The words of Lehi’s seed (his descendants) speaking from “low out of the dust” with a “familiar spirit” and being “sealed up in a book” (2 Nephi 26:14–17; see also Isaiah 29:4).
What does voices from the dust mean? The prophets who wrote the Book of Mormon are long gone and their bodies have turned to dust, but we hear their words by reading the Book of Mormon.
Read 2 Nephi 27:25–26, looking for what the Lord promised He would do. Nephi prophesied that the Book of Mormon would come forth to help with the problems of the last days (see 2 Nephi 27:6).
President Russell M. Nelson stated that this “marvelous work would include the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the gospel” (“Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 46).
Nephi also wrote that God would allow a few witnesses to behold the plates the Book of Mormon was translated from and to testify of the truthfulness of the book to the world (see 2 Nephi 27:12–14). Nephi then shared a prophecy about some of the details related to the translation of the Book of Mormon.
Church History Topics “Martin Harris’s Consultations with Scholars” This article tells the story and has pictures of Martin Harris and Professor Anthon.
What did Professor Anthon say when Martin Harris first showed him a copy of some of the Book of Mormon writings? (JS—H 1:64.) Why do you think Professor Anthon tore up the certificate when he learned that an angel had shown Joseph Smith where to find the gold plates? (JS—H 1:65.
Why do you think the Lord used Joseph Smith, who was an unlearned man, to bring forth the Book of Mormon?
Emma Smith (1804–1879), the wife of the Prophet, testified of the divine assistance Joseph received in his translation of the Book of Mormon:
Joseph Smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictat[e] a book like the Book of Mormon. And, though I was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, … it is marvelous to me, “a marvel and a wonder.” …
My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticity—I have not the slightest doubt of it. … It would have been improbable that a learned man could do this; and, for one so ignorant and unlearned as he was, it was simply impossible. (Emma Smith, in “Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” The Saints’ Herald, Oct. 1, 1879, 290)
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “2 Nephi 26-30” Explain that because of Heavenly Father’s great love for us, he has given us a gift to help us achieve eternal life (the kind of life Heavenly Father has).Show the children a Book of Mormon wrapped as a gift, and tell them that something valuable is inside. Let them hold the gift, and give clues to help them guess what it is; for example, it’s something the Lord has given us, it helps us believe in Jesus Christ, and so on. Read from 2 Nephi 30:6: “It is a blessing unto them from the hand of God.” Let the children open the gift, and then explain that we must open the Book of Mormon and read it to receive the blessings it contains.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “2 Nephi 26-30” Read 2 Nephi 28:2 to the children. Explain that Nephi saw that the Book of Mormon would “be of great worth” to us, which means that it will help and bless us. Tell the children why the Book of Mormon is of great worth to you. Share your favorite verse or story from the Book of Mormon, and invite the children to share theirs. Show pictures from the Gospel Art Book to give them ideas.
Friend February 2012 “The Book of Mormon: Our True Guide” President Henry B. Eyring teaches how the Book of Mormon is our guide to return home. The article includes a simple maze activity.
For they were the very vilest of sinners.(Mosiah 28:4) But Alma 48:17-18 talks about these men and the changes they had made.
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.
Friend January 2020 “Book of Mormon Videos: Behind the Scenes” In 2019 the church made Book of Mormon videos to go with Come Follow Me: Book of Mormon 2020. This image shows how they made some of the videos.
Elder Rasband told about how the prophet gave a copy of the Book of Mormon to a king in Ghana. Together, President Nelson and the king read about Jesus Christ in 3 Nephi 11. The king said the book was more valuable than diamonds or rubies because it taught him more about Jesus.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “1 Nephi 11-15” To help your children value the “plain and precious” truths in the Book of Mormon, you could draw a picture and invite your children to change or remove parts of the picture to make it look different. You could use this to teach that things in the Bible were changed and taken out over time. Read together 1 Nephi 13:40 and talk about how the Book of Mormon (“these last records”) helps us understand the “plain and precious things” that were lost from the Bible (the “first” records). What “plain and precious” truths have you learned from the Book of Mormon?
Nephi saw that many Plain and Precious Things would be Removed from Bible
Draw a picture on the board, and invite the children to change or remove parts of the picture to make it look different. Help them understand that, like this picture, some things in the Bible were changed and taken out over time. Read parts of 1 Nephi 13:40 that teach how the Book of Mormon (which Nephi calls “these last records”) helps us understand the “plain and precious things” that were lost from the Bible.
Book of Mormon Seminary Student Manual (2024) A bicycle is a simple and effective form of transportation. Cycling can also be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. What are some of the essential parts that allow a person to operate a bicycle safely and effectively? Imagine you owned a bicycle and someone intentionally removed certain essential parts from it.
What might those actions indicate about his or her feelings toward you?
What could happen if you attempted to operate the bicycle with missing parts?
Who might you contact to repair and restore your bicycle to function properly?
In a similar way, Satan has sought to harm and confuse God’s children by removing and changing important parts of Jesus Christ’s gospel. As you study 1 Nephi 13, look for what the Savior has done to help us overcome Satan’s obstacles.
The video “The Book of Mormon—a Book from God” (Gospel Library) could help your children see why it’s important to have both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Children might enjoy re-creating the illustration from the video. (watch to 5:41)
Why is it helpful to have more than one witness? Draw a dot on the board, label it Bible, and invite each child to draw a different straight line passing through the dot to illustrate that teachings in the Bible can be interpreted many ways when the Bible stands alone. Erase the lines, and draw a second dot labeled Book of Mormon. Invite a child to draw a straight line that passes through both dots to show that there is only one way to interpret the gospel when the Bible and Book of Mormon are used together.
Friend February 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Scripture Teamwork” The Book of Mormon and the Bible work together to teach us about Jesus Christ (see 2 Nephi 3:12). Play a game about working together! Have one person crumple up pieces of paper into balls and throw them in a bowl. Have another person try to stop the papers from going in. Now try it with two people throwing papers. Which time was it easier to get papers in the bowl?
Read 1 Nephi 13:26–29 together, and invite the children to look for what happens when people do not have the “plain and precious” truths of the gospel. How did the Lord restore truths that had been lost? (see verses 35–36, 40). Invite the children to share their testimonies of truths they have learned from the Book of Mormon, or share your own.
Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History “Lesson 20: Joseph Smith Translates the Bible and Other Scriptures,” (See more at link) Have the children stand in a line. Whisper the two- or three-sentence message into the ear of the first child in line. Have each child in turn whisper the message to the next child. Instruct each child to say the message only once. Continue until the message reaches the last child in line. Ask the last child to repeat the message aloud. Compare the message the last child received with the original message to see how the message changed.
How had the message changed by the time it reached the end of the line? What was left out? What was added?
Why do you think the message changed as it passed from person to person?
Explain to the children that just as their message changed as it was passed from person to person, over many years some of the scriptures in the Bible had been changed as people translated the Bible and made copies of it by hand. Mistakes were made: some incorrect teachings had been added to the Bible, and some important teachings had been left out. (see Articles of Faith 1:8).
Watch the following video until 3.12
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “1 Nephi 11-15 Hide around the room pictures representing gospel truths that are clarified in the Book of Mormon, such as baptism, the sacrament, and resurrection. Invite the children to find these pictures. Explain that the Book of Mormon brought back gospel truths that had been lost (during the apostasy).
Help the children memorize the eighth article of faith. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Print the word strips onto heavy paper. Cut them out and fold each one in half so the words are hidden. Label each with its correct number.
Draw on the board a large paper doll shape.
Presentation
Explain that the second verse of the song tells of additional blessings Heavenly Father has given us, and the children are going to draw them on the board as they do an activity to help them learn the verse.
Have a volunteer come up. Give the child the first folded word strip that says “Eyes”. Tell the child to draw it where it goes on the doll figure. Explain to the children that they are going to guess what the person is drawing. Give the child a time limit to draw the item. When the time is up have them choose someone to tell what the item is. When the correct guess is made explain that the first words in the second verse are “He gave me my eyes that I might see.”
Have another volunteer come up. Give that child the slip of paper that says “Butterfly (with colorful wings)”. Have them draw it next to the doll shape. When the correct guess is made, tell the words that go with this part. “the color of butterfly wings”. Have the children sing these first two parts.
Do the same thing with each word, going in order. Be sure to tell the song words that go with each item, and sing the lines after every few that are introduced. When you come to the word “body” have the child draw around the outline of the doll figure, or draw arrows pointing to the doll figure. When the correct word is guessed explain that the words that go with this are “He gave me my life”.
For the words “brain” and “heart” have them draw those items where they go on the doll figure. For the word “prayer” have the child erase the arms and redraw them folded (if that doesn’t work have the child draw the eyes closed or the knees bended.)
For the word “creations” you may need two or three children to draw. Have them draw the items around the doll figure. (You can put a smile on the doll when you mention the words “of which I’m a part.”)
For the word “love”, have the child draw a huge heart around the doll figure. The heart is for the words “Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.”
After all the lines have been introduced, have the children sing the whole verse. Point to the items as each part is sung. Then have the children begin to memorize the verse by erasing items on the board each time they sing the song.
Friend June 1987 A boy is given the assignment to move a rock. He tries everything except asking his father for help.
Friend April 2024 “The Prayer Question” Xóchitl wondered why we need to pray and what would happen if she stopped praying. She decided to try it. Weeks then months went by and she didn’t feel any different. When summer was about done and school was about to start, she realized she was feeling scared to go. Then she remembered her parents taught her that she could pray for help and comfort. She tried praying for several nights but didn’t feel any different. Then she started telling Heavenly Father her feelings. She felt a strong feeling of peace wrap around her. So this is why we pray, she thought. To feel Heavenly Father’s love. It was an amazing feeling. For all those months she didn’t pray, she had been missing out on that feeling.
Friend June 2016 “Caleb’s Bedtime Prayer” Caleb learns what to pray for.
Pray for Our Leaders
Friend March 2019 “Prayer Power” Lucy and her family hear a talk by President Eyring about supporting their leaders and praying for them. They all decide to pray for their branch presidency. In the next sacrament meeting the branch president thanked everyone for their prayers and said they could feel strength from them.
Friend July 2018 “Arturo’s Family Prayer” Arturo’s dad asks the family members what they need help with before saying the family prayer. He then prays for those things.
Friend November 2017 “Even if You Can’t See Him” Allie feels like she’s is talking to an empty room when she says her prayers. Her Primary teacher uses an object lesson to help her see that Heavenly Father is there even if we don’t see him.
Heavenly Father Loves Us
Friend March 2018 “Heavenly Father Listens” Parents love us and are interested in our lives and so is Heavenly Father. He always listens when we pray but answers our prayers in different ways. Elder Clayton felt the love of God as a teen when he prayed about some worries. (Activity page included: Find the hearts in the room of the girl who is praying.)
Answers to Prayer
Peace
Friend November 2019 “Please Bless Ace” Zach’s dog, Ace, has to have surgery and Zach is worried about him. Zach prays that Ace will live. After his pray, Zach felt the worried feeling leave. He remembered that peace throughout the day. When he got home, he found out that his dog was okay. The family gave Ace extra care that week. Then Ace got sick again and he died. Zach had wanted Ace to live, but he was glad he had been given extra time to spend with him and show Ace how much he loved him.
Friend November 2023 “Someone Who Understands” Blair is embarrassed because she can’t go play at a friends like she said she would because she doesn’t feel good. She has Crohn’s disease and feels sick a lot. She prayed and told Heavenly Father how she was feeling. During the prayer she felt like she was getting a hug, and then the thought came into her mind that other’s may not understand what she is going through but Heavenly Father and Jesus do.
Thoughts that come to Mind (Still, Small Voice)
Friend February 2020 “Riding to the Rescue” When their cow herder friend Marcus gets hurt while they are out on the range, Sterling and Glen don’t know what to do. Sterling steps behind a pile of rocks and says a prayer and asks for help. The words “ride north” come into his mind. He listens and is able to find a truck with sheepherders that can take Marcus to a hospital.
Friend February 2020 “Show and Tell” On our way driving home from a swim meet, it was dark and snowing. My mom was worried and asked us to pray. I remembered how Jesus taught us to pray when we need help. So I bowed my head and closed my eyes to pray to get home safely. After I prayed and opened my eyes, I felt a warm feeling in my heart. Then I heard a still, small voice whisper, “Everything will be all right.” Peichi C., age 10, Massachusetts, USA
Friend February 2020 “Brave on the Bus” Some kids were using bad language on the bus and it made Natalie and her friends feel uncomfortable. Natalie said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to please make them stop. The thought came to her to talk to the bus driver. She listened, and the bus driver helped fix the situation.
