Tag Archives: Activities

Aug 8 2012

Lesson 31: Samuel the Lamanite

Posted on by

 Lesson 31
Samuel the Lamanite

Preparation
• Items needed: chalk and eraser, a small treat or reward, two blindfolds, about ten sheets of paper, crayons and pencils, tape and magnets, a piece of cardstock put inside a page protector, sticky tack, removable double-sided tape, mini marshmallows or several wadded up small pieces of paper, and a five inch round paper circle. Optional: pictures of Jesus’ birth and death
• Print the timeline visuals. (Note: The dates on the timeline are approximate.) Cut out the timeline pages and tape each page together in order. Cover the prophets’ names on the timeline with strips of one inch by three inch pieces of heavy paper. (Use removable double-sided tape to attach.) Cut out the prophets’ names with the scriptures on them. Attach the names to the page protector with sticky tack.
• Print and cut out the scripture story visuals. Cut the group of people into two parts between the woman in blue and the man with the bow and arrow.
• Print the activity visual aids. (The signs of Christ’s birth and the signs of Christ’s death need to be printed onto two different colors of paper.) Cut out all the items. Optional: Attach the heading “Sign’s of Christ’s Birth” to the top of the picture of Jesus’ birth. Attach the heading “Sign’s of Christ’s Death” to the top of the picture of Jesus’ death.

Attention Activity
Put the timeline on the board. Explain to the children they are going do a review activity regarding the prophets they have learned about this year. Point out the prophet pictures on the timeline, and then show the children the page of prophets’ names. Have the children take turns identifying who each prophet is by putting the name above or below the prophet’s picture it goes with. Give hints about specific prophet’s stories if needed.

After all the prophets’ names are situated, check to see if they are correct by taking off the name covers on the timeline. If one doesn’t match, have a child change it with one they think is correct. After all the names have been revealed, point out that the timeline ends at Jesus’ birth. Explain that all the prophets on the timeline were born and lived before Jesus was born.

• Which of the prophets on the timeline prophesied and taught of Jesus? (All of them.) Point out the scriptures under each name and explain that the scriptures contains a few of the words or teachings of that prophet concerning Jesus.

Read Mosiah 13:33: “Did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?”

• What do you think these prophets’ main messages were concerning Jesus? (Have them each look up one of the scriptures and read it to themselves. Then ask a few volunteers to quickly tell what the main message is in their scripture.)That Jesus would come to the earth and atone for the sins of mankind.

Point out the empty spot on the timeline. Explain that the prophet who goes on the empty spot lived in the time period right before the birth of Jesus Christ. This prophet was sent to the Nephites to prepare them for the coming of Jesus. He made specific prophesies about the time and signs of Jesus’ birth and death. Ask if any of the children knows who the prophet is. (If they do not know, ask them to listen carefully to the lesson and see if they can guess who it is.)

Scripture Account
Remind the children of the events that occurred in last week’s lesson. Explain that the people remained righteous for a time after the famine, but within a few years wickedness began to creep back in, and within about ten years after the famine the Nephites were once again ripe for destruction.

Each time the Nephites returned to wickedness they appear to be guilty of committing the same sins they had committed before. See if the children can guess what sins the Nephites were guilty of committing this time. Remind them that the sins are similar to the ones they were committing before. Write their guesses on the board. Have the children read Helaman13:22 and put a check mark next to each one they guessed correctly. (Forgetting the Lord and his blessings, ingratitude, heart set on riches, pride, boasting, envying (jealousy), strifes (fighting), malice (hate), murders, and persecution.)

• What did the Nephites seek for all the days of their live that they could never obtain? (See Helaman 13:38) They sought for happiness in doing iniquity.

• Why can happiness never be found in doing iniquity? (See Alma 41:10-11)

• What other wicked things were the Nephites doing? (See Helaman 13:24) (If the children included any of these sins on their list have them put a check mark next to them also.) They cast out the prophets, mocked them, cast stones at them, and slayed them.

Explain that instead of listening to the true prophets, the Nephites called a man a prophet if he told them flattering words such as, “Do as your heart desires for there is no sin or punishment.” Samuel called these false prophets blind guides. (Helaman 13:27-28)

Object Lesson
Choose two volunteers. Blindfold one of the volunteers. Tell the other child he/she is going to guide the blindfolded child to a special reward, but then explain that he/she is going to be blindfolded also. After blindfolding the second child, quietly put the reward somewhere in the room. Tell the guiding child to lead the other child to the reward. Make sure they don’t fall or get hurt as they attempt this. After a few minutes ask the class the following question:

• Is a blindfolded person a good guide? Why not? (They can’t see the right way to go to get the reward, and they can’t see the dangers that need avoiding.) Take the blindfolds off the children and thank the volunteers for their help, then ask the following question:

• Do people sometimes follow blind guides in today’s world? We have many leaders in the world today who lead but don’t know the way to true happiness. They also don’t see the dangers (Satan’s temptations) that need avoiding.

Heavenly Father wants us to find true, eternal happiness, so He provides true guides that can see the right way to go and the dangers to avoid.

• Who are the guides Heavenly Father provides? Prophets. They know the way because they are directed by divine light and are not blinded by the darkness that is around them. (Have a child who is not blinded by the darkness of a blindfold lead a child who is blindfolded to the reward.) (They must share the reward with the class.)

The Lord wanted the Nephites to follow true guides, but they would not listen to their prophets and were casting them out and killing them, so the Lord sent a Lamanite prophet to preach to them. (Remind the children that at this time in Book of Mormon history many of the Lamanites were righteous. See Helaman 13:1)

Ask the children if they know yet who the prophet is that goes on the empty spot on the timeline. Remind them he is a Lamanite.

Explain that the prophet, Samuel the Lamanite (put his picture on the timeline) went to the Nephites and told them they needed to repent. The people were angry at his message, and they threw him out of the land. As Samuel was returning to his own land, the voice of the Lord came to him and told him to return and tell the people whatsoever thing that came into his heart.

• What did the Lord mean when he told Samuel to speak whatsoever thing that came into his heart? It meant Samuel would receive revelation from God concerning what to say.

Samuel returned to Zarahemla, but the people would not allow him to enter into the city.

• Samuel needed to deliver the message from the Lord. What did he do so he could accomplish this? He went and got up on the city wall. (Put the scripture story figures of Samuel, the wall, and the crowd of people on the board.)

Samuel cried with a loud voice and prophesied what the Lord put into his heart. He prophesied heavy destruction upon the people if they did not repent.

He also delivered another message, a message of glad tidings (which means good news).

• What do you think his message of glad tidings was? Remind the children that Samuel lived in a special time period. He lived during the time period when Jesus Christ, the son of God would come to the earth. His message of glad tidings was that Jesus Christ, the redeemer, would be born on the earth in five years. (Helaman 14:2)

• Why is this good news? (See Helaman 14:2,13) Because Jesus would make an atonement for our sins and redeem all who believe on his name.

