Draw on the board the sky and the ground, and label them Heavens and Earth. Then invite the children to read Isaiah 55:9 to find out what the Lord compared to the heavens and the earth, and ask them to add these other labels to the drawings. What does it mean that the Lord’s ways and thoughts are “higher” than ours? Why is it important to know this?
Heavenly Father sees and knows all things. He can help us get to a higher place so we can see as well.
Discuss with the children some of the Lord’s ways that are higher than our ways. For example, what is His way of treating sinners? (see Mark 2:15–17). What is His way of leading others? (see Matthew 20:25–28). How are His ways different from the ways of others? Tell the children how you have learned to trust the Lord’s higher ways and thoughts.
Activity: Print the scriptures below (on colored paper.) Cut them out. Tape them onto the board or hand them out to children.
Read a situation below and then have the children tell what the world’s way is and write that on the ground that is drawn on the board. Have the children look at the scripture cards and have them find the Lord’s way for the situation. Discuss why the Lord’s way is higher and better. Have a child tape that scripture card on the board in the sky. Continue until all scripture cards are on the board.
1 Your friends have invited you to a movie. When you get there, you realize that it is not a good, wholesome one. Your friends decide to see it anyway. What choice will you make?
2 Someone wants you to try drugs, smoke, or drink alcoholic beverages, saying that using such things will make you feel good. Will you do it to see if he is right?
3 You break the cookie jar while getting some cookies. Your mother asks you what happened. Will you avoid the blame by telling her that you don’t know who broke it?
4 Some of your friends swear. Will you swear, too, so that you can be more acceptable to the group?
5 Your friends invite you to go to the circus on Sunday after your church meetings are over. What will you tell them?
6 You don’t know an answer on a test at school. You promised your parents that you would try to get a good grade. Will you look at your neighbor’s paper for the right answer?
7 You earn some money to buy a new toy. When you go to pay for it, it costs more than you thought. Will you add your tithing money to what you have saved so that you can buy the toy?
8 Someone tells you some gossip about a friend. Will you pass it on to your other friends?
9 You’re very tired and get into bed before remembering to pray. Will you skip praying for one night?
10 Your brother is being mean and teasing you, and you want to get even with him. What will you do?
11 Your mother asks you to do your chores. Your friends just called you to play a game of ball. Which will you do first?
12 You see a student put some money into his desk at school. Will you take it so that you can buy some candy on the way home?
Before class, write on the board several phrases from Isaiah 51–52 that express actions the Lord wanted His people to do, such as “Lift up your eyes,” “Awake,” “Stand up,” “Shake thyself from the dust,” and “Break forth into joy” (Isaiah 51:6, 17; 52:2, 9). Let the children take turns acting out one of the phrases while the rest of the class tries to guess what the action is. After each turn, show the children the phrase in the scriptures, and discuss with them the spiritual meaning of the phrase. What is the Lord asking us to do? How can we do each of these things?
Invite the children to read Isaiah 51:1, 4, 7 and identify who the Lord is speaking to and what He wants them to do. What does it mean to “hearken unto” the Lord? To illustrate, ask one of the children to give simple instructions that the others have to follow. Why is it sometimes hard to listen to and obey the Lord? How can we show the Lord that we “hearken unto” Him?
The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Explain that “the wise man built his house upon the rock” means that wise man built his life upon the teachings of Jesus. The foolish man didn’t and his house (life) fell apart in the storms of life. Discussion Ideas: What things in our life are like the rain and wind? How does following Jesus’s teachings protect us and make our faith strong as a house built on a rock? Song: “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” (Children’s Songbook, 281) Scripture: Matthew 7:24–29
Rock Art: Choose a smooth rock. With a marker or paint, write “Jesus Christ” on it. Talk about why it’s so important to build our lives on His teachings. Keep the rock in a place where you can see it often.
Sing with the children “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” (Children’s Songbook, 281), and use actions to go along with the words.
Use Matthew 7:24–27 to teach about the differences between the wise man and the foolish man. Invite the children to pretend they are building a house. How can we be like the wise man?
Let the children draw pictures of the parable of the wise man and the foolish man.
Friend March 2018 “Food and Fun: Wisdom Rocks” Put a wise thought or scripture on a rock to inspire you.
Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 6–7” To visualize this parable, class members could work together to build a strong foundation using blocks, cups, or other materials and then test the strength of their foundations. Perhaps they could also label their building materials with things they can do to apply the Savior’s teachings. How could doing these things help us withstand the storms of life?
To help your family better understand the Savior’s parable of the wise man and the foolish man, you could let them pour water on sand and then on a rock. How can we build our spiritual foundations on a rock?
As you read Matthew 23:25–28 with the children, consider sharing this definition of hypocrite from the Bible Dictionary: “One who pretends to be religious when he is not.” Why is it bad to be a hypocrite?
Show the children a cup that is clean on the outside but dirty on the inside to help illustrate the metaphor in Matthew 23:25. How can we make sure we are clean and pure on the inside?
“Lesson 20: ‘Woe unto You, … Hypocrites’” New Testament: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual Explain that Jesus compared the Pharisees to a cup that is clean outside but dirty inside (Matthew 23:25–26). The Pharisees paid a great deal of attention to outward ordinances and actions that would make them appear righteous, but they were not as concerned with actually being righteous in their hearts. For this Jesus referred to them as hypocrites. This lesson will discuss the Savior’s condemnation of hypocrites—people who try to appear righteous but who do not try to live righteously.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained, “[Jesus] rose up in righteous anger against hypocrites like the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees—those who tried to appear righteous in order to win the praise, influence, and wealth of the world, all the while oppressing the people they should have been blessing” (“On Being Genuine,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 81).
Hosea 10:12 uses the images of sowing, reaping, time, and rain to invite us to seek the Lord. As you read this verse, what creative ideas come to mind that could inspire the children to seek Him?
Read Hosea 10:12 to the children, and invite them to do simple actions to help them understand the verse, such as pretending to plant seeds, pick vegetables from a plant, or stand in the rain. Or show pictures of seeds, plants, and rain. Help the children compare planting a seed and reaping good food to living righteously and receiving the Lord’s blessings. Testify of the blessings the Lord has rained upon you as you have tried to seek Him.
Draw a clock on the board, and ask the children to share ways we can seek the Lord at different times of the day. Invite the children to repeat with you the phrase “It is time to seek the Lord” (Hosea 10:12). Help them understand that it is always time to seek the Lord. Share what you do to remember Him all the time.
Before reading the story, invite the children to listen for how old Mormon was when Ammaron gave him a special mission. Then ask them to hold up that many fingers. To help the children imagine how young Mormon was, show them a picture of someone who is 10 years old. Help them understand the qualities that Ammaron saw in Mormon when he was young, and testify that the children can be like Mormon as they follow Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be “quick to observe”?
Ensign, Dec. 2006 “Quick to Observe” Quick to observe in the scriptures has two meanings. The first means “to look” or “to see” or “to notice.” The second suggests “to obey” or “to keep.” For example: “But blessed are they who have kept the covenant and observed the commandment, for they shall obtain mercy” (D&C 54:6;). So, quick to observe means quick to see and quick to obey.
What righteous qualities do you see in the children you teach?
What words did Mormon use to describe the world he lived in? How did he maintain hope despite the wickedness around him?
Beginning in the first chapter of Mormon, you will notice major differences between Mormon and the people around him. As you read Mormon 1, consider contrasting the qualities and desires of Mormon with those of his people. Note the consequences that came to him and them (you’ll find one example in verses 14–15). What do you learn that inspires you to live righteously in a wicked world?
To help your family visualize what it means to be “driven about as chaff before the wind” (verse 16), tear a piece of paper into small pieces and let family members blow them around. Explain to them that chaff is a husk that comes off a seed, and it is light enough to be blown around. How is being “without Christ and God in the world” (verse 16) like being chaff in the wind?
Friend July 2021 “Vaha’i Tonga”Vahai’ was determined to remain faithful, so he said his prayers every night at boarding school. At first the other kids made fun of him, then they started to join him. He invited them to a district conference and 77 of them came. Seven of them wanted to be baptized after the conference.
I can be faithful even when others make fun of me. (Sr)
Ask children to share times when others made fun of them or someone they know because they did what is right. Invite the children to read Jude 1:18–22 and look for how we can remain faithful when others mock or make fun of us. Write what they find on the board, and discuss ways they can follow this advice. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1-3 John; Jude”)
People in a large building on the other side of the river made fun of those who ate the fruit. Some who had eaten the fruit became ashamed and left the tree.
Matthew CHAPTER 5 Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount—Its teachings replace and transcend some aspects of the law of Moses—All are commanded to be perfect like their Father in Heaven.
Luke CHAPTER 6 Jesus heals on the Sabbath—He chooses the Twelve Apostles—He pronounces blessings upon the obedient and woes upon the wicked. Sermon on the Mount
Explain that the beginning of Jesus’s sermon includes what is known as the “Beatitudes.” Beatitude means to be blessed or happy. In these verses, Jesus identified attributes that He and His Father possess that lead to true happiness in this life and in the life to come. Developing these attributes will help you become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Create a chart on the board with two columns labeled Blessed are … and Blessing. Invite the children to search Matthew 5:3–12 looking for the qualities of those Jesus said would be blessed and the blessings He promised them. Then fill in the chart with what they find. Discuss with the children what each quality and corresponding blessing mean.
Write each quality from these verses on a card and its corresponding blessing on a card. For example, one card would say “meek,” and another would say “inherit the earth” (verse 5). Let the children match the qualities and the blessings. Ask the children to pick one of the qualities in these verses that they want to develop.
Friend March 2019 “Sermon on the Mount” The scriptures teach us about a special talk (or “sermon”) that Jesus gave called the Sermon on the Mount. Look up the scriptures below and match them with what Jesus taught.
Friend April 2004 “If I Choose to Obey, I’ll Be Happy All Day!” In the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5; 3 Ne. 12) Jesus taught us how to live so we can be happy. Some of these teachings are known as the Beatitudes. Beatitude means “happiness” or “blessing.” To make a Beatitude Book, glue page 29 onto a sheet of paper. Cut on the solid lines. Glue the second strip to the tab on the first strip. Fold back and forth on the dotted lines.
Friend February 2023 “Scripture Toss” Put this page on the ground. Take turns tossing a beanbag onto the paper. When the beanbag lands on a square, read that scripture verse. If someone has already read that verse, tell what it means to you. Or you can tell how you can do what it teaches.
Friend February 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones”Tell your little ones that we are happy when we choose the right like Jesus did. Hang up a paper with a smiley face drawn on it. Add a smiley face each time your little ones make a “happy” choice.
In Matthew 5, the Savior teaches His disciples a higher law to live by so they can become like Him.
Read the beatitudes in Matthew 5:1–12. Talk about each characteristic and the promise that goes with it.
Write each person’s name on a separate sheet of paper.
Give each person a paper, making sure they don’t get one with their own name written on it.
Have everyone draw a picture of a time when the person on their paper exemplified one of the beatitudes. Write a sentence about it. For example, “Hannah is a peacemaker because she shared with her sister.”
Look up the blessing associated with that beatitude and write it at the bottom of the page.
When we live the gospel, we treat each other with love and kindness, and as a result we enjoy greater peace and happiness in our lives.
Print and cutout the words and faces . Show the children the words. Have them put the words they associate with happiness under the smiley face and words they associate with unhappiness under the sad face. Explain that after Jesus visited the Nephites, they lived his teachings and lived in happiness. According to 4 Nephi 1:16 there never was a happier people.
Fairness/Every man did deal justly one with another.
Sharing/They had all things common among them. (There were no poor.)What does it mean that the people had “all things common among them”? Each person gave the extra he produced (crops, flocks, etc), and this extra was used for those who were in need of help.
Healing/All manner of miracles did they work. (Read 4 Nephi 1:5) The miracles included healing the lame, the blind, the deaf, and raising the dead.)
Peace/There were no contentions, strifes, or tumults in the land. (Meaning there was no fighting, arguing, riots, or war.)
Charity/The love of God … did dwell in the hearts of the people.
Goodwill/There were no envyings. (There was no jealousy. There was only gladness that others were blessed.)
Honesty/There were no … lyings.
Safety/There were no robbers or murderers.
Virtue/There were no whoredoms nor any manner of lasciviousness (crude behavior). (The people were chaste and clean.)
Unity/ There were no divisions of race or class. (There was no manner of “ites.” The people were no longer divided into Nephites and Lamanites but were united.)
After nearly 200 years sin slowly started creeping into the land again. As the people let wickedness into their lives, it spread
The choices they made resulted in misery and unhappiness for many people. The words under the sad face is what occurred. If we are good examples to the people that are around us we can help people gain happiness in this life and in the life to come.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Alma 36-38” Your children might enjoy finding small items that make big things happen. Items like a battery, car key, or even a toy that comforts them might be examples. You could then read Alma 37:6–7 together and think of some small or simple things that God wants us to do. What big things can happen when we obey these small or simple commandments?
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 36-38” Show a picture or two of small things that accumulate into big things, such as a blade of grass and a field, or a raindrop and a lake. Testify that even small, simple actions can make a big difference in our lives and in the lives of others. Encourage the children to talk about some simple, good things they do every day, or share your own examples. Invite the children to pick one simple, good thing they can do this week and to draw a picture of themselves doing it. Invite them to take their drawings home and share them with their families.
With Heavenly Father’s help, small things can make a big difference (see Alma 37:6–7). Help make your favorite recipe. What would happen to the recipe if you took out one of the ingredients? Talk about how small things can make a difference and how you can make a difference too.
For younger children: Look for small things that are helpful, like a small seed that turns into a plant or a light switch that turns on light. Talk about how small things can make a big difference, just like you!
Your children could also try something like this: start filling a cup with water, one drop at a time. How does this relate to Alma 37:6–7? Then you could talk about how the Lord’s “small and simple things,” such as reading the scriptures daily, are like drops of water in a cup.
