The Lord institutes the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread—Lambs without blemish are slain—Israel is saved by their blood—The firstborn of all Egyptians are slain—Israel is thrust out of Egypt after 430 years—No bones of the paschal lambs are to be broken.
The firstborn of man and of beasts are to be sanctified unto the Lord—The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be kept in the land of Canaan—Moses takes Joseph’s bones out of Egypt—The Lord attends Israel in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Exodus 7–13” The Passover taught the children of Israel that the Lord delivered them from Egypt. The Passover also taught the Israelites about the Savior and the sacrifice He would one day make for us. The Passover is symbolic of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which delivers us from sin and death. Today, the sacrament helps us remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us. Teaching the children about the Passover can help them have a more meaningful experience with the sacrament.
Ask some of the children to read Exodus 11:5–6 to learn about the final plague the Lord sent upon the Egyptians. Ask the other children to read Exodus 12:3, 5–7, 13 to learn about how the children of Israel were saved from that plague.
To help the children understand that the Savior is the Lamb who saves us, show a picture of a lamb. Invite the children to read Exodus 12:3–7 to find out what kind of lamb God wanted the people to use for the Passover meal. How is this lamb like Jesus Christ? (For example, Jesus was perfect, and Jesus shed His blood to save us.) What other symbols help us think about Jesus Christ?
Ask the children to name things we do to remember important events such as birthdays and holidays. Read Exodus 13:10, and explain that the Lord asked the children of Israel to celebrate the Passover each year to help them remember that He saved them from the Egyptians. What are some ways we can remember that Jesus saved us from sin and death?
If possible, visit the sacrament table with the children, and talk about how the sacrament helps us remember Jesus Christ. Sing together “The Sacrament” (Children’s Songbook, 72) or another reverent song about Jesus Christ. Help the children notice the peaceful feeling they have when they think about the Savior, and invite them to seek that feeling when they take the sacrament.
1. As I take the water and bread,
I’ll think of the words the Savior said:
“This do in remembrance of me.
This do in remembrance of me.”
2. Jesus gave his life for me.
I want to serve him thankfully.
I will remember him.
I will remember him.
Give the children pieces of paper with the words “I can remember Jesus Christ during the sacrament by …” written at the top. Invite them to draw pictures they can look at during the sacrament to help them remember Jesus.
Read the sacrament prayers together (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79), and watch the video “Always Remember Him” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). How is the sacrament similar to the Passover? What can we do to think about Jesus during the sacrament?
Share with the children one of your favorite sacrament hymns (see Hymns, nos. 169–96), and talk about how it helps you remember the Savior’s sacrifice. Invite the children to share a hymn that does the same for them.
After reading Exodus 12:1–42 together, you could write on pieces of paper things you can do as a family to remember Jesus Christ’s Atonement. Because the lamb’s blood on the door posts (see verse 23) represented the Savior, you could place these papers around a doorway in your home. You could also eat some of the foods from the Passover, such as unleavened bread (crackers or tortillas) or bitter herbs (parsley or horseradish), and discuss how the Passover helps us remember how God delivered His people. For example, the unleavened bread reminded them that there was not time for their bread to rise before they fled from captivity. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of captivity. (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Exodus 7–13”)
Ask a child to read 1 Corinthians 11:28. What does it mean to “examine” ourselves before taking the sacrament? Ask the children to think of other people who examine things, like doctors, detectives, or scientists (for example, doctors examine us to make sure we are healthy). When we partake of the sacrament, what can we do to examine how we are living our baptismal covenants?(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” )
Print and cut out the magnifying glass and the pictures of the children. Place one of the pictures from the left onto the magnifying glass. Explain that before we take the sacrament we could examine our actions from the week. If we find any that we might need to repent of, we could try to think of ways we could try to do better, repent, and promise to do be better in the coming week as we take the sacrament. As we do so, we can recommit yourself to always remember Him and keep His commandments.Ask the class for some ideas oh what the child could to do to better keep his or her baptismal covenants. Replace the picture on the magnifying glass with its matching picture on the right. Ask how they think that child now feels. Do the same with the other pictures.
Teaching Children the Gospel “Lesson 36: Jesus Christ Gives the Sacrament to the Nephites“Why is it important for us to always remember Jesus? When we remember Jesus, we remember the things he did for us. We remember his love for us, and we remember the things he taught. When we remember those things, our faith and love for Jesus grows and our desire to keep his commandments increases.
Sacrament Flip Book: Make, or have the children make, sacrament flip books to help them think about their covenants and the meaning of the sacrament during the sacrament. The children reads the question and tries to think of the answer and then flips over the question to check their answer.
Sacrament Book Assembly Instructions: For each child, print one copy of the Sacrament Book pages (coloredor black and white) onto heavy paper. Cut out the answer pages by cutting straight across the dotted lines (you should only need to make two cuts per page using a paper cutter.) Turn the pages so they all face the same direction and then stack them together in numerical order. Hole punch the left side. Assemble the book by loosely tying the pages together with the ribbons through the punched holes, and then by putting each cut out question on top of its matching answer and taping down the left side edge of each question. (You could have the kids do the assembly part.)
