God Gathers Us to Bless Us
Doctrine and Covenants 37; 38:31–33
The following lesson ideas are from Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 37–40”, Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 37–40”, and Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History “Lesson 16: The Saints Gather to Kirtland, Ohio,”
Read together Doctrine and Covenants 37, and help the children find on the map (below) the places mentioned in the revelation. What did the Lord command the Saints to do?
Choose a key phrase or sentence from Doctrine and Covenants 38:31–33 that you feel describes why the Lord wanted His people to gather together. Scatter words from this sentence around the room, and invite the children to gather them, put them in the right order, and find where the sentence appears in the verses. (Have the children find other reasons in the verses.)
By gathering in Ohio, the members of the Church could escape persecution from enemies in New York, be taught by Joseph Smith and other Church leaders, receive further instructions from the Lord, prepare together to send missionaries to all nations, and support and help each other as they worked to become righteous people.
Give each of the children two pieces of string (adjust this activity as necessary for the material you are using). Ask the children to each break one string.
- Was it difficult to break one string?
- How strong is each string by itself?
- How could we strengthen the strings?
Gather all the children’s unbroken strings into a bundle. Ask a child to try to break the whole bundle at once.
- Why are the strings harder to break when they are gathered together?
Explain that just as the strings are stronger when there are many of them together, members of the Church are stronger when they are gathered together. For this reason the Lord instructed the early members of the Church to gather in one place.
“The giant redwood trees that grow in northern California [USA] … have a very shallow root system. But when they are surrounded by other redwood trees, the strongest, fiercest wind cannot blow them over. The roots of the giant redwood trees intertwine and strengthen each other. When a storm comes, they actually hold each other up” (Conference Report, Oct. 1994, p. 103; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 78).
Draw on the chalkboard several trees with their root systems intertwined (see illustration). Ask the children to suggest strengths and qualities they see in others. Label some of the roots with their ideas, and discuss how each individual’s strengths can help strengthen the whole group.
Joseph Smith instructed the members of the Church to sell or rent their farms and homes and move to Ohio. The Saints found it difficult to sell their farms, sheep, and cattle during the winter months.
Gathering in Ohio was a great sacrifice for many of the early Saints. the Lord’s 1830 command to the Saints to gather in Ohio was not easy for some to follow. For [many people], it meant leaving comfortable homes for an unfamiliar frontier. [For some, like Phebe Carter, it also meant leaving family. Phebe wrote, “My mother’s grief at my leaving home was almost more than I could bear.”] But the Lord had great blessings waiting for them in Ohio. What do you find in Doctrine and Covenants 38: 1–4 that gives you confidence in the Lord and His commandments? How did verse 39 help them obey God’s commandments even when they require sacrifice?
Church members are no longer commanded to gather by moving to one location; in what ways do we gather today? (We gather in wards and stakes.) What blessings do we receive when we meet together?
God wants His People to be United.
Doctrine and Covenants 38:24–27
To prepare the Saints to gather, the Lord taught them to see each other as equals and “be one” (verse 27).
Read Doctrine and Covenants 38:24-25 Explain that when God says something twice in a row, it is probably something that we should pay extra attention to. What does it mean to esteem someone as yourself? We need to value others as much as we value ourselves. We need each other. We need each others strength, support, and gifts and talents. Have the children tell what different parts of the body does. Explain that each part of the body is important and needed. Just like our body parts are united and working together, we need to be united as people and learn to work together as one.
Friend April 2021 “Scripture Time Fun Working Together: Jesus taught us to “be one” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27). That means working together with the people around us to accomplish the same goal.
- Choose a partner and stand next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. Use a scarf or rope to gently tie your ankle to your partner’s. Work together to practice walking. How fast can you get safely from one place to another?
- Sing “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel” (Hymns, no. 252).
Friend April 2021 “Scripture Time Fun for Little Ones” Play a game or activity that involves taking turns, like stacking blocks to make a tower. Each time it’s your child’s turn, help them say, “We can work together.”