Help your children think of ways that they bring about great things at home, school, or church. The song “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream” (Children’s Songbook, 236) also illustrates this principle.
Read Alma 37:6–7, and invite the children to crouch down every time you read the word “small.” Show them a few small things that can make big things happen or move big things, such as a battery or a car key. What big things happen or move because of these small things? Help the children think of some small or simple things God wants us to do. What big things can happen because of these small or simple commandments? Invite the children to pick one simple, good thing they can do this week and to draw a picture of themselves doing it.
Friend July 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Alma 37:6 together. Crouch down when you hear the word “small” and jump up and spread your arms wide when you hear the word “great.” You could use the scripture verse or repeat the phrase, “Small things can make a great difference!” Talk about how small things like reading the scriptures or praying can make a great difference.
Good Works Fashion Show The family Come Follow Me manual had a super fun idea for a good works fashion show that we’re going to use. Our girls LOVE dressing up, so here’s how we’re planning on doing it: Explain that 1 Timothy 2:9-10 tells us we should “adorn [ourselves]…with good works.” Summarize what this means. How are we better examples to people when we do good works?
Set out a pile of fun clothing/jewelry/sunglasses.
Cut up the scenario pieces below and place them in a bowl or bag. Take turns drawing pieces out of the bowl/bag.
When the piece is pulled out, read it and ask: Is this a good/beautiful thing to do? If the answer is YES, then they can choose an item from the pile, tape the good work paper onto it, and wear that item.
Continue until all of the pieces have been talked about. After this, to earn any remaining items in the pile, family members can take turns stating additional good works they could do.
Wrap it up by reading D & C 25:15 and tell them to listen carefully for what kind of item we will receive if we follow the Lord and keep His commandments (a crown of righteousness). 2 Timothy 4:8 also mentions a “crown of righteousness.”
Perhaps an analogy would help your children understand “the powers of heaven.” For example, you could compare God’s power to electrical power. What might prevent an electrical device from receiving power? What decreases our spiritual power? What increases it? (Look for words and phrases in Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46; see also General Handbook, 3.5, 3.6, Gospel Library.)
Draw a line with the words high power at one end and low power at the other. Draw an arrow pointing at the middle of the line. Choose several words or phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46 that teach how we decrease or increase heavenly power in our lives (such as “cover our sins,” “pride,” “gentleness,” and “love”). Invite the children to take turns picking a word, deciding if the word leads to a decrease or increase in power, and moving the arrow accordingly. Talk with the children about people they know who have been a good influence on others because they follow the Lord’s counsel in these verses.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:41–42, 45, and ask the children to list qualities in these verses that the Lord wants us to have. Help them define any words they don’t understand. Assign each child one quality, and help them think of a way that they can show it. Once they have all shared, ask them to read verses 45–46 and list the blessings they will receive if they develop those qualities.
Friend February 2026 “Sacrament in the Sahara” When Isabelle was a young girl, her dad worked in the French military, and they had to live in the desert at one time. There were no other Church members nearby, so they got permission to have the sacrament in their home. They also sang hymns and gave talks. Seeing her parents live the gospel in the Sahara Desert helped her testimony begin to grow. It gave her faith in God to do the right thing, even when no one was watching.
Activity: The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world! It can be easy to feel small in a big place. But God never forgets us and can always be with us. Can you find the scenes above in the picture?
Friend January 2022 “You Are a Beloved Child of God” “You are a beloved child of God. Please remember that fact. If you never forget that one pure truth, you can face any problem with faith and courage. I know that Heavenly Father watches over you. He loves you very much, and so do I.” (President Russel M. Nelson)
Many people struggle with feelings of low self-worth; others are unkind toward people who are different from them. The powerful message of Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 can change how we view ourselves and people around us.
Repeat verse 10 with the children, this time replacing “souls” with the children’s names.
Help the children think of things that people consider valuable. Then let the children take turns looking in a mirror, and as they do, tell each child that he or she is a child of God and of great worth. Testify that to Heavenly Father, they are more valuable than all the things they thought of earlier.
Ask each child to write his or her name on a piece of paper and pass the papers around the room. Invite them to write on each paper they receive something they like about that person. Encourage them to be kind and thoughtful in their comments. Then help the children read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–12, and invite them to share what they learn about how God feels about us. Explain that we are all of great worth to God because we are His children.
Show the children something that is very valuable to you. How do we treat things that are valuable to us? Ask a child to read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10. How can we show other people that “the worth of [their] souls is great” in our sight?
Each family member could read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13 and substitute his or her name in place of the words “soul,” “souls,” and “all men.” You could then discuss how these verses help us understand our worth to the Father and the Son (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19).
Circle of Worth: Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were counseled to remember that “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). As we help others to see their own worth, we bring them nearer to Christ while becoming closer to Him ourselves.
Invite family members to sit in a circle.
Each person will take a turn standing in the middle of the circle.
Everyone sitting in the circle will tell the middle person, “You matter to me because ___________,” and share specific details of why that person is of worth to them.
The middle person will then choose their own statement of personal worth: “I matter to God and myself because __________.”
Discussion: Why is it important to remember our own worth as well as the worth of those around us? If Christ were in the circle, what would He say about us? Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13 and discuss what Christ went through because of how much He loves and values us.
Make a paper lily to remind you of Heavenly Father’s love and care. Trace your hand on a piece of paper and cut it out. Roll the hand shape into a cone. Then roll each “finger” around a pencil to curl the paper outward for the petals. If you want, you can tape your flower to a stick to make a stem.
Friend June 2024 “The Scripture Hunt” Calan’s Mom and Dad always told him that Heavenly Father loved him. His parents showed him love in lots of ways, like giving him hugs. But he had never gotten a hug from Heavenly Father, so how did he know it was true. His Mom and Dad said the Book of Mormon told about things Heavenly Father wants us to know, so he decided to search there to find the answer to his question. After many searches in the Book of Mormon he found a scripture that Nephi said, “I know that he loveth his children” (1 Nephi 11:17). Calan felt a powerful feeling in his heart as he read it. It felt like a big hug. Heavenly Father did love him!
Ensign October 2017 When we read the scriptures or pray, we can feel how much Heavenly Father and Jesus love us. Color in a heart each time you pray or read your scriptures. What else can you do to feel close to Heavenly Father and Jesus?
William E. McLellin had five specific questions for the Lord. Joseph Smith received answers to them in a revelation even though he did not know what William’s questions were. This experience could help you teach the children that God is aware of them and can answer their questions.
Tell about how the Lord answered William E. McLellin’s questions through a revelation from the Prophet Joseph Smith (see Doctrine and Covenants 66, section heading). Testify that Heavenly Father knows us and wants to help us. Ask the children to share how they know that God loves them.
Read to the children Doctrine and Covenants 66:4. Tell the children about a time when the Lord showed you what He wanted you to do. Read the verse again, this time inserting the name of one of the children. Repeat for each of the children.
Friend March 2018 “Heavenly Father Listens” Elder Clayton felt the love of God as a teen when he prayed about some worries. Heavenly Father loves us and is interested in our lives just like a parent would be. (Activity page included: Find the hearts in the room of the girl who is praying.)
Show a picture of Zacchaeus in the Sycamore Tree (in this outline or at ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Help the children find Zacchaeus and say his name. Create actions for the children to do as you tell the story of Zacchaeus and Jesus—for example, standing on their toes to see over a crowd or pretending to climb a tree. Explain that the Savior saw Zacchaeus and called him by name. Testify that the Savior also knows each of the children and their names.
Bring an empty picture frame to class, or make one out of paper. Invite each child to take a turn holding the frame around his or her face while the rest of the class says, “Heavenly Father and Jesus know [child’s name].”
Sing together a song about Heavenly Father’s love, such as “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3). Help the children listen for things that help them know Heavenly Father loves them.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know me and love me.
Make short lists of things you know about each child. As you read the lists one at a time, ask the children to guess who you are describing. Read Psalm 139:1–3, and help the children understand words they might not know. Testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus know them very well—They know their names, what makes them happy and sad, and things they do well.
Song: “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (Children’s Songbook, 74–75)
Activity: Write each person’s name on a small piece of paper and put it in a box or bowl. One person pulls out a name. Each person takes a turn to ask yes or no questions until someone guesses the name. Talk about how our Heavenly Father knows us—our name, what we like to do, and everything about us.
“Heavenly Father Loves Me, and He Has a Plan for Me” (January 2013 Liahona and Friend)Nathaniel knows his grandma loves him because she knew the things he liked. His grandma explained that was someone else who had known him and loved him longer than anyone, before he even came to earth. Heavenly Father
Read Psalm 139:23, and invite the children to put their hands on their hearts when you say “heart” and to touch their heads when you say “thoughts.” Share a time when you felt God knew your heart and your thoughts.
Friend April 2016 “Your Future Home” Story of President Eyring’s desire for a home full of charity that he wanted for his family when he grew up. He didn’t talk to anyone about those feelings, but when he got his patriarchal blessing the patriarch described what he had been yearning for. It was not secret, because God knew.
Feeling the “everlasting love” of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help the children you teach draw nearer to Them.
Show the children some objects (or pictures of objects) that last a long time and some that do not, such as a metal coin and a piece of fruit. Ask the children which one will last longer, and discuss why some things last longer than others. Read Jeremiah 31:3, and help the children understand that the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them is “everlasting.”
Ask the children to share how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ show Their “lovingkindness” for them (Jeremiah 31:3). To give the children ideas, sing a song about Their love for us, such as “I Feel My Savior’s Love” or “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, 74–75, 228–29). If possible, show pictures of things mentioned in the song. How do we feel when we think about the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, testified of the Savior’s power to heal spiritual illness.
Sometimes spiritual illness comes as a result of sin or emotional wounds. …Even the deepest spiritual wounds—yes, even those that may appear to be incurable—can be healed.
My dear friends, the healing power of Jesus Christ is not absent in our day. The Savior’s healing touch can transform lives in our day just as it did in His. If we will but have faith, He can take our hands, fill our souls with heavenly light and healing, and speak to us the blessed words, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” [ John 5:8 ].
Write How does Jesus feel about sin? and How does Jesus feel about us when we sin? on the board. Ask the children to think about these questions as they read together Mark 2:15–17 and then share their answers. (You may want to read together “Publican” in Guide to the Scriptures [scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org].–In ancient Rome, a collector of taxes for the government. Publicans were generally hated by the Jews. Some publicans readily accepted the gospel) Why is it important to know that Jesus loves us, even though we aren’t perfect? How can knowing this help us when we need to repent?
Show a picture of the Savior (such as one in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families), and ask the children what words they would use to describe Him. Invite them to find words that describe Him in Psalm 86:5, 13, 15. If needed, help them define these words. What could we say to a friend who feels that God is angry at them when they sin?
Sing with the children a song that you feel will help them understand the Savior’s forgiving nature, such as “I Stand All Amazed” (Hymns, no. 193). Share your testimony that Jesus Christ wants to forgive us.
Friend January 2023 “What’s on Your Mind?” Jesus Christ loves you perfectly. If you make a wrong choice, He still loves you. And He can help you repent and make things right again. He is always waiting for you to follow Him. He believes in you! (See more at link.)
If someone were to stray off a path, fall, and become injured, what would be some of the possible symptoms and effects of being injured? Answers might include: pain, shock, bruises, scrapes, cuts, bleeding, broken bones, sprain, concussion, etc.
Just like a person would suffer the effects of being injured, a person who had sinned would also suffer the consequences and results of that sin. What are some of the consequences that can occur because of sin? Answers might include: guilt, loss of the Spirit’s help and guidance, possible loss of freedom, loss of other’s trust, damaged relationships, possible loss of good health, loss of inheritance in the kingdom of God, etc.
Show the children some medical items and ask what they are used for. (To help treat and heal physical injuries and sickness.)
Who is the master physician that can heal our spiritual wounds, small or large? (Jesus Christ) The Savior said: ‘Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? … If ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.’”
A few days before class, invite one of the children and a family member to come to class prepared to share the account in Luke 7:36–50. They could draw pictures depicting parts of the story to show the class. Discuss with the children what the Lord might want us to learn from this story.
Friend October 2023 “I Feel My Savior’s Love” A girl feels the Savior’s love during singing time. Her mother tells her that the warmth and love she feels in her heart is the Holy Ghost helping her feel the Savior’s love.
Friend January 2023 “What’s on Your Mind?” Jesus Christ loves you perfectly. If you make a wrong choice, He still loves you. And He can help you repent and make things right again. He is always waiting for you to follow Him. He believes in you! And so do we.
In your own words, share the account in Mark 10:13–16. You might also show the video “Suffer the Little Children to Come unto Me” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Help the children think of times when they have felt Jesus’s love for them. Bear your testimony to the children that Jesus loves them and wants to bless them.
Display the picture Christ and the Children (Gospel Art Book, no. 47). Help the children imagine what it might be like to be one of the children sitting next to Jesus in the picture. Invite the children to share how they feel about Jesus.
Let the children draw pictures of themselves being blessed by Jesus (see Mark 10:16 and this week’s activity page).
How can you help the children know that the Savior loves us even more than a dear friend does?
Display a picture of the Savior as you read Doctrine and Covenants 84:77. Invite the children to point to the picture of the Savior every time they hear the word “friends.” Explain that when we try to keep the commandments, we show Jesus that we love Him. Share what it means to you to have Jesus as your friend.
Help the children list some things they can do to show their friends that they love them. What did Jesus do to show us that He is our friend? What can we do to show the Savior that we are His friends? Sing together a song about Jesus, such as “Jesus Is Our Loving Friend” (Children’s Songbook, 58).
Come Follow Me Kids “I Will Prepare the Way Before You” I Have Graven Thee Upon the Palms of My Hands – Review who Nephi was. Explain that Nephi shared a scripture about Jesus’s hands. Show picture of the mark in His hands after He was crucified (below). Read 1 Nephi 21:15-16. To help them visualize that we are graven on the palms of Christ’s hands, have each person write their names on the hand in the picture below. You can either give each person their own small picture or print up the big one for everyone to write on together. Remind them that Heavenly Father and Jesus love us, remember us, and want to help us in life. They want to lead us to good things.