Point out the last few pages and explain that during the week they can draw or glue pictures of things they remember about Jesus on those pages. This will help them remember Jesus throughout the week. They can even add more pages if they desire.
Friend June 2002 “The Sacrament and Repentance” Dallin H. Oaks “We are commanded to repent of our sins and to come to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and partake of the sacrament in [keeping our part of] its covenants. When we renew our baptismal covenants in this way, the Lord renews the cleansing effect of our baptism. In this way we are made clean and can always have His Spirit to be with us. (Ensign, November 1998, page 38.)
Hand out scissors, glue, and copies of the following handout to the children. Read the top part of the page with the class. Instruct the children to cut along the dotted lines and put the words in proper order. When the children have done this, the words should read “always remember Jesus Christ” and “obey the commandments.” Have them glue the word pieces in place to complete the sentence.
Sing a song that helps the children think about Jesus, such as “Reverently, Quietly” (Children’s Songbook, 26). Ask the children to practice sitting reverently like they would during the sacrament.
Write phrases from Moroni 4:3 and 5:2 on separate strips of paper, and ask the children to put the phrases in the correct order. According to these verses, why is the sacrament important?
Invite the children to imagine that a friend is coming to sacrament meeting for the first time. How would they explain to their friend what the sacrament is and why we partake of it? Encourage them to use Moroni 4:3 and 5:2 in their explanations.
Invite the children to share things their families do during the sacrament to be reverent and think about Jesus Christ. What other ideas do they have? Invite them to pick one of these ideas and set a goal to spend more time thinking of the Savior during the sacrament.
An angel rebukes Israel for not serving the Lord—As a pattern of future events, a new generation arises that forsakes the Lord and serves Baal and Ashtaroth—The Lord is angry with the children of Israel and ceases to preserve them—He raises up judges to guide and lead them—The Canaanites are left in the land to test Israel.
How do we come to know the Lord? Through scripture study, prayer, sacrament, living the commandments. etc.
Friend June 2019 “The Sacrament Reminds Us of Jesus Christ” Ways to prepare for the sacrament before hand, what to do during the sacrament, and remembering Jesus and following him after the sacrament.
Summarize the account of Jesus introducing the sacrament. You might use “Chapter 49: The First Sacrament” (in New Testament Stories, 124–26, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org), or the video “Sacrament” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Why do we take the sacrament? Help the children understand that we remember Jesus during the sacrament.
Every year the Jews held a feast called the Passover. It helped the Jewish people remember that God had saved their ancestors at the time of Moses.Jesus and the Twelve Apostles needed a place to eat the Passover feast. The Savior sent Peter and John to find a room and see that everything was ready for the feast.They found a room and prepared the feast.Jesus and all the Apostles went there. They ate the Passover feast together.Jesus gave His Apostles the sacrament for the first time. He took bread in His hands, blessed it, and then broke it into pieces. He told the Apostles to eat the bread.Jesus told them to think of His body when they ate the bread. He asked them to remember that He would die for them.Jesus poured wine into a cup. He blessed the wine and told the Apostles to drink it.Jesus told them to think of His blood when they drank the wine. He asked them to remember that He would bleed and suffer for the sins of all people.Jesus also told the Apostles that wicked men would soon kill Him. Eleven of the Apostles were very sad. They loved the Savior and did not want Him to die. Jesus knew that one of the Apostles would help the wicked men. His name was Judas Iscariot.
Show the children a piece of bread and a cup of water. Ask them if they know what the sacrament bread and water stand for. Explain that these emblems help us remember that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead.
Read the sacrament prayers together (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79), and watch the video “Always Remember Him” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Blessing on the Bread
Blessing on the Water
Ask the children to close their eyes and think of someone they love, and then invite them to tell you about that person. Ask them to close their eyes again, think of the Savior, and then share things they know about Him. Encourage them to think about Jesus during the sacrament each week.
We can show our love for Jesus by being reverent during the sacrament by…
Help the children make the booklet described on this week’s activity page and use it to help them think about Jesus during the sacrament. Or let them search some Church magazines for pictures of Jesus and create a collage they can look at during the sacrament.
Friend October 2024 “A Reminder to Remember” Make this craft to help you remember Jesus Christ! In the white box, write some things you can do during the week to think of the Savior. Then cut on the dotted lines. Hang your goals on a doorknob where you’ll see them often to help you remember Him.
Watch the video “Always Remember Him” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Ask the children what they do to help them think about Jesus during the sacrament. Help them find scriptures or words from sacrament hymns that they could read during the sacrament, and then list them on a card that the children can refer to the next time they take the sacrament. Sing a few of these songs with the children (see Hymns, nos. 169–97).
“I Will Remember Jesus Christ” (December 2009 Liahona and Friend) Create a booklet to write down things learned about Jesus Christ in the sacrament hymns.
Write key phrases from the sacrament prayers on the board, and help the children memorize them. What do these phrases mean? Why is it important to renew our baptismal covenants every week?
O God, the Eternal ____________________, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, _______________________________, to bless and ____________________ this bread to the ________________ of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in _______________________ of the body of thy Son, and _______________________ unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the ____________________ of thy Son, and ____________________ remember him and keep his _________________________________ which he has given them; that they may always have his ____________________ to be with them. Amen.
