Tag Archives: Jacob

Mar 16 2020

Jacob 5-7

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Table of Contents

Jacob CHAPTER 5 Jacob quotes Zenos relative to the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees—They are a likeness of Israel and the Gentiles—The scattering and gathering of Israel are prefigured—Allusions are made to the Nephites and Lamanites and all the house of Israel—The Gentiles will be grafted into Israel—Eventually the vineyard will be burned. About 544–421 B.C.

Jacob CHAPTER 6 The Lord will recover Israel in the last days—The world will be burned with fire—Men must follow Christ to avoid the lake of fire and brimstone. About 544–421 B.C.

Jacob CHAPTER 7 Sherem denies Christ, contends with Jacob, demands a sign, and is smitten of God—All of the prophets have spoken of Christ and His Atonement—The Nephites lived out their days as wanderers, born in tribulation, and hated by the Lamanites. About 544–421 B.C.

Friend April 2024 After you read, color part of the picture. You can read these scriptures that go along with each week’s reading from Come, Follow Me.

Allegory of the Olive Tree

As Jacob taught his people, he quoted an allegory given by a prophet named Zenos (see Jacob 5:1). An allegory, like a parable, is a story that uses symbolic characters, and familiar objects and actions to teach truths. This allegory is about people who have turned away from the Lord in sin and the Lord’s efforts to help them return to Him. As you study Jacob 5, consider how the Lord is always reaching out to you even when you have sinned.

Jacob 5 is a long chapter—the longest in the Book of Mormon. Perhaps it would help to divide it into the following sections, which describe periods of the world’s history:

Verses 3-14 The scattering of Israel before the time of Christ

To save the house of Israel, He plucks off the most wicked branches (people) and destroys them.“Now in that parable the olive tree is the House of Israel. … In its native land it began to die. So the Lord took branches like the Nephites, like the lost tribes, and like others that the Lord led off that we do not know anything about, to other parts of the earth. He planted them all over his vineyard, which is the world.

Verses 15–28. The ministry of Christ and the Apostles

Verses 29–49. The Great Apostasy

Verses 50–76. The gathering of Israel in the latter days

Verses 76–77. The Millennium and end of the world

The chapter ends with the Millennium and the earth’s final cleansing. The rest of Jacob 5 represents the Lord’s and His servants’ efforts to save those who live in the last days. He gathers his people and nourishes them one last time ( Book of Mormon Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students “Unit 10”)

  • Pruning removes dead branches and bad fruit from a tree. The master cut off the dead branches and cast them into the fire (see Jacob 5:9). How does God help us “prune” our lives of sins and weaknesses?
  • Digging includes clearing away obstacles, such as weeds, from around a tree. Digging ensures nothing will hinder the tree’s ability to grow. What obstacles keep us from growing spiritually?
  • Nourishing keeps a tree healthy by providing minerals and other nutrients. Like trees, our spirits need nourishment. How can we nourish our spirits? Ensign March 2020 “What Can We Learn from the Allegory of the Olive Tree?”

Book of Mormon Seminary Student Manual (2024) ” Jacob 5:1-53″ After this first visit, the master of the vineyard took two other important actions to save his tame olive tree:

  1. He commanded that the main decaying branches of the olive tree be removed and that some branches from a wild olive tree be grafted to the main tree (see Jacob 5:7–10). This grafting can represent the Lord’s efforts to help Gentiles become part of His covenant people through baptism and conversion.
  2. He took young and tender branches from the main olive tree and grafted them into different portions of the vineyard (see Jacob 5:8, 13–14). This can represent the scattering of Israel to different portions of the world. Some of those who were scattered were righteous, such as Lehi’s family (see 1 Nephi 10:12–13). Others were scattered because of wickedness.
  • What did you notice about the state of the trees and the fruit during these visits?
  • What did you notice about the words and actions of the lord of the vineyard during these visits?
  • What do these words and actions teach you about Jesus Christ? (Add your insights to your journal page.)

Friend April 2024 “The Story of the Olive Trees”

The video below is great to help children understand this story. The only problem with this video is that it calls the wild branches bad. The wild branches are the Gentiles who have not made covenants with the Lord. The children should know that all can repent and join with God’s covenant people and and produce good works, but all those who do not change from their wicked ways will have God’s judgements come upon them–represented by the fire.

