Preparation
• Items needed: a small lamp, chalk and eraser, scriptures for each child, a ball of yarn or string, a picture of Jesus, tape, a table easel, several sheets of cardstock paper, a bag or container for the game questions, scissors, and double-sided removable tape. Optional: Print the “Example Image” found in the lesson, and bring an example priesthood line of authority to show.
• Print the standing story figures onto white cardstock. Cut them out and fold the bottom tab forward. Be prepared to tape the figures standing up onto half sheets of cardstock as shown in the picture above.
• Print the activity and game items. Cut out the scripture reference cards and the game review questions. Fold the question strips in half. Put each set of items into a bag or container.
• Print the scripture story question pages. (The pictures that go in the boxed areas on the flipchart are in the scripture story visual aid file. They can be printed, cut out, and glued onto their appropriate spots. The last picture page in the file is to be used in another part of the lesson. Do not cut the pictures out.) Make the question pages into a flipchart by punching a hole on both sides of the top of all the pages, and then attaching the pages together with metal rings or ribbon through the holes.
• Cut fourteen, ¾ inch strips of cardstock. Cover each scripture reference on the flipchart with the strips using double-sided removable tape.
Attention Activity
Show the children the unplugged lamp you brought. Ask a child to turn it on.
• What needs to happen for the lamp to work? It needs to be plugged into a power outlet.
• Where does the power outlet draws its energy from? A power plant. Explain that all electrical lines from the outlet to the power plant must be connected in order for us to access that power. (Show Example Image)
Explain that this lesson is about another form of power. Through this power the world we live on and the universe we live in was formed and brought to pass.
• Can anyone guess what this power is? (The priesthood – the power and authority of God)
• How can this priesthood power be accessed on earth? Worthy men have the priesthood conferred upon them to act in God’s name.
• What does it mean to act in the name of God? (To do the things Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would do.)
• What are some of the good things Jesus Christ did on earth? (He was baptized, healed the sick, made the blind see, blessed the children, prepared the sacrament, and so on.) Can these things be done today? Yes. The Lord made it possible for men to act in his name so His church (the kingdom of God on the earth) could be administered and governed on the earth.
• How is the priesthood confered upon a worthy man or young man? It is given by the laying on of hands by someone who has the authority to confer the priesthood and ordain the priesthood holder to a specific office in the priesthood.
• How did men in the church get this authority to perform these ordinations? Remind the children what they learned at the beginning of the lesson, that all electrical lines must be connected to a main power source. Explain that all priesthood holders must have their lines of authority traced back to the person who has the authority and power to govern the administration of the priesthood on the earth.
• Who has this power and authority? Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ is the great High Priest of God; Christ is therefore the source of all true priesthood authority and power on this earth (Heb. 5:5-10)”. (Encyclopedia of Mormonism- Priesthood)
Picture Display
When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, he laid his hands on the heads of his apostles (tape the standing figures of Jesus and the kneeling apostles onto one of the pieces of cardstock) and gave them the priesthood (the power and authority to act in God’s name). After the apostles died, this authority was eventually taken from the earth. In 1829 Peter, James, and John, the same apostles who received their authority from Jesus Christ, conferred the Melchizedek priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (tape the standing figures of the apostles and the kneeling figure of Joseph Smith on the other piece of cardstock). (April 1990 Friend)
Through the restoration of the priesthood to the earth by authorized servants of God, the Church of Jesus Christ was also restored to the earth. Jesus Christ directs his church through the living prophet who has been given all the keys of the priesthood
Explain that in today’s lesson they will learn about a Book of Mormon prophet who used the priesthood power and authority he was given to help his people repent.
Scripture Story Activity
Give each child one or two scripture reference cards. Tell them to look up their scripture and read it to themselves. Explain that you are going to ask some questions, one at a time, and they will need to decide if their scripture answers the question. The question will be on a flipchart to help them with the process. (Put the flipchart on the easel.) If they think they have the correct scripture, they can come up and check under the cover strip to see if they are right. If it is correct that person will tell the class what the answer is. (Add any parts of the answer the child leaves out, and add any discussion that goes with the question as listed below.) (Optional Idea: Let the other children try and guess what the answer is before it is given.)
Before starting the activity, quickly review a little of the scripture story from last week’s lesson, and then ask the children if they think the great miracle that Nephi performed, in telling the people about the murder of the chief judge, influenced the Nephites to change their lives? (Read Helaman 10:13) Explain that most of the people remained unrepentant and wicked.
As Nephi headed home he was very sad. He pondered on the wickedness of the people and the events that had occurred.
1. What occurred as Nephi was pondering? (Helaman 10:3) A voice spoke to him.
• What does it mean to ponder? (To think about and consider.) The scriptures tell us that many prophets received revelation from the Lord as they were pondering upon the things of God. We also open ourselves up to revelation as we ponder upon our problems during scripture study, during church meetings, and during our prayers.
2. The Lord told Nephi that He was pleased with him. What was there about Nephi that pleased Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? (Helaman 10:4) (Write the answers on the board.) Unweayringness in declaring the word of God, seeking for the will of God in all things, and keeping the commandments.
• What does unwearyingness mean? It means being faithfully diligent.
3. What blessings was Nephi promised because of his faithfulness? (Helaman 10:5–7) (Write the answers on the board.)
o Blessed forever – What does it mean to be blessed forever?
o Make him mighty in word, deed, and works. All things done according to his words.
o Power over the people to smite them because of their wickedness.
o Sealing power (Read Helaman 10:7) What is the sealing power Nephi was given? “The sealing power is the priesthood power given to authorized servants of the Lord to perform certain acts on earth and have them recognized or validated in heaven”. (Quote from Encyclopedia of Mormonism -Sealing) How can this sealing power of the priesthood bless us today? (In the temple our families can be sealed together forever.)
• Why did the Lord trust Nephi with such great power? (See Helaman10:5) He would not ask for anything contrary to God’s will.