Bonus: What’s different between the prayers for the bread and water? (Hint: see D&C 20:77, 79.)
Invite an Aaronic Priesthood holder to tell the children about his experience preparing, blessing, or passing the sacrament. What helps him prepare to do this? How does he feel as he does it? How do the bread and water remind him of the Savior?
Ask children who have been baptized to share what they remember about their baptisms. How did they feel? What covenants did they make? (see Mosiah 18:8–10). Tell them that every week when we partake of the sacrament, it can be like being baptized again—we can be forgiven of our sins, and we renew our covenants.
Friend March 2017 “A Great Feeling” Paulo didn’t want the feeling he had when he was baptized to go away, but the next day he yelled at his brother. Through repentance and the sacrament he was able to get the feeling back.
Compare baptism covenants with sacrament prayer:
Friend February 2019 “The Baptism Covenant” Cut out and mix up these cards. Then take turns matching cards that go together. With each match, talk about that part of the baptism covenant.
Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: New Testament 2023 Perhaps you can create a list together of questions that someone might have about the sacrament, such as “Why did the Savior give us the sacrament? Why are bread and water such powerful symbols of Jesus Christ? What do we promise as we partake of the sacrament? What promises do we receive?” Class members could look for answers in the following resources: Matthew 26:26–29; Doctrine and Covenants 20:75–79; and Gospel Topics, “Sacrament”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught, “Figuratively eating [the Savior’s] flesh and drinking His blood [means] to internalize the qualities and character of Christ, putting off the natural man and becoming Saints ‘through the atonement of Christ the Lord’ [Mosiah 3:19]. As we partake of the sacramental bread and water each week, we would do well to consider how fully and completely we must incorporate His character and the pattern of His sinless life into our life and being” (“The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 37).
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 But that bread and water are sacred to us because they help us remember Him. They’re our way of saying, “I’ll never forget Him”—not just, “I’ll never forget what I’ve read about His teachings and His life.” Rather, we are saying, “I’ll never forget what He did for me.” “I’ll never forget how He rescued me when I cried out for help.” And “I’ll never forget His commitment to me and my commitment to Him—the covenant we have made.”
Friend June 2019 “The Sacrament Reminds Us of Jesus Christ” Ways to prepare for the sacrament before hand, what to do during the sacrament, and remembering Jesus and following him after the sacrament.
Friend October 2018 “For Parents of Little Ones” Teaching little ones to think about Jesus and show reverence during the sacrament.
Ensign October 2017 “Friends, chores, homework, TV–there are so many things that ask for our attention. But every week, we promise Heavenly Father “that [we] do always remember [His Son, Jesus Christ]” (D&C 20:79). President Eyring says that we can “make choices every day” that help us remember the Savior. Consider making a goal this month to remember the Savior more each day. You could make a calendar and commit to doing one thing per day. President Eyring lists things like reading the scriptures, praying in faith, and serving the Savior and others. There’s also journaling, attending Church meetings, listening to general conference, going to the temple, singing hymns–the list goes on!”
Friend April 2019 “The Living Christ” Draw a picture of one of your favorite stories about Jesus. Then write down a word about Jesus that begins with each letter of the word sacrament. You could think about these words during the sacrament to remember Jesus.
Ensign July 2017 “The Bread and the Water” What the bread and water teach us about Jesus.
Friend May 2017 “Making the Sacrament Special” Fill in the missing words of the sacrament prayer for the bread. Then cut out the colored card and keep it in your scriptures to help make the sacrament special to you every Sunday!
Friend November 1987 “Be Grateful for the Sacrament” Jesus Christ has revealed the ordinance of the sacrament on several different occasions. Cut out scripture references and pictures. Study the scriptures listed, then put each one with the picture that it tells about. Color the pictures and put them in the order in which you think they happened. At your next family home evening, use the pictures and scriptures to tell about the sacrament. (See more at link)
Friend January 2018 “Show and Tell” (See picture at link) “I decided not to color or draw when the sacrament is being passed. My little sisters have followed my example, and I have felt closer to Jesus.” Heidi H., age 6, Tennessee, USA
Sacrament Hymns
Ensign August 2019 “Family Study Fun”Sacrament Hymn Sing-Along (1 Corinthians 11:23–26) Paul taught how Christ introduced the sacrament to His Apostles and instructed them, “This do in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
Ask each family member to identify a favorite sacrament hymn and explain why it’s a favorite.
Sing one or more of the hymns chosen.
Watch the “The Last Supper” from the Bible videos series or “The Sacrament” from the children’s Bible videos series (both at ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Discussion: How do the sacrament hymns prepare us to partake of the bread and water? What can we do during the sacrament to help each other focus on the Savior?
As children get older, they become more aware of their weaknesses. Use these verses to teach them how the Savior can make “weak things become strong” (Ether 12:27).
Describe for the children a task that would require a lot of physical strength to accomplish. Invite them to share examples of things they aren’t strong enough to do now. How could we become strong enough to accomplish these tasks? Explain that we also have spiritual work to do, but we sometimes feel spiritually weak. Moroni felt this way about his writings on the plates (Ether 12:23–25). Read Ether 12:27 to the children. What did the Lord promise those who feel weak?