For additional insights about the allegory, see the diagram and charts below.

SymbolMeaning
Tame olive tree (verse 3)The house of Israel, God’s covenant people
The vineyard (verse 3)The world
Decay (verse 3)Sin and apostasy
Master of the vineyard (verse 4)Jesus Christ
Pruning, digging, and nourishing (verse 4)The Lord’s efforts to help us be righteous and produce good works
Branches (verse 6)Groups of people
Wild olive tree (verse 7)Gentiles—those who have not made covenants with the Lord. Later in the allegory, natural olive trees, representing portions of the house of Israel in apostasy, are also described as “wild.”
Plucking and grafting branches (verses 7–8)The scattering and gathering of the Lord’s covenant people. In addition, the grafting of wild olive branches into the tame olive tree represents the conversion of Gentiles who become part of the Lord’s covenant people through baptism.
Burning branches (verse 7)God’s judgments upon the wicked
Fruit (verse 8)The lives or works of people
Roots of the tame olive tree (verse 11)The covenants the Lord makes with those who follow Him. Roots may also represent individuals with whom the Lord covenanted anciently, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Jacob 6:4).

Ponder the phrase “It grieveth me that I should lose this tree.” What emotions do you think the Lord expressed here, and why?

Read the phrase again, and this time insert your name in place of “this tree”: “It grieveth me that I should lose [your name].” By inserting your name throughout Jacob 5 in places that are meaningful and appropriate, you will be able to relate the allegory to yourself and learn more about the Lord’s concern for you. You may also insert the word I or me in suitable places in the scriptures.

Book of Mormon Coloring Book “Allegory of the Olive Tree”

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Jacob 5-7” Some families have found it helpful to draw the symbols from the allegory of the olive trees as they read it. Your family might enjoy that approach, or there could be another way you can help family members visualize the symbols in the allegory. Maybe you could mark an area on a table or floor to represent the vineyard (or the world) and depict the tame olive tree (or the house of Israel) with an object, such as a puzzle, that can be divided into pieces (to represent the scattering of Israel) and then brought back together (to represent the gathering of Israel). What does this allegory teach us about the Lord? about His servants?

The Red Crystal

The Lord cares for His people.

Jacob 5

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Jacob 5-7”

  • How can you share the story of the olive trees in a way that your children can understand? One way is to take a walk outside to look at a tree and briefly review the main points of the story. What did the Lord of the vineyard do for His trees? How can we be like workers in the story and help others feel the Savior’s love?
  • Jacob shared the story of the olive trees to invite his people to come unto Christ. It can do the same for your children. Perhaps you could summarize the story with verses such as Jacob 5:3–4, 28–29, 47, and 70–72 (see also “Old Testament Olive Vineyard” , Gospel Library). You or your children could then read Jacob 5:11, 41, 47, and 72, looking for things that show how much the Lord of the vineyard (Jesus Christ) cared about the trees. What does the Savior do to show that He cares about us?’

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020: Jacob 5-7

  • Read and explain to the children key verses summarizing the allegory of the olive trees, such as Jacob 5:3–4, 28–29, 47, and 70–72, and invite the children to draw pictures of what these verses describe. What do we learn from these verses about how the Lord feels about His people? Ask the children to pretend to take care of an olive tree as you briefly summarize verses 61–71 (they might act out digging, watering, and so on). Invite a few children to read Jacob 5:11, 41, 47, and 72, looking for things that show how much the Lord of the vineyard (Jesus Christ) cared about the trees. What does the Savior do to show He cares about us? The video “Old Testament Olive Vineyard” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) can help with this activity.
  • List some of the symbols in Jacob 5 on the board, such as the vineyard, the lord of the vineyard, the servant, and the olive trees. Then make another list, in random order, of the things these symbols might represent, such as the world, the Savior, Church leaders or missionaries, and God’s people. Read together verses from Jacob 5 that mention these symbols, and help the children draw lines on the board connecting the symbols with their possible meanings (see, for example, verses 3–4, 28–29, 47, 70–72).

God invites me to help Him gather His children.