• Samuel also prophesied concerning the death of Jesus. According to Samuel why did Jesus have to die? (Helaman 14:15-18) Samuel explained that Jesus must die to redeem all mankind from spiritual death and to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead.

• Samuel told the people that signs would occur when Jesus was born and when he dies. Why did the Lord reveal these signs to the Nephites? (See Helaman 14:12–13, 28.) So they might know of His coming and believe on His name and repent, and that there would be no cause for unbelief.

Activity
Give each child, or pairs of children, a piece of paper, a pencil, crayons, and one of the scripture cards. Have them look up their scriptures and draw a picture of the signs described in their scriptures. (Some of the children will only need to draw certain parts of their scripture. You may need to help them understand which part they need draw. The Activity Answers below will help provide those answers.)

Put the picture labeled “Signs of Christ’s Birth” on the left side of the board and the picture labeled “Signs of Christ’s Death” on the right side of the board. After the children have completed their pictures, have them take turns standing up, showing their picture, and telling what it is. Afterwards have the child decide if it is a sign of Jesus’ birth or death. Have them put their picture under the correct heading on the board. Check to see if it is correct by putting the matching sign label above their picture. If it matches the color of the category heading, they are correct.

Activity Answers

Signs of Christ’s Birth
• Helaman 14:3-4 -There will be a day and a night and a day as if there were no night.
• Helaman 14:5-6 – A new star will appear, and there will be many other signs and wonders in heaven.

Signs of Christ’s Death
• Helaman 14:20 – There will be darkness for three days. The sun, moon, and stars shall be darkened.
• Helaman 14:23 (First Part) & Helaman 14:21 (First part) – There will be tempests (severe storms with high winds and possible hail, snow, or rain). There will be thundering and lightening for many hours.
• Helaman 14:24 (Second part) – Cities made desolate (uninhabited).
• Helaman 14:23 (Second part) – The mountains will be laid low and valleys will become mountains.
•Helaman 14:21 (Second part), Helaman 14:22, & Helaman 14:24 (First part) – The earth shall shake and tremble, and rocks and highways shall be broken up.

Scripture Story Continued                                                                                                                                                                                                             

• How did the people react to Samuels words? Some believed and went to find Nephi to confess their sins and be baptized (take off the small group of people), but the majority of the people were angry with Samuel.

• What did the people attempt to do to Samuel because of their anger? Slay him. They cast stones at him on the wall and shot arrows at him. (Put the arrows and stones on the board.) But they could not hit him with their stones or arrows.

Demonstration: Put the five inch round piece of paper on the board. Give a few of the children sitting in the front seats 3-4 mini marshmallows each (or wadded up small pieces of paper). Have them try to hit the target with their items. Have the other children count and point out how many times they were able to hit the target. Ask the children why they think people who were familiar with using a bow and arrow and the people who were throwing rocks couldn’t hit Samuel. (Because the Spirit of the Lord was with him.) (Helaman 16:2)

• When the people saw that Samuel was miraculously protected did they believe his words then? Some believed, but the more part of the people did not believe the words of Samuel, and they went forth to lay their hands upon Samuel. He cast himself down from the wall and did flee out of their lands to preach among his own people.

• Five years after Samuel delivered his message to the Nephites, great signs, wonders, and miracles began to occur. The words of the prophets began to be fulfilled. Did the nonbelievers start to believe when they began to see the prophesied signs and wonders occuring? The most part of the people grew more wicked and did harden their hearts. (Helaman 16:22-23) They contrived foolish excuses to not believe.

• Why did the doubters contrive excuses to not believe even after witnessing great signs and wonders? Because Satan did stir them up to iniquity continually. (Helaman 16:22)

• What lesson do we learn from the account of the unbelievers? We learn that we must do our best to keep ourselves free of the influence of Satan so that our hearts will be open to the whisperings of Holy Ghost concerning the truth of the words of the prophets.

Conclusion

Remind the children of the timeline, and that all the prophets taught of Jesus. Explain that latter-day prophets also testify and teach of Jesus. Our faith and belief in the Savior can be strengthened as we read the prophets’ words in the scriptures and as we listen to and read the words of the latter-day prophets concerning Christ.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week – Helaman 13:1-8, 14:1-5, 20-27, 16:1-8

Important Note: Save the children’s drawings. They will be used again in lesson 32 and 33.

Jul 26 2012

Lesson 29: Nephi Prophesies

Posted on by

Lesson 29: Nephi Prophesies

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

 

 

 

May 17 2012

Lesson 28 – Nephi and Lehi in Prison

Posted on by

Lesson 28

 Nephi and Lehi in Prison

Preparation
• Items needed: a lamp or battery powered lantern, a clear page protector, a half sheet of poster board, double-sided removable tape, a picture of Jesus , scriptures for each child, a table easel, chalk and eraser, a small piece of thick dark paper, a piece of cooking wax paper, and a Pringles potato chip canister with plastic lid (or some other type of container that won’t let light in but is thin enough to cut holes in such as a shoe box.)
• Print the signs. Cut out the sign that says “I am the light of the world” and tape it to the top of the picture of Jesus. Also cut out the direction card that says “Look behind the picture of Jesus.” Tape the direction card to the inside bottom of the canister. Cut out a circle of wax paper and a circle of dark paper using the plastic lid as a guide. Put a hole in the middle of each paper about the size of a pea. Tape the wax paper inside the clear plastic lid. Tape the dark paper under the wax paper. Put the lid on the canister. Optional: glue decorative paper onto the outside of the canister. (If using a shoe box for this activity, poke an eye hole in the tall end of the box about the size of a pea and put the direction card on the opposite end. Cut a golf ball sized hole in the side of the box and tape a piece of thick dark paper over the hole.)
• Print the activity visual aids. Cover the back of the cloud page with glue (Scotch permanent glue stick works well), and adhere it to the front of the picture of Jesus. Cut the combined page into 12 puzzle pieces using the puzzle outline as a guide. Tape a page protector to the middle of the half sheet of poster board. Attach the puzzle pieces around it with double-sided removable tape (see above picture). Press the pieces on lightly so the tape will remain on the puzzle pieces when moving them to the page protector. Have extra tape available in class just in case.
• Print the handouts; one cloud handout will be needed per child. Glue the cloud page on top of the pictures of Jesus (just like the activity page). Cut the page into four sections so one cloud is on each cut section. Put the handouts in a Ziploc baggie. Place the Ziploc baggie on the easel and then put the picture of Jesus in front of it. Display the picture of Jesus on a table in class.
• Print the scripture story visual aids. Cut each page in half so one picture is on each half. Number the back of each picture in the order printed.

 

Attention Activity
Show the children the canister and explain that there are directions inside the canister that will lead them to a special handout. Have them take turns looking through the eye hole to try and read the directions. Ask the children if any of them can see the directions. Take the dark cover off the lid and ask them to try again. (Tell the children to wait to follow the directions. Explain that they will retrieve the items towards the end of the lesson.)

• Why were the directions visible the second time? Because light was let into the canister.