Share an experience in which the Savior helped you or someone you know do something that was hard. Testify to the children that if they seek His help, Jesus can help them be strong, even when they feel weak.
Invite the children to draw a picture of something weak and something strong. Then invite them to add to their drawing some words and phrases from Ether 12:23–29 that teach them about how the Savior can help us turn our weakness into strength. Encourage the children to think about a weakness they might have and then seek the Savior’s help to become strong.
Why does the Lord give us weakness? What is our part in making “weak things become strong”? What is the Savior’s part?
“Weak Things Stronger.” In this Friend article, Parker learns that he doesn’t have to be perfect and that the Savior is there to help him.
Friend June 2018 “For Parents of Little Ones” Helping little ones understand and talk about their feelings.
2. Do you ever stop to think What your Heavenly Father sees When He looks at you?
He smiles brighter than the sun When He sees His precious one; There’s just one like you!
So take comfort when that quiet voice reminds you:
Chorus 2: He is there, greater than any challenge. God is there, watching you as you grow,
Sending comfort in the night, Helping you know and choose what’s right.
You’re not alone, for He is always there. So keep trying, keep growing;
Keep praying, keep knowing:God loves you so, and He is always there.
Handout Ideas
Friend September 2019 “Bright Idea” You are strong. You are loved. The world is better because of you!
Afraid of Trying New Things and Failing
Friend February 2020 “What’s on Your Mind?” A child writes to the Friend saying that sometimes he is afraid to try new things because he might fail. The Friend magazine reminds him that all people who are really good at something started out as beginners, and it’s okay to make mistakes. They also share some examples of people who weren’t very good when they first started, but they kept trying and eventually became successful.
Friend September 2024 “What’s on Your Mind?” Maybe you think that if you don’t do things perfectly, you are a failure. But that’s not true! In fact, mistakes can help you learn and improve.
Making Mistakes
Frustration with Imperfection
Friend June 2019 “What’s on Your Mind?” Somebody writes the Friend about trying to do things right but failing. The Friend responds by saying that Heavenly Father doesn’t expect you to be perfect right away. He sent you here to learn and grow, little by little. (Also, includes a fill-in-the-blank activity about scriptures that discuss growing little by little.)
Friend February 2019 “Bright Idea” Handout that says, “Everyone makes mistakes. Heavenly Father will help me learn and grow and try again.”
Friend September 2019 “For Parents of Little Ones” When children are so afraid of making a mistake that they refuse to try something new, they can miss out on a lot of growth and wonderful experiences! This article contains some ideas on how to help children realize that making mistakes is an important part of learning.
Don’t Give Up
Friend September 2023 “The Cake Mistake” Shiloh planned a beautiful layered cake to enter into the school contest, but things didn’t go well. It didn’t look anything like her plans. She wanted to throw it away because she thought she would get last place. Her mom said a prayer for Hannah to be happy with what she had done. Shiloh decided it didn’t look that bad, and she had had fun making it. She was even able to win second place. She was glad she hadn’t given up because it wasn’t perfect.
Elder Stevenson invited us to stop each time we see ourselves in a mirror and say, “Wow, look at me! I am amazing! I am a child of God! He knows me! He loves me!” Doing this will help us remember who we really are and how God and the Holy Ghost can help us.
Friend February 2017 “Conference Cards” Handout that says, ““The only opinion of us that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks of us.”
Feeling Good About What Makes You Unique
Friend November 2016. Trees, fruits, flowers, and animals are all different shapes, colors, and sizes. Heavenly Father made people different too! You can feel good about who you are and what makes you special. Use your answers from the questions below to draw a picture that represents you!
Many people struggle with feelings of low self-worth; others are unkind toward people who are different from them. The powerful message of Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 can change how we view ourselves and people around us.
Repeat verse 10 with the children, this time replacing “souls” with the children’s names.
Help the children think of things that people consider valuable. Then let the children take turns looking in a mirror, and as they do, tell each child that he or she is a child of God and of great worth. Testify that to Heavenly Father, they are more valuable than all the things they thought of earlier.
Ask each child to write his or her name on a piece of paper and pass the papers around the room. Invite them to write on each paper they receive something they like about that person. Encourage them to be kind and thoughtful in their comments. Then help the children read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–12, and invite them to share what they learn about how God feels about us. Explain that we are all of great worth to God because we are His children.
Show the children something that is very valuable to you. How do we treat things that are valuable to us? Ask a child to read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10. How can we show other people that “the worth of [their] souls is great” in our sight?
Each family member could read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13 and substitute his or her name in place of the words “soul,” “souls,” and “all men.” You could then discuss how these verses help us understand our worth to the Father and the Son (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19).
Circle of Worth: Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were counseled to remember that “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). As we help others to see their own worth, we bring them nearer to Christ while becoming closer to Him ourselves.
Invite family members to sit in a circle.
Each person will take a turn standing in the middle of the circle.
Everyone sitting in the circle will tell the middle person, “You matter to me because ___________,” and share specific details of why that person is of worth to them.
The middle person will then choose their own statement of personal worth: “I matter to God and myself because __________.”