Jacob 5:61-75

“Today Latter-day Saints are going to all parts of the world as servants in the vineyard to gather this fruit and lay it in store for the time of the coming of the Master. 

Watch this video from the church media library: The Olive Tree

The story of the Lord and his vineyard in Jacob 5 is an allegorical telling of the scattering and gathering of Israel. We are living in the time of the final gathering. The “other servants” (Jacob 5:70) who were called into the Lord’s vineyard include people like you. What can we do to help gather Israel in preparation for the Savior’s Second Coming?

Fruit Fun

  • Sing “Dare to Do Right” (Children’s Songbook, 158).
  • The prophet Jacob taught about missionary work by telling a story about trees. He compared sharing the gospel to helping trees grow good fruit (see Jacob 5).
  • Cut out paper fruit in different colors. Have everyone write one way they can share the gospel. You could even make a tasty fruit treat for dessert (see Treat Time)! Friend March 2020 “My Family Night Fun{“

Read Jacob 5:61 together and help your little ones say, “I can teach people about Jesus.” Then color nametags and dress up like missionaries! Practice talking about the scriptures and Jesus. You could sing a missionary song together, like “I Want to Be a Missionary Now” (Children’s Songbook, 168). Friend March 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones”

The allegory of the olive tree teaches us that we have a duty to help gather Israel, both among the living and beyond the veil.

  1. Open the Family Tree app on your phone (or go to FamilySearch.org).
  2. Select “Temple.” If you don’t already have a name prepared for the temple, select “Ordinances Ready.”
  3. Choose the ordinance you’d like to perform, and the names of any ancestors who need that ordinance will appear.
  4. Create a bar code to print the names at the temple or print them at home.
  5. Set a date in the near future to go to the temple and do the ordinances.

Discussion: How does it make you feel to know you are assisting the Lord in gathering His people? Ensign March 2020 “Family Study Fun”

Missionaries serve Heavenly Father’s children.

Jacob 5

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020: Jacob 5-7

  • Show a picture of a tree, or take a walk outside to look at a tree, and briefly review the main points of the allegory of the olive trees in Jacob 5. For example: the Lord of the vineyard (who could represent Jesus) worked very hard to look after his olive trees (which could represent the people on earth) because He cared so much about them. He called laborers (who could represent missionaries) to help care for the trees. Pick one or two verses from Jacob 5 to read to the children (such as verses 71–72).
  • Ask the children if they know someone who has served a mission, or talk about someone you know. Help the children locate on a map the places where those missionaries are serving. Explain that Jacob compared the world to a group of olive trees. The trees are like the people on earth, and caring for those trees is like what missionaries do for God’s children. What do missionaries do to bless Heavenly Father’s children? Look together for some answers to this question in a song such as “Called to Serve” (Children’s Songbook, 174–75). How can we be like missionaries?

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020: Jacob 5-7 Missionaries help God’s children like laborers who care for trees in a vineyard. Help the missionaries find their way through the maze. How do missionaries help God’s children?

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020

See also the following files from Teachingldschildren.com: Missionary Lesson Ideas, Missionary Stories, and Missionary Games & Activities

Heavenly Father loves me and will forgive me as I repent.

Jacob 6:4–5

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Jacob 5-7”

  • Jacob 6:4–5 has an important message for us when we make wrong choices. Maybe you could help your children find it. Which words in these verses give us hope in God’s redeeming love? Elder Allen D. Haynie’s story about getting dirty in a mud pit, in his message “Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 121–22), could help. What do this story and Jacob 6:4–5 teach us about what we need to do to be saved in the kingdom of God?

The Red Crystal

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020: Jacob 5-7

  • Invite the children to give themselves a hug. How do we feel when someone we love gives us a hug? Read Jacob 6:5 to the children, and explain that the phrases “[God] cleaveth unto you” and “his arm of mercy is extended towards you” teach that Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to come back to Him someday.

Come Follow Me Kid “Jacob 5-7” Outstretched/Extended Arm Hugs- Jacob 6:4-5 says that God “stretches forth His hands” to us and “His arm of mercy is extended” towards us. Remind them that Heavenly Father and Jesus love us and want us to come back, to them someday. Jacob 6:5 also says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you.” Explain what it means to cleave unto God. Take turns stretching out our arms and hands while family members run in for a hug and “cleave unto” you. Remind them of how much Heavenly Father and Jesus love us and would love to give us a hug right now.