Singing a song like “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35) could help your children feel God’s love. After you sing, ask your children what they learn from the song. What else do we learn about God’s love from 1 Nephi 11:22–23?
“Condescension” means the voluntary descent from a position of rank or dignity. One truth we can learn is that the condescension of God demonstrates His love for us. (Book of Mormon Seminary Student Manual (2024))
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “1 Nephi 11-15” Tell the children about some of the things Nephi learned that Jesus Christ would do during His life (see 1 Nephi 11:16–33), and show them pictures of some of these events (see, for instance, Gospel Art Book, nos. 41, 46, 47, 49, 56, 57, 58, 59). Share what the Savior has done for you. Show pictures to help the children think of ways we can share God’s love (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 109, 110, 115).
Friend January 2020 “Come, Follow Me for Little Ones” Read 1 Nephi 11:24 together and help your little ones say, “Jesus came to earth because He loves me.” Help your little one flip through copies of the Friend and draw a heart next to each picture of Jesus. This would be a great time to share your feelings about the Savior.
Ask the children to complete sentences like this one: “Because my parents love me, they …” Read John 3:16. Then help each child repeat John 3:16, replacing the words “the world” with his or her own name. Help the children notice what this verse says Heavenly Father did because He loves us. Invite the children to draw a picture of Jesus. Let them share their drawings with each other and express their love for the Savior.
Sing together a song about Jesus, such as “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35). Let the children hold up a picture of Jesus every time they sing a word like “Son,” “Jesus,” or “Savior.”
Ask the children to draw a picture of their favorite gift and the person who gave them that gift. Then ask a child to read John 3:16. What gift did Heavenly Father give us? How does this gift show His love?
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “There is no greater evidence of the infinite power and perfection of God’s love than is declared by the Apostle John [in John 3:16]. … Think how it must have grieved our Heavenly Father to send His Son to endure incomprehensible suffering for our sins. That is the greatest evidence of His love for each of us!” (“Love and Law,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 26).
Ask the children to find answers to the question “Why did Heavenly Father send us Jesus Christ?” as they read John 3:16–17 or sing or listen to “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35).
If we believe in Jesus Christ, which includes repenting of our sins and obeying His word, we can have everlasting life through His Atonement
Friend April 2017 “Family Night Fun” Object lesson to explain the Atonement.
Pour some salt onto a plate. This represents us before we sin.
Now sprinkle pepper on the salt. The pepper is like sin. It keeps us away from Heavenly Father.
Rub the spoon on a towel. Then move it slowly above the salt and pepper. The pepper will stick to the spoon. Jesus’s Atonement lets us repent and get rid of our sins
Show the picture Christ and Children from around the World (Gospel Art Book, no. 116) as you read Acts 10:34–35. Explain that in Peter’s time some people believed that the blessings of the gospel were not for everyone. But Peter learned that God loves all of His children and He wants all of them to learn the gospel.
Friend May 2022 “Gathering Israel”Gathering Israel means helping bring God’s children back to Him. How can you help people come closer to God? Cut out the pieces, Glue to heavy paper or craft sticks, and put the puzzle together.
Invite the children to draw a picture of themselves. As they share their pictures, talk about something you love about each child. Share your testimony that Heavenly Father loves each of them and all of His children, no matter what they look like or where they are from.
Friend July 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones”With your little ones, look at pictures of children with different skin colors, body types, and physical abilities. Explain that Heavenly Father loves all His children. Help your little ones make a heart with their hands and hold it next to the pictures.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Acts 10-15”For generations, the Jews had believed that being of “the seed of Abraham,” or a literal descendant of Abraham, meant that a person was accepted and chosen by God (see Luke 3:8). They considered anyone else an “unclean” Gentile who was not accepted by God. In Acts 10, what did the Lord teach Peter about who “is accepted with him”? (Acts 10:35). What evidence do you find in this chapter that Cornelius’s life was acceptable to the Lord? Ponder what is meant by the statement “God is no respecter of persons” (verse 34; see also 1 Nephi 17:35). Why is it important to you to know this truth?
Ask the children if they can tell what someone is like just by looking at them or guessing where they are from. According to Acts 10:35, how does God determine if someone is “accepted with him”?
Read Acts 10:34–35; 15:6–11 with the children. Explain that in Peter’s time, Jews believed that God did not accept people who weren’t Jews (these people were called Gentiles). But God taught Peter that God loves all of His children, both Jews and Gentiles. Sing together “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3). Invite the children to substitute each other’s names for words like I or me.
Invite the children to share something unique about someone else in the class. Explain that the statement “God is no respecter of persons” means that Heavenly Father loves all His children, and because He loves them, He wants all of His children to hear the gospel.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Acts 10-15”Like the Jews who looked down on those who were not of the seed of Abraham, do you ever catch yourself making unkind or uninformed assumptions about someone who is different from you? How can you overcome this tendency? It might be interesting to try a simple activity for the next few days: Whenever you interact with someone, try to think to yourself, “This person is a child of God.” As you do this, what changes do you notice in the way you think about and interact with others?
Liahona July 2023 “God Loves All His Children”General Authorities come from different lands. About half come from the United States. Others come from Central and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, Mexico, and Canada.
Can you name an Apostle who was born in Europe?
Can you name an Apostle from South America?
Can you name an Apostle whose parents came from Sweden and Finland?
Can you name an Apostle whose family originally came from China?
We may come from different places, but God loves us all.
Discussion: In what ways might we be the same or different from other people? Does God love us based on what we look like or where we come from? Review the story of Peter and Cornelius found in Acts 10. What did they learn about judging others? What characteristics are important to the Lord?
Friend April 2025 “A New Friend” Taylor liked to look for God’s love in all things–like a blue sky or playing with her friends at a Primary activity. At the activity she helped a new girl feel that love as well by helping her feel welcome and teaching her the game they were playing.
Friend September 2023 “Lots of Ways to Say “I Love You” “Trina’s brother had been struggling with anxiety and depression and had to come home early. She prayed about what she could do for him. She decided she would show him she cared for him and loved him. She used chalk to write a message for him on the sidewalk. She hid nice notes around the house. She helped her siblings make a sign. It said, “Welcome home, Elder Dawson! We love you!”
When Esther’s parents died, her cousin Mordecai took care of her. You can use their experience as an opportunity to talk about serving members of our families.
On the board, draw figures that represent Esther, her parents, and her cousin Mordecai. Explain that Esther’s parents died, so Esther needed someone to take care of her. Read Esther 2:7 to the children, and ask the children to listen for what Mordecai did. Help the children think of needs their family members might have that the children can help with.
What can we learn from Mordecai’s example about helping family members in times of trial? Who in our family needs our support? Make a plan to help them.
Invite some of the children to act out something kind they could do to serve someone in their families, and ask the other children to guess what they are doing. Invite them to talk about things they do to bless their families, and tell about some of the things you do.
Sing a song about helping our families, such as “When We’re Helping” (Children’s Songbook, 198). Share your testimony that helping our families makes us happy.
Friend March 2018 “Matt and Mandy” Matt makes a super hero costume and secretly helps his mom.
Friend July 2020 “Helping a Sleepy Sister” Berrett noticed his sister was tired from studying late and he decided to be like Jesus and help her. He made her breakfast and lunch and wrote her a note saying he loved her.
Friend March 2019 “Show and Tell” My sister has cerebral palsy and can’t talk or walk. I serve her each day by feeding her, playing with her, and making her laugh. I know when I serve her, I’m serving Heavenly Father. (Ensign T., age 10, Utah, USA)
Friend May 2019 “Kindness at the Carnival” A boy is looking forward to playing with his friends, but then his sister comes home upset because she doesn’t have any real friends and nobody will go with her to school carnival. The brother wants to help, so he volunteers to go with her, and tells her that she is his friend too.
Friend June 2018 “Showing Her Love” A girl named Love from Nigeria helps her family in many ways. (Link includes photos.)
Friend April 2018 “Prayer in the Checkout Line” Eli helps his mom with his fussy siblings at the store. He also says a prayer for her when he sees how their fussiness is making things hard for her
Friend January 2018 “Adam’s Big Green Cast” Matthew’s little brother broke his leg and has to wear a cast that doesn’t let him move. Matthew helps his brother feel better by playing with him and finding things Adam can do without moving.
Friend October 2017 “Helping Mrs. Brewster” Ryan helps his brother Jackson rake the neighbor’s leaves.
Friend October 2017 “I Like to Help” Poem – A boy helps his family members during the week.
Friend March 2022 Danial is helping his mom in the garden. Find the objects in the picture. How do you help at home?
Friend May 2017 “That’s My Brother” Eric doesn’t have any friends yet and doesn’t like going to recess, but his brother comes and helps him find a friend during recess.
Friend May 2017 “The Gecko Rescue” Andrea sews up a hole in her mom’s gecko beanbag so her mom wouldn’t be sad.
Story Activiy: Children can draw a line to a number on the gecko for every way they mention that they can help and serve family members.
Friend February 2017 “Double Happy” Lily helps her little brother, Sam, feel comfortable in Primary, but her parents want her to let Sam’s teacher do that now so Lily can go to her class. Lily obeys even though she’s worried about Sam, and they both have a great time in Primary.
Friend Novepmber 2016 “Big Sister Madelyn” Madelyn’s mother is sick, so Madelyn helps with the baby. Also an activity to find what toys are okay for the baby.
Friend October 2016 “Brave Enough” Christine asks her brother for help when she gets scared of a noise at her window.
Friend June 2015 “The Funny Face Fix” Ben helps his sister feel happy by making funny faces.
Section 84 In September 1832, missionaries returned to Kirtland, Ohio, from preaching the gospel in the eastern United States and reported their successes to the Prophet Joseph Smith. During their reunion, the Prophet inquired of the Lord and received the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 84. In this revelation the Lord explained how the priesthood prepares the Saints to enter God’s presence and receive all that He has. The Lord taught of the importance of hearkening to His words and reproved the Saints in Jackson County, Missouri, for treating the Book of Mormon and His commandments lightly. The Lord also commanded the Saints to preach the gospel to the world and provided instructions for doing so. (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual Chapter 31)
Do the children you teach know the purposes of the priesthood? In Doctrine and Covenants 84, the Lord reveals one purpose: to help us return to Heavenly Father. (To learn more, see Gospel Topics, “Priesthood,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.)
To help your children understand what an ordinance is, consider looking at pictures of several priesthood ordinances with them, such as Gospel Art Book, nos. 103–8, or this week’s activity page. Ask them to describe what is happening in each picture. You could then read together Doctrine and Covenants 84:19–22. Why does Heavenly Father want us to receive these ordinances? Tell your children how you have felt God’s power because of ordinances you received and covenants you made. (See also “Priesthood Power, Authority, and Keys” in appendix A or appendix B.)
Many different ordinances are performed throughout a person’s life, some are for comfort and guidance, and others are essential to salvation. (Do the activity below to identify the ordinances and the saving ordinances.) Hint: Ordinances are sacred ceremonies or acts that are performed by the proper priesthood authority.
Ordinances and Covenants:
Invite the children to list the priesthood ordinances they have participated in or witnessed, such as baptism, confirmation, priesthood blessings, or the sacrament. Ask them to share their experiences with these ordinances.
To help your children look forward to going to the temple, you could create a puzzle out of a picture of a temple. On the back of each piece, you could write something we do in the temple, such as being baptized for ancestors, being sealed to our families, and making covenants with God. Read Doctrine and Covenants 84:4–5 with your children, and ask them to listen for what the Lord commanded the Saints to build. As you and your children put the puzzle together, share with each other things we can do to prepare to enter the temple.
77 And again I say unto you, my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends, it is expedient that I give unto you this commandment, that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power;
After reading Doctrine and Covenants 84:77 together, ask your children about what it means to be a friend. You might talk about good friends you’ve had. How does Jesus show us that He wants us to be His friends? How can we show that we want that too? A song like “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79) could help with this conversation.
How can you help the children know that the Savior loves us even more than a dear friend does?
Display a picture of the Savior as you read Doctrine and Covenants 84:77. Invite the children to point to the picture of the Savior every time they hear the word “friends.” Share what it means to you to have Jesus as your friend.
Help the children list some things they can do to show their friends that they love them. What did Jesus do to show us that He is our friend? What can we do to show the Savior that we are His friends? Sing together a song about Jesus, such as “Jesus Is Our Loving Friend” (Children’s Songbook, 58).
88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.
Help the children see that we are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of missionary work—missionaries either taught the gospel to us, our parents, or our ancestors. Tell the children about how missionaries helped you or your ancestors receive the gospel. Let the children share similar experiences. Encourage them to ask their parents how the first Church members in their families learned about the gospel.
The Lord protects and empowers missionaries.
Then you could read about a special promise the Lord made to missionaries in Doctrine and Covenants 84:88. Maybe your children could think of actions that go with this verse. Consider sharing about a time when you were serving the Lord and felt that He was with you, as described in verse 88.
You might also help your children think of ways they can be missionaries now. Testify that Heavenly Father helps us know what to say when we talk with others about Jesus Christ.
Below are links to stories about different ways to share the gospel.
Help the children think of people they know, or people in the scriptures, who received the Lord’s help when preaching the gospel (such as Samuel the Lamanite [see Helaman 13:2–4; 16:6–7] or Ammon [see Alma 17:32–38]). Share an experience when you felt the Lord’s support while you were serving Him.
The Red Crystal
How can Heavenly Father help us when we share the gospel with others, even when it may be hard or we feel nervous?
Make a paper lily to remind you of Heavenly Father’s love and care. Trace your hand on a piece of paper and cut it out. Roll the hand shape into a cone. Then roll each “finger” around a pencil to curl the paper outward for the petals. If you want, you can tape your flower to a stick to make a stem.