Discussion: Why is it important to remember our own worth as well as the worth of those around us? If Christ were in the circle, what would He say about us? Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13 and discuss what Christ went through because of how much He loves and values us.
Friend November 2020 “Food and Fun” The Aboriginal people in Australia use dot painting to tell stories and create beautiful artwork. Here’s a craft for you to make your own!
Friend November 2020 “Food and Fun” Damper is a traditional Australian bread. Travelers would sometimes make this bread outside over a campfire with hot coals. Here’s a version you can try!
Friend July 2018 “Matt and Mandy” Matt gets an email from his cousin in Australia. He doesn’t know what a lot of the things are that his cousin talks about in the email, but they do have one thing in common: the gospel. Matt’s cousin tells about his baptism and his family getting sealed in the temple.
Friend October 2018 “Matt and Mandy” Matt sends an email to his cousin in Australia telling about himself. Then he goes and watches conference, which is something his cousin would be doing too.
Friend January 2020 “Matt and Mandy” As they walk in the snow, Matt tells his friend that in Australia it’s summer and that his cousin is probably at the beach. Also, he tells him that his cousin has never felt snow or played in it.
Friend October 2021 “Margaret Cummings” Margaret’s family experienced difficulties getting to the temple to be sealed together, but their prayers were answered and they were blessed.
Friend April 2025 “Following Jesus in Australia” After her baptism, Lirael wanted to always think of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ like she promised. So when she had a hard time in her math class at school, she said a prayer. When she asked for help from her parents, teacher, and Heavenly Father, it got much easier.
Friend May 2022 “The Footy Decision” Sam loved playing footy and when he found out the games were on Sunday he was sad. He prayed about what to do. He knew it was important to make Sunday special so he decided to go to practices on Thursdays but go to church on Sundays.
Friend July 2021 “Meet Eta from American Samoa” Eta’s mom owns a dessert bakery. Eta and her older sister, Talai, love to share the desserts with their teachers and leaders and with people who might be having a hard time. (includes photo)
Eta followed Jesus by sharing food with others.
Challenge: Look for a chance to share what you have with your friends and family, even if it seems small.
Tahiti
Friend February 2021 “Adventures in Tahiti with Margo and Paolo”
Friend February 2021 “Meet Raiarii from Tahiti” Story of Raiarii sharing the gospel by explaining scriptures and praying with two of his grandmother’s friends. (See story and photos at link.)
Friend November 2023 “Coconuts and Tithing” During the summer Avehei and her brother work in the coconut groves. She always pays my tithing with the money she receives because she knows she and her family are blessed when she obeys.
Friend March 2020 “Food and Fun” Make Samoan coconut rolls and a pretend Samoan Siapo cloth.
Friend May 2022 “Tom and the Terrible Flu” Tom helped take are of his dad and other villagers when the Spanish Flu hit. He gave them coconut milk, made chicken soup for them, and got them water.
Friend December 2023 “Following Jesus in New Zealand” Tarnae is preparing to go to the temple to do baptisms. His nan (grandma) found information about some ancestors so he could be baptized for them. “I am really excited to enter the temple,” says Tarnae. “I feel honored to help do the work for my ancestors.”
When their cousin got baptized, Nephi shared his testimony. Nephi told those at the baptism about Jesus Christ. “I know it is important to share my testimony to strengthen others,” Nephi says.
Friend November 2019 “Fun and Food” A popular flavor of ice cream in New Zealand is hokey-pokey, or honeycomb toffee. Here’s how to make a version at home.
Friend November 2019 “Food and Fun” Here are some fun words from New Zealand. Now find them in the word search!
Friend November 2019 “Jesus is Real” (story about New Zealand kids at school) Everyone at Ismay’s table at school were excitedly talking about Christmas and their favorite traditions such as going to a church service. Suddenly Charlotte spoke up and said, “Jesus isn’t even real.” Ismay was sad to hear this and she quietly bore her testimony to Charlotte that Jesus was real, and that she felt it in her heart. She was glad she had spoken up and planted a seed about Jesus.
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Friend May 2021 “Pioneers in Every Land: Sam Beazley”Sam was called to serve as a Labour Missionary building a church school for teenagers. His labor also helped build the Hamilton New Zealand Temple which he later was called to serve in.
Friend July 2022 “Rākau Sticks” The Māori people of New Zealand play a game by tapping, throwing, and catching sticks to a rhythm. Find four sticks or paper rolls to play your own version of this game!
Tonga
Friend July 2021 “Vaha’i Tonga”Vahai’ was determined to remain faithful, so he said his prayers every night at boarding school. At first the other kids made fun of him, then they started to join him. He invited them to a district conference and 77 of them came. Seven of them wanted to be baptized after the conference.
Friend March 2023 “Following Jesus in Kiribati” Scott is such a good friend to his cousin that he always calls him his younger brother. Scott prays every night and every morning. He always wants to go to Church activities, and he loves home evening. He likes to help others too. “Helping other people makes me happy,” he says. (See more images at link.)