  • Sing together a song about love, such as “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (Children’s Songbook, 74–75). Invite the children to name things that help them feel the Savior’s love.
  • Make a chart on the board with two columns labeled Heavenly Father and Us. Read together Jacob 6:4–5, and ask half of the class to look for phrases that apply to God and the other half to look for phrases that apply to us. Record what they discover in the appropriate column. Help them define words they do not understand.

One meaning of the word cleave is to adhere to or stick to something firmly, closely, and unwaveringly.

Friend April 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities”

Jacob asked us to “cleave,” or stay close, to God with all our hearts (Jacob 6:5). Play a game about staying together as a team! Choose one person to be the chaser. When the chaser tags someone, they join hands and chase the other players. When the next person gets tagged, they join hands with one of the chasers too. Keep playing until everyone joins hands.

For younger children: When we “cleave” to someone, we hold tightly to them. Have your children hug a stuffed animal or comfort toy. Talk about how we can be closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by praying and reading the scriptures.

Jacob’s Encounter with Sherem

I can stand up for what I know is true.

Jacob 7:1–23

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Jacob 5-7” How can you inspire your children to stand for truth like Jacob did? Your children could watch the video “Chapter 10: Jacob and Sherem” (Gospel Library) and act out the interaction between Jacob and Sherem, using Jacob 7:1–23 as a guide. How did Jacob stand for what he knew was right? Invite your children to share experiences when they stood for the right, or share your own.

Teaching Children the Gospel “Jacob’s Encounter with Sherem” Lesson ideas

Friend February 2019 “What’s on Your Mind” Someone writes to the Friend and wants to know how to help make the bad things in life better. The Friend responds with an activity of some ways to stand for the right. Unscramble the words, then put them in the correct sentence to find ways to help.

Friend November 2015
Friend November 2015

See also the following: Stand for the Right: Stories & Stand for the Right: Lesson Ideas

Divide them into groups, and invite them to create an inspirational banner or poster that represents something that they stand for or believe in.

Primary 4: Book of Mormon “Lesson 8: The Prophet Jacob Is Confronted by Sherem” Lesson ideas

  1. Write on slips of paper situations in which someone tries to convince a child to do something wrong and a reference to a corresponding commandment from the scriptures. For example, your friend goes with you into a store and tries to get you to steal some candy (Exodus 20:15 or Mosiah 13:22), someone offers you a taste of an alcoholic beverage (D&C 89:7), or you are tempted to stay home and not go to church (D&C 59:9). Have the children look up and read each scripture. Discuss how knowing what the scriptures teach strengthens our testimonies of Jesus Christ and helps us resist evil influences.You might want to have the children pantomime these situations and have the other children guess what is being pantomimed.

Stand for the Right Song: Teaching Ideas

Perhaps they could also sing a song that expresses courage like Jacob’s, such as “Stand for the Right,” Children’s Songbook, 159.

Ask them to stand whenever they sing words like right or true.

Teaching Children the Gospel “Song: Stand for the Right”

Teaching Children the Gospel “Review: Stand for the Right”

Additional Resources

The Red Crystal Lesson ideas

The Red Crystal Come Follow Me 2020

The Cozy Red Cottage “Jacob 5-7” Visual aids and lesson ideas

Friend April 2024

Feb 17 2016

Lesson 8 – Jacob’s Encounter with Sherem

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Lesson 8
Jacob’s Encounter with Sherem

Preparation
• Print the scripture story visual aids. (The visual aids are from Book of Mormon Stories chapters nine and ten.)
• Items needed: one package of toothpicks, masking tape or stickers, fine tip markers, several pieces of string or ribbon cut into three inch lengths, and packages of stick gum (stick gum can be found at Dollar Tree). (The amounts needed for each item will be based on how many children are in the class.)
• Carefully remove the gum from the wrappers in one of the packages of gum. Replace the empty wrappers back into the package, making it appear as if the gum is still in the wrappers.
• Fold two inch pieces of masking tape or stickers in half over the end of the toothpicks. Each should look like a small flag when done. Cut off the other pointy end of the toothpick with scissors. Make five toothpick flags per child. Save the remaining flag free toothpicks for the object lesson.