Section 81 The revelation (dated March 1832) should be regarded as a step toward the formal organization of the First Presidency, specifically calling for the office of counselor in that body and explaining the dignity of the appointment.
In March 1832, the Lord called Jesse Gause to be a counselor to Joseph Smith in the Presidency of the High Priesthood (now called the First Presidency). Doctrine and Covenants 81 is a revelation to Brother Gause about his new calling. But Jesse Gause did not serve faithfully, so Frederick G. Williams was called to replace him. Brother Williams’s name replaced Brother Gause’s name in the revelation.
When the Lord called Frederick G. Williams to be a counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith, He counseled Frederick to be “faithful … in prayer always.”
Read to the children the Lord’s counsel to be “faithful … in prayer always, vocally and in thy heart, in public and in private” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:3).
To encourage your children to pray in their hearts, you could give them paper hearts and invite them to draw or write something they want to pray about to Heavenly Father.
Testify that Heavenly Father knows what we are thinking and feeling and He can hear our prayers even if we don’t say them out loud. You might share with them an experience when you prayed in your heart and Heavenly Father heard you.
As you read Doctrine and Covenants 81:3 with your children, help them think of different “public” and “private” places where they can pray.
The Red Crystal This is a sorting activity for older children, where there children can decide on if it is prayer they say in their hearts or vocally.
This is a fun activity that is in Red Crystal’s store. Example: Put the house, the school, play ground, and store on the four corners of the room. Read the the clues one will say “A place with carts and shelves galore, Let’s take a trip to the great big _________!” They all gather to the picture of the store. Then read short story of Emily getting lost in the store (on a card in this same purchase.) There is a question asking the children if this would be a good place to say the prayer vocally or in her heart. (There is no wrong answer)
You might also listen to or sing with them a hymn about prayer, such as “Secret Prayer” (Hymns, no. 144). Invite the children to share a phrase from the hymn that helps them understand something about prayer. You could also talk about speaking reverently to Heavenly Father.
The Red Crystal Pass out the pictures. When they hear their picture in the song, they can come up front and put it on the board.
Ask the children to show you what they do when they pray. What do they do with their arms? their heads? their eyes? Explain that sometimes we want to talk to Heavenly Father, but we can’t kneel or close our eyes. What can we do? Read to the children from 3 Nephi 20:1: “[Jesus] commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts.” Tell the children how you pray in your heart.
Draw a mouth and a heart on the board. Ask the children to point to the mouth and tell you some things they say when they pray. Then ask them to point to the heart, and explain that we can say those same things in our hearts. Testify that Heavenly Father knows our feelings and thoughts.
Friend June 2025 “Presentation Panic” Allyson hated talking in front of people, but she had to do a history presentation. She had practiced it several times, but when she got up to give it her mind went blank from fear. She said a prayer in her mind for help. As soon as she finished, her panic faded away and she was able to give her presentation.
Heavenly Father knows the needs of each of His children, and He often uses other people—like the children you teach—to help meet those needs. How can you help the children recognize the needs of others and serve them?
With your children, draw pictures of hands and knees, and ask your children to find these body parts in Doctrine and Covenants 81:5. What is the Lord asking us to do in this verse? You might share with each other some ways that people have strengthened you when you felt “weak” or “feeble.”
“Succor the weak” (Succor definition: to give assistance and support in times of hardship and distress.) “Lift up the hands which hang down” means helping others and encouraging them when they are sad or tired.
The Red Crystal Write the scripture on the chalkboard. Have the children draw the feet and hands in the blanks.
Or, have one or three children, stand up as your models. Attach the matching image to their hands feet or knees, as you read the scripture. Then read it a second time and stop and point to that picture when you come to the word and have them say the word instead of you.
The video “Pass It On” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) could give your children ideas about how they serve others.
Encourage the children to seek the Lord’s guidance to know who they can help.
You could also use pictures or videos to tell simple stories of Jesus Christ serving others (see the pictures in this outline; Gospel Art Book, nos. 41, 42, 46, 47, 55; or one of the Bible Videos in Gospel Library). How can we follow the Savior’s example of helping others?
Friend June 2017 “Jesus Healed People” Story of Jarius’s daughter being raised from the dead, and the story of the women with an issue of blood being healed when she touches the hem of Jesus’s robe.
How can we follow the Savior’s example of helping others?
Friend January 2018 “Following Paw Prints” As Derek was following paw prints in the snow, he helped his neighbors along the way. He likes to follow the example of Jesus by helping others. (Also do the activity of finding ways Derek can help family members.)
You could also sing a song about service, such as “Have I Done Any Good?” (Hymns, no. 223). Consider helping your children make a plan to help at least one person in need this week.
Jesus taught that we should “lift up the hands which hang down” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5). That means helping others and encouraging them when they are sad or tired.
Make a helping hand! Trace your hand on a piece of paper and cut it out. Write something on it that you will do to help others and then hang it up where you can see it. If you want, you could hang your family’s hands up together to make a helping hands tree!
For Doctrine and Covenants 81–83: Think of someone your family can serve. Give them a treat or card or help them with something. Help your little ones say, “I can help others!”
You and your children could look in Doctrine and Covenants 82:8–10 for answers to the question “Why does Heavenly Father give us commandments?”
Friend January 2018 “What’s on Your Mind?” An explanation for why it matters that we keep the commandments. For example: How would it feel flying with a pilot who didn’t follow the rules of aviation? What about riding on a bus with a driver who didn’t stop at red lights? The commandments help keep us safe.
You might want to help your children think of examples of His commandments (see, for example, Exodus 20:4–17; Matthew 22:37–39; Doctrine and Covenants 89:5–17). It might help if you and your children find or draw pictures to represent some of them.
How do Heavenly Father’s commandments show His love for us?
Friend June 2025 “Love From Above” When Sister Wright, a counselor in the General Primary Presidency, was growing up, her Primary leaders taught her that the commandments are like loving letters from God. When her oldest son was little, he loved making cookies and watching them bake. She warned not to get too close to the oven, but one day he put his hands and face on the door. It was hot and he ran crying to his mother. Because she loved her son, she had given him a warning to keep him safe. God gives us commandments because He wants to keep us safe because he loves us.
Perhaps a simple game would help your children see God’s commandments as blessings, not burdens. One person could give instructions to help another person, who is blindfolded, to do something like make a sandwich or draw a picture. Think of something fun and creative! Then talk about how God’s commandments are like the instructions in this game.
The Red Crystal Blind fold a child. Have them try to draw a line and stay on the road, everyone can talk and help him/her. It is harder than you think.
Read to the children, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:10). Ask the children to repeat this phrase several times with you, and think of ways to help them remember it, such as inviting them to clap to the rhythm of the phrase. Testify that when we obey God’s commandments, He keeps His promises to us.
Section 77 Joseph Smith’s history states, “In connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John.”
1–4, Beasts have spirits and will dwell in eternal felicity; 5–7, This earth has a temporal existence of 7,000 years; 8–10, Various angels restore the gospel and minister on earth; 11, The sealing of the 144,000; 12–14, Christ will come in the beginning of the seventh thousand years; 15, Two prophets will be raised up to the Jewish nation.
I Can Receive Answers to My Questions About the Scriptures.
When Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had questions about the book of Revelation as they worked on the inspired translation of the Bible, Joseph naturally sought wisdom from God. Section 77 contains the questions and the answers Joseph received about the book of Revelation. Ponder how you can follow the Prophet Joseph’s example when you study the scriptures. You might ask Heavenly Father, “What am I to understand?”
Ask the children if they, like Joseph, have ever felt that they didn’t understand something in the scriptures. Let them share their experiences. What did Joseph do to find answers? Tell the children about a time when Heavenly Father helped you understand something in the scriptures.
The children you teach might enjoy reading some of the verses in the book of Revelation that Joseph Smith had questions about. Then they could look in Doctrine and Covenants 77 for what the Lord wanted him to understand. Choose a few verses you feel would be meaningful.
As you and your children read Doctrine and Covenants 77:2 together, you might look at pictures of animals, including insects and birds. Your children could point to the pictures when you read the words “beasts,” “creeping things,” and “fowls of the air.”Testify that God created all of these things because He loves us and wants us to be happy (see also Doctrine and Covenants 59:16–20).Share with each other how God’s creations help you feel His love.
Friend July 2021 “Find It” Julia and Leo went on a nature walk with their dad and stepmom. They loved seeing all of God’s creations! Find the hidden objects below.
After reading this verse, family members could draw pictures of their favorite “beasts, … creeping things, … [or] fowls of the air” created by God. What do we learn about God’s creations from this verse? (see also Doctrine and Covenants 59:16–20). You could also sing a song about God’s creations, such as “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook,228–29), and display the painting that accompanies this outline.
Sing with the children a song about God’s creations, such as “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook,228–29). Ask the children how the things they are singing about help them feel God’s love.
Friend July 2025 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Animal Actions” Under God’s direction, Jesus Christ created every creature on earth (see Doctrine and Covenants 77:2). Play an animal guessing game! One person pretends to be a certain animal. Everyone else tries to guess what animal they are. Once you guess it right, say something you like about that animal.
For younger children: Go on a walk with your little ones and point out animals you see. Or look at pictures of animals. Teach them that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created every creature on earth.
This verse explains that John ate a book that represented his mission to gather Israel. What does the symbolism of eating suggest about how we should approach our role in gathering Israel or doing other things the Lord wants us to do? Here are some other scriptures in which eating is used to teach a spiritual truth: John 6:48–51; 2 Nephi 32:3; Moroni 4. Perhaps you could make a favorite family dish to eat together during this discussion.
Section 78
Section 78 Less than two years after the Church of Jesus Christ was restored, it had grown to over 2,000 members and was spreading quickly. In March 1832 Joseph Smith met with other Church leaders “to discuss Church business”: the need to publish revelations, purchase land to gather on, and care for the poor (see Doctrine and Covenants 78, section heading). To meet these needs, the Lord called on a small number of Church leaders to form the United Firm, a group that would join their efforts to “advance the cause” of the Lord (verse 4) in these areas. (For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 77-80”)
In section 78, the Lord gave specific instructions to several Church leaders that would help them “advance the cause” of the Lord (verse 4). Help the children consider what their roles might be in advancing the Lord’s cause.
To help your children think about their roles in the Lord’s work, consider reading with them Doctrine and Covenants 78:4 to identify the “cause” we “espoused” (accepted or chose to support) when we were baptized. Help them look in scripture passages like these for possible answers: Mosiah 18:8–10; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37; Moses 1:39. Your children might enjoy role-playing how they can help with the Lord’s work. For example, what does it look like to “bear one another’s burdens” or “take upon [ourselves] the name of Jesus Christ”? How does this “advance the cause” of Christ?
The Red Crystal Have the children sort the cards that they hear mentioned in the scriptures. It should look like the below image
Explain to the children that Newel K. Whitney owned a store and that the Lord asked him and other men to use some of their money to help pay for the Lord’s work (see Doctrine and Covenants 63:42–43). Invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 78:3–7 and look for reasons these men were asked to do so. How would we have felt if we were asked to share like Newel did? Help them think of ways people contribute to the Lord’s work in our day, such as paying tithing and fast offerings, serving in callings, and so on.
To teach what it means to be “equal in earthly things” (verse 6), you could give your children pictures of people in need (hungry, injured, or cold) and objects that would help (such as food, a bandage, or a blanket). Then your children could match the pictures with the objects. What can we share to help people in need?
To get some context for section 78, read with your children the sentences under the first two pictures of “Chapter 28: The Prophet Joseph Goes to Missouri Again” (in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 108, or the corresponding video in Gospel Library). Then your children could pretend they are helping someone build a house, sharing food, or serving in another way.
Heavenly Father wants us to share our blessings freely with each other so that we can be “equal in earthly things” and in “heavenly things” (verse 6).
To teach what it means to be “equal in earthly things” (verse 6), give children pictures of people in need (such as people who are hungry, injured, or cold. (Tip: Google search for images)). Then give other children objects that would help (such as food, a bandage, or a blanket). Invite these children to share what they have to help the people in the pictures. Let other children have a turn sharing. Help the children understand that Heavenly Father wants all of His children to have what they need, and to do this He often asks us to share what we have with others.
Friend December 2019 “Martin’s Favorite Toys” Martin was not happy about having to move, but eventually he got used to his new home. One Sunday, he noticed a lot of new people at church. He found out that they were refugees. He wanted to help them, but he didn’t want to give them any of his toys because he brought them from his old house. Then he realized that many of the children had to leave everything behind. He remembered how hard it was for him to move, but at least he got to bring his things with him. He then wanted to give them his favorite toys to help them be happier.
18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
It may be fun for your children to talk about what it means to be a leader and then lead an activity. After reading together Doctrine and Covenants 78:18, you could discuss times when we need Jesus to lead us. Consider singing a song such as “I Will Walk with Jesus” (Gospel Library).
If we are willing to let the Lord “lead [us] along,” we can “be of good cheer,” even if there are things we “cannot bear … now” (verse 18).
Invite the children to share times when they have been a leader, such as being at the front of a line or leading music. What does a leader do? Show a picture of the Savior as you read the following phrase from Doctrine and Covenants 78:18: “Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.” Use this week’s activity page to help the children think of ways we can follow the Savior.
Invite the children to follow Jesus, and lead them around the room as you hold a picture of Him. As you do, sing a song together about following Jesus Christ, such as “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” or “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79, 160–61). Let the children take turns holding the picture and leading the other children.
19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.
Read with your children Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 to discover what the Lord promises to those who are thankful. Help your children understand what “an hundred fold” means, perhaps by showing them a small object and then 100 of that same object. Perhaps they could draw pictures of things they have received from God “with thankfulness.”
The Lord often blesses us more if we are grateful for what He has already given us. How can you help the children you teach be grateful for their blessings?
Sing a song about gratitude, such as “I Am Glad for Many Things” (Children’s Songbook, 151), or watch the video “Think to Thank” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Give the children time to make lists of things they are thankful for. Encourage them to list as many things as possible in the time you give them.