Ask a child to read the caption on the picture of Jesus. Explain that the full scripture is found in John 8:12 and it says: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

• What does the “light of life” mean? (The guiding light that leads to eternal life.) How is Jesus the guiding light of the world? Jesus lights the way to eternal life through His example and teachings.

• What might happen if a person didn’t have a light when walking in a dark area such as in a forest on a dark, cloudy night? (They might trip and fall over obstacles and get hurt.) Could the person find their desired destination? It would be difficult.

Just as we would need a light to help us find our way in the dark, we also need a light to help us find our way through the dark clouds of Satan’s lies and temptations on earth and see the way to eternal life.

Scripture Account
Remind the children of last week’s lesson concerning Helaman and the stripling warriors. Explain that after the war with the Lamanites, Helaman once again began to preach the gospel and build up the church. After Helaman died, the records he had kept were eventually given to his son who was also named Helaman. His son Helaman became a chief judge and served righteously. He had two sons by the names of Nephi and Lehi. He taught them many things

• Why do you think Helaman named his sons after Nephi and Lehi? (See Helaman 5:6.) He named them after righteous men hoping his sons would be reminded of their deeds and try to be like them.

• Ask the children if any of them are named after a person with praiseworthy characteristics.  Ask them how they feel when they hear about the characteristics of the person they are named after. Does it inspire them? Do they want to strive to be like that person?

• Remind the children that they took on a special name at baptism. What name is that? (See 2 Nephi 31:13 & Mosiah 6:1-2) The name of Jesus Christ. Explain that in today’s lesson they are going to discuss ways they can become more like Jesus Christ.

Scripture Story Continued
After Helaman died, his son Nephi served as chief judge for a time, but when the people began to become wicked and prideful he gave up the judgment seat to go and preach among them with his brother Lehi.

• The judgment seat was the top political office among the Nephites. It was influential like being a president or a prime minister. Why would Nephi give up a position where he could influence many people for good? The laws of the land were established by the voice of the people, and because of the wickedness of the people the laws had become corrupted and had little influence for good. Nephi felt he would have more influence and do more good by preaching the word of God.

Nephi and Lehi went from city to city preaching the word of God with great power, convincing many to repent. After they had gone among all the people of Nehi in the land southward, they went among the Lamanites and preached to them. Many of the Lamanites and the Nephite dissenters who lived among them were baptized unto repentance.

Scripture Story Activity
Put the scripture story visuals on the right side of the board in random order using tape or magnets. Read the story below to the children in numerical order. After reading each numbered section, stop and have a child choose a visual aid that goes with that part of the story. Have them turn over the card to see if it is right. The number on the back should match the number on the paragraph you read. If it is correct have the child move it to the left side of the board. The pictures on the left should be kept in the correct order.

1. Nephi and Lehi then went to the Land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites and Nephite dissenters who resided there. In the Land of Nephi the Lamanites cast Nephi and Lehi into prison. They were given no food.

2. After several days the Lamanites came to the prison to slay them. When the Lamanites entered the prison, Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire. The Lamanites dared not lay their hands on them fearing they would be burned.

3. Nephi and Lehi were not burned by the fire. They told the Lamanites that God was demonstrating his marvelous power by protecting them with the fire.

4. Then the earth and the walls of the prison shook as if they might tumble down. The Lamanites were overshadowed by a cloud of darkness and they were afraid.

5. As they stood there in the darkness they heard a voice as if it were above the cloud of darkness saying, “Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings.” It was not a voice of thunder but a still voice of perfect mildness, and it did pierce them to their souls.

6. The walls and earth shook and the voice spoke to them two more times. The Lamanites were frozen with fear.

7. There was a Nephite among them who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented. He saw through the cloud of darkness and saw that Nephi and Lehi’s faces were shining with light.

8. Their eyes were lifted up to heaven, and they were in the attitude of talking to some being that they beheld.

9. The Nephite man did cry unto the multitude to turn and look. The Lamanites asked the man what it all meant and who Nephi and Lehi were conversing with. The Nephite, whose name was Aminadab, said that they do converse with the angels of God. The Lamanites asked Aminadab what they could do to make the cloud of darkness disperse. Aminadab told them they must repent and pray to God until they gained faith in Christ.

10. They did as Aminadab said and the cloud of darkness dispersed.

11. When they looked about and saw the cloud of darkness had dispersed, they also saw they were encircled by a pillar of fire. It did not hurt them and they were filled with unspeakable joy. The Spirit of God did enter into their hearts. They saw and heard many marvelous things.

12. There were about three hundred souls who saw and heard these things, and they did go forth and minister to the people declaring all the things they had heard and seen.

13. The more part of the Lamanites were convinced of the truth of the matter because of the great amount of evidence. All those who were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and they let go of their hatred and the traditions of their fathers.

The Lamanites had been living their lives in darkness by believing Satan’s lies, following the incorrect traditions of their fathers, and filling their lives with hatred for the Nephites.

• What did the Lamanites do to escape the darkness? They prayed for forgiveness and for faith in Jesus Christ. Afterwards they changed their lives and followed the teachings of Jesus.

Activity
Put the puzzle and page protector on the board and explain that the children are going to do an activity that will help show them ways they can follow Jesus and fill their lives with light. Have them work in groups of two. Explain that you want them to think of some things that Jesus taught or some examples he set (if they need help they can look in the chapter headlines of the book of Luke in the New Testament for ideas.) Ideas might include the following: ministered to the sick and afflicted, prayed, fasted, kept the Sabbath Day holy, taught the gospel, knew the scriptures, served others, was baptized, was meek and humble, loved others, forgave. (Remind the children that one way to know and remember what Jesus did and taught is to read their scriptures daily. His teachings are found in all the books of scripture.)

Have the groups take turns telling an answer. After they give an answer have them write it on the board and then put a puzzle piece on the page protector. Continue in this manner until all the puzzle pieces are in the correct order on the page protector. When all the pieces are in the correct order, tape or pin the page protector on a lamp (or lantern) and turn on the lamp. The picture of Jesus should shine through. Explain that when we learn and do the things Jesus taught, then we are filling our lives with light: the knowledge, understanding, and truths that lead to eternal life.

Have one of the children now follow the directions they read in the canister. Once the child has retrieved the items from behind the picture of Jesus, explain that the items are miniature copies of the picture on the lamp. Tell them to each take one home and pin or tape it to the outside of a lamp shade (preferably a lamp in their room, and with permission from parents). Explain that every time the lamp is turned on they will see the picture of Jesus, and it will be a reminder for them to follow Jesus because he is the light that leads to eternal life.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Helaman 5:14-52

 

Mar 20 2012

Service: Activities & Games

Posted on by

Table of Contents

Service Games & Activities – LDS.org

(Click on any of the below images to see a larger version)

Friend February 2025 “For Little Ones” Point to what happens first. What comes next? What happens last?