Attention Activity

Tell the children you brought some gum to share with them, and show them the empty gum package. Offer it to the children. After they take a piece, ask them how they felt when the discovered the wrappers were empty. Explain to the children that during their life people will try to convince them to accept beliefs that are empty and have no value. In today’s lesson they will learn how to discern divine truth so as to help them avoid the disappointment and sorrow that comes from accepting empty, false beliefs. (Tell the children that at the end of class you will give each of them a piece of real gum to take home.)

Scripture Story Introduction
Tell the following scripture story and show the numbered visual aid pictures where indicated.

Remind the children that in last week’s lesson they learned about Nephi and his family crossing the sea and arriving at the promised land. In the promised land, Lehi eventually grew old and died.

(1) After Lehi died, Laman and Lemuel once again became angry with Nephi for urging them to keep the commandments. (1) They complained, saying their younger brother wanted to rule over them. They became so angry they sought to kill him.

(2) The Lord warned Nephi that he should flee into the wilderness and take all those who would go with him. All those who believed in the warnings and revelations of God followed Nephi. They traveled into the wilderness for several days. They settled in a land and prospered there. They constructed buildings and a temple. They called themselves the people of Nephi.

(3) The people who followed Laman and Lemuel were called Lamanites. A curse was put upon the Lamanites; they were cut off from the Lord’s help and guidance because they chose to do wicked things. The Lord also caused their skins to darken so the Nephites would be reminded not to mix or intermarry with them and bring the curse upon themselves. The Lamanites became an idle people, full of mischief and trickery. They hated the Nephites and wanted to destroy them. The Lord told Nephi that the Lamanites would be a scourge to his people to help turn the Nephite’s hearts back to the Lord when they faltered.

Nephi led his people in righteousness and helped protect them against the Lamanites, but eventually he grew old. (4) He gave the historical and spiritual records to his younger brother Jacob. Jacob had been consecrated a priest and teacher by the hand of Nephi. (5) He was ordained of God to lead and teach the people.

(Direct the children to turn to the “Book of Jacob” in their Book of Mormons.) Some of Jacob’s words are recorded in the “Book of Jacob.” In the seventh chapter of the “Book of Jacob” Jacob tells about a man named Sherem who came among the Nephites preaching and trying to convince the people to accept his teachings.

Scripture Story
(6) The man named Sherem tried to convince the people to accept false things that were not true. One of the main things he tried to convince the people was that there would be no Christ. He taught that it was not necessary for an atonement to be made for the sins of mankind. He said that the people only had to follow the basic laws and rituals of the Law of Moses in order to gain salvation.

• Is it possible to gain salvation without Christ’s atonement? We cannot undo the sins we have committed, and no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. Christ suffered and paid the price for our sins. Only through Christ’s Atonement can we become clean again.

• Why would Sherem try to convince the people there would be no Christ? Sherem was under Satan’s influence. Satan did not want people to believe in Christ and be saved.

(7) Sherem was a learned man, and he was very good at speaking to people and flattering them. Many people believed his words.

• Why did people find his words to be so appealing? Possibly because they wanted to follow the easier path of just performing the basic rituals and performances of the Law of Moses instead of following the more difficult path of sincere repentance and of living righteous lives in order to qualify for forgiveness of their sins when Jesus Christ performed the Atonement.

Sherem knew that Jacob had faith in Christ, so he sought to speak to Jacob. He hoped to shake Jacob’s faith.

• Why would Sherem want to shake Jacob’s faith? Perhaps he hoped to shake Jacob’s faith so that all the people who listened to Jacob would also falter, and then Sherem could try to influence them to believe his teachings and follow him. But Jacob’s faith could not be shaken. Jacob had received many revelations, he had seen angels, and he had heard the voice of the Lord. His faith was firm.

(8) Sherem eventually got the opportunity to speak to Jacob. He accused Jacob of leading the people into changing the right ways of worshiping God by preaching of a being named Christ. Sherem said that no man could know of such things or of what was to come in the future.