4. After declaring these great promises and blessings upon Nephi, what did the Lord command Nephi to go and do? (Helaman 10:11) Declare to the people that except they repent they shall be smitten with destruction.
5. How did Nephi show his obedience when the Lord finished speaking to him? (Helaman 10:12, 17) Nephi immediately went to declare the word of God to the people. He went forth from multitude to multitude until he had declared the word of God to all.
6. How did the people respond to the message Nephi delivered? (Helaman 10:15) They would not listen, and they hardened their hearts. They reviled against him and did seek to lay their hands upon him that they might cast him into prison.
7. How was Nephi protected as he declared the word of God to the people? (Helaman 10:16) The power of God was with him. He was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away from out of the midst of them.
8. What problems arose among the people as Nephi went about teaching them? (Helaman 10:18 – see only the second half of the scripture) They began to contend one with another and slay each other with the sword. As the year passed, the contentions grew worse and there were wars throughout all the land.
As Nephi witnessed these wars, he became concerned because the people were not seeing the connection between the destruction among them and their sinful ways. He was afraid they would completely destroy themselves by the sword.
9. What did Nephi pray for on behalf of his people? (Helaman 11:4) He prayed that there might be a famine instead to help bring them to a rememberance of their God. And so it was done according to the words of Nephi.
10. What happened to the wars after the people became sore afflicted by famine? (Helaman 11:5) The work of destruction did cease by the sword because of the famine.
11. What was the cause of the food shortage? (Helaman 11:6) The earth was smitten and it was dry and did not yield any crops.
12. When the people saw they were about to perish by famine what did they remember? (Helaman 11:7) They began to remember the Lord their God; and they began to remember the words of Nephi.
13. What did the people plead with their leaders to ask Nephi to do? (Helaman 11:8) To cry unto the Lord and ask Him to turn away the famine that they might not be destroyed.
14. What did the Lord require of the people before he would end the famine? (Helaman11:10-11, 16) He required that they humble themselves, repent, get rid of the evil Gadianton robbers from among them, and be willing to do the things he asks of them.
When Nephi saw they had done all these things, he prayed that the famine would cease and that God would send rain. And the Lord did turn away his anger and did cause it to rain, and once again the crops began to grow. (Put these pictures on the easel.)
The people did esteem Nephi as a great prophet, and a man of God, having great power and authority given unto him from God.
Review Game
If time allows do the following review game with the ball of yarn:
Have the children put their chairs in two rows facing each other. Tape the end of the ball of yarn to the picture of Jesus. Draw a question from the bag and read it out loud. Toss the ball of yarn to the child who gives the correct answer. Hold onto the end of the string as you toss it. Have that child choose a question from the bag and read it. The children in the chairs on the opposite side are the ones who answer the question. The child that read the question holds on to their part of the yarn and tosses the ball of yarn to the child who answers the question. Continue in this manner, with a child reading a question, holding onto their part of the yarn and tossing it to someone on the opposite side who hasn’t had a turn answering a question.
When all the children have had a turn, and are each holding a section of the yarn, point out the line and explain that if it were an electrical power line that originated from a main power source, all outlets connected to it would receive power. (The children represent the outlets.) Explain that it can also represent a priesthood line of authority that originates from Jesus Christ. All worthy priesthood holders connected with the line would have the authority to exercise the power of the priesthood. (If possible, show an example priesthood line of authority.) (If there are more questions in the bag, cut off the piece of yarn and start the game again.)
Bear testimony that through the power and authority of the priesthood, Jesus Christ guides, governs, and blesses his followers and his church.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week – Helaman 10:1-19 & Helaman 11:1-21
Preparation
• Items needed: one clear glass full of water and two empty clear glasses, a piece of saran wrap, a clear glass pie pan, a scoop of dirt, a pen or pencil, a water filter (or a picture of a water filter), a picture of Jesus, a half of a paper towel, a rubber band, a brad, tape or magnets, the Book of Mormon Stories DVD, a TV, and a DVD player.
• Cover the glass of water with the piece of saran wrap. Press the sides tightly around the glass. Double the paper towel and put it on top of one of the empty glasses. Push down on the middle so it is concave. Stretch a rubber band around the glass to hold the paper towel in place.
• Print the scripture story visual aids. Cut each page in half so one picture or sign is on each half. Number the back of the scripture story pictures in the order they were printed. (Note: The scripture story visual aids are from chapter 38 of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Print the watchman on the tower activity onto white cardstock. Cut out the wheel. Using an exacto knife, cut the dotted openings on the tower picture leaving one side on each opening uncut in order to open and close the flaps. Poke a hole in the middle dot on the tower and wheel picture using a large needle. Put the tower picture on top of the prophet wheel. Put the brad through the middle dot on each page, and open up the arms of the brad on the back of the wheel. Cut out the nine cards of prophet’s quotes.
Attention Activity
Show the children the glass of water. Point out how clean the water is and remind them how healthy and good it is for the body.
Explain that the Nephites had been blessed with many good things for the body and spirit, but because of the ease of the way, they forgot that it was because of God they were so blessed. They didn’t keep their hearts focused on God and his commandments, and they began allowing contaminants into their lives that were harmful. (Put the glass of water in the glass pie pan. Pour a pile of dirt onto the saran wrap. )
Scripture Story
Tell the following story as you show the matching scripture story visual aids to the children. (Some visual aids can be used more than once in the story.)
When Nephi returned to his home in Zarahemla from preaching to a people in the north, he saw that the people had allowed wickedness to enter their lives. It filled him with great sorrow. Nephi knelt in prayer on his garden tower and poured out his sorrow to the Lord. Nephi’s garden tower was next to a highway which led to the chief market in Zarahemla. Certain men were passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God. They ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of such great mourning. When Nephi arose he saw the multitudes who had gathered together, and he asked if they had gathered to have him tell them of their iniquities
Have the children look up Helaman 7:20 – 21 & 26 to discover what sins the Nephite’s were committing. Have the children poke holes in the saran wrap with the tip of a pen or pencil for each sin they find. (Pride, vanity, set heart on riches and praises of men, murder, stealing and lying in order to get gain, forgetting God) Ask the children if they have seen any of these kinds of sins in the world today.