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “2 Nephi 1-2” To help your children understand what Lehi taught about opposites and making choices, you could play a game in which you say a word (such as light) and your children say its opposite (dark). Help them learn why opposites are part of God’s plan as you read together 2 Nephi 2:11, 16. Then you could share stories about a child who is tempted to make a wrong choice. Your children could share what the opposite of the wrong choice is and act it out.
Friend February 2024 Come, Follow Me Activities Lehi taught that having both good and bad times is part of God’s plan for us on earth (see 2 Nephi 2:11). Write down words with opposites (like “tall” and “short”) on pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Take turns reading the papers. See who can guess the opposite of each word the fastest! For younger children: Having opposites in life is good. Turn a light on and off. Explain how the light helps us see and the dark helps us sleep. We need both to be happy.
Friend May 2019 “Last Friend Standing” Some new friends of a girl want to hide their bowling shoes and not pay for the game. The girl prays for courage and then tells them that she won’t steal. Even though she loses them as friends, she feels the Holy Ghost telling her that she did the right thing.
Primary 6: Old Testament “Lesson 4: The Fall of Adam and Eve” Ask the children to think of opposites—such as happy and sad, hot and cold, hard and soft, smooth and rough, heavy and light, high and low, or fast and slow—to illustrate the importance of opposition (see 2 Nephi 2:11, 15). Let the children describe their experiences with opposites. To help them get started, you might use the following examples: After someone has been sick, they can better appreciate feeling well. Or without darkness, you cannot recognize light, which is why you cannot see the stars during the day. To illustrate this second example, you might bring a flashlight and show how its light is barely noticeable in a well-lit room, but the light is much brighter when you darken the room.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “2 Nephi 1-2” To learn about the difference between “liberty” and “captivity” (2 Nephi 2:27), your children could draw pictures of an animal in a cage and an animal in its natural environment. Which animal is free? Invite the children to point at the correct picture when you read the word “free” in 2 Nephi 2:27. Testify that Jesus Christ makes us free.
Hold up a picture of Adam and Eve (see Gospel Art Book, no. 4), and invite the children to share what they know about what happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Help the children find answers in 2 Nephi 2:22–27. Explain that because of Adam and Eve’s choice, we are blessed to come to earth and use our agency to make good choices and repent through Christ’s Atonement when we make wrong choices.
Write the words of 2 Nephi 2:27 on the board. Help the children memorize the verse by repeating it and taking turns erasing words every time they repeat it. Help the children imagine what a life without choices would be like. Why are they grateful for agency?
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”
Friend February 2011 “Article of Faith Two” Crossword puzzle and lesson ideas about Adam and Eve and free agency.
2 Nephi 2:25: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
God’s premortal children could not become like him … unless they obtained … experience in an arena where both good and evil were present.… We wanted the chance to … confront good and evil and be strong enough to choose the good. (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 200, 204)
• In the preexistence Satan had a plan to destroy the freedoms and agency of the people who came to earth. What did Satan hope to gain from implementing his plan? (Glory and power)
• What would life be like without agency? To help the children imagine what it might be like to live under Lucifer’s plan, tell them that for the next few minutes they must do exactly what you say and nothing else (make sure they know they cannot talk). Have them stand and remain standing perfectly still for a few seconds. Then tell each child where to sit. (Do not sit friends near each other.) Tell the children they must sit erect, feet flat to the floor, looking straight ahead, not moving or speaking. Have them hold the position until you tell them otherwise. After about thirty seconds, let them stand again and sit where they want. (Walk in His Ways pg 62)
In Moses 4:3, we learn that Satan “sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him.” How will you help the children appreciate the ability to choose between right and wrong?
Talk to the children about some choices you made today, and help them think about choices they made. Read to them from Moses 4:3: “The agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him.” Explain that this verse teaches us that God has given us the ability to make choices. Express your gratitude that you are able to choose the right, and testify that the children can also choose to do what is right.
Story: In the Garden of Eden, Eve chose to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. She offered the fruit to Adam. He also chose to eat the fruit. (See Moses 4:12.) After they ate the fruit, they learned the difference between right and wrong.
Song: “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 160–61)
Activity: Sit in a circle and toss a ball around. When you catch the ball, tell about a good choice you made this week.
Why is agency so important to God’s plan that Satan would want to destroy it?
Help the children know that Heavenly Father wants us to make good choices that bring happiness to our lives and to others.
Read phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 58:27–28 to help children understand that they can choose to do good. Put a happy face on one side of the room and a sad face on the other side. How do we feel when we choose to do good? Describe several situations along with a good or bad choice for each one. After describing each situation and choice, ask the children to stand by the happy face if the choice is good and by the sad face if it is bad.
Show the children a container of many different colors of crayons. Show them a second container with only one crayon. Ask the children which of these containers they would want to use. Why? Explain that being able to choose is a blessing from Heavenly Father. Testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and want us to make good choices.
Tell the children about a time when you made a good choice, and describe how you felt afterward. Invite the children to draw a picture of your story or a story of their own. Then let them share their pictures with the class and tell what they learned from the story.
God has given us the power to choose, and with that power we can “bring to pass much righteousness” (verse 27). How can you help the children you teach see that even though there is wickedness in the world, “the power is in them” to “do good”? (verse 28).
