Tag Archives: lesson

Apr 5 2020

Word of Wisdom: Lesson Ideas

Posted on by

Table of Contents

Heavenly Father wants me to take care of my body.

DANIEL CHAPTER 1 Daniel and certain Hebrews are trained in the court of Nebuchadnezzar—They eat plain food and drink no wine—God gives them knowledge and wisdom beyond all others.

Daniel 1:1–17

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Daniel 1–6” Daniel and his friends refused the meat and wine the king offered them because they wanted to follow God’s commandments and avoid harming their bodies. Today the Word of Wisdom helps us avoid substances that would harm our bodies.

  • Share with the children “Daniel and His Friends” (in Old Testament Stories), or summarize Daniel 1:1–17. Invite the children to act out the story. Help them understand how the Lord blessed Daniel and his friends for choosing to obey Him (see verse 17). What blessings do we receive from God when we choose the right?

Old Testament Scripture Readers “Daniel and His Friends”

Show the children pictures of things the Word of Wisdom teaches us to eat or use and things it tells us not to eat or use (see Doctrine and Covenants 89). Invite the children to pretend to eat the good things and say no to the bad things. Testify that the Lord blesses us when we care for our bodies. Sing together a song about caring for our bodies, such as “The Lord Gave Me a Temple” or “The Word of Wisdom” (Children’s Songbook, 153, 154–55). What does this song teach us?

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 89-92” Your family members might enjoy drawing or finding pictures of foods and other substances mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 89. Then you could play a game—family members could take turns selecting pictures at random, putting the things we shouldn’t use in the trash and the things we should use on a plate. How have the promises in verses 18–21 been fulfilled in our lives?

What does the Word of Wisdom say is good for our bodies? – Game

What does the Word of Wisdom say is bad for our bodies? – Game

Old Testament Coloring Book “Daniel and His Friends”
  • “Daniel Obeys the Lord” (June 1998 Friend)
    A retelling of the story of Daniel and his friends refusing to eat the king’s food. Includes flannel board figures.
Media Library: Daniel Refusing the King’s Meat and Wine

I made this Introduction to the Word of Wisdom video for a video production class I took.

Doctrine and Covenants 89

Friend August 2021 “The Word of Wisdom”

For the Strength of Youth August 2021 “A Word to Always Live By”

Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources “Doctrine and Covenants 89-92”

I Will Be Blessed as I Obey the Word of Wisdom.

Teach the children that our bodies are gifts from Heavenly Father and He wants us to take good care of them.

  • To help the children understand the Lord’s commandments in Doctrine and Covenants 89:10–17, draw or show pictures of good things we can eat or good things we can do to keep our bodies healthy (see also this week’s activity page). Also help the children understand that alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and other harmful drugs hurt our bodies and the Lord has warned us not to use them. Invite the children to choose something they can do this week to keep their bodies healthy.
  • Invite the children to take turns drawing a picture on the board that represents something taught in the Word of Wisdom. Let the rest of the children guess what each person is drawing. Talk about the Lord’s commandment in section 89 that relates to the drawing.
  • Use the following example, or others you think of, to show how we are blessed by obeying the Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21). Do a simple exercise together, such as walking or running in place, and then pretend to “be weary” or “faint” (verse 20). Testify of the Lord’s promises.
  • Show a picture of the temple, and ask the children to describe what they see. Use a song about physical health, such as “The Lord Gave Me a Temple” (Children’s Songbook, 153), to teach the children that our bodies are like temples for our spirits and God wants us to keep our bodies healthy. Help the children think of ways we can care for our bodies, and let the children act them out.

The Lord Will Help You Keep the Word of Wisdom

Friend March 2024 “Drops of Faith” Jacob keeps falling asleep in school because he gets up so early to make it to school on time. The principle suggest drops of coffee in the morning to keep him awake. Jacob decides to use drops of faith instead. Every morning they said a prayer that Heavenly Father would help him not be sleepy at school.

Being an Example to Others of Making Healthy Choices

Friend March 2024 “A Good Example” When Elder Mathias Held Of the Seventy joined the church he was a businessman. His father worried because he wouldn’t be joining with others in drinking at business meetings. His co-workers were supportive, and pretty soon many of them stopped drinking as well.

The Word of Wisdom Helps Me be Healthy in Body and Spirit.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson counseled young people to plan in advance what they will do when tempted with alcohol or drugs. Then he taught, “You will find that temptation has less control over you. You will have already made the decision of how you will react and what you will do. You won’t need to decide every time” (“Your Priesthood Playbook,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 48). Encourage the children you teach to decide now—for the rest of their lives—to live the Word of Wisdom.

