “Sharing Love with Friends” Rentalyn tells how she shares love.
I show my love for God when I show love to others. (Sr)
Ask the children to imagine that someone new has begun attending their school or ward and does not yet know anyone there. How might this person feel? Invite a child to read 1 John 4:7–8. What does this verse suggest about how we should treat this person? Share similar scenarios, or ask the children to think of situations in which they might have opportunities to show love.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1-3 John; Jude”)
Friend February 2023 “How Can I Help Everyone Feel Welcome?”
Friend September 2020 “Friends By Mail” A family came up with some kindness tips: “If there’s a new kid at school, offer to show them around and introduce them to your other friends. Share things about yourself so they get to know you, and ask questions about them.”
Ask the children to read 1 John 4:7–8, 20–21, and invite them to each write one sentence to summarize what they think is the most important lesson in these verses. After they share their sentences, share a story from your life or from a Friend or Liahona magazine that you feel illustrates what these verses teach (see, for example, “Say Hello to Halim,” Friend, June 2019, 8–9; or Liahona, June 2019, F18–F19). Invite the children to share their own examples. How can we show love to those around us? (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1-3 John; Jude”)
Friend June 2019 “Say Hello to Halim! Marcus puts a kind note in the new boy’s bucket to help him feel welcome because it looked like Halim was struggling with moving to a new country and a new school. Marcus’s class has buckets on their desks because their teacher wants them to write kind notes to each other to help fill the imaginary buckets inside of them.
Friend April 2022 “Go Sit by Him” The Holy Ghost tells Sierra to go sit by a boy who had been bullied and was sad and alone. She felt peaceful all day after she listened to the Holy Ghost.
Friend October 2021 “Matt and Mandy” Mandy befriends a girl who is being made fun of because of the religious clothing (hijab) she wears. She shows respect for the girl’s faith and beliefs and invites her to meet her friends.
Read 1 John 4:17, and explain to the children that to “have boldness in the day of judgment” means having confidence and peace when they stand before God to be judged. What does this verse teach that we need to do to have this confidence? What are some things we can do now to be confident before God? (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1-3 John; Jude”)
- “Where Do You Stand?” (June 2013 Friend)
Take this quiz to see how you could become more loving to others.
The Red Crystal