• Shake the water slightly so it clouds up. Point out the dirt in the water and ask, “Is the water still healthy and desirable?” What would happen if someone drank the water? It could make them sick.
The evil the Nephites had let into their lives was making them spiritually sick. The more they partook of sin the sicker it made their spirits. Nephi knew the results of letting wickedness into their lives and he warned them of the consequences. (Put up sign # 1 on the board: Prophets warn about the dangers of sin.)
Have the children look up the following scriptures to find the warned consequences Nephi prophesied would happen if they did not clean up their lives and repent. (Helaman 7:16, 22, 28) (No strength from God to withstand their enemies, city and lands taken away, destroyed from the face of the earth, everlasting misery and endless woe.)
After Nephi had warned the multitude concerning their sins, some men among them who belonged to a secret band called the Gadianton robbers were angry and cried out against Nephi.
• Who were the Gadianton robbers? They were a Satan inspired secret band whose two objectives were to get gain and power, and they used any illicit and unlawful means possible to obtain their objective including murder, threats, bribery, blackmail, theft, lying, etc.
The Lamanites, who had become more righteous than the Nephites, did not tolerate the Gadianton robbers and destroyed those who were among them. But Satan had a hold on the Nephites, and many of them had united with the Gadiantons, building them up and supporting them until they had spread over all the land and had seduced even the righteous to believe in their works. (Helaman 6:20-21 & 38)
Many members of the secret band of Gadianton robbers had infiltrated the Nephite’s system of government and had become judges, but they did not administer justice. They condemned the righteous, and they let the guilty and the wicked go unpunished for money.
Some of these Gadianton judges were among the multitude at Nephi’s home. They tried to stir up the people against Nephi.
• Why would the Gadianton robbers wish to stir up the people against Nephi? (See Helaman 8:4) Nephi had spoken plainly against them concerning their secret works of darkness. They endeavored to destroy anyone who would expose, threaten, or interfere with their evil objectives.
But there were some in the crowd who said, “Let this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent.”
When Nephi saw that he had gained favor in the eyes of some, he continued to speak to them. He reminded them that all the prophets have testified of a way to make their lives clean again, and that was through the atonement of Jesus Christ. (Put sign #2 on the board: Prophets testify of Jesus Christ and teach repentance.)
• What did the people of Nephi need to do in order to apply the atonement and clean up their lives? First they needed to realize they had done wrong. Then they needed to repent and stop the flow of unclean things into their lives. (Take the dirt off the cup.) How can people in today’s world stop the flow of unclean things into their lives? By removing the things from their lives that influence and encourage them to commit sin.
• What did the Nephites need to do after they had stopped the flow of unclean things into their lives? They needed to do everything they could to make things right again and fix the damage that had been done. (Put the paper towel covered glass in the pie pan. Pour the dirty water into the paper towel covered glass. This should filter out the larger pieces of dirt.)
• After the flow of dirt has been stopped, and as much as possible has been done to clean up their lives, would the Nephites then be clean and pure again? Point out the dirt that is still in the water. Explain that it is impossible to fix or remove all the damage we have done to ourselves and others. We need help. Show the children the water filter (or a picture of a water filter). Explain (or show) that if we were to pour the water into the filter it would take out all the impurities.
Just as we would need a water filter in order to make dirty water clean again, so do we need the Savior in order to make our lives clean of sin. (Put the picture of the Savior on the board.) We can’t do it ourselves.
The Gadianton judges did not want to change their lives. They wanted to continue to seek for riches and power, so they did not want to listen to Nephi, and they did not want the crowd to listen to him either. They tried to make the people doubt Nephi’s ability to prophesy of the judgments that would come upon them. They said they were a powerful people and there was no way their enemies could take away their cities and land.
Nephi reminded the people of the power given to prophets of old such as Moses. He told them that if God gave such power to those prophets, couldn’t He give power to Nephi to know the judgments that would come upon the Nephites.
Nephi demonstrated his prophetic power given to him by God by telling the crowd of an event that was occurring in the city that no one else was aware of. He said the chief judge had been killed by his brother because the brother desired to sit on the judgment seat, and both men belonged to the secret Gadianton band. Nephi explained that this act demonstrated the evil that was among them, and that the Nephites were at the doors of destruction.
Video Presentation
Play chapter thirty-eight of the Book of Mormon Stories DVD, starting at the point Nephi tells the crowd about the murder of the chief judge. Afterwards ask the following discussion questions:
Discussion
• The Gadianton judges accused Nephi of committing the murder to raise himself up to be a prophet. Why might the wicked judges desire to make Nephi appear to be a false prophet?
• What was Nephi’s response to their accusations? (Helaman 9:25–35.) He told them to repent or be destroyed, and then Nephi once again demonstrated his God-given prophetic ability by telling the people of an upcoming chain of events that would occur.
Why did Nephi demonstrate his prophetic ability to the Nephites? So they would know he had power from God to know of things that would happen in the future if they did not repent.
Latter-day prophets have also been given power, knowledge, and wisdom from God. They teach us what has been revealed to them. (Put sign #3 on the board: Prophets teach the revealed word of God.)
• How can we strengthen our testimony of the living prophet? By doing what he says. Remind the children of the five men who went to the city to see about the chief judge. They did not believe Nephi was a prophet, but when they got there and saw that his words were true, they did believe and they fell down in fear of the judgments Nephi had prophesied. Explain that when we do what the prophet says, we will see the truth of his words, and we will see there is safety in following his words.
Activity
Show the picture of the watchman on the tower. Explain that during the Savior’s time, robbers would sometimes come into vineyards to steal or destroy crops. Wise farmers would build tall towers in their vineyards and hire a trusted watchman to stand on the tower and watch for danger. From where he stood, the watchman on the tower could see things the others could not see.