Show the children a piece of paper that has the word choice written on one side and the word consequence written on the other side. Explain that choices have consequences, or results that naturally follow actions. Invite a child to pick up the paper to show that when you pick up the paper, you get both the choice and the consequence of that choice. Ask a child to read Doctrine and Covenants 58:27–28. What choices can we make that will “bring to pass much righteousness” or good consequences? (verse 27). When have we made good choices that had consequences that blessed others?
2017 Sharing Time Outline Tell the children that you are thinking of a word, and give them clues to help them guess the word. Ask them to raise their hands when they know the answer. Clues could include the following: We had this before we came to earth. It is a gift from our Heavenly Father. It is an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us. Satan wanted to take it from us. We use it when we make choices. It is a gift that lets us choose for ourselves. It starts with the letter A. After the children have guessed the answer, say together, “Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves.”
Show the children a long stick that has the word choice written on one end and the word consequences written on the other end. Explain that a consequence is what naturally happens because of a choice we make; for example, if we choose to practice playing a musical instrument, we will get better at it, and if we choose to touch fire, we will be burned. Pick up the stick and show the children that every time you pick up the stick, you get both the choice and the consequence of that choice. Ask an older child to read 2 Nephi 2:27. Invite the other children to listen for what the consequences are for making the right choice (liberty and eternal life) and what the consequences are for making the wrong choice (captivity and misery). Invite two children to come to the front of the room, and let each child hold one end of the stick. Ask the child holding the “choice” end to give an example of a good choice (for example, speaking kindly to others). Ask the other child to share possible consequences of that choice (for example, making lasting friendships). Repeat with several other children.
2017 Sharing Time Outline Show the children a container of many different colors of crayons. Show them a second container with only one color. Ask the children: “If you were going to color a picture, which of these containers of crayons would you want to use? Why?” Explain that having a variety of choices is a blessing. Testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and They want us to make correct choices.
Choices Have Consequences
Our actions, both good and bad, have consequences. (Jr)
Friend September 2016 “A Lesson from Seeds” A customer complained to the seed company that he wanted pumpkins but Zuchini grew. The seed company explained that he ordered zuchini seeds ,and what you plant is what will grow.
Friend October 2015 This boy and his father planted pumpkin seeds and pumpkins grew.
Could use the below images for the children to pretend to get a pumpkin seed and plant it and then pick a pumpkin.
Show the children several kinds of vegetables, and help them find the seeds in each. Put the seeds in a container, and let the children take turns choosing one and telling what vegetable will grow if they plant it. Help them see that just as the seeds we plant determine the vegetable we get, the choices we make determine the consequences and blessings we ultimately receive. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians”)
Gospel Grab Bag This activity is great to demonstrate consequences, but it does comes from a pay to use site. It cost 2.00.
Make a line on the floor with tape. Place a happy face and a sad face on opposite ends of the line. Invite a child to stand in the middle of the line, and help the other children think of choices that will lead to happiness or sadness. For each choice, ask the child in the middle to step toward the happy side or the sad side. Repeat the activity several times, and let other children take turns standing on the tape. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians”)
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Galatians” If your family has ever planted something together, you could use that experience to illustrate the principle “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (verse 7). Or you could ask family members about their favorite fruits or vegetables and talk about what it takes to grow a plant that produces that food. (See the picture at the end of this outline.) You could talk about the blessings your family hopes to receive and how to “reap” those blessings.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “2 Nephi 6-10” To encourage your children to “[delight] in righteousness” or joyfully obey the Lord (2 Nephi 9:49), perhaps you could share examples in which a child makes a good choice or a bad choice. Invite your children to stand up when the choice brings happiness and sit down when the choice brings sadness. When have we felt happy because we made a choice to follow Jesus Christ?
The Cozy Red Cottage CTR board Game-Divide the class into 2 teams. Each team starts by rolling the dice and moving the correct number of circles. If they land on one of the CTR spaces they get to roll again. Then pick a card. Read the scenario on the card (I’ve included the ones from the lesson as well as many others). Decide if its a good choice or a bad choice and if it would make you happy or sad. Have them raise the correct puppet. If its a wrong choice ask what should you do?
Friend February 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read 2 Nephi 10:23 together and help your little ones say, “I can make good choices.” Flip through the Friend and help your children smile and give a thumbs up—or whatever gesture means “good job” in your culture—whenever you find a picture of someone making a good decision.
Ask the children who they would go to if they were having a difficult problem, and why. Read with the children Isaiah 55:8–9, and ask them to listen for why we should seek the Lord’s guidance when we need help.
Draw on the board the sky and the ground, and label them Heavens and Earth. Then invite the children to read Isaiah 55:9 to find out what the Lord compared to the heavens and the earth, and ask them to add these other labels to the drawings. What does it mean that the Lord’s ways and thoughts are “higher” than ours? Why is it important to know this?
Heavenly Father sees and knows all things. He can help us get to a higher place so we can see as well.
Discuss with the children some of the Lord’s ways that are higher than our ways. For example, what is His way of treating sinners? (see Mark 2:15–17). What is His way of leading others? (see Matthew 20:25–28). How are His ways different from the ways of others? Tell the children how you have learned to trust the Lord’s higher ways and thoughts.