  • Divide the children into two groups, and ask one group to read Doctrine and Covenants 89:1–4 and the other group to read verses 18–21. Ask them to ponder questions like the following: Why did the Lord give us the Word of Wisdom? How can living the Word of Wisdom bless me physically and spiritually?
  • Create fill-in-the-blank statements using phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 89, such as “ is ordained for the use of man and of beasts” or “And shall  and not faint” (verses 14, 20). Invite the children to work in pairs to find the answers in section 89. The children could sort the statements into the following categories: good things for our bodies, bad things for our bodies, and blessings.
  • Invite one child to read Doctrine and Covenants 89:4 and another to read the quotation from Elder Stevenson above. Why should we decide now to obey the Word of Wisdom rather than waiting until the moment of temptation? Help the children role-play how they might respond if someone, even a friend, offers them something that is against the Word of Wisdom. How does obeying the Word of Wisdom protect us?

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 89-92”

Your family members might enjoy drawing or finding pictures of foods and other substances mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 89. Then you could play a game—family members could take turns selecting pictures at random, putting the things we shouldn’t use in the trash and the things we should use on a plate. How have the promises in verses 18–21 been fulfilled in our lives?

When the elders in the School of the Prophets first heard Joseph Smith read the Word of Wisdom, they immediately “tossed their pipes and plugs of chewing tobacco into the fire” (Saints, 1:168). At that time, the Word of Wisdom was considered more of a caution than a commandment, but they wanted to show their willingness to obey. Perhaps you have already “tossed” from your life the substances the Word of Wisdom warns against, but what else can you learn from this revelation?

Reading “Physical and Emotional Health” in For the Strength of Youth (25–27) could prompt discussion about other ways to care for our health and about the blessings that God promises.

Liahona August 2021 Run and Not Be Weary

In Doctrine and Covenants 89, the Lord gave a revelation called the Word of Wisdom.

  1. After reading section 89, have everyone stand in the middle of a room.
  2. Designate one side of the room to be the “good” side and the other side of the room to be the “not good” side.
  3. Have a family member read verses 5–17.
  4. The other family members will move to either the “good” or “not good” side of the room, depending on the description in that verse. Is the substance good for our bodies or not?

Discussion: What promises are included in Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21? How can taking care of our bodies improve our spiritual relationship with the Lord?

Doctrine and Covenants Coloring Book “Word of Wisdom”

Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History“ Lesson 24: The School of the Prophets and the Word of Wisdom,”  See lesson for additional teaching ideas.

What harm can come from not obeying the Word of Wisdom? (Answers may include illness and disease, poverty, dishonesty, addictive habits, automobile accidents, inactivity in the Church, and sins resulting from loss of good judgment.) Explain that in Joseph Smith’s time people did not know all that we know now about the bad effects of smoking and alcohol use. But the Lord knew about these bad effects, and he warned the people (see D&C 89:4). The Lord also knew that people who disobey the Word of Wisdom lose the desire to obey the other commandments and to become like Jesus Christ. Physical desires become more important to them than spiritual desires.

 What does the Word of Wisdom say is bad for our bodies? – Game

What does the Word of Wisdom say is good for our bodies? Game

Sing “In Our Lovely Deseret”, Hymn #307

Friend August 2021 “Scripture Time Fun for Little Ones”

Have family members draw pictures of ways to care for their body (like eating healthy foods or playing outside). Help your little ones say, “I can take care of my body.”

For additional teaching ideas see Word of Wisdom and Resources for Teaching Children: Word of Wisdom

Friend August 2021 “How to Say No” What do you do when someone offers you something that you know is against the Word of Wisdom? Write what you could say in the bubbles below.

Friend July 1986 “Body Building” For each good food mentioned in the scripture, the player takes an additional body part. He must put back a body part for each harmful substance mentioned in the scripture. Players take turns drawing reference strips. The player who first builds a complete body is the winner. (See additional instructions below in pink section.)

Friend May 2021 “Friends by Mail” (Includes photo)

We accepted the Helping Hands Team challenge (Feb. 2021) to eat foods that are different colors. We love helping our grammy plant, water, harvest, and eat the delicious vegetables and fruits in her garden!

Newland, Wynne, and Magnus T., ages 8, 5, and 2, Florida, USA

Friend March 2023 “A Tasty Goal” Sara wanted to follow the Word of Wisdom better (see Doctrine and Covenants 89). She made a goal for Children and Youth to eat more fruits and vegetables. Can you find two rows that have all of the same foods but in a different order?