Through the ages, Heavenly Father has given his children “watchmen.” These trusted watchmen the Lord gives us are called prophets. Nephi was one of these watchmen. These watchmen help keep us safe from the destructive attacks of Satan by warning us of danger.
• What would happen if we did not heed the warnings of our watchmen the prophets? Satan’s destructive attacks and influence could cause the loss of earthly blessings and the loss of the blessings of eternal life.
Show the children the flaps that open on the picture of the watchman on the tower. Explain that behind the top flap is a picture of a latter-day prophet and behind the bottom flap is something that prophet taught. Give each child, or set of two children, the list of some of the things these latter-day prophets taught. Spin the wheel and then have a volunteer open the top flap on the tower picture and show it to the class. Then have the child face the picture toward themselves to see what the bottom box says. Have the child pantomime what the bottom box says and see if the other children can guess which item on the list it is. Have the child who guesses correctly explain how we are blessed and kept safe when we follow that teaching. Continue with this activity until every child has had a turn acting out one of the items, or until time is up. You may wish to mention something the living prophet has emphasized in his teachings at the end of the activity. (For example: President Monson emphasizes service.)
Conclusion
Point to the signs on the board and remind the children that Heavenly Father sends prophets to warn us of the dangers of sin, to teach us about the Savior and repentance, and to lead and guide us on the earth with God’s revealed word. We are blessed when we listen to and follow the prophet.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Helaman 7:1-22, Helaman 8:1-10 & 26–28, Helaman 9:1-41
The colored pictures are from “In the Leafy Tree Tops” blog
The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
The children already know this song really well, so I plan on having the children sing it through once the regular way using the actions and then I’ll explain what it means.
I’m using the colored illustrations of the July 1999 Friend pictures from the blog “In the Leafy Tree Tops” to help explain what the song means. I am also using word strip labels. The blog “In the Leafy Tree Tops” is also where I got the alternate song arrangement idea I am using. A big thank you to the writer of this blog!
Presentation
When Jesus was on the earth he taught many things using parables. The wise man and the foolish man is one of the parables he taught. A parable is a short story designed to help teach a gospel principle using everyday objects in life that people can relate to, such as the storm, the house, the rock, and the sand in the song.
(Put the objects on the board one at a time. Explain what each represents after asking the question about it. Put the word strip label under the object after explaining what it represents.)
What does the house represent? Our life
What does building our life on the rock represent? Building our life on the solid foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which means doing the things the gospel teaches us to do.
What does building our life on the sand represent? Building our life on the things the world values.
What kinds of things does the world value? (Write these on the board.) Wealth, entertainment, physical beauty, sports activities, popularity and fame, etc. Explain that sometimes people make these things their main focus in life and they don’t give time to the things of the gospel such as scripture study, prayer, church attendance, etc.
What happens when the storms of life hit someone who has made worldly values their priority in life? (Answer this question by asking the following questions.) What do the storms of life represent? (The difficulties, trials, and temptations of life) What happens to sand when wind or water hits it? (It moves and shifts.) What happens if someone has not taken the time to build a strong testimony and temptations coming pouring down upon them? (They might move and shift toward the temptation.) What happens when the difficulties of life come pouring down upon someone who has not taken the time to turn to the wisdom of the Lord to help guide their life? (Things fall apart.) If we haven’t built our life on gospel teachings, the storms of life could sweep us away to destruction.
Alternate Song Arrangement
After I explain what the song means, I plan on having the children try to sing the song using the alternate song arrangement. I will have the pianist play just the children’s part until they have it down. The chorus accompaniment is a little difficult. I am planning on having a musical instrument play the children’s part during the chorus to help them hear and sing their part.
P.S. I changed the wording on one of the word strips (it is different than the picture). The grammar is still not correct, but it might work better.
Additional Teaching Ideas:
Friend March 2020 “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man: I Can Play It” Also includes a sing-along video.
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 Sing-along video
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.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:11 to the children, and explain that Jesus Christ is our foundation. Show the children several pictures of things we can have testimonies of, including a picture of Jesus Christ. Help them arrange the pictures so that the picture of Jesus is on the bottom, like a foundation, and the other pictures “build” on a testimony of Him.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 1–7”)
Share pictures that depict some of your favorite stories from the Savior’s life, and ask the children to tell you what is happening in the pictures. Let them share some of their favorite stories about Jesus. Bear your testimony that Jesus Christ is the foundation of your faith.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 1–7”)
The Red Crystal Have the children color the figure to look themselves, and then cut the story pictures out and paste them onto the foundation area.
Decorative fireworks (These fireworks contain poppers at the top opening. Each popper contains a song title.)
Items needed: a bag of poppers (these can be found in the party favor area at Walmart), a cardboard wrapping paper tube, a one-inch thick sheet of styrofoam, shish-kabob sticks, string, tape, foil and ribbon (or decorative paper), decorative wire tinsel.
Assembly Instructions – Take off the cardboard top on the popper. Insert a piece of paper that has the song title on it and replace the cover. (I saw this idea on Sugardoodle). Cut a wrapping paper tube into eight to ten pieces. Cut a strip of styrofoam the width of the tube. Shove the styrofoam strip into a tube, leaving room at the end for the popper. Shove a shish-kabob stick through the top middle of the styrafoam, making a hole all the way through to the bottom. Tie a string to the end of the popper string.Tape the end of the string to the bottom of the stick and shoved it through the hole.Take the string off the stick and gently pull the string down until the round flat top of the popper becomes the end of the tube. Cover the tube with foil and ribbon (leave the top popper side uncovered). Shove a shish-kabob stick into bottom of the firework. Stick pieces of wire tinsel into the top sides of the tube next to the popper. Display the finished firecrackers in a jar filled with black beans.
Fourth of July activities to do while singing the songs.
1. Flag raising: Have a child raise and lower a flag while the children sing. When the flag is raised the children stand up. When it is lowered the children sit down.
2. Party hat: Have a member of the Primary presidency judge the classes as they sing. The teacher of the class that sings the best has to wear the decorative hat until the next song is done.