Friend November 2023 “Felipe Finds the Way” Felipe and his mother were lost in the jungle forest. Felipe said a prayer and asked for help. A thought came to his mind to look for coconut trees because that was where villages are.
Not in the Way Expected
Friend July 2020 “Prayers and Planes” Vern prayed every night for a model plane, but it never arrived. He decided to build one himself from an old wood box he found. He realized later that his prayer had been answered, just not the way he expected. Heavenly Father helped him figure out how to build his own. When he grew up, he fixed and flew planes for a living. (After reading the story, have everyone make paper airplanes and fly them outside.)
Friend November 2019 “A Prayer in the Fog” When the fog becomes so thick that it is hard to see the lines on the road, Henry says a prayer asking Heavenly Father to make the fog go away so they could be safe. When he opened his eyes the fog was still there. But just then, the lights along the freeway came on. They were able to follow the lights and find their way home. Henry thanked Heavenly Father for helping them be safe.
Answered in Lord’s Time and Way
Friend September 2019 “The Diabetes Dilemma” Joe prayed that his sister didn’t have diabetes. When they found out she did have diabetes, he was devastated. He didn’t understand why Heavenly Father didn’t answer his prayer. His mom explained that answers to prayers don’t always happen the way we want. Sometimes, instead of taking something hard away, He answers by giving us peace and helping us be strong. Joe then realizes that Heavenly Father was blessing his sister and family with peace.
Friend September 2019
Friend September 2019
Friend September 2019
Friend March 2019 “Faith and Raindrops” A girl has faith that her prayer for rain will be answered, but she learns that we also need to have faith in God’s timing.
Friend September 2017 “Bear Cave” Ben prays for angels help when he becomes afraid in his new room in the basement. He feels like his prayer isn’t being answered, but then his mom shows up. She felt the Spirit telling her to check on Ben.
Friend October 2016 “The Loose Tooth Test” Tessa says a prayer that her loose tooth that is bothering her will fall out. Tessa learns that sometimes the answer is to wait.
Friend October 2016
Friend January 2017 “Don’t Forget to Pray for Erik” Kari doesn’t understand why Heavenly Father hasn’t answered their many family prayers for Erik to come back to the gospel.
Heavenly Father Sometimes Uses Others to Help Answer Prayers
Friend October 2019 “The Little Red Harmonica” Katie uses her music points to get two harmonicas. She gives one to her little brother. She loved seeing how happy it made him, but then he became devastated when he lost it. Kaity helped him look for it, but no luck. Ryan says a prayer asking for help in finding it, but still no luck. Katie prays for her brother and an idea comes to her. She gives her harmonica to him. Katie told Ryan that Heavenly Father was letting her help him answer Ryan’s prayer.
Listening to Answers
Friend November 2017 “Prayers and Pumpkins” Rachel loses her family during a pumpkin walk in Nauvoo. She prays for help and is inspired to talk to a missionary couple. The couple she finds turns out to be Elder Perry and his wife, and they helped her find her family.
Praying for Others
Friend September 2020 “A Cup of Warm Water” Minjun’s friend Jungmin was getting baptized, but the water heater wasn’t working in the font and it was ice cold in the winter. Minjun prayed to know how to help his friend. The idea came to fill hot water in a bowl and a cup in the kitchen. Pretty soon everyone was helping, and his friend was able to be baptized.
Friend March 2020 “Praying for Uncle Dan” At bedtime Isabelle’s family prayed together. They always started by talking about people who might need extra blessings. This time dad asked them to pray for Uncle Dan who had lost his job. Every day they prayed for him, and eventually he started making progress in finding a new job.
Friend March 2020
Friend March 2020
Friend March 2020
Friend March 2020
Friend September 2019 “Praying Like Alma” Joplin got hit by a tornado and Isaac wants to go help, but he’s too young. While learning about Alma’s prayer for his son, Isaac got the idea to pray for the people of Joplin. He said prayers for them everyday.
Praying for Help
(Also see adversity stories)
Friend April 2024 “Lions in the Woods” When Elder Kyle S. McKay was young, he and his brother got lost in the woods and he imagined there were lions in the bushes. They prayed, and their father found them. He told them, “We need to pray again to thank Heavenly Father for His help.” This time Elder Mckay closed his eyes and wasn’t afraid of lions.
Friend April 2024 “Road-Trip Trouble” As Emma’s family travelled in their camper van to Italy for a vacation, they got a a flat tire. They prayed about what they should do and felt the Holy Ghost guiding them. They prayed again to find a replacement tire and the Lord helped them.
Friend January 2024 “Papa’s Perfect Party” Alex wanted his grandfather’s birthday party to be special, but the weather turned bad and he was worried. He said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to bless the rain to go away in time for the party. In a few hours, all the clouds were gone! They were able to have the party. As soon as the party was over the clouds and rain returned.
Friend March 2023 “Just Lillian” Lillian was excited to go into Young Women’s, but then she learned she would be the only one in there, her and the teachers. She prayed for help, and her prayers were answered when her mom said that her young women’s leader was her best friend. Maybe that would happen for her too. And then a new girl moved into the ward too.
Friend March 2023 “The Earthquake Prayer” Violet woke up when she felt an earthquake. She and her family ran to the kitchen and crawled under the table. They had practiced what to do in an earthquake, but Violet was scared. She said a prayer, and felt like someone was giving her a hug. She was glad Heavenly Father helped her feel peace.
Friend August 2022 “Ready to Ride” Quade doesn’t know how to ride a bike, but he wants to learn so he can ride with his friends. The only problem is that the wobbly bike is very scary. He says a prayer asking for help. After several more attempts, he is riding without help. He keeps practicing and soon he is able to ride with his friends.
Friend May 2022 “A Prayer in the Storm” Alexis was scared of the thunder in the storm and didn’t feel safe. She found her dad and asked if they could say a prayer. After the prayer she felt peaceful and wasn’t afraid anymore.
Friend January 2021 “Just One Taxi” Ellie’s family was trying to get to church, but it was too stormy to walk to the bus. They decided to take a taxi, but became concerned when there wasn’t a taxi in the first and second spots. Ellie and her little sister decided to say a prayer, and they were able to find a taxi and get to church.