Family members could draw pictures of blessings from God they are thankful for. What are we doing to express our thankfulness for these blessings? You could also discuss how your family is following the counsel to receive “all things with thankfulness” (verse 19). What does the Lord promise to those who do?
Section 76A vision given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, at Hiram, Ohio, February 16, 1832. Prefacing the record of this vision, Joseph Smith’s history states: “Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, … while translating St. John’s Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.” At the time this vision was given, the Prophet was translating John 5:29.
To help your children understand their divine potential, you could show them pictures of children and their parents. You could then read Doctrine and Covenants 76:24 and share with each other why you’re happy to know that we are all “sons and daughters unto God.”
Media Library
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.
Explain that God is another name for Heavenly Father.
We lived in Heaven: Explain that before we were born on earth we lived in heaven with Heavenly Father.
Explain that Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, and we are his spirit children
We were spirits there. A spirit is what is inside of us that makes us alive. When we were spirits, we didn’t have flesh and bones like our bodies have now, but we looked the same.
Friend January 2017 “Kylie’s Parents” Kylie is like her earthly parents, and she is also like her Heavenly Parents. PDF version
Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, so we can grow to be like him. Heavenly Father is loving, good, and kind. When we are loving, good, and kind, we are being like Heavenly Father. We should try to become more like Heavenly Father every day.
Have children tell or act out ways they can be loving, good, or kind.
Sing together “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook,2–3), and invite the children to point to themselves when they sing “I.” Ask them to sing the song again, replacing “I am” with “you are” and pointing to someone else in the class.
(The below visuals are from the Nursery Manual. Also see churchofjesuschrist.org/study for the music)
40 And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us
41 That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
42 That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him;
The word gospel means good news. The good news that the gospel brings is that Jesus Christ “came into the world … bear the sins of the world ” “that…all might be saved” (verse 41 & 42).
Show a picture of Jesus Christ. Ask the children if they know what Jesus Christ did for us. Show the children something dirty and something clean (like a white handkerchief or sheet of paper), and explain that sin is like dirt on our spirits, but Jesus Christ came to help us become clean again.
Consider role-playing with your children a scenario in which someone asks, “What has Jesus Christ done for me?” You and your children can look for possible answers in verses 5, 41–42, or 69 in section 76. (or Write on the board What has Jesus Christ done for me? Ask each child to silently read verses 41–42 and verse 69. looking for possible answers to the question on the board. Let them share their answers
Friend February 2020 “Funstuff: Blessing from Jesus” Match the cards to finish each sentence. Examples: Because Jesus died for us… … everyone who dies will live again. Because Jesus paid for our sins… …we can repent and be forgiven.
Help the children understand that the glorious blessings God promises to the faithful in the next life are possible only because of the Savior Jesus Christ.
You could also sing “He Sent His Son,” Children’s Songbook, 34–35. How can we show our gratitude for what the Savior has done for us?
Heavenly Father has Prepared a Kingdom of Celestial Glory for Me.
Heavenly Father wants me to return to live with Him forever.
You and your children could read or watch part or all of “Chapter 26: The Three Kingdoms of Heaven” (in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 97–103, or the corresponding video in Gospel Library) and share with each other what you like about the vision Joseph Smith had. Let your children share their thoughts and feelings about what it would be like to live with Heavenly Father in the celestial kingdom.
To live in the celestial kingdom means to dwell in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with a perfect, resurrected body and to live the kind of life They live. This life is “a state of never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2:41) and a “fulness of joy” (3 Nephi 28:10).
It has the greatest glory of any kingdom. Its glory has been likened to the brightness of the sun.
The same kinds of relationships we have here will exist there, including family relationships, but they will be “coupled with eternal glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:2).
You could also read Doctrine and Covenants 76:62 and invite your children to draw pictures of themselves with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom (see this week’s activity page).
Ask the children to close their eyes and imagine they are outside on a cloudy night when everything is absolutely dark.
What do you see?
What could you see if you had the light of the stars?
What could you see if you had the light of the moon?
What could you see if you had the light of the sun?
If you could choose just one of these sources of light to see by, which would it be? Why?
Explain that Heavenly Father has provided three different places for people to live after they are resurrected. These places are referred to as kingdoms of glory in heaven.
The telestial kingdom is the lowest kingdom. It has a glory compared to the brightness of the stars. (See D&C 76:81.)
The terrestrial kingdom is the middle kingdom. It has a glory compared to the brightness of the moon. (See D&C 76:71.)
The celestial kingdom is the highest kingdom. It has a glory compared to the brightness of the sun. (See D&C 76:70.)
As you discuss the three kingdoms, emphasize that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want all of us to live in the highest level, or degree, of the celestial kingdom with them and our families. To be worthy of the celestial kingdom, we must keep Heavenly Father’s commandments and receive important gospel ordinances. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been restored to the earth to help us reach the celestial kingdom.
Draw a large picture of the sun on a piece of paper, and cut it into several puzzle pieces. Give each child a piece, along with one of the following scripture passages to read: Doctrine and Covenants 76:51; 76:52; 76:53; 131:1–2. Ask the children to find in their verses something that we must do to receive eternal life in the celestial kingdom (some verses include more than one answer), and write it on their piece of the sun. As they work together to assemble the puzzle, express your confidence in them that with the Savior’s help, they can qualify for the celestial kingdom.
Friend July 2025 “Come, Follow Me Activities” Someday we can live in the celestial kingdom with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and our families (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:62, 70, 92). The scriptures compare the celestial kingdom to the sun. Use a paper plate or piece of paper to make a sun. Cut out paper triangles for the rays of sunlight and glue or tape them to the circle. Talk about what you can do now to prepare to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ someday.
For younger children: Go outside to feel the sun. Tell your little ones that Heavenly Father’s love for them is warm like the sun.
You could invite your children to read verses 15–19 to find out what Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were doing when they saw the vision in Doctrine and Covenants 76. Tell your children about a time when you received inspiration while reading the scriptures, and ask your children if they have had similar [spiritual feelings] and experiences when reading the scriptures.
Friend September 2015 “A New Feeling” – Child feels Holy Ghost while reading the scriptures
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon received Doctrine and Covenants 76 when they were pondering the scriptures. Help the children see how studying the scriptures can invite revelation through the Holy Ghost.
Ask the children to close their eyes and try to perform a task, like coloring a picture or opening the scriptures to a specific verse. What are some things that are difficult to do when our eyes are closed spiritually? Read together Doctrine and Covenants 76:12, 15–19, 114–16 to find out what we need to do to have our eyes opened spiritually.
Friend August 2021 “For Older Kids” Talk to a parent or Primary leader about your goals. They can share ideas and help cheer you on! You could even work on a goal together.
Friend August 2021 “For Older Kids” I wanted to learn to sew a blanket for my baby brothers who are coming. So I set a goal. My mom showed me how to use the sewing machine, and now I can do it by myself! I’m excited for my baby brothers to see the blanket. And I’m glad I learned how to sew! Jayci H., age 9, Utah, USA
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can help me know how to improve.
Psalm 139 teaches that God knows everything about us, including our strengths and weaknesses. If we turn to Him, He can teach us what we need to do to become more like Him.
Write the words of Psalm 139:23–24 on the board, and invite the children to underline words that describe things God can do for us. Why would we want God to do these things? How can we invite Him to “lead [us] in the way everlasting”?
Encourage the children to “search” their own lives for ways they can improve in the four areas of focus in the Children and Youth program—spiritual, social, physical, and intellectual. Remind them that the Lord knows how they can improve in each of these areas, and encourage them to seek His guidance.
Sing a song about how Heavenly Father can help us improve, such as the second verse of “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 99). Share how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have helped you improve.
Breaking a Bad Habit
Friend October 2023 “What’s On Your Mind?” Stopping a bad habit is tough. But it’s definitely worth it to keep trying, no matter how many times you mess up. Trying, failing, and trying again is part of everyone’s journey. So be patient with yourself. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward.”1
Find a Goal Buddy
Friend February 2021 “For Older Kids” Find a goal buddy! Share your goals with each other. Then you can ask how things are going and cheer each other on.
How to Reach Your Goal
Friend July 2023 “Good-Things Box” May made a good things box. Every day she take slips of paper and write the good things I did that day. It makes me feel good and helps me try to be better! Make your own good things box below.
Friend June 2021 “Don’t Give Up”Resilience means not giving up, even when something is hard. It means trying again after you mess up or moving forward when bad things happen.
Ensign January 2020 “Motivation the Rising Generation” Here are four ways to help your children set and achieve meaningful goals to grow as the Savior did.
Friend January 2022 “What’s on Your Mind?” Setting a goal can help you learn and become more like Jesus. You could start by praying. Then write down any thoughts that come to mind. When you pick a goal, ask a parent or leader to help you make a plan.
I love making recipes from the Friend! One of my goals for the Children and Youth program is to learn how to cook. It’s very fun to follow the recipes and also very yummy. I am learning new cooking techniques. David A., age 9, Utah, USA
Friend February 2023 “The Most Important Things” What matters most in your life? In the boxes, draw pictures of things that are important to you and that help you grow to be more like Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Goals
Friend December 2022 “For Older Kids”Spiritual: “Write down three things you are thankful for. Try to write three new things each day” (Children’s Guidebook, 47).
Friend June 2022 “For Older Kids”Spiritual: “Sing with a family member. Notice how listening to good music makes you feel” (Children’s Guidebook, 49).
Friend December 2021 “For Older Kids” When you reach a goal, think about how you have improved. Write down what you have learned in your Children’s Guidebook or journal. How did your goal help you to be more like Jesus?
Friend October 2022 “Liv and Melanie’s Family Magazine” Liv made a goal to do family history. She and her sister decided to make their family history into a magazine. They interviewed family members whose birthdays were in July. In the August issue the theme was Father’s Day, so they interviewed all the fathers in their family. Creating a family history magazine has helped them get to know extended family members better. (See photos at link.)
“I may have known every young woman’s name in my ward, but I did not know who they were or what they liked. So I started one by one with each young woman, and for an introvert like me, I enjoyed how I found so many things we have in common. The more time I took to get to know them, the more I saw these beautiful young women the way Heavenly Father sees them.”
Write below how you are becoming like Jesus Christ.
I am getting stronger by ________________________________________________.
I am getting smarter by ________________________________________________.
I am growing kinder by _________________________________________________.
I am growing my testimony by _________________________________________.
Someday I want to ____________________________________________________.
Friend February 2024 “My New Buddy” Sam makes a goal to make new friends so he joined a group called Peer Buddies. In Peer Buddies, fifth graders work with younger kids who have learning disabilities or delays. On the first day he had so much fun playing with one of the children. He was glad the Children and Youth goal helped him make a new friend.
Story: Jesus Christ is sometimes called the “true Light” (John 1:9). The scriptures teach that we should keep His commandments and follow Him. Then we will have “power to become the sons [and daughters] of God” (John 1:12).
Song: “Jesus Is My True Light” (page 23)
Activity: Draw a picture of a goal you have. Have someone hide your picture somewhere in the room and turn off the lights. Now get a small light and shine it around the room. Can you find your picture now? Talk about how Jesus Christ can help you reach your goals.
Friend January 2023 “Find It” This family is doing the activity above for home evening. Can you find four pictures the family drew of their goals? Then find the other hidden objects.
Covenants are promises I make with God and He makes with me.
Friend February 2019 “Family Night Fun” A covenant is a promise between two individuals: you and Heavenly Father. Here’s a recipe that needs just two ingredients! Bananut Ice Cream.
President Oaks taught about how special objects can help us remember our covenants. For example, a wedding ring reminds people of their marriage covenants.
Decorate this shield to remind you of the covenants you have made or will make! As we keep our covenants, Heavenly Father protects us, and we can stay close to Him.
Friend October 2025 “Kites and Covenants” Story by Dallin H. Oaks. Activity: Read each scripture to learn about a different covenant. Then draw a line from the scripture to the matching picture to make a string for each kite!
Friend November 2024 “Connected by Covenants” Covenants link us to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. By keeping our covenants, we can receive heavenly help and strength. Make a chain of links to remind you of your baptismal covenant!
Friend August 2023 “Walking along the Covenant Path” Heavenly Father sent you to earth to learn and grow so you can become like Him. As you follow Jesus Christ, you walk along the path back to your heavenly home. This is called the covenant path. Follow along and color these pictures to learn more.
Isaac forbids Jacob to marry a Canaanite—He blesses Jacob and his seed with the blessings of Abraham—Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael—Jacob sees in vision a ladder reaching up into heaven—The Lord promises him seed as the dust of the earth in number—The Lord also promises Jacob that in him and in his seed all the families of the earth will be blessed—Jacob covenants to pay tithes.
“Lesson 34: Genesis 28–30,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material According to Genesis 28:1–2, Isaac instructed his son Jacob to marry one of the daughters of Laban and not a Canaanite woman. The Canaanites worshipped idols and engaged in other practices that were offensive to God. A daughter of Canaan would not be worthy to join Jacob in entering into a marriage covenant with the Lord. If Jacob were to marry a daughter of Canaan, he would be marrying out of the covenant.
When we are married in the temple, we make covenants with the Lord. Marriage in the temple is covenant marriage. If we keep our covenants, we qualify for all the blessings that were promised to Abraham.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 28-33” In a dream, Jacob saw a ladder leading up to heaven. (Imagine the bottom of the ladder as the earth and the top of the ladder as heaven or the presence of the Lord.)The steps on the ladder can represent covenants we make with God, because these covenants help prepare us to return to His presence.
Read Genesis 28:12–13 to the children. Explain that the steps on the ladder can represent covenants that help us return to Heavenly Father. Invite the children to pretend they are climbing a ladder as you talk about times when we promise to obey God, such as when we are baptized, take the sacrament, or go to the temple. Help the children think of ways they can prepare to make covenants when they are baptized.