3. Bubbles bursting in air: The children aim their blown bubbles at a target such as a container. When they get a bubble in the container the next person comes up and tries to get the bubbles in the container. Continue in this manner until the song is done.
4.Patriotic artist: As the children sing the song, a child draws on the board an item related to the holiday such fireworks, a flag, the statue of Liberty, etc., but they have to draw it blindfolded. When the song if finished the other children guess what the artist drew.
5. Flag leading: Several children help lead the song with flags.
Presentation:
A child pulls the “wick” making sure to point the firework away from people. After it has popped have the child look for the paper with the song title on it. The child then chooses a name of an activity from a container (or the activity items could be numbered and the child could choose a number). The chosen activity is performed while singing the song.
Memorizing Tip: Adam and Eve were the first two people to live on the earth, and Article of Faith 2 is about Adam.
To transgress means to break a law or commandment. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but they ate it anyway. We are each responsible for our own decisions. We can’t be punished for someone else’s sins. (Friend Jan 2015)
Stories
Friend February 2021″Matt and Mandy” Matt has to miss recess too when kids in his class were acting up. He and Mandy memorize the 2nd and 3rd article of faith and he is glad that Heavenly Father is fair to everyone
Friend Feb 1996 “And Not for Adam’s Transgression” Baby Adam pulled on the tablecloth and tipped over a glass of milk. Sarah’s mom punished Sarah thinking she did it and lied about it. Later, when she realized her mistake, she apologized and they talked about the second article of faith.
Friend October 2020 “Mother Theresa and the Rescue” Mother Theresa had great faith in and love for God, She knew that God loved all people, and she spent her whole life loving and helping them. At age 72 she heard about some children that were stranded in a hospital with no food or help during a war in Lebanon. She went to help them and was able to help get them to safety with faith in God’s 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 February 2020 “Go and Do” President Henry B. Eyring tells about growing up during a time when many people were out of work and homeless. The Relief Society president collected clothes from neighbors and washed them and put them in boxes on her back porch for anyone who needed clothes. She followed God’s command to help those in need and helped hundreds of Heavenly Father’s children. Activity: Follow the paths to see how these children made a difference!
Friend June 2023 “Service After the Storm” Jacob and his brother helped a family friend clean out their house after a hurricane flooded it. He knew that if Jesus had been there he would have done the same thing. He wanted to be someone Jesus could always trust to help. He asked his dad what they were going to do to help Jesus next.
Heavenly Father Wants Us to Serve Others
Friend November 2022 “A Happy Helper” Felix helps his mom get ready for Grandpa’s visit. Activity: Heavenly Father wants us to help others. Point to ways these children are helping.
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.
Pray to Know How and Who to Serve
Friend May 2020 “The Little Red Bread Wagon” The Bishop asked ward members to help others. Sammy’s father prayed to know what to do, and the idea came to make bread to share. Sammy helped his father decide who to take bread to, and he helped him deliver the bread with his wagon.
Following Jesus’ Example of Service
Love and care for them
Friend November 2018 “What I Know” Action rhyme about serving people like Jesus—because we love them.
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.)
Service Helps the Receiver and the Giver
We learn from those we serve.
Friend July 2017 “Best Camp Ever!” A boy is assigned to be a buddy at camp to Bryant who is blind. The boy keeps a journal and writes about it. He is worried about the assignment, but he finds that it is exciting and fun when the person you are serving accomplishes difficult things. Bryant serves him too by being an example of perserverance in doing hard things.
We Worry Less About Ourselves when We Serve Others/ We are Also Blessed
Friend November 2020 “120 Happy People” A family does a service project every year on the birthday of their baby who died because serving helps them feel thankful for what they have, and when they feel thankful, then happiness replaces the sad feelings. For this years project they decide to thank you notes to people every day and help 120 people feel happy.
Friend August 2018 “The Lemonade Stand” After terrorist attacks, a girl and her friends are afraid. The girl also wants to help the victims but doesn’t know how. The neighborhood decides to host a lemonade stand to help raise money for the firefighters and their families. After helping with the lemonade stand, she feels better. Her mom tell she her that when she is being like Jesus, the Holy Ghost can help her feel happy and safe.
Friend June 2021 “Ombeni’s New Home” Ombeni’s family were refugees in the U.S. School was hard because he didn’t know the language and didn’t have any friends. His mother suggested he try to find someone to serve. He found a girl sitting alone at lunch and sat by her and smiled. She smiled back. It made him feel happy that he could help someone.
Service Helps Us Forget Our Problems
Friend December 2022 “Cookies, Hugs, and Love” Because of a hurricane and Covid, Eva’s family Christmas traditions of celebrating with family, friends, and neighbors was not possible. Eva was sad. Their family decided to buy food for people who lost their homes in the hurricane and Eva wanted to make cookies for the children in the shelter. Serving others helped her feel better.
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.
Friend April 2024 “Bottles of Love” Isabela helped with a project at school to make “bottles of love,” which are plastic bottles filled with single-use plastics. The bottles were sent to an organization that made them into plastic bricks. The bricks could be used to build outdoor benches and houses for people in need.
Friend June 2023 “Drawing with Christian” Gabriel like to draw during sacrament meeting, but a boy named Christian sometimes and took his pencils and scribbled on Gabriel’s drawings. Christian couldn’t talk, and he didn’t sit still. Gabriel’s sister suggested they help him draw next time he came over to them. Christian had a big smile when they helped him draw the following Sunday. Gabriel enjoyed it too.
Friend July 2023 “The Garden Cleanup” The sister missionaries teach Jonah and his family about service, and then they all decide to do a service project at the overgrown school garden. They get others to help as well. Helping the missionaries was fun for Jonah. He wanted to be a missionary someday too. Until then, there were lots of ways he could serve. He could hardly wait to think of his next project!