Friend May 2022 “Find It” The Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, opened 100 years ago this month. Primary children collected coins to help the sick children who stayed there. Can you find the hidden items below? How many coins can you find?

Friend February 2022 “Neighbor Puzzle” Mei wants to show love for her neighbors by giving them pineapple buns. Use the clues to help her find out who lives on each floor.

Friend September 2021 “Service Challenge Origami” Make the origami folding craft and write kind acts underneath the flaps. Do the activity until it lands on one of the kind acts. Do that kind act for someone.

Friend December 2020 “Gifts of Love for Jesus” Make a service snowflake using pattern below. Write on each person the name of someone you can serve.

Friend November 2018 “Family Night Fun” Make these soft animals for kids who need some cheering up!

Friend June 2018 “Food and Fun: Day Brighteners” Make these fun bottle cap magnets and give them to people who need their day brightened.

Friend July 2017 “Prayers and Butterflies: Helping Others” Look for people who are helping others feel better in the hospital. How can you help someone feel better when they are sick or sad?

Friend January 2025 “For Little Ones” Find the kids who are helping others by doing these things: cleaning up a mess, carrying groceries, taking care of a pet

Friend June 2017 “Family Night Fun” Make a candy poster for someone

Friend February 1982 “Join the Secret Service” Every time you do a secret service for a family member leave a cut out heart at the site of your service. Make a string necklace and add a felt heart each time you do a secret service for somebody other than family.

Friend March 1982

Friend June 2016
Friend June 2016

Friend October 1984
Friend October 1984
Friend October 1984
Friend October 1984

Friend May 2017 “Miles of Smiles” A smile can help someone who may be having a bad day. Complete the smile by drawing the rest of the face.

Friend April 2020 “Hi Friends” When I’m at the store, I like to smile at people to see if I can get them to smile back at me. I call it the smile game! Sadie Age 4

Friend May 2020 “Doing What Jesus Would Do” Care Package Ideas

Friend August 2017  Secret Service: Write a nice note for a friend or family member and leave it where they’ll see it.

Friend Jan 2015 “You Are the Savior’s Hands” – Story and activity idea. A family could make a goal to do a specific amount of helping hands in a certain amount of time, maybe for a special event.

image

Friend Dec 2014 Activity with scriptures about service on links

image

Friend Feb 2015

image
image

 Friend December 2020 “Find It” The members of Sister Mendez’s ward are helping her paint her fence! Find 11 paintbrushes or rollers and 11 paint buckets or pans. Then find the other hidden objects.

Service Ideas

Friend March 2021 “Find It” The Primary invited the elderly in their branch to a game day activity. Find the hidden objects.

Service Projects

Friend March 2019 “Food and Fun” Ideas for making birthday bags to donate to a hospital or crisis center.

Friend March 2019 “Find It”  These friends are putting on a pet talent show and collecting food for the food bank. Find the hidden objects!

Friend September 2018 “Find It!” Find the hidden school supplies for refugees.

Friend November 2020 “Find It” These children volunteer to keep the shoreline near their home clean and beautiful. Find the hidden objects. (Bonus: Find 12 seashells and 10 crabs.)

Friend January 2017 Making a no sew fleece blankets.

Friend January 2017

I read in the Friend how to serve by making a tie blanket (Jan. 2017). I decided to donate my quilt to a family in our small town that was affected by flooding. (Link includes photo of Evalette and her quilt) Evalette M., age 6, California, USA
Friend February 2019 “Friends by Mail”

Friend June 2016 President Monson wrote letters to military members of his ward. We can write to someone too.

image

Friend March 2016 How to make easy fleece blankets and also a sunshine cookie card.

image

Friend March 2020 “Funstuff: A Goal to Serve” These friends decided to help their neighborhood by picking up trash at the park. The pathways show were the friends walked. Follow each path! Who picked up the most trash? Who saw the most squirrels?

Friend October 2020 “Funstuff” These kids are volunteering at an animal shelter. Use the clues to figure out each cat’s name!

Serving Others as a Family

Friend September 2023 “Find it!” This family is serving together in a garden to grow food for others. Can you find the hidden items?

Mar 9 2012

Lesson 25: Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah

Posted on by

Lesson 25
Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah

Preparation

  • Items needed: paper, crayons, and a pencil for each child. You will also need an orange, tape, two page protectors, a dry erase marker, an empty binder, one 3X5 card for each child or some strips of paper, and some removable double-sided tape.
  • Print and cut out the Armor of God pictures.  Also print one set of the small version of the armor of God per child. If possible, quickly cut out the small pieces of armor. If not, provide scissors for each child to cut out the pieces.
  • Print the Game Items. Put each of the game boards into a page protector. Tape one of the game boards to the inside cover of the binder.
  • Be prepared to play the video of chapter 31 of Book the Mormon Stories. The Book of Mormon Stories DVD can be checked out from your meetinghouse library, or the video “Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah” can be downloaded and watched on a laptop computer.

Attention Activity

Show the children the orange. Ask a child to catch it and then toss it back. Do this a couple more times. Ask what would happen to the orange, as it is tossed around, if didn’t have a protective shell on it. (It would quickly become dirty and damaged.) Ask the children if they can think of other items that have protective outside coverings. Items might include: bananas, eggs, nuts, etc.

• For what reason might a person wear a protective outside covering such as armor? To protect their body in dangerous situations such as war.

Scripture Story
Tell the children they are going to watch a video about a battle that occurred between the Nephites and Lamanites. Tell them to watch carefully to see what the Nephites do to protect themselves against the Lamanite’s attacks.

Before starting the video, first tell a little of the background story. Ask the children if they remember who the Zoramites were. They were a people so wicked that they cast out anybody who believed in the prophet Alma’s teachings. The people they cast out were taken in and cared for by the people of Ammon. This made the wicked Zoramites angry, and they stirred up the Lamanites against the people of Ammon and against the Nephites. The Lamanite army (which included the Zoramites who had joined the Lamanites) attacked the land of Jershon where the people of Ammon resided.

Have the children watch chapter twenty-five of the Book of Mormon Stories video. After the video ask the children the following questions:

• What methods did Captain Moroni use to protect his people against the Lamanites? He had his soldiers wear armor, he consulted with the prophet for guidance and help, he had faith in the Lord, and he used cunning and strategy against the Lamanites.

• Explain to the children that we are also fighting a daily battle against an enemy who is trying to destroy us. Who are we battling against? Satan and his temptations.

• What can we do to protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks? (Read Ephesians 6:13–18) Put the picture of the soldier on the board. Have the children read along with you from Ephesians. Stop as each piece of armor is mentioned, explain what it represents, and then put it on the soldier.

  • Loins Girded in Truth – Knowing truth helps us be prepared to make right choices concerning many things including virtue.
  • Breastplate of Righteousness – Represents making righteous choices.
  • Feet Shod in the Gospel of Peace – Our knowledge of the gospel helps guide the direction we go in life.
  • Shield of Faith – Having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Helmet of Salvation – Salvation was made possible through the Savior’s atonement. We need to always remember Him and His teachings.
  • Sword of the Spirit –  The guidance of the Spirit and the guidance found in the revealed word of God helps us in our fight against Satan’s attacks.