Read Genesis 28:15 to the children, emphasizing the words “I am with thee” and “I will not leave thee.” Explain that God has promised to always be with us as we try to choose the right. Help the children think of things they can do to feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Invite the children to read Genesis 28:10–15 and then draw a picture of Jacob’s dream. Ask them to share their pictures. Explain that the ladder represented a way for Jacob to return to God. What has God given to help us return to Him? (see this week’s activity page). Remind the children of their baptismal covenant. How does living this covenant bring us closer to God?
Show a picture of a temple, and write on the board key phrases from Genesis 28:15–17, such as: “I am with thee,” “The Lord is in this place,” “The house of God,” or “The gate of heaven.” Invite the children to find these phrases. Tell the children about how the temple and temple covenants help you feel close to the Lord.
Institute Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel “Genesis 24–36” “Because he had met the Lord and entered into covenants with him there, Jacob considered the site so sacred that he named the place Bethel, a contraction of Beth-Elohim, which means literally ‘the House of the Lord.’ He said of it: ‘… this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ (Gen. 28:17.)
What places serve as “the gate of heaven” for us today? “Temples are to us all what Bethel was to Jacob. Even more, they are also the gates to heaven for all of our unendowed kindred dead.
Identify the Promises Isaac promised Jacob(see vv. 3–4)The Lord promised Jacob(see vv. 13–15)Jacob promised the Lord(see vv. 20–22) In Genesis 28, Isaac promised Jacob certain blessings, the Lord promised Jacob certain blessings, and Jacob promised the Lord he would do certain things. Identify the promises in this chapter and put them in a chart similar to the one shown.
Draw Your Ladder to Heaven
Draw a ladder in your notebook. Label the rungs or steps with ordinances you must receive and covenants you must make with God in order to obtain eternal life.
Show your drawing to your parents or Church leaders to see if you have left anything out.
Write about what you are doing in your life right now to obtain these covenants or what you are doing to be worthy of the blessings of the covenants you have already entered into.
Story: Jacob had a dream about a ladder leading up to heaven. The steps on the ladder represent the steps we take to get closer to God. (See Genesis 28:10–16.)
Song: “Stand for the Right” (Children’s Songbook, 159)
Activity: Make a pretend ladder on the ground with chalk or sticks. Take turns saying one thing that we promise Heavenly Father when we get baptized. Each time, move one step forward on the ladder. (See Doctrine and Covenants 20:77and Mosiah 18:8–10.)
The hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” (Hymns, no. 100) was inspired by Jacob’s dream. Your family could sing this song and discuss what each verse teaches.
It is Important to Keep My Promises.
Friend May 2017 ” Conference Notes” Sister Jones told the story of five-year-old Lizzie and her big brother, Kevin. Kevin’s dad asked him if he would promise not to tease Lizzie for one day. Kevin agreed. He kept his promise! Then his mom asked him to try not teasing Lizzie for two days. He kept his promise again! Sister Jones said that when we keep our promises, we are learning to make and keep sacred covenants.
Abram desires offspring—The Lord promises him seed in number as the stars—Abram believes the promise—His seed will be strangers in Egypt—Then, after four generations, they will inherit Canaan.
Abram is commanded to be perfect—He will be a father of many nations—His name is changed to Abraham—The Lord covenants to be a God unto Abraham and his seed forever—Also, the Lord gives Abraham the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession—Circumcision becomes a token of the everlasting covenant between God and Abraham—Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah—She will bear Isaac, with whom the Lord will establish His covenant—Abraham and the men of his house are circumcised.
Old Testament Stories “Abraham and Sarah” Abraham prayed to the Lord to learn more about Him. The Lord visited Abraham and called Himself Jehovah. Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham. He promised that Abraham would have the priesthood. He also promised that through Abraham’s family, all the families of the earth would be blessed.
Ask the children if they know what a promise or covenant is. Invite them to share experiences when they made a promise or someone made a promise to them. If it’s helpful, share some examples of your own. Help the children understand that Abraham and Sarah promised to obey God. Choose a few phrases from Genesis 15:1–6; 17:1–8; Abraham 2:9–11 to share some of the blessings God promised to them. These might include “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield,” “Thou shalt be a father of many nations,” or “All the families of the earth [shall] be blessed.”
What are some simple promises the children could make and keep during class? For instance, ask them to promise to stay in their seats for a few minutes or put away their chairs at the end of class. Share with them a time when you made a promise and kept it, and invite them to share any experiences they have had. Help them understand that they will make promises with Heavenly Father when they are baptized and when they go to the temple.
Sometimes keeping our promises help keep us safe, such as in the the story below. Keeping the covenants we make with Heavenly Father can also help keep us safe, spiritually and physically, and help us to become more like our Heavenly Father.
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.
Story: God told the prophet Abraham, “Fear not … I am thy shield” (Genesis 15:1). He told Abraham that He would help and protect him.
Song: “I Want to Live the Gospel” (Children’s Songbook, 148)
Activity: Draw or make a shield. Write on your shield ways you can obey God.
Friend February 2019 “The Baptism Covenant” Cut out and mix up these cards. Then take turns matching cards that go together. With each match, talk about that part of the baptism covenant.
Israel is in Philistine bondage for forty years—An angel comes to Manoah’s wife and promises a son who will begin to deliver Israel—The angel comes again; he ascends in a flame from the altar—Samson is born, and the Spirit of the Lord moves upon him.
Samson carries away the doors of the gate of Gaza—He loves Delilah, who delivers him to the Philistines—He destroys a building, killing himself and 3,000 others.
“Lesson 25: Samson,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 110–13 Samson’s mission would require physical strength. The Lord made a covenant with Samson that as long as he obeyed the Lord, he would be physically strong. Samson’s long hair (see Judges 13:5) was a sign of this covenant. When Samson kept his covenants he was blessed with the ability to help his people, but when he broke his covenants he lost both his spiritual and physical strength.
What happens when people become spiritually weak? (They give in to temptations, they sin, they lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and they lose the ability to fulfill their callings and bless others.)
How are we blessed when we keep our covenants and are spiritually strong?
Before class identify a strength you have observed in each child. Write a note to each one telling of this strength, such as, “Dear , you are strong in coming to Primary each week.” Some other ideas might include:
Being kind to others
Sharing your testimony
Helping your parents
Being a peacemaker
Being a good friend
Reading the scriptures
Point out that we all have different kinds of strengths. Heavenly Father needs us to use these strengths to serve him and to serve others. Read aloud each note you have prepared, without reading the names, and then give them to the children. Help the children realize that these are only some of the many strengths Heavenly Father has blessed them with. Give the children an opportunity to mention other strengths they have observed in class members. Encourage them to develop these and other strengths during the coming week.
“Lesson 25: Samson,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 110–13 Ask for a volunteer to demonstrate how to flex his or her arm muscles. Let the whole class try it to see if they can feel their own muscles. You may want to let two children arm wrestle or pull sticks (a game Joseph Smith enjoyed). To pull sticks, have two boys sit on the floor facing each other, legs extended, knees bent, and the soles of their feet touching. Have each boy grasp the same large stick and try to pull the other up until he is standing on his feet.
How do muscles help us? Discuss what happens when we exercise our muscles and what happens when we do not use them. Help the children realize that exercise helps us develop strong muscles.
Explain that our spirits also need to grow stronger. How can we become stronger spiritually? (By keeping our baptismal covenants, obeying our parents, praying, attending church, reading the scriptures, and so on.)
Why is it important to become spiritually strong? (So we can avoid temptation, be guided in our decisions by the Holy Ghost, and know good from evil.)
Help the children understand that we need to develop spiritual strength just as we need to develop physical strength.
I Can Keep the Covenants I Make with Heavenly Father.
Invite the children to read Genesis 17:1–8 and Abraham 2:8–11 and make two lists: what Abraham was asked to do and what the Lord promised him in return. What do we learn about the Lord from these verses?
Invite the children to read Genesis 17:1–8 and Abraham 2:8–11 and make two lists: what Abraham was asked to do and what the Lord promised him in return. What do we learn about the Lord from these verses?
Have the children take turns choosing slips of paper with the following scripture references on them that tell of the promises made to Abraham. Explain that seed means descendants. Have them read each verse aloud and, if they desire, mark the verses in their own scriptures.
Abraham 2:9—His name would be great among all nations.
Abraham 2:10—All who accept the gospel through baptism would be known as Abraham’s descendants.
Abraham 2:11—The Lord would bless those who blessed Abraham and curse those who cursed Abraham.
Abraham 2:11—His descendants would have the priesthood.
Abraham 2:11—His seed would have the responsibility to be missionaries and take the gospel to all nations.
Abraham 2:19—Abraham and his descendants would be given the land of Canaan.
Genesis 22:17—The Lord would multiply Abraham’s seed greatly (Abraham would have many descendants).
Show a picture of someone getting baptized (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 103, 104). Ask the children to list the promises a person makes at baptism and the promises God makes in return. Suggest that the children look in Mosiah 18:10; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37, 77, 79 for help. What can we do to keep the covenants we made at baptism?
We Promise Have the children look up and read Mosiah 18:8-10 to find the covenants we make at baptism. As they find each one have them put the corresponding word strips under the “We Promise” word strip.
To come into the fold of God and be called his people. We promise to join his church and take upon us the name of Christ. As members of his church we represent Christ and are to be examples of his teachings. (See the lesson on King Benjamin to further review this principle.)
To stand as a witness of God at all times and all places. A witness is someone who tells others what they know and have seen; so a witness of God tells others what they know about God and His church. They state their beliefs in His commandments and try to be an example of them.
To serve God and keep his commandments. We become more like our Savior as we obey the commandments.
To serve and help others. We become more like our Savior as we serve and help others, which includes:
o Mourning with those that mourn. o Comforting those that stand in need of comfort. o Bearing one another’s burdens.
The Lord Promises • What does the Lord promise if we keep the covenants we make? (Have the children look up and read Mosiah 18:9-10 to find the things the Lord promises. As they find each one, have them put the corresponding word strips under the “The Lord Promises” word strip.
We can be redeemed of God. This means we can be forgiven of our sins when we repent.
We can come forth in the first resurrection. We will be ready and spiritually prepared to come forth out of the spirit world during the first resurrection.
We can have eternal life. Eternal life is the kind of life Heavenly Father has, which includes having a fullness of joy, love, peace, knowledge, and power.
He will pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon us. As we keep our covenants, the Lord will bless us with his spirit more abundantly. The companionship of the Holy Ghost is a wonderful blessing because the Holy Ghost guides, teaches, protects, and comforts us.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2” How can you help your family understand the Lord’s promise in these verses—that even though Abraham and Sarah did not yet have children, their posterity would be as numerous as the dust of the earth, stars in the sky, or sand on the seashore? (see also Genesis 22:17). Perhaps you could show family members a container of sand, look at the stars, or use the picture that accompanies this outline. How can we trust God’s promises even when they seem impossible?’
“Lesson 9: Jehovah Makes Covenants with Abraham,” Primary 6: Old Testament Bring some sand in a container. Let the children try to count the grains they can hold between their thumb and forefinger. Imagine the vastness of Abraham’s posterity. Ask the children how they personally can help fulfill the promises made to Abraham that his seed would become as numerous as the grains of “sand which is upon the sea shore” (Genesis 22:17)
Friend September 2023 “The Lesson of the Pencil” A younger girl had just a teeny, little pencil with no eraser. She was struggling to draw her picture. The older girl noticed the younger girl needed help. She handed her own pencil to her. They took turns using the pencil. As you do those simple things to help and serve others, you are keeping your covenants.
Jeremiah’s teachings about the new and everlasting covenant of the Lord can help the children you teach strengthen their desire to keep their covenants.
Draw a heart on the board, and invite half of the children to read Jeremiah 31:31–34 and the other half to read Jeremiah 32:38–41. Invite the groups to write in the heart things they learn from their verses about our covenants with God. How is having God’s law written in our hearts (see Jeremiah 31:33) different from just reading it in the scriptures? Why do we want to make covenants with the Lord? Why does He want to make covenants with us?
To review the covenants we make when we are baptized, invite the children to make a two-column chart on a piece of paper with the headings My Promises and God’s Promises. Ask them to fill in the chart by using the section titled “The Baptismal Covenant” in the Gospel Topics article “Baptism” (topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org) or Mosiah 18:10, 13; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37. Invite the children to display the paper at home to help them remember to keep their covenants.
Consider making a list of things in these verses the Lord promises when we make covenants with Him. What do these verses teach us about the importance of our covenants?
Family members could also write (or draw) on paper hearts something that shows how they feel about the Savior. What does it mean to have His law written in our hearts? (see Jeremiah 31:33). How do we show the Lord that we want to be His people?
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Hosea 1–6; 10–14, Joel” In the book of Hosea, the Lord compared His covenants with the Israelites to a marriage. Despite the Israelites’ unfaithfulness, He still loved them and wanted them to return. This comparison can help you teach the children about the importance of keeping our covenants with the Lord.
Tell the children that in the book of Hosea, the Lord compared His covenants with Israel to a marriage. Show the children a picture of a bride and groom. How does Heavenly Father want a husband and wife to treat each other? How can we show the Lord that we love Him and will be faithful to Him?
Help the children understand that the covenants we make with the Lord are meant to last forever. Invite one of the children to read Hosea 2:19–20, looking for words that describe how the Lord feels about His covenants with us. What do we covenant to do when we are baptized? How can we keep this covenant we have made with the Lord?
Show the picture of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies burying their swords. Ask the children if they would want to bury their weapons if they knew they were in danger of attack. The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi knew their enemies were planning to kill them, but they had made a solemn covenant with Heavenly Father that they would not fight.
Perhaps your children would enjoy burying their “weapons” like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. You could read a few verses from Alma 24:6–24 to teach the children about the promises the Anti-Nephi-Lehies made to follow the Savior. They could then think of something they will change to follow Him, write it on this week’s activity page, and pretend to dig a hole and bury their weapon. (Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Alma 23-29”)
Invite them to write, on the back of the weapons, something they feel they should change in order to follow Jesus Christ more fully. Let them pretend to bury their weapons and make a plan to act on what they wrote.