Service Without Thanks
Friend February 2022 “Bikes and Promises” Annie and her mom help a two boys get home after one fell off his bike. The mother of the boys didn’t thank them. Annie tells her mother, “People didn’t always thank Jesus for the good things He did. But that didn’t stop Him. So I won’t let it stop me either.”
Friend April 2020 “One Grey Square” Mariana’s stake had a goal to crochet 500 squares. The squares would then be joined together to make quilts and given to people who needed them. When Mariana went to turn in her square, she saw all the perfectly made squares. She was embarrassed because hers was crooked and had a few mistakes. She thought about shoving it in her pocket, but the lady taking the squares put it in the pile and then announced that her square was the 1000th square turned in. Everybody clapped. Mariana was glad she was a part of the special activity of helping people stay warm.
Friend April 2020
Friend Aug 1987 “The Bryan & Barney Circus” Children put on a circus to cheer up a sick friend. It doesn’t go well, but it does the job.
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.
Friend March 2021 “A Piano for Prophet” A boy named prophet set two goals: first, learn how to play the piano, and second, teach others how to play. Several people became interested in learning more about the church as they learned how to play using the Primary songs. (Link includes a Video of the story.)
Service Minded
Friend July 2021 “Helping at the Market” Marta finds a lost dog at the market and looks for its owner. Marta likes to help others. On the activity page find some people at the market that she and Mamá can help.
Friend June 2021 “Meet Karles from Puerto Rico” Karles loves to help people. After an earthquake he helped give out hygiene kits to others who had lost their homes and to those who were sick and elderly. Karles also helped at an international day of service, and he likes to help his parents with their chores. (See full story and photos at link.)
Karles followed Jesus by serving others after an earthquake. You can help others in your community too!
Challenge: Wherever you live, there are people who need help. You could donate to a food pantry, help your neighbors, or volunteer at a community organization with a parent or guardian.
Friend December 2018 “Saved from the Mud” Elder Parillo’s parents were always doing things to help people, including letting people from their neighborhood sleep in their home whenever the houses flooded with mud.
Friend December 2018 “Brothers who Light the World” Brothers from Ghana like helping others. They use their piano playing talents to help others, they share their snacks at school with children who are hungry and have nothing to eat, and they like to teach the gospel to neighbors. (Link includes photos.)
Friend January 1989 “Oatmeal, Shovels, and Pyramids” Toby is always serving others, from his grandfather and neighbor to his gymnastic teacher.
Friend September 2018 “Show and Tell” Lisa S., age 10, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, always looks for ways to serve at church. She looks for little children who need comfort or those who may feel alone. She passes out hymnbooks so that everyone can sing.
Setting an Example of Service
Friend February 2019 “Helper Like You” Jaylen watches her brother take bread to a neighbor, shovel another neighbor’s driveway, and then offer to help her build a snowman. She tells him that she wants to be a helper like him. (Link also includes an activity where children tell how they could help in each situation.)
Friend June 2017 “Show and Tell” Brandt secretly plans to clean up his grandma’s yard after a big storm, and his family sees him working and joins in.
Friend December 2016 “Cookies, Cans, and Christmas” A mother got out of her car in the rain to help a homeless man pick up spilled cans in the road. It makes an impression on her kids.
Service Helps Us and Others Feel Happy
Friend February 2023 “Twelve Smiley Stickers” Antonio’s Primary teacher said that one way to become like Jesus is to serve others, and she gave them each a paper and some smiley stickers. Every time they served someone they got to put a smiley sticker on their paper. That week when Antonio was serving others he saw the happiness that it brought. Pretty soon he was serving not for stickers but because he liked it and it made him feel happy as well.
Friend June 2020 “Eli’s Helping Hand” Eli was sad when he missed a ball and his soccer team lost the game. At church he noticed that his friend Kate was feeling sad too because her body hurt from sitting in a wheelchair. He rocked her wheelchair to help her feel better. Afterwards, he realized that helping others made him feel happy too.
Friend September 2019 “Show and Tell” “We got an extra meal from a restaurant so that we could give it to someone who was hungry. We saw a police car parked nearby and asked the policeman if he had eaten lunch. He had not! He said he was hungry and that we were a blessing to him. We had the best feeling knowing we had helped someone.” Callister, Kerrigan, and Preston S., ages 7, 5, and 3, Texas, USA (picture of children and police officer)
Friend March 2018 A man drops some money and Brianna gives it to him. She has a wonderful feeling afterwards
Friend April 2016 “Off to Chicago” Alex is sad his brother will be gone for 3 days, but he makes a gift to help his brother not be lonely and that makes Alex feel better.
Friend September 2022 “Guess Who Loves You, Mrs. Banks!” Mrs. Banks, Roxy’s neighbor is sick and has to go to the hospital every day for treatments. Roxy wants to do something nice for her, so she starts leaving a flower on her porch every day. It makes Mrs. Banks feel special and loved, and Roxy was glad she could make her smile again.
Friend June 2021 “One Peach at a Time” When Sister Eubanks was a child she went to a church farm to help pick peaches. Pretty soon she and her sister didn’t want to do it anymore because the peach fuzz was making their arms itch. Their mother explained that the peaches would be going to feed families who needed food. After that they stopped worrying about their itchy arms because they were helping to feed families who needed food!
Friend July 2020 “The Secret Ingredient” Sister Franco’s primary teacher when she was young always brought chocolate cake for her class. Sister Franco didn’t like chocolate cake but one day she tried it because her primary teacher said it was made with a special ingredient. Later, Sister Franco found out that her teacher used her bus money to make the cakes, and had to walk 2 miles to church. The secret ingredient was love.
Friend September 2024 “Flowers for My Neighbor” Peter felt sad for his neighbor who had lost her husband. He wanted to do something for her. He prayed and the thought came to give her flowers at Valentines. He worked hard to earn the money for flowers. She was really happy when he gave them to her and he felt warm and happy too.