What Foods Are Good to Eat?

Friend October 2024 “Older Kids’ Section”

Friend January 2024

Friend March 2024 “Fruit Chase” In the Word of Wisdom, Jesus told us what foods would be good to eat. Read Doctrine and Covenants 89:10–12, 14. Then draw some of your favorite meals on the plates below! Game: Fruit Chase

Additional Resources

Just for Fun

Friend May 2018 “Food and Fun” Some of the blessings of living the Word of Wisdom are wisdom and knowledge (see D&C 89:19). Can you solve these brain-teasers?

Nov 15 2016

Creation: Lesson for Little Ones

Posted on by

image

Jesus Created this World for Us

Preparation

  • Item needed: a bible, a large, light blue felt display board and a small felt choosing board, 1/3 yard of brown felt and 1/2 yard of sea blue felt. (The felt needs to be good quality.)
  •  Print the visual aids. (Visual Aids are from the Primary One Manual cutouts and Microsoft Word clipart.)  Add felt or 60 grit sandpaper to the back of each item and cut the figures out.
  • Cut the brown felt 11 1/2″ x 28″ and the sea blue felt 15 1/2 ” x 28″.
  • Before teaching the lesson, attach each picture randomly to the small felt board.

Presentation

Open the Bible to Genesis 1:1 and read, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Invite the children to repeat the scripture with you, a few words at a time. Explain that Heavenly Father had Jesus Christ make the world and everything in it.

Show the children the display boards.

Tell the children that Jesus made the light of day.

  • What gives light to our world? (The sun) Have a child find the sun and put it at the top of the board.

Jesus also made the night.

  • What we do we see in the sky at night time? (The moon and stars) Have a child find the moon and stars cutout and put it on the board.

Tell the children that Jesus made the waters in the sea and in the sky. (Put on the large, blue felt piece. Have the children then find the water in the sky–the rain cloud.  Have a child stick the rain cloud to the sky area.)

Jesus also made the dry land. (Put the brown felt land piece on top of the sea, leaving some of the sea exposed on top.)

Jesus made all the plants. (Have the children find the plants and put them on the land.)

Jesus also made the fishes and other sea creatures. (Have the children find the fish and put them in the sea area.)

Jesus made the birds. (Have the children find the birds and put them in the sky area.)

Jesus also made all other animals. (Point to an animal and have the children say what it is or make the sound it makes, and then have a child put it on the land area. Continue until all the animals are on the board.)

Jesus also made people.

  • Who were the first people that lived on the earth? (Adam and Eve) Put Adam and Eve on the display board.

Heavenly Father and Jesus made the earth for us to live on because they love us.

Sing the song “My Heavenly Father Loves Me.” (Make the song visual aid, and then follow the singing instructions listed under junior primary.)

Feb 17 2016

Lesson 8 – Jacob’s Encounter with Sherem

Posted on by

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.

Dec 23 2015

Lesson 2 – Lehi and his Family Leave Jerusalem

Posted on by

Lesson 2
Lehi and his Family Leave Jerusalem

Preparation

  • Items needed: a small container of water, one piece of paper, envelopes, and a picture of the living prophet (this can be found at www.lds.org/church leaders).
  • Print  the scripture story visual aids onto heavy paper. Cut apart each picture and each word strip on the dividing lines.  Glue each numbered word strip to the back of its corresponding picture. Also print the sign “Eternal Salvation.”
  • Print and cut out the game items.  Lightly tape the small game pieces to an 8 ½-by-11-inch piece of paper with rolled pieces of tape. Be prepared to display the two category titles on a display board (see tips).
  • Prepare the following for the activity: Draw a map of the room where you will teach the lesson onto a sheet of paper. Label the different parts of the room on the map such as the windows, doors, tables, chairs, etc. Draw a dot on each of the locations you will hide clues. You will need to hide at least one clue per each child. Choose a wall where you will place the sign “Eternal Salvation”. That will be the end of the hunt. Mark that as X on your map. Starting at the X, connect the dots with a line. Do not crisscross the line. Number each dot in order, ending at the X. Cut the map up into a puzzle having one numbered dot on each piece. Put each piece into an envelope, and number the upper outer corner of each envelope with the puzzle piece number. On the front of each envelope paste a quote from the living prophet of something he has asked us to do. These can be found in the Ensigns at www.lds.org/general conference Hide the envelopes sometime before the lesson, leaving out envelope number one. Number one would be the first clue and it should lead to where clue number two is hid. Each following clue should also lead to its next numbered clue.

