Moses 1 God reveals Himself to Moses—Moses is transfigured—He is confronted by Satan—Moses sees many inhabited worlds—Worlds without number were created by the Son—God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
Abraham 3 Abraham learns about the sun, moon, and stars by means of the Urim and Thummim—The Lord reveals to him the eternal nature of spirits—He learns of pre-earth life, foreordination, the Creation, the choosing of a Redeemer, and the second estate of man.
I Lived with Heavenly Father Before I Was Born.
I lived as a spirit before I was born on earth.
The term intelligences can be used to describe the spirit children of God. It can also describe “the spirit element that existed before we were begotten as spirit children.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught, “Prophets have revealed that we first existed as intelligences and that we were given form, or spirit bodies, by God, thus becoming His spirit children—sons and daughters of heavenly parents.” Scripture Helps: Old Testament “Moses 1; Abraham 3”
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026
- Knowing about our premortal life can inspire your children to make choices based on eternal truths. To help them learn about it, you could give them some key words and phrases to find in Abraham 3:22–28, like “before the world was,” “spirits,” “make an earth,” and “prove.” What do these verses teach us about why Heavenly Father sent us to earth?
New Testament Stories “Our Heavenly Father’s Plan”
Friend January 2022 “Before We Came to Earth”
- A song like “I Will Follow God’s Plan” (Children’s Songbook, 164–65) could reinforce what Abraham 3 teaches. Maybe you could invite your children to draw pictures that go with the words.
- Help your children think of situations in which they have to choose whether or not to do what God has asked them to (see Abraham 3:25; see also For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices). Let them practice possible responses to these situations. How can the Savior help us when we make a wrong choice?
Friend January 2012 “Agency Is the Gift to Choose for Ourselves”
Friend April 2019 “What’s on Your Mind”
I Am a Child of God.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026
- After you read together God’s message to Moses in Moses 1:4, consider letting your children look at their reflection in a mirror and giving themselves a similar message: “I am a child of God.” Then they could give the same message to each other: “You are a child of God.”
- You might even find pictures of a variety of people and invite your children to point to each one and say, “This is a child of God.”
Friend August 2024 “We Are All Children of God”
Friend September 2020 “Everyone is Important” We’re all daughters and sons of our heavenly parents—not all the same, but all equally important, needed, valuable, and loved!
- Share with each other why you are glad to know you are children of God. How does this knowledge change the way you treat yourselves and others?
Friend May 2021 “A Birthday Crown” Wyatt wonders if he is special because he gets to wear a birthday crown on his birthday. His father tells him he is special because he is a child of God and that everyone else is too. When a girl was afraid to go down the slide, Wyatt remembered that everyone is special to Heavenly Father and he encouraged her and praised her.
- You and your children could compare God’s message to Moses in Moses 1:4 with Satan’s message in verse 12. How can you help your children distinguish between God’s messages to them and Satan’s?
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Moses 1; Abraham 3”
- Sing “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3) with the children. Let them color this week’s activity page, and use it to review the truths this song teaches.
Additional Lesson Ideas
Primary 1 (Sunbeams) “Lesson One: I Am a Child of God”
We lived in Heaven: (Click on the below picture. Print the picture, or show it on an electronic device.) Explain that before we were born on earth we lived in heaven with Heavenly Father.
We were spirits there. A spirit is what is inside of us that makes us alive. When we were spirits, we didn’t have flesh and bones like our bodies have now, but we looked the same.
(Use these puppets to demonstrate what it means to be a spirit. See here for assembly instructions.)
Show the first picture again and explain that Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, and we are his spirit children
Sing: I Am a Child of God. Tell the children they are going to sing the song “I Am a Child of God.” Explain that God is another name for Heavenly Father. (I like the Red Headed Hostess visual aids for the first verse of this song, but it does cost money. Jolly Jen has a flip chart that would work too, or you could use the below visual s from the Nursery Manual. Also see churchofjesuschrist.org/study for the music)
Who is a child of God? Toss a beanbag or soft object to a child as you say the words “I know a child of God named_____ .” Have the child say his or her own name and give the beanbag back to you. Repeat the activity until everyone has had a turn.
Print and cut out this activity. Show the pictures one at a time and ask the following:
- Is a policeman a child of God?
- Is a grandmother or grandfather
- Is a bishop
- Is a soldier
- Is a mailman or missionaries
- Is a mom or dad
- Is someone who doesn’t go to our church
- Is someone who lives in a different country or culture
Have the children take turns posting each picture under the title “Child of God.” The title can be written on the board or in a file folder or display board. You can also bring up people they know such as a neighbor.
