ISRAELITES WANT A KING. SAUL IS CALLED

1 Samuel CHAPTER 8 Samuel’s sons take bribes and pervert judgment—The Israelites seek for a king to rule over them—Samuel rehearses the nature and evils of kingly rule—The Lord consents to give them a king.

1 Samuel CHAPTER 9 Saul, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, is a choice and goodly person—He is sent to seek his father’s asses—The Lord reveals to Samuel the seer that Saul is to be king—Saul goes to Samuel and is entertained by him.).

1 Samuel CHAPTER 10 Samuel anoints Saul to be captain over the Lord’s inheritance—Samuel manifests the gift of seership—Saul prophesies among the prophets, and the Lord gives him a new heart—He is chosen king at Mizpeh.

Jesus Christ is my King.

1 Samuel 8

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026

• As you read 1 Samuel 8 with your children, help them find reasons Samuel told the Israelites that having a king was a bad idea. Why is it better to have Jesus Christ as our king? Maybe you could make a paper crown together and take turns wearing it and sharing something we can do to show that we want Jesus to be our King. (See also Jeremiah 23:5; Doctrine and Covenants 45:59.)

DAVID IS CALLED TO BE KING

1 Samuel CHAPTER 15 Saul is commanded to smite and destroy the Amalekites and all that they have—He saves some animals to sacrifice—Saul is rejected as king and told that to obey is better than sacrifice—Samuel destroys Agag.

1 Samuel CHAPTER 16 The Lord chooses David of Bethlehem as king—He is anointed by Samuel—Saul chooses David as his companion and armor bearer.

The Lord looks on the heart.

Old Testament Scripture Stories “Young David”

1 Samuel 16:1–13

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–18” It’s natural to judge others based on what we can see, but part of becoming more like Jesus is learning how to see as He does—by looking “on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

• Invite the children to imagine they were asked to pick someone to be a king. What qualities would they look for? Read together 1 Samuel 16:6–7 to find out what the Lord said to Samuel as he was looking for a new king for Israel. What do we learn from the Lord’s instructions?

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026

• An object lesson could help your children understand the principle in 1 Samuel 16:7. For example, you could show them some food or a book with a wrapper or cover that doesn’t match its true contents. What do 1 Samuel 16:7 and this object lesson suggest about how we should view ourselves and other people? Sing a song that emphasizes this principle, such as “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook, 136).

What are some ways people judge others “on the outward appearance”? Present an object lesson to illustrate to the children that judgments we make based on “the outward appearance” (verse 7) may not be correct.

• You and your children could share experiences in which you learned why you should “look on the heart,” not just “the outward appearance” (verse 7). You might also take turns telling each other about the good qualities you see in each other’s hearts.

Activity Idea: Make one copy of the hearts page for each child. Put the child’s name on the top of their page. Have the children each write something good about that person on a heart.

Friend May 2025 “The Mystery Can” Sadie’s family all try to guess what is inside of a tin can that didn’t have a label. They all guessed things that didn’t sound good, but when they opened it they found it was filled with lots of yummy fruit. They had a discussion about how sometimes we label people like that, and that we shouldn’t label people based on what we see on the outside, or believe false labels given to us. Because only God knows what we truly are inside.

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–18”

1 Samuel 9:20-21; 16:7. Reading these verses along with the following words from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf could inspire a discussion about why the Lord chose Saul and David: “If we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become” (“It Works Wonderfully!” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 23). Perhaps family members could take turns talking about what good qualities they see in each other’s hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

Friend August 2022 “For Older Kids”

Friend January 2017 “Min-Jun Measures Up” Min-Jun and his grandfather walk to church during a storm and arrive muddy and wet. Min-Jun doesn’t feel good enough to go in, but his grandfather teaches him that the Lord doesn’t measure us by our appearance, he measures us by what is in our hearts, and Min-Jan’s intentions are pure.

People who serve in the Church are called by God.

1 Samuel 8:6; 9:15–17; 10:1–24; 16:1–13

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026

• The accounts of God choosing Saul and David to be kings can help your children understand how people are called to serve in the Church today by revelation. To teach them these stories, you could write down events from the stories on strips of paper, and your children could put them in the correct order as you read the scripture passages together (see also “Young David” in Old Testament Stories, 110–11). Then you could talk about times when God blessed you with spiritual power to fulfill an assignment or calling (see 1 Samuel 10:9–10).

The Red Crystal Click on the Red Crystal link to find and print these cards.

This might also be a good time to teach your children the fifth article of faith. Tell them how you received your calling in the Church. How do you know that you were called of God?

Testify that God inspires leaders to call people to serve.

“Article of Faith 5” (May 2011 Friend) Number pictures relating to how a person receives a calling in the right order.

Additional Resources

Scripture Helps: Old Testament

Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel

Latter Day Kids “The Lord Looketh on the Heart” Lesson ideas

The Red Crystal Lesson ideas