Friend January 2021 “Jaechan’s First Day” Jaechan was excited to start school. But after his mom dropped him off at the gate, he got lost in the school halls and couldn’t find his classroom. He was scared and said a prayer asking for his mom to come find him. A few minutes later his mom came around the corner. She had a feeling she should check to make sure he made it to class okay.
Friend December 2020 “Praying for Max” Max, the family dog, got nervous when a lot of noisy children were running around and he disappeared. The family couldn’t find him anywhere, so they said a prayer. Right when they finished they heard a bark from the closet.
Friend July 2019 “Prayer at the Market” While looking around at all the interesting things, Valerie loses her mom at the market. She says a prayer, and then she hears her mother calling her name. She says thank you to Heavenly Father.
Friend July 2019 “Lost in the Amusement Park” A boy loses his mom and sister at an amusement park and prays for help.
Friend May 2019 “Keeping the Orphans Warm” George Muller, a Christian, served God by helping orphans. He had strong faith that God would help him help them. Once, when the heater went out in one of his orphanages, he prayed that a warm wind would come to keep the children warm and that the workers would have a desire to get the work done quickly. His prayer was answered.
Friend March 2019 “Who Will Come to My Party” Enzo is excited to plan his future party and inviting his friends until he remembers that he will live in a new place when it happens. He worries about making new friends, so he prays for help to find friends. During his prayer he remembers that he already has a great friend there because his uncle lives there. Heavenly Father answered his prayer.
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.
Friend January 2019 “Dolphins to the Rescue” Lisa and a friend paddled their raft in the ocean but drifted too far out. Then a shark appeared. They prayed, and dolphins came and stayed by their raft until they were back to shore.
Friend October 2018 “Canyon Prayer” Carsen and some family members get lost in a canyon while hiking. Carsen knew that Heavenly Father knew the way out so he suggests they pray. He then receives a prompting on which way to go, and they are able to quickly find their way out.
Friend July 2018 “Allie’s New Class” Allie has to change kindergarten classes and she is worried, but she says a prayer, and she knows she can be brave because Heavenly Father will help her.
Friend May 2018 “Finding Floppy” Sam’s big sister helps him look for his lost stuffed elephant, Floppy. When they can’t find Floppy, she suggests they say a prayer. After finding Floppy she suggests they say a prayer of thanks.
Friend April 2018 “Lost and Found” Cael knows Heavenly Father answers prayers because when he found himself alone and scared on a mountain trail, he prayed. His father felt the Holy Ghost telling him to go look for his Cael.
I had a hard time learning how to ride my bike without training wheels. I became scared to ride my bike because I had crashed a few times. I said a prayer on my bike and was able to learn how to ride it without being afraid. I’m grateful Heavenly Father blessed me.
Reese H., age 6, Utah, USA
Friend September 2017 “Chief on the Run” Max accidently let his best friend’s dog out. He chased after Chief but couldn’t catch him. Afraid of Chief becoming lost, Max said a quick prayer for help. Chief ran into a neighbor’s fenced in back yard and Max was able to get him.
Friend August 2017 “Prayer for Speedy” Ashley’s kitten, Speedy, becomes lost, so Ashley prays for him.
Friend February 2015 “A Prayer in the Attic” As refugees during World War 2, Renate and her family are in constant danger from soldiers, but Heavenly Father helps them and answers their prayers and keeps them safe.
Friend February 2015 “There’s Always Time for Prayer” Flynn prays for help because he’s scared about starting a new school. He prays every morning, and when things get good he continues to remember to pray and express his gratitude.
Friend Feb 2014
Friend Feb 2015
Friend January 1989 “Lost, But Not Alone” Megan becomes seperated from her parents in a Korean market. She prays and is impressed to stay where she is, and she is helped by some Latter Day Saint Korean’s.
Friend January 2017 “Goats on the Run” Evelyn’s new goats jump the fence, and Evelyn is afraid they might not come back, so she says a prayer and the goats return.
Friend November 2016 “Henry and the Corn Maze” Henry and his mom and friends get lost and tired in the corn maze and say a prayer for help.
Friend September 2016 “Heavenly Father Hears Your Prayers” Small stories. One about a girl praying to know if Heavenly Father knows her and knows about her troubles. And one about a brother praying for another brother because he knew the brother was worried about soccer. Also a story about a mother praying for her son to find a friend.
Friend February 1987 “Tough Spot” A boy learns he can’t always fix things himself and he does need the Lord’s help in his life.
Friend February 1986 “The Power of Prayer” Admiral Byrd prays for help when the door on his Antartica shelter froze closed while he is outside.
Friend February 1986
Friend February 2016 “Olvera Street” A girl loses her family while site-seeing and prays for help.
Friend July 2015 “Finding Tinkerbell” Mia and her family pray for help to find Mia’s bedtime stuffed animal.
Friend May 2016 “Under the Stairs Prayer” Boy prays for help when he and his sister get stuck in a closet.
Pray with Faith
Friend July 2015 Boy tries to pray like Jesus so heavens will be open.
Friend October 1986 “A Prayer for Uncle Alban” Jamon prays that his uncle will recover from a heart attack, but he doesn’t. He learns that the Lord knows what is best and we need to have faith in his judgment.
Friend May 1988 ” Sharing Time: Seeking Guidance Through Prayer” Story of Enos praying with faith and the story of two brothers who get lost in the woods and their prayer and answer.
Prayer Requires Effort
We have to do our Part
Friend February 2017 “Multiplication Master” Luca wants to become a multiplication master, but he isn’t doing well enough on the tests. He prays and expects to do well, but he doesn’t because he hasn’t practiced. He learns he has to do his part.
Friend April 1986 “I Forgot” Matthew keeps forgetting his responsibilities and he prays for help, but he still forgets. He learns he must do his part, and he makes a plan.
Friend January 2021 “Oliver the Brave” Oliver has a bad dream about monsters. He prayed, but it didn’t go away. His parents tell him he needs to do more than just pray. So he thinks of other things he can do such as singing “I am a Child of God”, and it worked.
Friend June 1983 ” The Secret Weapon” – Boy prays to do well in baseball game but doesn’t.
(I know one of the above pages has a word wrong, but I changed it in the printable file.)
My Heavenly Father Loves Me – Verse One
Preparation
Items needed: tape, magnets, items to make a large Valentine card, 15 sheets of pink heavy paper.