• What happened to the Lamanites because they did not have armor to protect them? (They were overcome.) What could happen to us spiritually if we do not clothe ourselves in the armor of God? (We may fall to Satan’s temptations and suffer spiritual injury or even spiritual death.)

Activity
Give each child a piece of paper, crayons, pencil, and a small copy of each piece of armor. Have them draw a picture of themselves on the paper, a size that would fit the small set of armor.  Have them attach their armor pieces to the drawing of themselves using small pieces of removable double-sided tape. Remind them what each piece represents and have them write it on their paper next to the armor piece.

• Each protective piece of armor relates to our knowledge, understanding, and practice of the word of God. How can we build up our protective armor? (Have them write the answers on their papers.) Answers might include: Have personal and family scripture study, have family home evening, attend church, listen to the words of the prophet, call on God for help through prayer, keep the commandments, listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

• What other ways can we protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks? Moroni used cunning and strategy to protect the Nephites from the Lamanites attacks. We can also use cunning and strategy by planning ahead what we will do when temptation is confronting us.

Have each of the children think of a temptation and write it on one of the 3×5 cards. Mix the cards up and have the children take turns choosing one, reading it, and then telling what they could do if they were in that situation. Point out that they are using strategy by planning ahead what they would do when confronted with certain temptations.

Review Game
If time permits play the following scripture story review game.
Explain that the review activity is like the game Battleship, but instead of trying to find ships, they will be trying to find the Lamanite army. After they find the Lamanites, they will then try to collect the Lamanite’s weapons and oath of peace.

Put the game board on the display board and show the children the game pieces. Open the binder and stand it up so the teacher game board is facing you and the children cannot see it. Explain that you will be putting the game pieces on the hidden game board, and that it is identical to the one on the display board.

Put the pieces on the teacher game board, and then put one location point of the Lamanite army on the prophet card, and put the card next to the game board. The prophet card will be available for additional help, but only if they ask for it. Or they can use it when question #7 is answered.

Explain that you will be asking them questions about the story, and if they get the answer right they can guess a location on the board where the Lamanites might be. If they guess the location correctly they can circle that spot on the game board (with the dry erase pen). If the location is wrong they can mark the spot on the game board with an x. Explain that the army takes up four spaces, the weapons and oath each take up three spaces. The army, weapons, and oath could be vertical or horizontal. The children must find the army first. If they make a hit on the other items before finding the army, they can circle it, but you will inform them it is not the army, and they must then look elsewhere.

Have the children take turns answering the questions. Let them know they can get help from another person if needed, or they can look up the scripture reference to find the answer.

Questions

1. What was the Lamanite’s motive for coming to war against the Nephites? The Lamanite desired the war because they wanted to rule over the Nephites and bring them into bondage. (Alma 43:8)

2. What was the Nephites motive for battling the Lamanites? To protect their wives, children, homes, privileges, liberties, and their right to worship God according to their desires. (Alma 43:9) (Read Alma 43:46-47)

3. What was the name of the chief captain of the Nephites?  The man appointed to be the chief captain over the Nephites was called Moroni. (Have the children guess how old he was when he was appointed to be chief captain.) He was appointed when he was only 25 years old. (Alma 43:16-17)

4. What was the name of the chief commander of the Lamanite army? (Zerahemnah)  Zerahemnah appointed Nephite dissenters as the chief captains to insight the Lamanites to aggressiveness and hostility because the Nephite dissenters were more wicked and murderous than the Lamanites. (Alma 43:5-7)

5. The Lamanite army outnumbered the Nephite army, so why were the Lamanites frightened when they saw Captain Moroni and his army? Because Moroni had prepared his people with armor which include breastplatess, thick clothing, arm shields, and helmets to protect their bodies and heads. The army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing. They had on very little clothing. (Alma 43:19-21)

6. What did the Lamanites do when they saw the armor of the Nephites? They retreated into the wilderness and intended to come into the land of the Nephites at a different, secret location. (Alma 43:22)

7. Captain Moroni didn’t know where the Lamanites would secretly attack. How did he find out where he should send his army? Moroni sent men to inquire of the prophet Alma where the Nephite army should go to defend against the Lamanites. The word of the Lord came to Alma, and he told them where the Lamanites were going. (Alma 43:23–24) (If the children have not located the army yet, show the children the prophet card and explain that it has a location point for the Lamanite army.)

8. How did Captain Moroni set a trap for the Lamanites? He concealed his army on two sides of the river Sidon where the Lamanites were entering into the land. (Alma 43:31-32)

9. During the battle, the Lamanites fought fiercely which caused fear in the Nephites. The Nephites wanted to flee. What did they do to receive strength and courage? They cried to the Lord for help, and he strengthened them. (Alma 43:48–50) They had great faith in God. They had gained faith in him through their obedience. (Read Alma 44:3-4)

10. The Nephites surrounded the Lamanites. When the Lamanites saw they were surrounded they were filled with terror. What did Captain Moroni do to show compassion and mercy? He ordered the fighting to stop, and he promised to spare their lives if they would deliver up their weapons and make an oath to never come to war against them again (Alma 43:53-54; 44:6)

11. What did Zerahemnah do and say when he heard Moroni’s words? He delivered his weapons to Moroni, but he said he would not make an oath to never return. (Alma 44:8)

12. When Zerahemnah would not give an oath of peace, what did Moroni do? Moroni gave Zerahemnah back his weapons so they could end the conflict. He could not allow the Lamanites to depart without their oath of peace. (Alma 44:10-11)

13. What did Zerahemnah do when Moroni gave him back his weapons? He became angry and rushed at Moroni and tried to kill him. (Alma 44:12)

14. What happened when Zerahemnah tried to kill Moroni? One of Moroni’s soldiers blocked Zerahemnah, broke his sword, and cut off his scalp. (Alma 44:12)

15. What did the soldier say and do with the scalp of Zerahemnah that made many of the Lamanites give up their weapons and give an oath of peace? The soldier took the scalp off the ground and put it on tip of his sword and raised it up high. He said with a loud voice that even as the scalp of their leader had fallen to the earth, so would they fall if they didn’t relinquish their weapons and make a covenant of peace. (Alma 44:13-15)

16. What happened after many of the Lamanites gave up their weapons and were allowed to leave in peace? Zerahemnah was exceedingly angry and stirred up the remainder of his men, and the fighting commenced again. (Alma 44:16)

17. What made Zerahemnah finally surrender and give an oath of peace? The Lamanites began to rapidly be swept down by the sword because of their naked skin and bare heads. When Zerahemnah saw they were about to be destroyed, he called to Moroni and asked him to spare them. Zerahemnah agreed to make an oath to never come to war against the Nephites again. Moroni stopped the destruction and took their weapons and oath and allowed them to depart. (Alma 44:18-20)

Conclusion
The Nephites had prepared themselves both spiritually and physically for the battle against the Lamanites, and they were able to win the battle. We must also prepare ourselves to fight and win the battle against Satan’s attacks by putting on the whole armor of God.