Help the children understand that everyone is a child of God even though we may be different in age, hair color, what we do, where we live, skin color, or the church we attend, we are all children of God.
We can be like Heavenly Father
(Print and cut out these images pdf.) Use the following questions with the images. They could also be made into a matching game.
- What is a baby dog called?
- What will that puppy grow up to be?
- What is a baby chicken called?
- What will that chick grow up to be?
Explain that just as animals grow up to be like their parents, we will grow up to be like our parents.
Friend January 2017 “Kylie’s Parents” Kylie is like her earthly parents, and she is also like her Heavenly Parents. PDF version
Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, so we can grow to be like him. Heavenly Father is loving, good, and kind. When we are loving, good, and kind, we are being like Heavenly Father. We should try to become more like Heavenly Father every day.
Have children tell or act out ways they can be loving, good, or kind.
(The images for the activity “Who is a Child of God?” are from the Friend magazine. Soldier 6/16, Bishop 1/16, etc.The images for the animals are from Pixabay: Free Images)
See also Child of God
Heavenly Father Wants Me to Live with Him Again.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Moses 1; Abraham 3”
- Show the children pictures of some of Heavenly Father’s many creations. Read Moses 1:30, and explain that Moses asked God about the purpose of these creations. Help the children search in verse 39 to find God’s answer. Teach them that Heavenly Father’s work is to help us gain eternal life, which means becoming like Him and living with Him again.
Latter day Kids Lesson ideas
- Invite a parent to come to class and talk about how he or she feels when a child returns home after being away (for example, at school or on a mission), or share feelings you’ve had during these experiences. Use this example to teach the children how much Heavenly Father wants us to return to Him.
Latter Day Kids “This is My Work and My Glory” Lesson ideas
See also Resources for Teaching Children “Plan of Salvation / Plan of Happiness”
I Can Resist Satan’s Temptations.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022
- Summarize Moses’s experience in Moses 1:12–26 in your own words, or ask one of the children to do so (see also the video “I Am a Son of God” [ChurchofJesusChrist.org]). Invite the children to search these verses (verses 13, 15, 18, 20–22, 26) to learn how Moses was able to overcome Satan. (Remember you are a son or daughter of God, listen to the Spirit, think of Jesus, and pray for strength.)
- It might be fun for them to act out things they can do to resist temptation (such as praying, walking away, or asking for help). Or bring a box of tools (or pictures of tools), and help them label each tool with a way we can resist temptation (such as praying, singing a hymn, reading the scriptures, or serving others). Let each child pick a tool and talk about a situation when the action written on that tool’s label could help us resist temptation. Read together verses 25–26, and testify that God will help us when we face temptation.
What advice can we share to help each other “judge between” God and Satan? (See also Moroni 7:12–18; Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–24.)
13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.
Heavenly Father has a work for me to do.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Moses 1; Abraham 3”
- As you read Moses 1:6 with your children, you might talk to them about the “work” God had for Moses. Consider using the Gospel Art Book, nos. 13–16, or Old Testament Stories, pages 64–84, to help your children see what Moses accomplished with Heavenly Father’s help. What is the work God has for us to do? (see, for example, Doctrine and Covenants 11:20).
God’s appointment of certain spirits to fulfill specific missions on earth is called foreordination.
Topics and Questions, “Foreordination,” Gospel Library.
“Foreordination does not guarantee that individuals will receive certain callings or responsibilities. Such opportunities come in this life as a result of the righteous exercise of agency, just as foreordination came as a result of righteousness in the premortal existence. …
“The doctrine of foreordination applies to all members of the Church, not just to the Savior and His prophets. Before the creation of the earth, faithful women were given certain responsibilities and faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood duties. As people prove themselves worthy, they will be given opportunities to fulfill the assignments they then receive.”
Lesson 1: Heavenly Father’s Plan for Us,” Primary 6: Old Testament
Read and discuss Abraham 3:23 with the children. What kinds of things might we have been chosen to do on earth? Explain that we are free to choose what we will do in this life, but each of us has been foreordained to do an important work on the earth.
Additional Resources
Plan of Salvation Teaching Children the Gospel
Lesson 1: Heavenly Father’s Plan for Us,” Primary 6: Old Testament Page 1
Lesson 2: Jesus Christ Was Chosen to Be Our Savior,” Primary 6: Old Testament Page 6
Come Follow Me Kid Lesson ideas
Scripture Helps
- What is the book of Moses?
- What is the book of Abraham?
- What does it mean to “chosen,” or foreordained?
Come Follow Me for Living Scriptures “I Am a Child of God” Lesson ideas
Old Testament Scripture Stories “About the Old Testament” Images and Video
Friend January 2022 “I Can Read the Old Testament”