Sprinkle the salt or sand on the bottom of the box. With your finger write the word Promise in the salt or sand. Ask the children the following questions:
Have you ever made an agreement or promise with someone who broke their part of the promise? (Let the children tell how they felt when the promise was broken as you gently blow on the salt or sand to erase the word.)
What do we call a promise we make with Heavenly Father? (A covenant.)
When did we make promises to Heavenly Father? (When we were baptized.)
Remind the children that a promise should not be made lightly. Emphasize the importance of keeping your word. Write the word Covenant on the rock with a marker or crayon. Explain that a gospel covenant is a promise between Heavenly Father and his children. Blow on the rock to demonstrate that the word cannot be easily removed. As we make covenants we should remember that they are sacred, and we should be determined to keep them.
Give all the children small rocks, and invite them to write the word covenant on their rock. Explain that a covenant is a promise between Heavenly Father and His children. How do our covenants make us strong or “firm” like a rock? (Alma 24:19). Read together Alma 24:16–25 to learn what covenant the people of Ammon made and how they honored their covenant. Invite the children to take the rocks home as a reminder to keep their covenants. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 23-29”)
Explain that the covenants we make are “a testimony to God” that we want to follow God’s commandments (verse 18). What covenants have the children made?
Friend July 2020 “Funstuff: Find It!” The Anti-Nephi-Lehies promised God they would never use weapons to hurt people again. They buried their weapons in the ground as part of their promise. Find 23 weapons in the ground and 30 hearts above the ground.
Friend August 2018 “Family Night Fun” Write a bad habit on a piece of paper. “Bury” the bad habit! Tear up the paper, or bury it outside. You could even plant a flower to represent replacing a bad habit with a good one.
Friend July 2020 “My Family Night Fun”The Anti-Nephi-Lehies made a promise with God that they wouldn’t fight again. They buried their weapons in the ground (see Alma 23:7, 24:17). Take a small piece of paper and write down something you want to stop doing, like fighting or complaining. Share what you wrote, and promise to do your best to stop doing that thing. Then rip the paper into tiny pieces and bury it in the ground.
Ask the children to talk about some promises they have made, such as a promise they made to a friend or the covenants they made at baptism. Why is it sometimes difficult to keep our promises? Why is it important to keep our promises? Read the following phrase: “The Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children” (2 Nephi 6:12). Share an example of how God kept His promises, even if the blessings did not come right away.
Display a picture of Jesus next to a picture of a child. Read 2 Nephi 7:1, and explain that when God’s people stop obeying His gospel, it’s like they have “divorced” Him. Move the picture of the child away from the picture of Jesus to show that when we don’t keep our covenants, such as the covenant of baptism, we separate ourselves from Heavenly Father and the Savior. (To review the covenants of baptism, see Doctrine and Covenants 20:37.) How does the Savior’s Atonement allow us to move back closer to Him? As you discuss this, invite the children to move the pictures close together again.
The Lord Keeps His Promises, Even when They Seem Impossible.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 18–23” Even though God had promised that Sarah and Abraham were going to have a son, as they got older it seemed impossible—Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 (see Genesis 17:17). How can you use this story to help the children have faith that God will always keep His promises?
Younger Kids
Summarize God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child and the fulfillment of this promise (see Genesis 17:15–19; 18:9–14; 21:1–7). Or invite a couple in the ward to dress up as Abraham and Sarah and tell their story. Help the children understand that Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children. Ask them the question from Genesis 18:14, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” Testify that the Lord can fulfill His promises, even if they seem impossible.
Write on the chalkboard: Is anything too hard for the Lord? Invite the children to discuss this question. Or write each word from the first sentence of Genesis 18:14 on a separate piece of paper, and give one to each child. Then ask the class to put the words in the correct order. Read Genesis 18:9–14; 21:1–7 with the children to find one example from the lives of Sarah and Abraham when the Lord did something that seemed impossible. What can we learn from the experience of Sarah and Abraham that can encourage us to trust God’s promises?
“Lesson 11: Abraham and Isaac,” Primary 6: Old Testament Show the pictures The Crossing of the Red Sea, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, and Three Men in the Fiery Furnace. Briefly explain that the Lord parted the waters of the Red Sea to let Moses and the Israelites escape from the Egyptian army, he protected Daniel from a den of lions, and he kept three young men from being burned when they were cast into a fiery furnace. (Note: Do not teach these stories in detail. Tell the children that they will learn more about these stories later in the year.) Point out that these people trusted in the Lord and had faith that his will would be done. Their faith was rewarded with miracles.
Abraham and Sarah had a baby boy, just as the Lord promised. They named him Isaac. Genesis 17:9; 21:1–3
Show a picture of a baptism or of the sacrament (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 103, 104, 107, 108). Help the children learn about the promises we make with God, and what God promises in return, when we are baptized and take the sacrament. (See True to the Faith, 23–25.)
Friend February 2019 “The Baptism Covenant” Cut out and mix up these cards. Then take turns matching cards that go together. With each match, talk about that part of the baptism covenant.
Make a promise to the children that you will fulfill at the end of class (for example, that you will allow them to color a picture). Throughout class, remind them of your promise, and then fulfill it. Explain that the Lord always keeps His promises.
Ask the children to share a time when they had to wait for something that they really wanted. With the children, sing a song that testifies of God’s promises, such as “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47). Help the children identify things that God has promised us if we are faithful.
This video is going too fast during the second verse and you will need to use the pictures below during that part.
Genesis and Exodus contain many promises from the Lord, along with stories of people patiently waiting upon those promises. Jacob waits to see the blessing of becoming a great nation. Joseph waits for the Lord to help him out of prison. The children of Israel wait to be freed from the rule of Egypt.
Choose one person to be the leader and have everyone else stand across the room.
When the leader raises a hand, everyone takes steps toward him or her. When the leader puts the hand down, everyone stops. If someone is caught stepping when the leader’s hand is down, that person must go to the back of the room to start again.
The first person to reach the leader gets to be the leader for the next game.
Discussion: Read together Mormon 8:22. As you read Genesis and the following books of the Old Testament this year, take special notice of all the promises of the Lord and when they are fulfilled. Why is it important to recognize promises of the Lord in our own lives and to trust in the Lord while we wait upon those promises?
Noah and his sons are commanded to multiply and fill the earth—They are given dominion over all forms of life—The death penalty is decreed for murder—God will not again destroy the earth by a flood—Canaan is cursed; Shem and Japheth are blessed.
It is important for children to know that God keeps His promises, especially as they prepare to make covenants with Him when they are baptized.
Invite the children to draw pictures of rainbows. Read to them Genesis 9:15–16, and ask them to listen for the word remember. Invite them to hold up their rainbows when they hear the word. Explain that rainbows are reminders of the promises God has made to us.
Talk with the children about some of God’s promises—for example, that we can return to Heavenly Father if we follow Jesus Christ or that God will send the Holy Ghost to comfort us. Bear your testimony that God always keeps His promises.
Use pictures to tell the children about covenants we make with God, such as pictures of a child being baptized, the sacrament, and a temple (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 104, 108, 120).
When we are baptized, we make covenants with God to obey His commandments. In Genesis 9:15–17, the rainbow is identified as a reminder of God’s covenant. These verses can inspire the children to seek ways to remember their covenants with God.
Show the children something you have that reminds you of something important in your life, such as a wedding ring, a picture, or a journal. Let the children share their own examples. Read together Genesis 9:15–17 (see also Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 9:21–25 [in the Bible appendix]). What does Heavenly Father want us to think about when we see a rainbow?
Remind the children of the covenants they made when they were baptized and that they renew each time they take the sacrament (see Mosiah 18:8–10; Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79). Let the children draw or create something to remind them of their covenants.
Young children might enjoy drawing or coloring a rainbow while you talk about what it represents (see also Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 9:21–25 [in the Bible appendix]). You might also discuss things that help us remember our covenants, such as the sacrament, which helps us remember our baptismal covenant to follow Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:75–79).
We Need to Remember Our Covenants.
Tokens or symbols help us remember our covenants with the Lord.
Gospel covenants can be represented by a sign, symbol, or “token” (Genesis 9:12). For example, think about how the bread and water of the sacrament or the waters of baptism bring to mind sacred truths related to your covenants. According to Genesis 9:8–17, what can a rainbow bring to your mind? What does Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 9:21–25 (in the Bible appendix) add to your understanding? Why does the Lord want you to remember Him and the covenants you have made?
Story: God told the prophet Noah to build a large boat called an ark. When there was a big flood, Noah, his family, and the animals stayed in the ark while it floated on the water, and they were safe. Today, we can stay safe by following the prophet.
Song: Verse three of “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, 110–11)
Activity: Fill a bowl with water. Take turns putting leaves, rocks, and other waterproof items in the water. Do they float or sink? Whenever something floats, say something you can do to follow tfrihe prophet.
“Keeping My Promise” (August 1998 Liahona and Friend) Includes activity to look up scriptures about the signs of a covenant and then draw a line to the picture that represents the scripture. Then color the pictures.
As part of the gathering to Ohio, a group of Saints led by Newel Knight arrived from Colesville, New York, and needed a place to live. Leman Copley had a large farm near Kirtland, and he covenanted to allow the Saints to settle on his land. However, soon after they started settling there, Copley wavered in his faith, broke his covenant, and evicted the Saints from his property. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 51–57”
Help the children consider how the Saints might have felt when Leman broke his promise. Even though our covenants are personal, our faithfulness in keeping them can affect the lives of others.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 54:6 to learn about a blessing the Lord gives to those who keep their covenants.
Cut a paper heart in half, and give each half to two different children. Ask them to hold up their halves together to make a whole heart. Let other children take turns holding up part of the heart. Help the children compare this to the promises or covenants we make with God. God will always hold up His side of the covenant if we hold up ours.
Remind the children of the covenants they made (or will make) when they were baptized (see Mosiah 18:8–10). Help them think of ways they are keeping (or will keep) these covenants, and help them see how this will prepare them to make additional covenants in the future.
Tell the following story about how Darren and Bryon were covenant keepers and then tell ways you have seen each child keep or prepare to keep baptismal covenants. Print the “Covenant Keeper” badges and give one to each child.
Friend May 2017 “Cracking the Code” Darren and Byron crack the code to notes left in their beds that represent the words “Covenant Keepers.” At FHE they learn ways they have been covenant keepers.
“The gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 31:17).
And beyond the gate? What does Christ give us access to? Nephi said:
“Then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:18).
We come unto the Savior and enter this path through:
Faith in Him.
Repentance.
Ordinances and covenants.
Obedience.
Enduring to the end.
Eternal life is what Jesus Christ ultimately gives us access to. But there are also many blessings He opens up for us in this life, while we are on the path.
Ask the children what a covenant is (if they need help, suggest that they find a definition in “Covenant” in the Guide to the Scriptures [scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org]). Draw a two-column chart on the board with these headings: Israelites’ promises and God’s promises. Invite the children to search Deuteronomy 30:8–10 and fill in the chart. (If necessary, help the children understand the meanings of phrases in verse 9.) Testify of blessings that have come to you from keeping your covenants.
Invite the children to list on the board the promises we make at baptism and the promises Heavenly Father makes to us (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:37, 77). What can we do to always remember the Savior and keep our covenants?
Ponder how you can help the children you teach “be more careful … in observing [their] vows,” or covenants. How will doing this bless them now and in the future?
Invite the children to do something that requires careful attention to be successful, such as trying to fill a cup with water without spilling it over. What happens when we are not careful? Invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 108:3 and discover what Lyman Sherman was asked to do carefully. List with the children the promises they make with Heavenly Father when they are baptized and partake of the sacrament. Help them think of ways they can be careful about observing these promises.
Sing a song with the children about keeping covenants, such as “I Will Be Valiant” (Children’s Songbook, 162). Help them make a sign with a phrase from the song that reminds them to keep their covenants, and encourage them to display their sign at home.
Give the children portions of Sister Becky Craven’s talk “Careful versus Casual” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 9–11), and ask them to share something that inspires them to be more careful about living their covenants.
Invite the children to do something that requires careful attention to be successful, such as trying to fill a cup with water without spilling it over. What happens when we are not careful? Invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 108:3 and discover what Lyman Sherman was asked to do carefully. List with the children the promises they make with Heavenly Father when they are baptized and partake of the sacrament. Help them think of ways they can be careful about observing these promises.
Sing a song with the children about keeping covenants, such as “I Will Be Valiant” (Children’s Songbook, 162). Help them make a sign with a phrase from the song that reminds them to keep their covenants, and encourage them to display their sign at home.
Give the children portions of Sister Becky Craven’s talk “Careful versus Casual” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 9–11), and ask them to share something that inspires them to be more careful about living their covenants.
Friend February 2019 “The Baptism Covenant” Cut out and mix up these cards. Then take turns matching cards that go together. With each match, talk about that part of the baptism covenant.
Friend September 2021 “Trying to Help Like Jesus” The prophet said the Lord loves effort, so Emilie tries hard to follow Jesus. She helps her mom and brothers, she prays for others, she tries to set good examples, and she tries to do the things she learns at church.
Friend November 2024 “Connected by Covenants” Covenants link us to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. By keeping our covenants, we can receive heavenly help and strength. Make a chain of links to remind you of your baptismal covenant!
1. One day I’ll be baptized, and I’m happy as can be. I want to follow Jesus and feel God’s love for me. I know when I’m baptized, I will promise to be true: To choose the right and share His light until my journey’s through.
2. When I am baptized, I will join the Father’s fold. This special cov’nant I’ll make with promises to hold. I will be happy as I feel my faith increase. By serving others willingly, I’ll know the Savior’s peace.
3. After I’m baptized, I will heed the still, small voice. The Holy Ghost will help me to make a better choice. When I’m not perfect, I know I can repent; With faith in Christ’s Atonement, I’ll take the sacrament.