Tell the children to put their armor of God picture somewhere in their bedroom to remind them daily of the things they need to do to help build up their protective spiritual armor.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 43:4-54 & Alma 44:1-20

Feb 8 2012

Lesson 21 – Zoramite’s Prayers on a Rameumptom

Posted on by

Lesson 21
Zoramite’s Prayers on a Rameumptom

Preparation

  • Items needed:  tape, wet wipes, a paper plate, two mixing bowls, a half cup measure, a tablespoon measure, two wooden spoons, and the ingredients to make the peanut butter candy recipe (the recipe can be found in the visual aid file). Also bring some strange and unusual substitute ingredients such as bread crumbs for the graham crackers, applesauce for the sweetener, whole peanuts for the peanut butter, dried pieces of prunes for the chocolate chips.  (Important Note: Be aware of any food allergies before giving children food.)
  •  Print and cut out the activity and scripture story visual aids. Cut apart each level of the Rameumptom so there are seven pieces. Be prepared to build the Rameumpton on the chalk board.

Attention Activity

Put the bowl, spoon, and measuring items on the table and explain to the children that you are going to make some peanut butter candy for them. Show them the recipe, but then toss it aside. Tell the children that you have decided not to follow the recipe because you want to try some different ingredients. Show the children the substitute ingredients you brought, and then mix together various amounts of those ingredients. (Be sure to mention the correct recipe ingredients as you do this. For example: “The recipe calls for peanut butter, but I want the candy to be really crunchy so I think I will add whole peanuts.”)

After combining the substitute ingredients show the children the results. Ask them if they think the mixture looks like peanut butter candy.

Ask the children what the results would be if someone tried to make up their own ingredients for gaining salvation instead of following Heavenly Father’s plan. Would they get the desired results? Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will be learning about a group of people who tried to do just that.

Scripture Story
Remind the children of last week’s lesson about Korihor. Ask if they remember what happened to him after he lost his ability to speak. (He found it necessary to beg for food, and eventually he was trodden down among a people that called themselves the Zoramites.) The Zoramites had once been members of the church, but they had fallen away and apostatized. Apostasy means a turning away from something. The Zoramites had turned away from the teachings of the church and had tried to make up their own form of religion and own ingredients for salvation.

• Why might some people try to make up their own form of religion? One reason is to make a religion agree with what they want. What did the Zoramites desire? (Read Alma 31:24-25) They wanted to indulge in wickedness and the pride of worldly riches.

The Zoramites had discontinued obeying the commandments, they had stopped praying to God daily, and they had altered the teachings of the church to suit what they desired. (See Alma 31:9-11)

The Zoramite people lived near the borders of the wilderness, and the wilderness was full of Lamanites. Because the Zoramites had dissented from the Nephites, the Nephites were afraid the Zoramites would try to join with the Lamanites.

Alma knew that the word of God had a powerful effect upon a man’s heart, so he and several others (including two of his sons, three of the sons of Mosiah, Amulek, and Zeezrom) went to preach the word of God to the Zoramites.

• Ask the children if they can recall a time when a scripture they read or a teaching they heard at church motivated them to change.

When Alma and his companions came into the land of the Zoramites, they were astonished at what they found. The Zoramites were gathering once a week in synagogues they had built (houses of worship), but their worship was not like anything Alma and his companions had ever seen before. In the center of the synagogue was a tower where one person at a time could stand. This tower was called a Rameumptom – meaning holy stand. (Put the picture of the Rameumptom and the worshiper on the board.) Whoever desired to worship would go onto the Rameumptom, stretch up his arms toward heaven, and speak with a loud voice the following prayer: Read Alma 31:15-16

• Why did the Zoramites choose to believe in incorrect principles about God, and why did they not want to believe in Christ? One possible reason may have been to deny the doctrine of the plan of salvation – of coming to earth to get a body and be tested. They wanted to think they were elected (chosen) to be saved regardless of what they did. They did not want to believe in sin or the need for a Savior.

• In the Zoramite’s prayer they did not ask God for help in dealing with the challenges of life. Did the Zoramites have faith in God answering their prayers? Faith in God comes through learning of Him and doing His will.

Above the picture of the person worshiping on the Rameumptom put up the sign that says “The Zoramite’s Prayer.” Underneath the picture put up the sign that says “1) lacked faith in God and in Christ.”

Have a child read out loud the next part of the Zoramite prayer found in Alma 31:17-18. Put the next sign up that says “2) was selfish and prideful.”  Explain that the Zoramites wanted to view themselves as the chosen and saved ones and that all others would suffer in hell.

• If the Zoramites did not have faith in God, what might have been the purpose of their elaborate prayers? They may have been using the prayers to reinforce their false beliefs, and they also appeared to be using the prayers to elevate themselves above others and declare that they were better than everyone else.

• In what ways might people think they are better than others and become lifted up in pride? Answers might include the following: people may think they are better than others because of how smart,  pretty or handsome, athletic, wealthy, or talented they are. (Build the Rameumptom tower on the board as each answer is given.)

After hearing a Zoramite prayer Alma and his fellow missionaries were astonished. As they continued to watch, they realized that every man who went onto the tower offered the same prayer. Then, after the Zoramite people had offered up their prayers, they returned to their homes, not speaking of God again until they had assembled themselves together again at the Rameumptom. Put up the last sign “3) were repetitious and insincere.”

When Alma saw the prayers of the Zoramites his heart was grieved for he saw they were a wicked people. He lifted his voice up to heaven in prayer. (Put the picture of Alma praying on the board.) Alma prayed for strength and patience in afflictions. He prayed for comfort for himself and his companions, and he prayed for success in bringing souls to Christ.

Put the sign “Alma’s Prayer” above the picture of Alma. Underneath the picture put up the following signs as you read and discuss each one.

1) showed faith in God and Jesus Christ
Alma petitioned the Lord for blessings in his prayer. He had faith that the Lord would bless and help him.

2) was humble and not selfish.
Alma prayed for others.

• How can we humble ourselves so we are not lifted up in pride? (Have the children take off a level of the Rameumpton tower for every answer they give.) Answers may include the following: by remembering that our gifts, talents, and abilities come from the Lord, by praying for humility, by looking for the good in others, by building love for others by praying for them and serving  them.

3) was not repetitious or insincere
Alma prayer was not repetitious or insincere because he was praying for specific needs.

• What happens if we don’t pray daily and sincerely? We tend to lose the guidance of the Spirit, which is essential for managing the challenges and temptations of life. What was the result of the Zoramites not praying daily? They succumbed to Satan’s temptations.

After Alma said the words of his prayer, he put his hands upon his companions, which probably meant he set them apart for their assignments or gave them a special blessing to face the difficult challenges ahead. As he did this they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion Activity
Remind the children of the wrong ingredients used for making peanut butter candy, and remind them of the wrong ingredients for salvation that the Zoramites followed.