Share an object lesson that illustrates how things can be combined or united to become one, such as pieces of cloth that make one quilt or ingredients that make one loaf of bread. What do these examples teach us about becoming one as God’s people? Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 37–40”,
- Help the children understand that we need to work together to help everyone feel comfortable at church. Ask the children to suggest ways to develop unity within your ward (branch) or class. Write their suggestions on the chalkboard. Encourage each child to choose one or two ideas to work on during the coming weeks.Possible suggestions:
- Take care of the church building.
- Treat others kindly.
- Listen to the speakers.
- Pray for one another.
- Speak kind words.
- Listen and participate in Primary class.
- Attend ward (branch) activities.
- Help everyone feel welcome at Church meetings and activities.
- Be cheerful.
- Express gratitude for Church leaders and teachers.
- Participate willingly when asked to give a talk, pray, or sing.
- Write on separate pieces of paper some activities, traditions, and actions that can help develop unity within a family, such as family home evening, family prayer, family scripture study, mealtime, holiday celebrations, birthday celebrations, being kind to each other, and being unselfish.Discuss with the children what unity means and how unity can be developed within a family. To help the children identify ways that their families can develop feelings of love and unity, let each child choose a piece of paper and give clues to the other children about the activity or action described on his or her paper. Have the other children guess the activity or action. Then invite the children to tell about how that activity or action has blessed and strengthened their families.
- Ask the children to share an experience when they have felt love and support from their family or from ward or branch members. Ask them how they feel when they receive this kind of support. You may want to share an experience of your own.
- Show the children an item used in a skill (such as a set of knitting needles or a musical instrument). Give the item to a child and ask him or her to perform the skill. If you have the particular skill, demonstrate how to use the item properly after the child has attempted to use it. Discuss how difficult it is to do something for the first time without a teacher’s instruction or direction.Relate this to the newly organized Church in 1830. The members were living in various places without any leaders nearby to direct the Church and help the members understand Church teachings. It often took a long time to receive communication from the Prophet. The Church members were anxious to go to Ohio, where they could be instructed by the Prophet and other Church leaders.
- Have the children stand. Demonstrate how easy it is for you to move one child alone. Then have the children wrap their arms around each other’s shoulders. Show how much more difficult it is for you to move all the children at once. Help the children understand that when we stand together and support each other, as members of families or members of the Church, it is easier for us to remain firm in our beliefs and do the right things.
- Demonstrate the importance of working together by doing the following activity:Cut some strong string or cord into two-yard [two-meter] lengths, one for each child in the class. Have each child tie his or her string a little above midway on a stick about four or five feet [one and a half meters] long, such as a broom or mop handle or a yardstick.Lay the stick in the middle of the classroom with the children sitting around it in a circle. Ask one child to see if he or she can raise the stick to a vertical position by pulling only his or her string. Ask another child to join the first and see if two strings can keep the stick standing. Then ask all the children to pull their strings to hold the stick in a vertical position. (You may have to slightly adjust the places where the strings are tied.)
- What happened when one person pulled on the stick? What happened when someone else helped?
- What needed to be done in order to make the stick stand upright?Explain that just as everyone needed to work together to make the stick stand upright, Heavenly Father knew the early members of the Church needed to be gathered together in order to strengthen and help each other. We can experience the same strength and support in our own ward (or branch).
Sing “We Are Different” (Children’s Songbook,140–41, 263).
1. I know you, and you know me. We are as diff’rent as the sun and the sea I know you, and you know me, And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
2. I help you, and you help me. We learn from problems, and we’re starting to see. I help you, and you help me, And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
3. I love you, and you love me We reach together for the best we can be I love you, and you love me, And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Ensign April 2021“Family Study Fun” United as One
In Doctrine and Covenants 38:27, the Savior says, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” We are encouraged to be one that we “might escape the power of the enemy” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:31).
- Stand together in the center of the room.
- Choose one person to walk through the middle of the group.
- Repeat the exercise but this time as a group stand closer together, linking arms and hands if possible.
Discussion: How are we more protected from outside influences as we stand stronger and closer together? How does greater unity protect us?
If I am Prepared, I need not Fear.