Chorus: Baptism is the first step along the cov’nant path That leads to Heavenly Father and all the Father hath. I’ll take upon me the name of Christ, I’ll follow in His way, By keeping His commandments as I go throughout each day.
Do your family members’ names have special meaning? Maybe you could talk about why names are important and what it means to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 5:7). This could be a good opportunity to help family members prepare to take Christ’s name upon themselves when they are baptized.
Friend April 1988 “A Name to Live up to” Jenny is sad that she isn’t named after someone whom she could try to be like–someone who did great deeds–but she is reminded that she took on the name of Jesus when she was baptized.
Talk to the children about why people put their names on things, such as school assignments, sports jerseys, and so on (see Mosiah 5:14–15). How can we show that we have Christ’s name “written always in [our] hearts”? (Mosiah 5:12).
1. Jesus loved His Heavenly Father And obeyed Him perfectly, Joining John in Jordan’s water, Baptized by authority. He showed the way; I’ll follow Him From the water to my heav’nly home again.
2. When I’m baptized by immersion, I commit to be like Him, Love and comfort those in need and Stand for Christ wherever I am. The Holy Ghost will guide my way As I try to honor my Savior every day.
3. After I have made this promise, I’ll continue faithfully On the path of cov’nant keeping, Seeking greater light and peace. Repenting and remembering Him Through the sacrament, I can feel washed clean again.
Your children might enjoy creating badges displaying the name “Jesus Christ” and wearing them over their hearts (see this week’s activity page). While they do so, you could read to them Mosiah 5:12 and talk about how making covenants, or promises, with God is like having the name of Christ “written always in [our] hearts.”
Ask the children what they would do to become friends with someone (for example, talk with them, do things with them, and spend time with them). Read Mosiah 5:13 to the children. What can we do to come to know Jesus Christ better so He’s not a “stranger” to us?
Draw a circle on the board, and place a picture of Jesus Christ in the center of the circle. Invite the children to draw pictures of themselves as you read Mosiah 5:8 together. What does this verse say we should take upon ourselves? What have we “entered into”? Invite the children to write Christ’s name on the pictures of themselves and place the pictures in the circle with the Savior. What covenants do we make when we are baptized and take the sacrament? (see Mosiah 18:8–9; Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79).
Talk to the children about why people put their names on things, such as school assignments, sports jerseys, and so on (see Mosiah 5:14–15). How can we show that we have Christ’s name “written always in [our] hearts”? (Mosiah 5:12).
What does taking the name of Christ upon us suggest about our relationship with Him? It might help to talk about why people sometimes write their names on their belongings. How can we show that we “belong” to the Savior?
Friend April 1988 “A Name to Live up to” Jenny is sad that she isn’t named after someone whom she could try to be like–someone who did great deeds–but she is reminded that she took on the name of Jesus when she was baptized.
Explain that when we are born into a family, we take upon ourselves a family name. This name may represent many important things, such as our heritage, our beliefs, the way we do things, and so on. When we are baptized, we become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. When we take the name of Jesus Christ upon us, we are declaring our belief in him and our willingness to follow his teachings. Explain that King Benjamin was a prophet who taught the importance of taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.
Show a picture of a child being baptized (such as Gospel Art Book, no. 104). Ask the children what the child is doing. Explain that when we are baptized, we make covenants, or promises. Read Galatians 6:2 or Mosiah 18:8 to help the children learn one of the things we promise to do: bear one another’s burdens. Invite the children to draw pictures of ways they can help others who are carrying burdens. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians” )
Friend May 2020 “Ali’s Head Start” Ali learns that when she is baptized she will be covenanting (promising) to bear one another’s burdens, (or in other words, she will be promising to help those who are going through a hard time). Ali decides to get a head start on her covenants when she sees children without hair as she walked through the hospital to go visit a friend. She decides to donate some of her long hair so those children can have wigs.
Read to the children this phrase from Galatians 6:2: “Bear ye one another’s burdens.” To illustrate what this means, give one of the children something heavy to carry. Then ask for a volunteer to help the child carry the object. Explain to the children that many things can feel like a burden, such as being sick or feeling sad or lonely. What could we do to help a person with this kind of burden? (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians”)
Show the children some things that provide comfort, such as a blanket or bandage. Ask the children what comforts them when they are sad or afraid or have other problems. Read 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 with the children, and explain that “tribulation” is another word for really hard problems. Share some ways Heavenly Father has comforted you, and testify that He will comfort the children as well. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “2 Corinthians 1-7” )
Friend March 2019 “Missing Mom and Dad” Dylan’s mom and dad were going on a trip, and he was going to stay with his grandparents. He loved staying with his grandparents, but for some reason he was scared about being away from his mom and dad for so long. He decided to pray for help, and he received comforting thoughts and feelings.
Heavenly Father comforts me, and I can comfort others. (Sr)
We all experience heartache and sorrow, setbacks and obstacles, and discomfort and sickness. When the people of Corinth experienced hardship, Paul wrote to Church members there to offer continued support and counsel. He testified of the comfort and peace available to them through Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 1:3–4). This lesson can help you to understand some of the ways God provides comfort to His children and to identify ways in which you can share His comfort with others. (New Testament Seminary Student Manual (2023) “2 Corinthians 1; 4”)
As you read 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, ask the children to listen for an answer to the question “What does God do for us?” Help the children list ways in which God comforts us. Invite the children to share experiences when they were sad or worried or afraid and God comforted them. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “2 Corinthians 1-7” )
He gives us thoughts in our mind and feelings in our heart through the Holy Ghost.
A feeling that Heavenly Father and Jesus loves us.
A feeling of comfort when we are sad or lonely
A good feeling when we hear beautiful music or see inspiring art
A peaceful feeling that everything is going to be okay.
He also sends people to help and comfort us.
God’s words, such as in the Scriptures, can also touch our hearts and help comfort us.
Friend May 2025 “Confidence before God” Russel M. Nelson “When we make and keep covenants, we can have confidence from the Holy Ghost. We can have confidence that Heavenly Father hears us and loves us more than we can understand. We can have confidence that He wants to help us reach our highest potential. Charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God! Charity is Christlike love. Virtue is goodness and purity (Read the rest of the address at the link and then answer the questions below.)
Soon after Emma Smith was baptized, the Lord told her, “Cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.”
Read Doctrine and Covenants 25:13 to the children. Explain that the word “cleave” in this verse means to hold tightly to something. To help them understand, pass something solid, like a rock (or even an iron rod), around the room and invite the children to hold the object as tightly as they can. Explain that cleaving to our covenants means holding on to (or keeping) the promises we make with Heavenly Father and never letting go (or never giving up). (Or to illustrate, pass around objects that are firmly fastened together and let the children try to tear them apart. Why is the word “cleave” a good word to describe how we should feel about our covenants?) Use this week’s activity page to teach the children about the times when we make covenants with Heavenly Father. (Or if needed, review with the children the covenants we make when we are baptized (see Mosiah 18:8–10; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37). What does it mean to “cleave” to these covenants?) Read Doctrine and Covenants 25:15, and explain that the “crown of righteousness” represents the blessing of returning to live with God, our Heavenly King.
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”
Pick a color for each of the numbers and color in the circles. Then try at least one activity from each number. When you’re done, color the shapes that have that number.
Friend May 2024 “A Chat with Isabela about Covenants” Isabela keeps her covenants by repenting and taking the sacrament each week. She also serves in a calling in her Young Women’s class, and tries to take it seriously. She also keeps her covenants by serving others.
Fear of Persecution/ Peer Pressure
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.
Repentance is Part of Keeping Baptismal Covenants
Friend March 2023 “Keeping His Promise” Happiness was excited to make his baptismal covenants. After his baptism he felt so good inside! He wanted to feel this clean and happy forever. He never wanted to make a wrong choice again. But a few days later he told a lie to his father and felt bad felt bad for breaking his baptismal promise. He told his father what he had done. He father forgave him and told him, “When you were baptized, you didn’t promise to be perfect. You promised to try hard to follow Jesus. When we repent, Heavenly Father forgives us. Then we can be just as clean as we were the day we were baptized. Repenting is part of keeping your baptism promise.”
Ever since he was a boy, Joseph Smith faced critics—even enemies—as he tried to do God’s work. But it must have been particularly heartrending in late 1831 when Ezra Booth began publicly berating the Church, because in this case the critic was a former believer. Ezra had seen Joseph use God’s power to heal a woman. He had been invited to accompany Joseph on the first survey of the land of Zion in Missouri. But he had since lost his faith and, in an attempt to discredit the Prophet, published a series of letters in an Ohio newspaper. And his efforts seemed to be working: “unfriendly feelings … had developed against the Church” in the area (Doctrine and Covenants 71, section heading). What should believers do in a case like that? While there is not one right answer for every situation, it seems that quite often—including in this case in 1831—part of the Lord’s answer is to defend the truth and correct falsehoods by “proclaiming [the] gospel” (verse 1). Yes, the Lord’s work will always have critics, but in the end, “no weapon that is formed against [it] shall prosper” (verse 9). (See “Ezra Booth and Isaac Morley,” Revelations in Context, 134.)
You can use the section heading for Doctrine and Covenants 71 or “Chapter 25: Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon Go on a Mission” (in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 96, or the corresponding video in Gospel Library) to teach your children about the circumstances that inspired section 71. Then help them discover in verse 1 what the Lord wanted Joseph and Sidney to do about “unfriendly feelings” toward the Church. How did He say He would help them? How can we be like Joseph and Sidney? What did He say they would be given to help them?
The Lord does not expect children to respond to critics of the Church as He called Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to do. But you can help the children understand that their simple testimony of the truth can have a powerful effect on others.
Friend February 2022 “Jesus Shared the Truth” One day, Jesus visited the town where He grew up. He spoke to the people there. He told them that He was the Savior. The people didn’t believe Him. They were angry. But Jesus knew what He said was true. He wasn’t afraid. He always shared the truth.
Invite the children to practice in pairs how to share with others what they know about the Church. For example, they can share a simple testimony or share one of the Articles of Faith.
Explain that in 1831 the Lord called the bishop of the Church, Edward Partridge, to move from Kirtland, Ohio, to be the bishop in Independence, Missouri. Read Doctrine and Covenants 72:8 with the children, and ask them to listen for who the Lord called to serve as the new bishop in Kirtland. Why does the Lord call bishops? Share with the children an experience when you were blessed by the service of a bishop.
You and your children could find pictures or objects that represent the responsibilities of a bishop. The picture and activity page at the end of this outline provide some ideas. Then you could talk together about bishops you’ve known and how the Lord has blessed your family through their service.
“A Day with the Bishop” (August 1990 Liahona and July 1989 Friend) Explains some of the things a bishop does. Includes an activity.
Take the children on a walk to the bishop’s office (you may want to coordinate with other teachers). Describe for them some situations when they might meet with the bishop in his office (such as a baptismal interview or tithing settlement). Tell the children how you have been blessed by the bishop’s service.
Help the children make cards to give to the bishop, thanking him for what he does to help with the Lord’s work.
Sing “Teach Me to Walk in the Light” (Children’s Songbook,177).
Jesus taught that His Church should have bishops to lead and help the members (see Doctrine and Covenants 72:2).
Say thanks to your bishop or branch president by doing something kind. You could write him nice notes or bring him a treat. You could even do your plan without letting him know who did it!
What can you do to help the children see the bishop as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ? (Always teach about Jesus Christ. “No matter what you are teaching, remember that you are really teaching about Jesus Christ and how to become like Him” For example, when you teach your children about bishops, emphasize that they are representatives of Jesus Christ, called by Him to do His work (see 1 Peter 2:25).
Invite the children to make a list of some of the things they have seen the bishop do to help people in the ward. Ask the children to draw pictures of the bishop doing something they mentioned. Bear your testimony that your bishop was called by the Lord to be His servant. Why are we grateful that the Lord has called a bishop in our ward?
“Bishop, Help!” (April 2004 Friend) Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches us about the special calling of a bishop.
Section 73
The Lord Commanded Joseph Smith to Restore Precious Truths that were Lost from the Bible.
As part of his calling as the prophet, Joseph Smith was commanded by the Lord to make inspired revisions to the Bible. These revisions, which the Lord called a “translation” (Doctrine and Covenants 90:13), restored important truths that had been lost or removed from the Bible over the centuries.
Explain that when Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon returned from a short mission near Kirtland, Ohio, the Lord wanted them to resume work on an important project. Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 73:3 to find out what that project was. To help the children understand what the Lord wanted Joseph and Sidney to translate, read with them parts of the Bible Dictionary entry “Joseph Smith Translation (JST).”
Pass around a copy of the Bible, and allow the children to open it and see how many pages are in it. Invite the children to imagine they were asked to translate the Bible into another language. What are the chances they might make some mistakes? Explain that when people translated or copied the Bible before Joseph Smith’s time, they made some mistakes, and sometimes they removed important truths. The Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph Smith to make inspired corrections. Why is Joseph Smith’s work valuable to us? (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 71–75”)
To talk about the difference between being “idle” and “labor[ing] with [our] might,” perhaps you could select some acts of service or household chores and invite your children to demonstrate doing them idly and then with all their might. As you read “neither be idle” in Doctrine and Covenants 75:3, your children could show how they would do the chores lazily. When you read “but labor with your might,” they could show how they work hard. Why is it important that we do our best when serving the Lord?
The Red Crystal Cut out the cards and lay them face down. Attach the two faces to a large coin or a large button. Let the child/ren pick a card and flip the coin. They can then act out the chore “lazily” or “hard working” depending on what they flipped.
In his message “Two Principles for Any Economy” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 55–58), President Dieter F. Uchtdorf told two stories about work. Maybe you could share them with your children and talk about how it feels to know we have worked hard and done our best.
What words and phrases do you find in Doctrine and Covenants 75:1–12 that help you understand how to preach the gospel effectively? (See verses 4, 10, 11) What blessings does the Lord promise to faithful missionaries? (See verses 5, 13, 16.)
