Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
Heavenly Father can comfort me when I am scared.
It must have been frightening for the Jaredites to be “tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind” (Ether 6:5). But the Lord kept them safe and helped them.
Possible Activities
- Using words and phrases from Ether 6:2–12, describe to the children the Jaredites’ journey across the sea. Invite the children to pretend to climb into the barges and pretend that their barge is being moved and covered by waves. How would it feel to be in a real barge in rough waters? What can we do when we are scared? Read together verses 7 and 9 to see what the Jaredites did when they were frightened.
- Tell about a time when you were afraid and Heavenly Father comforted you.
Friend November 2020 “Come, Follow Me for Little Ones” Sit on a bed with your children and cover yourselves with a blanket, or do something else to build a pretend barge. Be sure to bring a flashlight! Read Ether 6:5 together and act out being “tossed upon the waves” with a “furious wind.” Then read Ether 6:9 together and help your little ones say, “I can be thankful.” Pick a favorite Primary song to sing together before leaving the barge!
Would your family enjoy acting out the Jaredites’ voyage to the promised land? Maybe you could use a dark room as a barge and flashlights to represent the shining stones. You could talk about how the Jaredites showed their faith in the Lord by getting in the barges, despite knowing that they would be “buried in the depths of the sea” (Ether 6:6). After reading verse 9, family members could share favorite hymns of praise and sing them together. How can our homes be compared to the Jaredites’ barges? What is the promised land the Lord is leading our family toward?
Book of Mormon Coloring Book “The Jaredite Barges”
I can trust Heavenly Father to guide me to eternal life.
The account of the Jaredites’ voyage across the sea can be compared to our journey through mortality. Both journeys are sometimes dangerous and require faith that the Lord will guide and protect us.
Read together Ether 6:2–12, pausing frequently so the children can draw pictures of what they are reading. How is the Jaredites’ journey like our lives? Help the children identify and label what different parts of their drawings might represent in our lives. For example, the Jaredites could represent us. The barges could represent our homes, the Church, or the gospel. What might the wind, the water, the shining stones, and the promised land represent?
Help the children find words and phrases in Ether 6:2–12that show how the Jaredites trusted God. Share examples of how relying on God has helped you during difficult times in your life. Encourage the children to share any similar experiences they’ve had.
I can be thankful.
After arriving safely in the promised land, the Jaredites were so thankful that they “shed tears of joy” (Ether 6:12).
- Read to the children phrases from Ether 6:9 and 12 to teach them how the Jaredites showed their gratitude to the Lord for helping them reach the promised land. Ask the children to name some things they are thankful for. Sing together, like the Jaredites did, a song that expresses gratitude, such as “I Thank Thee, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 7).
- Read to the children Ether 10:2 to show that even many years later, the Jaredites remembered how the Lord had helped their ancestors cross the ocean. Help the children think of ways the Lord has blessed them. Then let the children draw pictures to remind themselves of these blessings (or help them choose from some pictures you bring, perhaps from a Church magazine).
Latter Day Kids “Being Thankful- Come Follow Me” Lesson ideas and video
Remembering what the Lord has done for me brings peace.
Book of Mormon Stories “Chapter 52: The Destruction of the Jaredites”
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
One thing that distinguished the righteous Jaredite kings from the wicked ones is that the righteous kings “remembered the great things that the Lord had done” for them (Ether 7:27).
- Ask the children to read Ether 6:30; 7:27; and 10:2 individually or in small groups and find something that these verses have in common. Share your feelings about what the Lord has done for you, and invite the children to do the same.
- Share with the children about how you try to remember ways the Lord has blessed you and your family. Help the children think of ways they can remind themselves what the Lord has done for them. Give them each a piece of paper, and invite them to ponder and write down something He has done for them recently. Suggest that they make a regular habit of writing down blessings they notice from the Lord (see “O Remember, Remember” [video, ChurchofJesusChrist.org]).
I am blessed when I follow the prophet.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
The book of Ether clearly shows that when the Jaredites followed the prophets they were blessed, and when they rejected the prophets their lives were harder.
- Show a picture of the living prophet, and ask the children what they know about him. What does a prophet do? Explain that the Jaredites had prophets too, and whenever they followed the prophet, they were blessed and happy (see Ether 7:24–27). How can we follow the prophet?
- Sing together a song about prophets, such as “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, 110–11; see also Gospel Art Book, nos. 4–27, 67–87). Talk with the children about things the prophets have taught us to do (for example, reading our scriptures daily, keeping the Sabbath day holy, or serving others), and invite them to act out obeying that counsel when you say “Follow the prophet!”
The Lord is merciful when I repent.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
Even though the Jaredites often rejected the prophets and became wicked, the Lord always forgave them when they humbled themselves and repented.
- Read together Ether 9:28–35, and help the children think of three or four short sentences that summarize what happened in these verses. Then read Ether 11:5–8, and help the children identify similarities between the two accounts. What do we learn from these stories?
What is a secret combination?
When two or more people conspire to keep their wicked acts secret, they are involved in a secret combination. They are often motivated by the desire for power or riches.
Throughout this week, your family could watch for how the brother of Jared’s prophetic warning about captivity was fulfilled. What warnings have our Church leaders given us? In what ways could dismissing their counsel lead to captivity?
According to these verses, why was Moroni commanded to write “these things” about secret combinations? (Ether 8:23).