Doctrine and Covenants 38: 30-31
The Saints had already faced much opposition, and the Lord knew more was coming (see Doctrine and Covenants 38: 28–29). To help them not be afraid, He revealed a precious principle: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 37–40”)
Write the first word of each pair below on slips of paper and hand them out to the children. Ask each child to think of a word that means the opposite of the word on his or her paper. Let each child say the opposite word he or she has thought of while the rest of the class tries to guess the positive word on the child’s paper. (You may want to write both words on the board for more emphasis.)
Word Examples: light/dark, life/death, good/bad, love/hate, success/failure, true/false, peace/war, truth/lie, clean/dirty, happy/sad, healthy/sick, kind/mean, joy/sorrow (Primary 4: Book of Mormon “Lesson 20: Korihor, the Anti-Christ,”)
Satan wants us to feel afraid and unhappy. Heavenly Father wants us to follow him so we can be happy. The more we learn the gospel, the better prepared we are to know and do what is truth and right and be not afraid in this world.
Friend July 2017 “Fighting off Falsehoods” The gospel truths help us fight against the falsehooods of Satan that we see and hear on media. Match the falsehood with the truth.
Being prepared also helps with tasks that may seem difficult or scary. You could discuss recent family or personal experiences that required preparation. How did your preparation affect the experience?
I Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost when I am Confirmed.
Doctrine and Covenants 39:6, 23
,
Friend June 2019 “The Holy Ghost is…” The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead, a gift that comes with baptism, and a promise from Heavenly Father. He is a comforter, warning, teacher, messenger, friend.
I Can Keep My Promises.
Invite the children to read the section headings for Doctrine and Covenants 39 and 40, and ask them to summarize in words or drawings what they learn about James Covel.What did James Covel covenant to do? Why didn’t he keep his covenant?
Help the children remember the promises they made when they were baptized (see Mosiah 18:8–10). Help the children list some fears or “cares of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 40:2) that might prevent a person from keeping these promises. Invite the children to write themselves a short message as a reminder that obeying Heavenly Father’s commandments will help them overcome fears or worldly cares. Encourage them to keep their reminder someplace where they can see it often.Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 37–40”
Fear of Persecution/ Peer Pressure
Friend April 2021 “Trouble at the Creek” Brian doesn’t keep his promise to his mom to stay away from the creek after the storm. He crosses it on a fallen log and gets his foot stuck.
Friend April 2019 “What’s on Your Mind” Fill in the the speaking bubbles with what you could say when someone tries to get you to do something that is not right. Try explaining why it’s important to you. Even if others don’t understand your reasons, ask them to be respectful.
Additional Resources
Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources “Doctrine and Covenants 37–40”
The Lord told Joseph to leave immediately for Ohio so he could escape his enemies and because he was needed in Kirtland. But Joseph was worried that the trip from New York to Ohio in winter would be hard on Emma. They had moved seven times in the four years they had been married, and Emma was expecting another baby. Joseph used a sleigh to make the trip easier for Emma. They left for Ohio at the end of January, and it took several days to travel the three hundred miles to Kirtland.
When the sleigh reached the Gilbert and Whitney store in Kirtland, Ohio, Joseph jumped off and went into the store. He extended his hand to a man he had never met before and said, “Newel K. Whitney! Thou art the man!” Newel Whitney was very surprised, for he did not know the Prophet. “You have the advantage of me,” he said. “I could not call you by name as you have me.” The Prophet answered, “I am Joseph the Prophet. You’ve prayed me here, now what do you want of me?” (History of the Church, 1:146). Newel Whitney and his family had heard the gospel preached by the missionaries and had joined the Church. They prayed to receive the word of the Lord. While in New York, the Prophet had seen in a vision the Whitneys praying for him to come to Kirtland. The Whitneys provided a home for Joseph and Emma for several weeks.
A few months after their arrival at Kirtland, Emma gave birth to twins, but the babies lived only a few hours. Emma and Joseph’s first baby had died in Pennsylvania, so none of their first three children had lived very long. The day after the twins were born, Julia Murdock also gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. When Sister Murdock died, her husband John allowed Joseph and Emma to adopt his twin babies.