Print and cut out the visual aids. Put a magnet on the back of each item, but first tape together the word “rushes” with the picture of the woman rushing, and tape together the words “walk by” with the girl walking. Put the words on a word strip chart or tape them to a posterboard. Before Primary begins, hide the six hearts under the children’s chairs.
Make a large Valentine card (I taped two sheets of pink construction paper together and added some paper doilies and a glittery heart.) Print these pages and tape or glue the first two pages inside the card.
Cut out about 15 large hearts. I used pink construction paper.
Verse One (The following is exactly what I said to the children as I taught this song. The items in parenthesis are directions concerning what to do at certain parts.)
* What holiday do we celebrate in February? Valentine’s Day. On Valentines we celebrate love.
This month’s song is about love – our Heavenly Father’s love for us.
* What do people give to each other on Valentines to express their love for each other? Candy, cards, flowers…
Our Heavenly Father has given us many things that demonstrate his love for us. Look under your chairs to find some of those things. There are six items. If you find an item put it on the board.
All these items are mentioned in the first verse of the song. Our Heavenly Father has given us….(Shortly discuss each one of the items with the children.)
In the song these items are in pairs. Can you guess which items go together? (Have children come to the board and put the items in pairs. Discuss why the pairs go together and put them in the right order on the board– each pair about a foot apart from the other pairs.)
There are words that go with each of these items too. (Show the children the word strip chart or posterboard) For example, which of these things can make musical sounds? The bird ( Put the song notes near the bird.) All these things (point to wordstrips) are also things Heavenly Father has given us and demonstrate His love for us. (Quickly read and discuss each word)
Raise your hand if you think you know where one of the words go. One to two words go with each item. (Have the children take turns putting a word strip next to the item that it goes with. If an item gets put in the wrong spot, another children can move it during their turn. Make any necessary corrections after all the words have been placed.)
(Tell the children the words of the first two lines of the verse, pointing to the pictures and wordstrips when you come to those parts, then have them sing the first two lines. Do the same with the other two pairs. Afterwards have them sing everything together.)
(Show the children the homemade Valentine card and ask the following question: )
If you were to make Heavenly Father a Valentine card what would you say in it? Answers might include: I love you. Thank you for all the wonderful blessings.
(Open the card, read the inside, and explain that they might say something like that. Put the card on the board.)
In the last part of the verse we express our appreciation for this wonderful world Heavenly Father created. (Put the last page on board.)
(Have the children sing these last two parts of the song, and then have them sing the whole verse. Point to the pictures as they sing to help the smaller children.)
That is the first verse of the song. Now let’s memorize this verse.
When someone cares about another person they sometimes do a fun activity for that person called a heart attack. They cover something that belongs to that person with hearts such as their bedroom, their car, their house door, etc.
Today we are going do a heart attack and cover the song with hearts –as a way to show our love (for music time, Heavenly Father?) by memorizing this song.
While we sing the song I’m going to go around and see who is singing really well. If I give you one of these hearts (show them the big cutout hearts), you will go to the board and cover a part of the song with it. I will only give out 2-3 hearts each time we sing the song. (Attach a piece of tape to each heart as you give them out.)
(After singing the verse, discuss which parts of the song were covered up. Sing the verse again while giving out more hearts. Continue until the verse is memorized. )
Friend January 2018 “Lead Me, Guide Me, Game” Heavenly Father has given us some special things to help us find our way back home. Verse Two
Most of the children in primary know the first verse, so I started with the second verse.
I started off with some questions:
If each of us has an earthly father, how is Heavenly Father also our father? He is the father of our spirits.
What traits did you inherit from your earthly father? (Not just physical characteristics, but also things like temperament, intelligence, talents or abilities, etc)
Did you also inherit the ability to become like your Heavenly Father? Yes!
Show the children a balloon, and explain that just like a balloon grows with each breath of air we put into it, we also can grow and develop (spiritually) as we receive the words of God and take them into our lives.
Put the flipchart pages on the board for the second verse, and explain that we need to learn how to become like our Heavenly Father. His words in the scriptures tell us what we need to do in order to become like him, and we have a limited amount of time to study and learn them (our earth life).
Sing verse two.
Take the flipchart pages off the board.
Tell the children they are going to sing the second verse again, but this time they are going to pass a little container of balloons around as they sing. When the pianist stops playing, the child that is holding the bag needs to tell what the next words are in the verse. (They can get help from the children sitting next to them if needed.) After they tell what the words are, they get to take one of the balloons out of the container.
Tell the children you are going to ask them a question, and for every answer they give, the child holding the balloon gets to put a large breath of air into the balloon. (Take only enough responses to get the balloon filled up.) Once the balloon is filled, have the child tie it off and bring it to the front of the room. (They can have a teacher help them tie it if needed.) The question is:
What is something we need to do in order to become more like our Heavenly Father, and what characteristic do we develop when we do that thing?
Start the verse again from the beginning. Continue singing and doing the above activity until the children have the words to the second verse memorized. (No need to sing the chorus.)
Verse Three
Show the children one of the filled balloons.
What happens to a balloons ability to stay afloat after it has been inflated with air? (Throw an unfilled and filled balloon into the air to see what happens.) The balloon has increased in its ability to stay afloat. The balloon filled with air also has increased in usefulness and enjoyment.
What happens to our abilities and eternal posibilities if we take in God’s words and do them? They increase.
Put the flipchart pages on the board for the third verse. Explain how the words relate to the above concept, then sing the third verse.
Have the children sing the third verse again, but this time give them a filled balloon (possibly one on each side of the room). Explain that they are to keep the balloon aloft by gently tapping on it as they sing. When the pianist stops playing, the person who the balloon lands on tells what the next line is in the verse. They also answer the following question: (They can choose someone to help them if needed.)
What blessings will we enjoy if we become like our Heavenly Father and return and live with him again? Answers might include the following: eternal families, a fullness of love, a fullness of knowledge and wisdom, eternal happiness, inheritors in his kingdom, etc. (You may need to provide hints to help them answer this question.)
After the answers have been provided, begin the song and activity again. Continue in this manner until the verse is memorized.
Review
Have the children sing all three verses. Help them to realize that the song is about them, and that they are each a child of God, by having them quickly stand up (and sit down) each time they sing the words “me, my, I, or I’ll”.