Introduction
Ask the children if they remember what is being studied this year. Hold up a copy of the Book of Mormon as a reminder.

The Book of Mormon tells about three groups of people the Lord led to the Americas. The beginning of the Book of Mormon tells of one of these groups. We learn about the other two groups later.

Direct the children to open their scriptures to chapter one in “The First Book of Nephi.” Explain that a prophet named Nephi wrote the “The First Book of Nephi.”  Nephi informs us that he engraved his history onto plates made of ore (1 Nephi 19:1). The plates were like a book, but each page was a thin sheet made of metal. The words were written by pushing a sharp tool into the metal.

  • Why were some ancient records written on metal plates? (Take a piece of paper, tear it, and pour a little water on it.) Explain that during ancient times, the people used other materials than paper for written communications, but those materials could also be easily damaged and could decompose and disintegrates over time. Some ancient historians used metal if they had an important message that they wanted to endure for a long period of time.

Have the children find the date on the bottom right hand side of the first page of “The First Book of Nephi.” Explain that this date tells the approximate time period the events on that page occurred. Have them flip through other pages so that they will see that the date is on the bottom of each page. Explain that B.C. means before Christ’s birth.

In the “First Book of Nephi” we learn that Nephi’s father was a prophet. When Nephi was a youth, his father Lehi was commanded of the Lord to take his family and leave the city Jerusalem.

Scripture Story
Teach the following scripture story of the prophet Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem. Show the numbered picture that corresponds with each part.

1. In Jerusalem 600 B.C. the people were wicked. They were dishonest, they worshiped idols, and they did many other evil things. Prophets were sent to tell the people to repent or be destroyed. The people were so wicked that they imprisoned, cast out, or killed the prophets that were sent to warn them.

2. Lehi was concerned and prayed for the people. A pillar of fire appeared as Lehi prayed, and God told and showed Lehi many things.

3. Lehi returned home and collapsed on his bed overcome with what he had seen. As he was lying on his bed, Lehi was shown a vision. One of the things he saw was that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

4. Lehi told the people what he had seen and heard. He told them that Jerusalem would be destroyed. He also preached and testified of Jesus whom he had seen in his vision. Lehi preached to the people even though he knew it was dangerous.

  • Why do you think Lehi preached to the people even though he knew it was dangerous?

5. The people wouldn’t listen to Lehi’s warnings. They mocked him and made fun of him. They didn’t believe that Jerusalem would be   destroyed. They thought they were God’s chosen people.

  • Were the people in Jerusalem God’s chosen people? When a people become wicked they are no longer a select people.

6. The people became angry and wanted to kill Lehi because of his preachings.

7. In a dream, the Lord warned Lehi of the danger and told him to take his family and leave Jerusalem.

8. Lehi and his family packed provisions for the journey. They left their house and their possessions behind. They traveled three days past the Red Sea, which is about a two week journey from Jerusalem.

Game
Display the two category titles “Trip Provisions” and “Items Left Behind” on a display board. Show the children the list of items that are taped to the 8 ½-by-11 paper. Have them take turns choosing an item and then deciding if the item would be something Lehi and his family would have taken with them or something they would have left behind. Have them place the item under the category they think it belongs in. Ask the children to explain their reason. Answers might include: item not needed for the journey, item too bulky, or item too heavy to carry, etc.

  • Do you think it was hard for Nephi and his family to leave behind their home and most of their possessions? If you had to leave your home and only take a few necessary items, what things would you have a hard time leaving behind? (Have the children take turns sharing their ideas.)

9. After traveling for about two weeks in the wilderness, Lehi and his family came to a valley that had a river running through it. They set up their tents and camped there. Lehi built an altar of stones and gave thanks to the Lord.

10. Lehi had four sons; their names were Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The two older brothers, Laman and Lemuel, murmured and complained about leaving Jerusalem and leaving behind their possessions. They didn’t believe Jerusalem would be destroyed. They were wicked like the people in Jerusalem.

  • The Lord told Lehi that he and his family were to travel to a promised land (the American Continent). Why do you think that Laman and Lemuel were spared from the destruction of Jerusalem and allowed to go to the promised land if they were so rebellious and wicked? (See 1 Nephi 2:22-24)

11. Nephi, the youngest brother, instead of complaining, decided to find out for himself if the things his father had seen were true. He prayed and the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him. He learned that his father’s words were true.