Point out that just as there are wrong ingredients for making peanut butter candy and wrong ingredients to gaining salvation, there are also right ingredients. Show the children the right ingredients for the peanut butter candy.

• What would be some of the right ingredients for gaining salvation? Obey God’s commandments, gain an understanding of correct doctrine, have faith in Jesus Christ, be humble, pray daily, etc.

Measure out and mix the correct candy ingredients. Have the children wash their hands with wet wipes, and then give them each a spoonful of the mixture. Have them roll their candy into balls and then coat them with coconut or sprinkles. Invite them to taste the finished product. Point out how sweet and delicious it is. Explain that just as we enjoyed the benefits of following the correct recipe for peanut butter candy, if we will follow the correct steps for attaining eternal salvation we can one day enjoy all the wonderful blessings related to gaining eternal life.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 31:1-25

Sep 6 2011

Lesson 10: King Benjamin

Posted on by

Lesson 10
King Benjamin

Preparation

  • Print one copy of the large crossword puzzle and clues from pdf or word and cut out each clue and title. (Or print one copy of the smaller Crossword Puzzle and Clues per child and one copy of the section titles pdf or word.) The crossword puzzle is from the Friend, September 2000, Funstuff.
  •  Items needed: pencils, a marker, a Book of Mormon for each child, magnets or tape, and the Gospel Art Picture “King Benjamin Addresses His People”.

Scripture Story Introduction

Briefly review the previous week’s lesson. Explain that after Enos died, the records of the people were passed down from generation to generation. The Nephites had many battles with the Lamanites through the generations. The Lord warned a Nephite named Mosiah to flee out of the land with as many as would listen to the voice of the Lord. The people fled until they came to a land called the Land of Zarahemla. They discovered a people there called the people of Zarahemla (or Mulekites). The people of Zarahemla had been brought by the hand of the Lord to the promised land. They had come out of Jerusalem at the time King Zedekiah of Judah was carried away captive into Babylon. The Mulekite’s language and religious beliefs had become altered because they had brought no records with them. Mosiah had them taught his language. The people of Zarahemla and the people of Mosiah united. Mosiah was appointed their king.

After King Mosiah died, his son King Benjamin ruled. King Benjamin was a righteous king. King Benjamin ruled the people for many years. When he became old, he called his people together to speak to them and to confer the kingdom upon his son Mosiah. (Display the picture of King Benjamin addressing his people.)

Scripture Story Activity
Hand out a crossword puzzle, crossword puzzle clues (or use the enlarged version of the clues and puzzle and post them on the board when indicated in the lesson),  pencil, and a Book of Mormon to each child. Explain to the children that as they do the crossword puzzle they will learn more about King Benjamin and about his final address to his people.

Instructions: Attach the section title to the board (go in the order given) and read it to the class; also read any explanation that goes with it. Either post the enlarged version of the clues below it (one at a time and in the order given), or have a volunteer read out loud the crossword puzzle clue from their own list. Have a child try to guess what the missing word might be. Direct all the children to look up the scripture reference to see if the guess is correct. Have someone read the whole scripture out loud. Have the children fill in their crossword puzzle space with the correct answer, or have the class fill out the bigger version together on the board. Afterwards, read any further explanations that are given about the answer in the sections below.

King Benjamin called the people together to speak to them before he died.

King Benjamin was getting old and knew that he would die soon. He needed to confer the kingdom upon one of his sons, and he wished to speak to the people before he died. He had his son Mosiah gather the people together.

7 Down) LAND

3 Across) TEMPLE

The temple was of great spiritual consequence to the people, so it was a significant place for King Benjamin to teach and instruct the people.

12 Down) TOWER

The multitude was so great that King Benjamin had a tower built so they could hear his words.

20 Diagonally Up) WRITTEN

Many of the people still could not hear his words as he spoke from the tower, so he had his words written down and sent among the people.

What kind of man was King Benjamin?

We learn more about the kind of man and leader King Benjamin was as he begins his address to his people.

1 Across) LABORED

King Benjamin did not seek for the people’s gold or silver. He labored to serve them. He was a righteous leader.

21 Diagonally Down) COMMANDMENT

5 Across) WICKEDNESS

11 Down) PEACE

There was a serious war between the Lamanites and the Nephites, and King Benjamin was instrumental in driving the Lamanites out of the land. He also taught the Nephites to keep the commandments, and he would not suffer that they commit any manner of wickedness. Because of these things, he established peace in the land.

What are some of the things King Benjamin taught the people during his address?

19 Diagonally Down) ANOTHER

2 Across) SERVICE

Heavenly Father loves his children. When we serve others, we are helping the Lord love and care for his children. The Lord has done much for us, and we can show our love and gratitude to Heavenly Father by serving his children.

6 Across) UNPROFITABLE

The word unprofitable means running at a loss. Everything we have–including our life–our Heavenly Father has given us. The only thing we can give to God in return is our obedience. But when we are obedient, he blesses us and we are indebted to him again. We can never repay our Heavenly Father for the blessings he bestows upon us.

13 Down) HEAVENLY

8 Down) KEEP

4 Across) PROSPERED

22 Diagonally Up) CONTENTIONS

15 Down) SALVATION

An angel had appeared to King Benjamin and had told him of the Savior’s coming in great detail, including of His death and resurrection. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us that we might repent of our sins and live with Heavenly Father again.

9 Down) NAME

When each of us is born into a family, we receive a family name. Ask the children to tell what their family name is.

When we are baptized and become members of the church, we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.  Because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, he is the father of our spiritual rebirth and we become his sons and daughters.

Ask the children what characteristics they inherited from their parents. Tell them we can also become like Christ through our covenant to keep His commandments.

Tell the children to read the scripture in this clue again, and then tell why it is important for us to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. (There is no other name or way where salvation can be attained.)

How did the people respond to King Benjamin’s words?

10 Down) SINS

The people of King Benjamin recognized the need for power beyond their own to overcome their sinful condition. They prayed for mercy and asked Heavenly Father to apply the atoning blood of Christ so they could be forgiven of their sins.

16 Down) REMISSION

17 Down) EVIL

The people experienced a mighty change of heart. They had no more disposition to do evil. They had a desire to convert their lives to the things of God.

14 Down) COVENANT

18 Down) SOUL

• When do we make this kind of covenant? (When we are baptized.)  King Benjamin’s people had been baptized; they were members of the church. When King Benjamin spoke to his people, they gained a greater understanding of the gospel and the atonement. They were touched by the Spirit and had a mighty change of heart.  We must also listen to the prophet, study, learn, and gain understanding so we can experience a mighty change of heart and renew and strengthen our commitment to take upon us the name of Christ.

Conclusion
• How did the people of Zarahemla respond to the call to gather to the temple to hear the words of their prophet and king?

• How do we respond to the call to hear the words of the living prophet? Do we eagerly take advantage of those opportunities to hear and read his words?