Friend August 2017 “Sabbath Day Activities” There are lots of things you can do on the Sabbath. Name five ideas of things to do from looking at these pictures.
Friend November 2016 “Happy Sabbath: Ready, Set, Share-ades” Write down words of things that you learned at church. Put them in a jar. Family members act out the word and guess what it is, then you explain what you learned.
Friend Aug/Sept 1985 – “Family Conference” – A family Sunday activity of classes that each family member prepares.
I used this activity to review the primary program songs. It was meant to emphasize that we were working on getting the bugs out of the songs (getting rid of and fixing any problems).
Preparation
Items needed: 1 poster board, eleven sheets of cardstock, plastic bugs (spiders, flies, and beetles), double-sided removable tape, magnets, eight wide mouth jars, Metamucil, food coloring, a cookie sheet, a container of soapy water, and a towel.
Using a black marker, divide a poster into squares – nine squares across and seven down. Each square should be a little under three and an eighth inches on each side.
Print and cut out the bug squares. Glue the bugs onto the poster, making sure to put each set of three bugs in a row. (Here is a copy of Microsoft Word bug squares in case you need to change the bug types.)
Print the cover squares onto cardstock and cut them out. Using double-sided removable tape, place each cover square on a poster square. Put the letters spelling “Get the Bugs Out” in the middle of the poster.
Change the song titles to whatever songs you are working on and then print and cut them out.
Make some colored jars of slime – red, yellow, dark blue, light blue, green, purple, pink, and orange. The recipe can be found here. Put three bugs in each wide mouth jar – a spider, fly, and beetle. Put a different colored slime in each a jar and tape the matching colored song titles to the jar lids. (The slime will stay good for several weeks if stored in the fridge.)
Presentation
Put the poster on the board using strong magnets.
To play this game the children take turns taking off the top cover cards on the poster. When a child finds a bug, that child gets to judge whatever the bug represents such as: Spiders – Words, Beetles – Projection, Flies – Presentation. The color of the bug on the poster determines what song they are judging. When the child thinks the song is free of problems in the area they are judging they get to reach into the song jar and pull out the bug they uncovered on the poster. Afterwards they wash their hands in the soapy water and dry them on the towel.
Be sure to place a cookie sheet under the jar to catch any drips as the bug is removed. Also push up the sleeves on the child if needed.
When the children find three bugs in a row they get to do a fun activity song as a reward. We did the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with these visual aids. I put magnets on the back of each picture and put the pictures on a metal cookie sheet. The child who pulled the third bug out of the jar got to mix up the pictures in each column. The children had a blast trying to do the new order. They sang the song one time for every three in a row they got. I started off with the pictures in two columns, the first part of the song in one column and the second in the other column. After doing the song a few times that way, I then let the children take pictures from either column and mix them.
I did this activity for primary music time for four weeks (until we had finished reviewing all the songs) and the kids never got tired of it. They loved it!
Note: The inspiration for this idea came from other music websites that posted ideas for the theme of getting the bugs out of the songs. Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Lesson 40: The Jaredites Are Led to the Promised Land
Preparation
• Items needed: a cellphone GPS (or print the clipart picture of a GPS device), chalk and eraser, tape or sticky tack, pencils.
• Print the scripture story visual aids, and cut them in half so one picture is on each half. Number the back of the pictures in the order they were printed. (Scripture story pictures are from chapters 50 & 51 of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Print the activity visual aids and the French and English instruction cards. (Optional: Print the pages on colored paper.) Cut out the individual signs and cards.
• Make enough copies of the game handout for each child to have one. (Half a page is one handout.)
• Pre-class prep: Draw the timeline on the board using the provided timeline as the example (do not include the events or names). Tape the “Jaredite’s Journey” activity pages on a side wall (or on the chalkboard) in the order shown in the above picture. Tape the sign “Jaredite’s Journey” above the pages. Tape each of the individual signs under the classroom chairs (except for the Tower of Babel sign).
Attention Activity
Show the children the cellphone GPS (or the picture of a GPS). Explain that a GPS is a device that helps a person get to a place they wish to go to. It gives voice directions and diagram directions on the screen. (Demonstrate this if possible by entering a location so they can hear the voice and see the screen.)
• What would happen if you desired to get to a certain destination and you needed help to get there but you didn’t use your GPS to get directions–or you used your GPS but you didn’t follow the directions it gave? You might not find your desired destination.
• Explain that in life we have been given a spiritual GPS to help us reach a wonderful destination called eternal life. What is this spiritual GPS we have been given? The guidance of the Lord throughly the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can show us the way to eternal life but we must seek for, listen to, and follow the guidance given.
Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will learn of a group of people who followed the guidance of the Lord and were led to a promised land.
Chalkboard Presentation
Remind the children that the Book of Mormon tells of three separate groups of people who were led by the Lord to the Americas. Remind the children that Lehi and his family were one group, and they left Jerusalem at approximately 600 BC. (Write in Lehi by the date 600 B.C. on the timeline.) A group of people called the Mulekites were another group. Mulek and his people escaped the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem at approximately 587 BC. (Write in Mulekites next to Lehi.) Mulek was the son of King Zedekiah. The Nephites eventually found and joined with the Mulekites. (Omni 1:14-19)
The final group that came to the Americas was called the Jaredites. This group actually came to the continent many years before Lehi and his family, sometime between 2500 BC and 2200 BC. (Write in Jaredites between the date 2500 BC and 2200 BC.) The Jaredites eventually completely destroyed themselves sometime around 580 BC during a bloody civil war. (Point out when this happened on the timeline.) The Nephites discovered the ruins of the Jaredite civilization and also found some of the Jaredite records amongst the ruins. (Mosiah 21:25-28) Moroni included an abridged portion of the Jaredite records at the end of the Book of Mormon. This abridged section includes the story of the Jaredite’s journey to the Americas.
The Jaredite’s story begins at the Tower of Babel. (Put the Tower of Babel sign on the first page of the activity “Jaredite’s Journey.”) Ask if any of the children knows and can tell the story of the Tower of Babel. (Following the Flood in Noah’s day, many descendants of those who had been spared became wicked. One group of people attempted to build a tower “whose top may reach unto heaven” (Genesis 11:4). The Lord dealt with the widespread wickedness by confounding (meaning changed or confused).the common language and by scattering the people across the face of the earth. (Ether 1:33; Genesis 11:5–8)
Object Lesson
Have a volunteer stand in front of the class. Give the child the card with the French words on it. Tell the other children that there are directions on the card. Explain that when the volunteer reads the directions, the class needs to follow them. After the child reads the card, give the class a few moments and then ask the children why they didn’t follow the directions. Have the child then read the card with the directions written in English. After the children follow the directions, ask what it would be like if they weren’t able to understand the people around them. Tell the children to hold onto the card the found under their chair. Explain that they will use them later on in the lesson.