12. Nephi told his brothers what he had learned. Sam believed him, but Nephi could not convince Laman and Lemuel.

  • Why is it important to listen to and obey the prophet? The prophet tells us what Heavenly Father wants us to know and do. Heavenly Father wants us to know and do the things that will help us be happy in this life and throughout all eternity.

The people in Jerusalem would not listen to the warnings of the prophets. They would not do the things that would help keep them safe and happy. Because of their wickedness, they had to suffer the results and consequences of their sins and choices, and they were eventually destroyed by the Babylonians.

  • Show the picture of the living prophet and ask, “Who is this person?”

Activity
Inform the children that they are going to read some quotes from the living prophet concerning things he has asked us to do. Show the envelope that is labeled number one. Reveal that there are several other envelopes hidden around the room, and on the front of each envelope is a statement from our current prophet. On the inside of the envelope is a puzzle clue that will help them locate the next envelope. If all the directions are followed correctly, they will end up at the sign that says “Eternal Salvation.” (Put the sign on the wall.)

Give the first clue to a volunteer. That person then reads the prophet’s statement out loud to the class. Have the volunteer tell how they can follow the prophet’s direction regarding the statement they read. After they do that, they can open the envelope and follow the clue’s directions to the next envelope.

After the next clue has been found, have another volunteer follow the same pattern. Putting the puzzle pieces together will help each volunteer locate the clues. Continue on until all the clues have been found. Tell the children that when we follow the prophet’s directions we are guided down the pathway to eternal salvation (eternal life- the kind of life Heavenly Father lives).

Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week – 1 Nephi 1:1-20 and 1 Nephi 2:1-24.

Resources: Scripture story visual aids – Book of Mormon Stories.

Dec 23 2015

Lesson One: Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Posted on by

Lesson One: Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Preparation
• Items needed: pencils, a Book of Mormon, and a piece of paper for each child. You will also need the picture of “Mormon Abridging the Plates” from the Gospel Art Picture Kit, the Book of Mormon Stories video DVD, a television, and a DVD player. (Note: The picture and the video are available online, or they can be checked out from your meetinghouse library).  Optional item needed: foil star stickers for the children’s reading charts
•  Print one copy of the worksheet PDF or Word and the reading chart PDF or Word for each child. Print one copy of the Arch and one copy of the French words for Book of Mormon. Optional: Print scripture stickers – set one.
• If possible, obtain a children’s nonfiction book. Read its preface before class, and be prepared to explain its contents to the children.

Lesson Introduction
Inform the children they will be learning about the Book of Mormon this year. Instruct them to bring their scriptures each week. Make sure each child has a copy of the Book of Mormon to use for today’s lesson.

• How did we get the Book of Mormon? In ancient America two groups of people, the Nephites and the Lamanites, lived on the continent. A great battle occurred between these two groups of people. The Nephites were destroyed in this battle. The last of the Nephites, a prophet named Moroni, was directed by the Lord to bury a record of these ancient American people. About 1,400 years later Moroni, as a resurrected being, visited a boy named Joseph Smith. Moroni told Joseph Smith about the buried record.

Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Direct the children to turn to the “Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith” found in the front of the Book of Mormon. Explain that the “Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith” tells about Moroni’s visit. Watch chapter one of the Book of Mormon Stories DVD which tells of this account. Start at the section where the angel Moroni appears.

• What does translate mean? Translate means to change from one language to another.

Show the paper with the words “Le Livre De Mormon” written on it. Tell the children that the words are French. The English version of these words is “The Book of Mormon”. Show this paper. Both sets of words mean the same thing, but they are different languages.

The gold plates were written in an ancient language that needed to be translated into a language others could read.

Title Page
Instruct the children to turn to the title page found in the front of the Book of Mormon. Point out that underneath the title is a preface. Show the children the preface of the nonfiction book that you brought. Present a brief explanation of what the preface of that book contains.

• What do you think a preface is for? The preface explains the purpose and content of the book.

The preface in the Book of Mormon was written on the last leaf of a collection of books in the gold plates and is considered to have been written by Moroni. The preface tells us that the contents of the book are a record of the Nephites, Lamanites, and Jaredites. It also tells us that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to testify of Christ.

Much of the world today rejects the divinity of Christ. They think that he was a great teacher but could not have done the miracles we read about in the New Testament. The Book of Mormon is another testament that those things happened. Jesus Christ is the Son of God; he atoned for our sins, and he was resurrected.

Introduction
Have the children turn the page in their scriptures to the “Introduction”. Tell them the “Introduction” provides more detailed information about the origin and the contents of the book.