My mom, dad, and I gave blankets to a children’s hospital. The hospital workers said the blankets would help the kids not feel afraid anymore. I am glad that our blankets will help cheer the kids up and make them happy. It made me feel happy too. Brooklyn D., age 9, Texas, USA
Feeding the Hungry
Friend June 2022 “Meet Septream from Cambodia” Sometimes at school Septream notices friends who don’t have enough food. So he shares his snacks and lunch with them. (See photos at link)
Friend June 2024 “Serving at the Storehouse” Dominic and his mother help fill an order at the Bishop’s Storehouse. His mother explains that when we pay a fast offering the money helps buy food for those that need help. That is a way all the members of the Church help each other, so none go hungry.
Service Super Hero
Friend March 2018 “Matt and Mandy” Matt makes a super hero costume and secretly helps his mom.
Friend November 2018 “Chalk Service” Nathan gave out invitations to be in a service club. For their first service they did nice sidewalk chalk messages at the homes of people who needed encouragement.
Friend July 2018 “The Service Club” Three siblings started their own service club. They first wrote thank you cards to people they appreciated and delivered them anonymously, and then they started delivering treats to people.
Family Traditions of Service
Friend November 2018 “Thanks and Giving” Kate’s family have a tradition where every Thanksgiving each family gets some money from grandma to help someone in need. Kate’s family uses their money to make fleece blankets for children in the hospital.
Friend November 2018 “Our uncle passed away a couple of years ago. On his birthday right before he died, he asked us to help the homeless instead of giving him a present. So now every year on his birthday, we do things for the homeless. This year we made kits to give them. We can show Jesus love by helping others.” Ben and Paisley C., ages 8 and 3, Utah, USA
Service Helps Others Feel Loved
Friend December 2019 “The Red Paper Bird” Eve got sick and was very sad when she couldn’t go to the school Christmas party. Her teacher sent home a red bird Christmas craft the kids made during the party, and Eve’s brother and sister helped her make it. Whenever she looked at the red bird, she felt very loved. (Make the craft. Have a family member do a secret act of service for someone and leave the bird. Then that person does an act of service and leaves the bird. How many times can you pass the bird?)
Service to Elderly
Friend April 2021 “A New Friend for Wellington” Wellington helped his dad take care packages to a nursing home, butt he was a little nervous to talk to them because they were all older than him. His dad reminded him that they were all children of God. Wellington helped a lonely lady feel better by telling her that she was a child of God and she was never alone because she could pray to Heavenly Father.
Friend January 2021 “Meet Stella from Ghana” Stella and her family visit their 83 year old landlady almost everyday. They adopted her since she doesn’t have any family. They help her with housework to help keep her healthy. (See link for the story and photos)
Friend March 2016 “Baseball Bill” A family adventure day spending time at a nursing home is more fun than expected. Service makes you feel good.
Service for the Sick
Friend August 2022 “For Older Kids” When I got my hair cut, I donated it to make wigs for children who have lost their hair. I felt really happy because I was doing something important to help other kids who were sick. (Includes photo)
Friend November 2018 Kate’s family make fleece blankets for children in the hospital. Friend August 2017 “Sister Sheldon’s Miracle” Children make a quilt for their much loved Primary president who has cancer.
Friend June 2021 “Jesus Served Others” “For my eighth birthday party, all my friends brought some school supplies, and together we made kits for kids who didn’t have things for school. It made me feel happy thinking how excited the kids would be to get the school kits. I loved serving with my friends and family. I know that serving others can bring us joy, peace, and love.” Abigail H., age 8, Utah, USA
Friend May 2021 “Meet Sophie” Sophie and her younger brother, Jacob, love to help their grandmother clean the beach by carefully removing pieces of glass and other items. They make sure the beach is clean and safe for both animals and people. (Photos)
Friend April 2020 “One Grey Square” Mariana’s stake had a goal to crochet 500 squares. The squares would then be joined together to make quilts. and given to hospital patients and people without homes. Mariana was excited to help.
I volunteer at Give Kids the World, where kids with critical illnesses stay for a vacation. I help by serving them slushies, ice cream, hot dogs, soda, and other foods. Anna Sophia A., age 11, Florida, USA
Our city does an interfaith food drive every year. We pass out fliers and then pick up the food left on the doorsteps. When we delivered the food to the depot, I felt really excited. My mom said that feeling was the Holy Ghost. Walker N., age 7, Alberta, Canada
Friend May 2018 “Matt and Mandy” (Part 1) Mandy wants to help the lonely kids at school. A friend mentioned that her old school had a friendliness campaign, and her mom mentions that student council elections are coming up.
Friend June 2018 “Matt and Mandy” (Part 2) Mandy decides to run for student council.
Friend May 2018 “Junior Helping Hands” When Hurricane Irma’s hit Florida, Autumn helped by collecting backpacks full of school supplies.
Friend November 2017 “The Yellow Angels” President Eyring’s visited Florida after the hurricanes. The LDS members who came to help were known as the yellow angels because of the yellow helping hands shirts they wore. “Sometimes you will be the angel the Lord sends to bear others up.”
Friend June 2017 “Making Dolls” Jackson makes dolls for refugees.
Friend June 2017 “Cousin Camp” Cousins do service projects with their grandma.
Friend April 2017 “Erika’s Dream Park” A neighborhood comes together to help make a dying girl’s dream come true of fixing up an old run down park.
Friend October 2017 “ Helping Out, One Pencil at a Time” Caleb helps his school set up a program to help refugees children. He then took the collected school supply kits to the refugee camp.
Friend January 2017 “Salsa Service” Brooks makes and sells salsa to earn money to help refugees.
Food Bank
Friend November 2015 “Macaroni Helper” Ari’s family helps at the food bank.
Friend November 2022 “Conference NotesPresident Oaks shared the story of a man named Mr. Gabriel, who helped thousands of refugee children. He created “tree schools,” where children gathered for lessons under the shade of trees. When he saw a need, he helped! God inspires many people like Mr. Gabriel to do good.
Friend November 2019 “Kindness Kits” A family collects some items and makes some muffins to take to some homeless.