Scripture Story
(Show the scripture story visual aids as you tell the following story.)
Explain that a man named Jared and his family lived during the time period when the languages were confounded (meaning changed or confused). Jared had a brother who was highly favored of the Lord. Jared asked his brother to cry unto the Lord to beg of him not to confound the language of their family and friends.
• What is the difference between “crying unto the Lord” and merely saying your prayers? When you cry unto the Lord you are praying with deep feelings and emotions. Sometimes our prayers can become repetitive, where we are just repeating a list and we don’t have strong feelings concerning what we are praying about. When we “cry unto the Lord” our emotions and needs are strong, and we may put more effort into trying to communicate with the Lord and into hearing his responses.
1) The brother of Jared pled with the Lord to preserve the language of his friends and family, and the Lord had compassion upon them, and their language was not confounded.
Jared asked his brother to cry unto the Lord again concerning whether they should leave the land, and if so where should they go. The Lord told them to gather their family, friends, flocks, and seeds and he would lead them to a land choice about all others.
Activity
Point out the pages on the wall and explain that they represent the Jaredite’s journey. Explain that the children are going to fill in the spaces with the things the brother of Jared did to help receive the guidance of the Lord. Point out the first space of the journey and ask the following question:
• If you were starting a journey and needed direction and had access to a GPS, what would you need to do first in order to access the help and information that is available through the GPS? (You would first have to input and communicate with the device the direction information that is needed.)
Similarly, when we are need of help and direction in order to find our way through the wilderness of life, we must communicate our needs to Heavenly Father.
•What was the first thing the Brother of Jared did to get help and direction from the Lord? (He prayed.)
Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the first step to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. Have the child with the sign “Sincere Prayer” put it on the first space.
• Why did you think the Lord promised the brother of Jared to lead him, his family, and friends to a promised land? (See the last line in the scripture Ether 1:43. “Because this long time ye have cried unto me.”) Explain that the brother of Jared had turned to the Lord regularly and consistently in his life. He was steadfast in his devotion to the Lord.
Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Regular and Consistent Prayers” )
• If you don’t use the GPS often, can it be difficult to remember how to operate it when you need it? Explain that just like a GPS, if a person were to turn to the Lord only during times of dire need, they may become unfamiliar with the ways of the Lord and the workings of the Spirit. It may take time and effort before answers come.
• After the brother of Jared was told to prepare for the journey to the promised land what did he, his friends, and his family do?
2) They went to the valley called Nimrod and did gather and prepare supplies for the journey as the Lord had instructed. (Read Ether 2:1-3)
• What would happen if we inputted our info into the GPS and directions were then supplied, but then we didn’t follow the directions that were given?
If we don’t listen to and follow the direction the Lord gives, we may face great difficulty as we try to go our own way.
• Would the Lord continue to provide direction and help through the Holy Ghost if we do not listen to and obey the direction he gives?
Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Follow the Lord’s Directions”)
After the Jaredites had prepared food and supplies, they began their journey to the promised land.
3) The Lord went before them and talked to them in a cloud and gave them directions where they should go.
4) They were guided to the great sea where they dwelt in tents on the seashore for four years.
5) At the end of four years the Lord did appear to the brother of Jared in a cloud and did talk with him and chasten him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. (We don’t know how long the brother of Jared was negligent in calling upon the Lord. Sometimes people forget to turn to the Lord when things become nice and easy, and then their progression towards eternal life may become stalled.)
6) The Lord told the brother of Jared that the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man unless he continues to petition the Lord in righteousness.
•What happens to a GPS if we don’t maintain it and make sure its battery is charged? We may lose access to the valuable direction and help it could provide in our travels.
• What other things could cause the loss of a GPS signal? Tall buildings, forests, and mountains could block the satellite signal.
Just as certain things can cause interfere with a GPS signal, so does disobedience and sin cause us to lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost. But just as a GPS will recalculate and provide ways to get back on track when mistakes are made (or after wandering into areas that can block the signal), so does the Lord provide a way for us to get back on track if we wander into sinful paths.
• What way has the Lord provided for us to get back on track? (Repentance) Part of the repentance process involves moving away from the thing that is causing interference in living a righteous life (just as a person must move away from the item that is blocking the GPS signal in order to get back on track).
• What did the brother of Jared do after the Lord chastised him? (See Ether 2:15.) The brother of Jared did repent.
Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Repent of Wrong Doings”)
The Lord forgave the brother of Jared and told him to sin no more.
7) The Lord then commanded Jared and his brethren to build barges according to His instructions.
The barges were small–the length of a tree– and the top, bottom, and sides were tight like a dish that could hold water. When the door was shut, it was also tight like a dish.
8) When the barges were complete, the brother of Jared talked to the Lord and reported that they had finished the work according to His command, but he also expressed some concerns he had about the barges.
• What concerns do you think the brother of Jared had regarding the barges? (Remind the children that the barges were tight like a dish.) (See Ether 2:19 for the answer) Write the problems on the left side of the board. Then have the children read Ether 2:20–25 to find the Lord’s solutions to the problems. Summarize them on the right side of the board.
Problems
1. When the door was closed tight, no air could get in, so how would they breathe?
2. There was no light in the barges, so how would they be able to see and function in the dark?
Solutions
9) 1. The Lord instructs the brother of Jared to make holes with removable plugs in the top and bottom of the barges to allow air in. (Ether 2:20)
2. It was left up to the brother of Jared to decide what to do about the light problem, but the Lord reminded the brother of Jared that they couldn’t have fire in the barges, and they couldn’t have windows because the barges would be like whales in the midst of the sea, and waves would dash upon them and break the windows.
• Why do you think the Lord revealed solutions for one of the problems but left the brother of Jared to resolve the problem of not having light? The Lord wants us to grow and learn in life, and we can learn many things in life as we strive to figure out solutions to our problems. (Have the children listen for the things the brother of Jared learned as he worked to resolve the problem of no light.)