(9) The Lord blessed Jacob with the spirit, and he was able to confound and thwart everything Sherem said. Jacob asked Sherem if he believed in the scriptures. Sherem said he did believe in the scriptures. Jacob said he must not understand them because all the prophets in the scriptures had testified of Christ. Jacob also testified that he personally knew that Christ would come because it had been revealed to him by the power of the Holy Ghost.

(10) Sherem said he wanted to see a sign by that power. Jacob said he would not ask God for a sign to show Sherem something that he already knew was true. (Sherem must have had a belief in Christ, but his personal notions and desires became so powerful that he tried to ignore that knowledge.)

(11) Jacob said if it was the will of the Lord to smite Sherem, then that would be his sign that God has power and that Christ will come.

(12) The power of the Lord came upon Sherem, and he fell to the earth. He was so stricken and incapacitated that others had to feed him and take care of him for many days.

• Did Sherem ask for a sign so he could believe in Christ? No. He did not expect a sign to be produced, and if none was produced he could accuse Jacob of being false. Sherem had not planned on being struck down by God.

• If we want to gain a testimony of Christ, would seeking for signs be a good way to do it? Have the children look up and read D&C 63:9 & 11-12. Explain that signs and miracles come because of faith. Signs do not give a person faith. Faith in Christ comes through the witness of the Holy Ghost. Remind the children of Laman and Lemuel. They did not have faith even though they had seen an angel, heard the voice of the Lord, and had seen many mighty miracles. They did not have faith because they would not open their hearts to the Holy Ghost. If we seek for signs it will be to our condemnation.

(13) Sherem suffered for many days after being struck down by the power of God. He asked that the people be gathered. He knew he was dying, and he wanted to speak to them before he died. When the people were gathered, he denied the things he had taught them and confessed that Christ was true. He said he had been deceived by the devil and now feared for his soul. He knew he was about to die and face God. He was afraid of the eternal judgements he would face for his sins.

• How did Sherem feel when he realized he would have to suffer the consequences of preaching false doctrines? (Fear and sorrow) How would someone feel if they had accepted false doctrine and then realized they would have to suffer the consequences of that choice?

(14) After confessing, Sherem died. The power of God came upon the people. They felt the Spirit’s witness of the truth of the matter. They fell to the earth in awe. The people once again turned their hearts to God.

Discussion
There are many people in today’s world that are influenced by Satan. They try to lead people away from Christ. Some try to convince us that Jesus is not the Son of God, that He didn’t suffer and die for our sins. They say we do not have to believe in Christ and follow the commandments to receive salvation.

• How can we find out for ourselves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he atoned for our sins, and that only through Him can we be saved? Jacob had faith in Christ because the Holy Ghost had revealed the truth of it to him. We can receive that same witness of Christ if we will pray and seek for the Holy Ghost to reveal the truth to us. We also learn from Jacob that we can gain a testimony of Christ through reading the scriptures. The scriptures testify of Christ.

Object Lesson
Ask for a volunteer. Instruct the volunteer to break one of the toothpicks. Point out how easy it was. Tell the children that the broken toothpick represents someone who does not have a strong testimony. That person’s resolves to follow Christ is easily broken when temptation comes along.

Someone who has built up their testimony of Jesus Christ through study, prayer, and obedience to the commandments can gain spiritual strength like Jacob’s. Jacob’s testimony was strong and firm.

Add toothpicks to a pile as you mention (or as the children mention) things that will strengthen a testimony such as: studying the scriptures every day, praying every morning and night, listening to General Conference, listening carefully to teachers and speakers at church, listening and participating in Family Home Evening and family scripture study, reading stories from the Friend magazine, studying for and giving talks in Primary, and obeying the words of Christ.

After you have at least 10-12 toothpicks in the pile, have a volunteer try to break the pile. They must keep them bundled close together. If they do this, it should not be possible to break them. Explain that our testimony can start out weak and small, but it can be reinforced and built up until it is strong and firm.

Activity
Hand out five labeled toothpicks to each child. Direct the children to write on each side of the labels things they can do to strengthen their testimony. Tie each person’s toothpicks together in a bundle with string or ribbon. Instruct the children to put their bundle somewhere where they will see it daily to help remind them of the things  they need to do to strengthen and build up their testimonies.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week –  2 Nephi 5:1-25 and Jacob 7:1–23.