Neighbor Service
Friend October 2023 “The Little Library” Janie loved to read and wanted to make a little library to help others by sharing books with them. She and her sister did a bake sale to earn money for supplies. Then she went door to door collecting donated books. Her mom and dad helped build the little library. She was so glad she could help her neighbors by sharing books in the little library.
Friend November 2018 “Gavin and his family shoveled their elderly neighbors snow. It was fun at first, but doing it every time it snowed became tedious and difficult. One day, when they didn’t make it over, Gavin saw the neighbor trying to do it himself, and Gavin realized how difficult it was for him. After that, shoveling for the neighbors wasn’t a chore, it was a joy.
Friend April 2018 “Furry Fun” Camila and her brother Tomás found a fun and furry way to serve their neighbors! Every Saturday, they walk dogs for people who have a hard time getting around.
Friend August 1986 “The Extra Hug” A neighbor lady is always grumpy. Benjamin gives her hugs to help her feel better.
Friend June 1985 “The Picadilly Street Pirates” – A group of boys pretend to be good pirates that do service.
Natural Disaster Service
Friend August 2021 “Who Can We Help?” Tadiana’s family share their garden with people who might need a little help during Covid and they invite some lonely members to join them on a video call for their family scripture night.
Friend February 2020 “Show and Tell” We have family living in Tonga and were sad when a cyclone hit there. We decided to send water purifiers so that they could have clean drinking water. We worked to earn money to send three boxes of purifiers. Our family in Tonga had enough to share with their community. Christopher and Kalea L., both age 8, Saskatchewan, Canada
Friend October 2019 “The Great Family Shoe Hunt” A flood washed away people’s homes. Cameron wanted to help. The Primary was collecting shoes for the flood victims, and Cameron’s family did a shoe hunt for Family Home Evening.
Friend February 2020 “Garage-Sale Service” TeAroha wanted to help some people in a village who had lost their homes. Her mother suggested they send money to the Church Humanitarian Aid Fund because they use money to help places like that. TeAroha sold some of her toys at a family garage sale and she did chores to earn money to donate.
Service Ideas
Friend August 2021 “Meet Porter from Poland” Porter likes to help out at home and school. Porter also helps out by participating in the BillionGraves project. He and his family take photos of headstones at a cemetery and then upload them so people can find information on their Polish ancestors.
Friend March 2019 “Show and Telll” Children serve by playing the piano to bring spirit, picking up trash at school playground, helping with weeding.
Friend November 2018 Kate’s family make fleece blankets for children in the hospital.
Friend October 2018 “The Talents Team” Several great stories about children who did service projects such as collecting pencils for school children in Africa, making quilts for the needy, and collecting supplies for an orphanage in Guatemala. Photos are also included.
Friend September 2018 “Caring and Coconuts” Lui and his family share their garden food with others.
Friend August 2018 When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Hailey and London saw news stories about libraries whose books had been ruined in the flood. They decided to raise money for new books. They made “Texas Strong” stickers. People from all over bought the stickers. Hailey and London donated all the money to their favorite library in Houston.
Friend May 2018 “Cards and Caring” Brady made and sold cards to make money to help foster kids and refugees.
Friend January 2018 “Sharing Snacks and Smiles” Sam and Anastasia make snack kits for the homeless.
Friend December 2017 “Gabriel’s Cello” Gabriel played Christmas songs on his cello at a shopping center for tips to give to the food pantry to feed the homeless. (Includes photos)
Friend November 2017 “Secret Service Sisters” Twin sisters decide to surprise their friends and family with secret service.
Friend October 2017 “Show and Tell” “I decided to collect and donate pet food for our local pet pantry program. I named it #operationfeedthepets. It made me feel good to help families that need help feeding their pets.” Julio A., age 7, Florida, USA
Friend June 2017 “Show and Tell” Two girls do a neighborhood food drive.
Friend March 2017 “Reading for Wheelchairs” Zach reads to people for 10 cents per minute and donates the money to buy wheelchairs for LDS Humanitarian Services.
Friend June 1988 “The Deseret Clarinet” A girl learns that giving things to Deseret Industries helps people, and she is then more willing to give away some of her old things. (Link also includes a list of the reasons DI was established.)
Friend April 1988 “Scavenger Hunt” While on a Scavenger hunt, some children find a frail, old lady who doesn’t have any food in her cupboards. They decide to do a different kind of Scavenger hunt and they collect food for the lady.
Friend October 1987 “The Pumpkin Phantom” A boy secretly gives away the pumpkins he grew so the children can have pumpkins to carve at Halloween.
Friend October 2015 “Happy to Help” – Children volunteer to help neighbor rake leaves.
“Mom’s Magic Bread “– Friend February 1985 – Boys learn that the magic of giving bread away comes from sharing love.
Emily’s Lawn Service” Friend June 2015- Girl earns money to give to a family whose father has cancer.
“Boots” Friend December 1984 Girl gives snow boots to another girl who doesn’t have any.
Friend December 2015 “The Woodpile” A family gives away their wood to help a family who needs it to heat their home.
Friend April 1984 “A Time to Act” “A girl will lose the opportunity to be volleyball captain if late for school again, but she does the right thing and helps a girl who becomes afraid crossing the street.
Print and cut out the pictures. (The pictures are from an old Primary manual.)
Items needed: the same display methods used for verses one and two.
Presentation
The Lord gives us commandments and asks us to obey. – Put the “Obey Your Parents” sign on the display board, and underneath that put the picture of the child playing with toys and the picture of the mother asking the child to pick up his toys.
Sometimes I am tempted to choose another way. – Put the picture of the child leaving the toys on the floor and walking out the door on the display board.
When I am discouraged, and think I cannot try – Put the picture of the sad child consoling with the dog on the board. Explain that the child feels guilty for not obeying his mother, but thinks it is too hard to do what is right – face his mom, apologize, and try to fix the problem.
I will be courageous, and I will reply. – Put the picture of the child saying “I will go, I will do” onto the board.