10) The brother of Jared went up into the mountain and did molten out of rock sixteen small stones. They were white and transparent like glass.
11) He did cry unto the Lord and asked the Lord to touch the stones. He had faith that if the Lord touched them, the Lord could prepare them with His power to shine forth in the darkness.
12) When the brother of Jared told the Lord of his proposed solution to the problem and of his faith in the Lord’s power, the Lord stretched forth his hand and did touch the stones one by one with his finger. The veil was taken from the eyes of the brother of Jared and he did see the finger of the Lord. He saw that it was the finger of a man, and he fell down in fear. The Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen and he said unto him, “Arise, why has though fallen?”
• Point out that the Lord knows all things, and yet he still asked the brother of Jared this question and other questions. How might the questions have helped the brother of Jared? The questions might have helped him think about, sort out, comprehend, and respond to the things he was seeing and experiencing.
The brother of Jared told the Lord that he fell to the earth in fear because he saw the finger of the Lord, and he feared lest the Lord would smite him, for he knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
The Lord had always been hidden by a veil or cloud as they spoke, so the brother of Jared had not seen the true form of the Lord.
• Why was the brother of Jared able to see the finger of the Lord? (See Ether 3:9-10) Because of the brother of Jared’s exceeding faith.
• What did the brother of Jared ask the Lord to do? (The brother of Jared desired of the Lord to show himself fully and completely.)
Before showing himself, the Lord asked the brother of Jared, “Believest thou the words which I shall speak?”
He answered saying, “Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.” The brother of Jared expressed and confirmed his faith in the Lord’s words.
13) When the brother of Jared said these words, the Lord showed himself unto him. The Lord explained that he was Jesus Christ who was prepared from the beginning to redeem the people from their sins so they might gain eternal life if they would believe on his name.
Have the children look up and read Ether 3:15-16 to find out what the brother of Jared learned about the body of Jesus Christ. Help the children understand that the brother of Jared saw the spirit body of Jesus Christ which looked very much like the physical body Jesus would receive when he came to earth. He also learned that men are created in the image of God.
Also point out that the Lord told the brother of Jared, “Never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.” (Ether 3:15)
• The scriptures tell us that Adam and Noah walked and talked with God face to face (Moses 7:4 & Genesis 6:8, 9), so why would this scripture say the Lord had never showed himself to man before? There are several possible explanations including the following from Jeffery R. Holland:
An “explanation—and in terms of the brother of Jared’s faith, the most persuasive one—is that Christ was saying to the brother of Jared, ‘Never have I showed myself unto man in this manner, without my volition, driven solely by the faith of the beholder.’ As a rule, prophets are invited into the presence of the Lord, are bidden to enter his presence by him and only with his sanction. Obviously the Lord himself was linking unprecedented faith with this unprecedented vision.” (Christ and the New Covenant, 21–23). Jeffrey R. Holland
The brother of Jared had great faith in the Lord, and his actions throughout his life demonstrated that faith.
• What things had the brother of Jared done that demonstrated his faith in the Lord? (He had consistently turned to the Lord in prayer. He had obeyed the Lord and left the tower of Babel and travelled across the wilderness. He built the barges the Lord commanded him to build. He made stones, having faith that the Lord’s touch would give them light.)
Call attention to the GPS once again and ask the children if they believe–if everything is in proper working order–that it can provide directions.
• How does someone gain that faith in the GPS’s ability to provide directions? Explain that other’s testimonials of its abilities can lead us to try it out, and then our own experiences using the device also builds that trust. Faith in God works in similar ways: as we listen to the testimonies and teachings concerning God, and as we act on those things, our faith grows. Explain that exercising faith in God and acting upon his words is a necessary part of receiving the Lord’s help and guidance.
Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Exercise Faith”)
After the brother of Jared talked with the Lord, he took the stones which the Lord had touched and he put two in each barge, and they gave light to the vessels.
The Jaredites prepared all manner of food for their voyage, and then they commended themselves to the Lord their God and got aboard the barges and set forth into the sea. By commending themselves to the Lord, they exercised their faith. They had done all the Lord had directed, and then they entrusted their lives into his hands.
14) The Lord God caused a furious wind to blow upon the face of the waters. The wind blew towards the promised land. The barges were tossed upon the waves of the sea, and at times they were buried in the deep from the mighty waves breaking over them, but the water could not hurt the Jaredites because their vessels were tight like a dish.
15) As they journeyed, the Jaredites did sing praises to the Lord.
• Why is expressing gratitude to the Lord important? (One reason is that our faith in the Lord grows as we think about and focus on all he does for us, which also provides peace and courage to our souls. The Lord is also more likely to provide help to those who appreciate it and value it.)
Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Express Gratitude”)
• How long did you think it took for the Jaredites to cross the ocean? (Almost a year.) (See Ether 6:11) They were three hundred and forty four days upon the water.
Have the child with the sign “Promised Land” put it on the last spot on the activity board.
Ask the children what they think the Jaredites did first when they arrived at the promised land.
16) They did bow down and give thanks to the Lord.
Conclusion
The Lord knew the Jaredite’s journey to the promised land would be difficult and dangerous, so he provided guidance and help. Our journey towards eternal life can also be difficult and filled with many dangers that can harm us spiritually. Just as the Lord gave the Jaredites guidance and direction in their journey, he also blesses us with guidance and direction in our lives through the Holy Ghost.
Remind them that we learn important lessons from the Jaredite story concerning the things we need to do in order to receive the help and guidance of the Lord in our lives.
Review Game
Take the signs off the activity board pages. Explain to the children that they are going to do a memory game to see if they can remember the things they need to do in order to receive the guidance of the Lord in their lives. Give each child a pencil and a copy of the paper labeled “Life’s Journey.” Have the children write down the missing items from the activity board onto their blank spaces. (They don’t have to be in the correct order.) Once they are finished, show the signs one at a time and have them check the item off, or add it to their list if it was missed. Ask the children if any of them remembered all the items. Explain that their game paper will help them remember all the items talked about in the lesson. Have them take it home and post it somewhere visible in their rooms. Bear testimony of the importance of doing those things that help us receive the guidance of the Lord in our lives. Remind them that receiving and following the Lord’s guidance in their life will help lead them to a wonderful place called Eternal Life.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Ether 1:1–4, 33–43; 2:1-25; 3:1-16; 6:1–13