Worksheet – Instruct the children to fill in the blanks in Section A on the worksheet, using paragraphs one and two of the “Introduction” for reference. After they are done, go over the answers together.

SECTION A: Worksheet Answers – The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the America’s and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation, and was abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon.

• What does abridged mean? It means that Mormon studied records other prophets had written, and then he took important parts from each of their records and wrote them on the gold plates. The Book of Mormon is named after Mormon because he compiled the record. (Show the picture of “Mormon Abridging the Plates” to the children.)

Now have the children fill in the blanks in section B on the worksheet using paragraph six of the “Introduction” for reference. Go over the answers together after they are done.

SECTION B: Worksheet Answers- Joseph Smith told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on the earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.

• What did Joseph Smith mean when he said the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth? The Book of Mormon is of God. Books produced by men may contain errors in understanding, perception, and translation.

• What did Joseph Smith mean when he said the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion? Show the picture of the arch. Explain that the keystone is the central supporting stone at the top of the arch. The stones would fall without the keystone holding them in place. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion because it supports and explains doctrines and principles that are necessary for salvation. Another reason it is the keystone is that when we receive a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon we will know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that the church of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth again, and that Jesus is the Christ.

• What did Joseph Smith mean when he said, “A man could get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book”? Abide means to accept or act in accordance with, and precepts are commandments or principles. So, if we accept or act in accordance with God’s will and obey the commandments and principles found in the Book of Mormon, we will grow nearer to God.

The Testimony of the Witnesses
Have the children turn the page to “The Testimony of the Witnesses”. Show the picture of “Mormon Abridging the Plates” to the children once again. Give them a few seconds to study it. Afterwards put the picture face down on a table. Give each child a paper and a pencil. Ask some of the following questions, and have them write down their answers:

• What was on the shelf and the table behind Mormon?
• What was covering the bench Mormon was sitting on?
• What items were on the table Mormon was working on?
• What was on Mormon’s lap, and was there anything on the floor?
• What colors were Mormon’s clothes, and what decorations did they have on them?
• What was Mormon wearing on his arm, on his head, and on his feet?

Go over the answers together. When several of the children’s answers are the same on any of the questions, ask the children if they think those answers are most likely to be true. Why?

• If a person witnessed an event, would only their testimony about the incident be sufficient in a court of law? No, because they might not remember everything accurately, or they might not be telling the truth.

• Would that person’s version be believed if other witnesses told the same account?

• In 2 Corinthians 13:1 it says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established”. Why do you think this law of witnesses is important? It helps establish truth.

Point out the witness’s page, and tell the children that God chose men to be witnesses of the Book of Mormon to fulfill the law of the witnesses and to testify of his work.

 The three witnesses testified that an angel showed them the gold plates, and that they heard the voice of God declaring the divinity of the record.
 The eight witnesses testified Joseph Smith showed them the gold plates and that they handled them.

• What are the three things we need to do to gain our own witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon? Direct the children to look in paragraph eight in the “Introduction” for the answer. Write the following answers on the board:

1) Read the Book of Mormon.
2) Ponder its message.
3) Ask God if it is true.

If we do these things, the Holy Ghost can testify to us that the Book of Mormon is true.

Though the Three Witnesses were privileged to see an angel and feel the plates, the real power of their witness came through the Holy Ghost. Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Personal visitations might become dim as time goes on, but this guidance of the Holy Ghost is renewed and continued, day after day, year after year, if we live to be worthy of it.” (Doctrines of Salvation 1:44) (D&C Student Manual pg 33)

Weekly Reading Assignment Hand out the reading chart, and remind the children that in order to gain a witness for themselves of the truthfulness and divinity of the Book of Mormon they need to read the Book of Mormon. To help them with this you will be giving them a reading assignment to do each week. The reading assignment will be on what was studied during the lesson. This week’s reading assignment is “The Testimony of Joseph Smith”, which is found in the front of the Book of Mormon.

Tell the children to hang their chart on a wall in their bedroom, in a location that is highly visible, so it will help remind them to read. After they complete each reading assignment, they can put a sticker or the date of completion in the square. (You may wish to provide some form of appropriate reward for when a child completes a reading chart, such as scripture stickers.)

Conclusion
Bear testimony that if the children will read the Book of Mormon, they will grow closer to God and learn the things they must do to gain eternal salvation. And, if they follow the guidelines on how to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, they will receive a witness of its truthfulness. Because of this witness they will also know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, and that Jesus is the Christ.