• When do we have the opportunity to hear the prophet’s words? During General Conference that is held in October and April.

• Where can we read the prophet’s words? Show the children a copy of the Friend magazine and explain that there is a message from the prophet, or one of his counselors, at the beginning of each magazine. We can also read their words in other church magazines.

We need to listen to and obey the living prophet’s words just as King Benjamin’s people listened to and obeyed his words. As we do this, our hearts can change, and we will have no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Mosiah 2:1–41 and Mosiah 5:1-8

Aug 5 2011

Song – The Lord Gave Me a Temple

Posted on by

 

Song – The Lord Gave Me a Temple

Preparation

  • Items needed: a flashlight, sticky tack, clear page protectors, a brown piece of cardstock, tape, magnets, and a yellow permanent marker or a piece of yellow paper.
  • Print the visual aid pictures. Place the boy figure on top of the spirit figure and hold it up to the light. Cut out around both figures so the cutouts match. Place the spirit figure on top of the brown piece of cardstock, trace, and then cut out the brown cardstock outline. Write the word “Sins” on the brown cutout.
  • Take one sheet of the page protectors and tape the boy figure to the right, bottom corner.  Cut the page protector in a rectangular shape around the boy figure to form a pocket. When done it should be sealed on the right and bottom, with an opening on the top and left side. (If you don’t have a page protector, use some other kind of clear plastic and tape together the right and bottom edges.)
  • Cut out another sheet of page protector 7 X 7½ inches. Place the boy figure under it, and using a yellow permanent marker (Sharpie) draw rays of light on the page protector around the boy figure.  If a yellow Sharpie is not available you can use a small sheet of yellow paper in place of the rays of light.
  • Cut out the temple outline around the rectangle and glue it to a heavy piece of paper.
  • Cut out around the outline of the mother and baby, the temple, the small sun, and the grave.  Cut off some of the bottom of the sun and tape it to the back of the gravestone. Attach a small magnet or piece of tape behind each figure (removable double-sided tape works great).
  • Print the first verse word pages.

 

VERSE ONE

Place the earth and heaven scenes on the board. Put the word pages in a row on top of the board as you discuss each one.

The Lord gave me a temple to live within on earth. Explain that this song isn’t talking about the temple buildings we normally think of when we hear the word temple. Ask the children what they think the song is talking about. (Our bodies) Show the picture of the boy and put it on the earth scene.

  • Why is the body considered to be a temple?  Remind the children that a temple is a place where the Spirit of God (the Holy Ghost) can dwell.  Read the scripture 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Point to the words that say “to live within” and ask the children to explain what it means to live within your temple. (Your spirit lives within your body.) (Put the spirit figure into the clear pocket behind the boy figure.)

Once in Heaven I was spirit.  Take the spirit figure out of the body and put it on the page labeled heaven. Explain that we lived in heaven as spirits before we came to earth.

But I left my home at birth.  Take the spirit figure off the page labeled heaven, and put the picture of the mother and baby on the earth. Tell the children that when they were born, their spirit left heaven and entered into their body on earth.

I’ll make my temple brighter;   To make something brighter you would fill it with light. (Attach the top of the boy figure to the flashlight with sticky tack, and turn the flashlight on.)

  • What does the light represent? The light represents the gospel. Explain that just as light reveals things when turned on, through the gospel, truth is revealed. So in order to make our temples brighter we need to fill our lives with gospel truths, such as honesty, love, etc.

I’ll keep my spirit free.  

  • What should we keep our spirits free of? (Sin) Because sin would extinguish our desire for truth in our lives, and put out the light of the Holy Ghost within us, and bind us in darkness. (Show the dark brown cutout labeled sin and put it in front of the spirit figure. Insert the spirit and the cutout into the body to show how sin would extinguish the light from the body. Emphasize that we need to keep our spirits free from sin.)

My body is the temple my Father gave to me.  Place the boy figure on the outline of the temple, and discuss how we would treat a temple of God. We would keep it clean – uncontaminated from sin and dirt.

After discussing the song, have senior primary sing the song as you operate the visual aids. Then take off the first word page, and have a volunteer do the visual aids for that part as the primary sings the song again. (You will do the rest of the visual aids as they sing). After that take off the next two lines, and have another volunteer do that part of the visual aids. Sing the song again. Then take off the next two word pages and choose another volunteer to do the visuals for that part. By this time you will have three people helping with the visual aids. Be sure to situate them so everyone can see what they are doing.

For junior primary you may need to break the song down so they sing each part after discussing it. After you have discussed all the parts, do the above activity.

VERSE TWO

Preparation: Print the word and activity pages for the second verse. Cut out the yellow signs with their words. Put a small magnet behind each yellow sign.

Presentation

(Place the earth and celestial glory scenes on the board. Place the word pages on the top of the board as you discuss each song line.)

If I keep my body clean and pure and habit free,  (Place the boy figure on the earth scene.)

  • How do we keep our bodies clean and pure, and habit free? By being careful about what we take into our bodies and minds. We need to be selective about what we listen to, read, and watch because some things can encourage unclean thoughts and actions. Some things that are taken into the body and mind can also become habit forming and addictive.
  • What does addiction mean? Addiction is an extremely strong craving for something that can become so powerful that satisfying it becomes a top priority, which can interfere with things we should be doing. (Place the happy and sad face signs on the board across from the boy figure. Show the yellow signs one at a time and discuss if the item would or would not lead us in the direction of keeping our bodies clean, pure, and habit free. Attach each sign in a row, heading from the boy to either the happy or sad face.)

I may in Father’s temple claim blessings promised me.   (Put the picture of the temple on the earth scene next to the boy figure.)

  • If we keep our bodies clean and pure we will be worthy to go to the temple and receive ordinances that are necessary for salvation. In the temple we can also be sealed to our families forever. (Write on the board these blessings, preferably near the temple picture.)

On resurrection morning, I’ll take my body bright. (Take off the boy figure and put the gravestone on the earth scene.)  Explain that when a person dies, their body and spirit become separated, but when they are resurrected their spirit and body come together, never to be separated again. (Put the spirit figure into the boy figure.) If we endure in righteousness to the end (meaning until death) we will be resurrected on the morning (meaning beginning) of the first resurrection. And if we are worthy to be resurrected on the morning of the first resurrection, we will receive a glorified celestial body. (Put the light rays (or yellow piece of paper) behind the boy figure.)

And in celestial glory forever live in light.  (Put the boy figure on the page marked celestial glory.) Remind the children that the celestial kingdom is compared to the glory of the sun. In celestial glory we will live forever filled with the light of truth, knowledge, happiness, love, and in the light of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Note: You may need to simplify the discussion and activity for the first line of this verse for Junior Primary. One idea would be to put all the yellow sign pictures on the board, and have the children take off the pictures of things that would not keep their bodies clean, pure and habit free. Read all the signs to the children first. After the activity, do a simplified discussion about addiction and about keeping our minds, actions, and words clean and pure.