Activity: Print the scriptures below (on colored paper.) Cut them out. Tape them onto the board or hand them out to children.
Read a situation below and then have the children tell what the world’s way is and write that on the ground that is drawn on the board. Have the children look at the scripture cards and have them find the Lord’s way for the situation. Discuss why the Lord’s way is higher and better. Have a child tape that scripture card on the board in the sky. Continue until all scripture cards are on the board.
1 Your friends have invited you to a movie. When you get there, you realize that it is not a good, wholesome one. Your friends decide to see it anyway. What choice will you make?
2 Someone wants you to try drugs, smoke, or drink alcoholic beverages, saying that using such things will make you feel good. Will you do it to see if he is right?
3 You break the cookie jar while getting some cookies. Your mother asks you what happened. Will you avoid the blame by telling her that you don’t know who broke it?
4 Some of your friends swear. Will you swear, too, so that you can be more acceptable to the group?
5 Your friends invite you to go to the circus on Sunday after your church meetings are over. What will you tell them?
6 You don’t know an answer on a test at school. You promised your parents that you would try to get a good grade. Will you look at your neighbor’s paper for the right answer?
7 You earn some money to buy a new toy. When you go to pay for it, it costs more than you thought. Will you add your tithing money to what you have saved so that you can buy the toy?
8 Someone tells you some gossip about a friend. Will you pass it on to your other friends?
9 You’re very tired and get into bed before remembering to pray. Will you skip praying for one night?
10 Your brother is being mean and teasing you, and you want to get even with him. What will you do?
11 Your mother asks you to do your chores. Your friends just called you to play a game of ball. Which will you do first?
12 You see a student put some money into his desk at school. Will you take it so that you can buy some candy on the way home?
Discuss with the children choices they can make in the following or similar areas. Use ideas that are potential problems for the children in your class. Ask them what kinds of choices Jesus would want them to make. Help them consider the consequences of the various choices they could make.
The language they use
Keeping the Sabbath day holy
The clothes they wear
Obeying their parents
The music they listen to
Stealing
The movies, videos, and television shows they watch
Telling the truth
The books and magazines they read
Have the children role-play situations involving choices and consequences, such as the following:
A friend tells a lie about someone.
A friend wants you to watch an inappropriate movie or video.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 24–27” Because Esau was the oldest child in his family, he was supposed to get special responsibilities and privileges, called a birthright. One day when Esau was hungry, he traded his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for some food. This story can teach the children that we should choose lasting things over temporary satisfaction.
Bring to class some objects that could help tell the story of Esau selling his birthright, such as a bowl and a picture of someone getting a priesthood blessing. Invite the children to use the objects as they tell you what they know about the story. “Jacob and Esau” (in Old Testament Stories) can help. Read together Genesis 25:34, and explain that whoever had the birthright would have special privileges and responsibilities to care for the rest of the family.
Show the children two pictures: one of something of great spiritual worth (like a temple) and one of something that brings only temporary happiness (such as a game, toy, or treat). Ask them to choose which thing will better help us return to our Heavenly Father. Repeat with other pictures.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 24–27” As you discuss Esau selling his birthright, you might also talk about what matters most to your family, like your relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Perhaps family members could find objects or pictures that represent what they consider to be of eternal value. Let them explain why they chose those things.
Friend August 2018 “Soccer and Sundays” When we try to live the gospel and put the most important things first, we are blessed! Follow the path of scriptures to help the boy get to church.
Sing a song about making good choices, such as “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 160–61) with the children. Testify that we are blessed and happy when we choose the right.
Lesson 13: Jacob and Esau,” Primary 6: Old Testament Display the wordstrips you have prepared (or write Temporary and Eternal on the chalkboard). Discuss as a class what each word means. (Temporary: lasting only a short while, not permanent. Eternal: something that will last forever.) Show the objects, pictures, or wordstrips that represent things of temporary and eternal value. Have the children decide which wordstrip each item belongs under. Briefly discuss each item and why it gives either lasting satisfaction or temporary pleasure.
If you had to choose between going on a picnic and being baptized, which would you choose? Which would give temporary pleasure? Which would make eternal happiness possible?
Explain that some choices we make have either immediate or eternal results. The choices we make show what our values are, or what is most important to us.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 24–27” Esau chose to trade something of great value, his birthright, for something of lesser value, some bread and a bowl of soup. As you read these verses, ponder how you can help the children prioritize things that are eternally important.
Read together the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25:21–34. As you read, invite each child to choose something to draw from the story. Then invite them to use their pictures to tell the story in their own words. If they need help understanding what a birthright is, encourage them to read “Birthright” in the Bible Dictionary or Guide to the Scriptures (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Invite the children to imagine that Esau asked for our advice about whether he should trade his birthright for the pottage; what would we say to him?
Tell about a time when you had to sacrifice something good for something else of greater value. Or show the video “Continue in Patience” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). How does your story or the story in the video relate to the choice Esau made in Genesis 25:29–34? Help the children think of blessings Heavenly Father wants to give them (such as a stronger testimony, temple blessings, or eternal life with Him). Encourage them to think of things they would be willing to sacrifice in order to receive these valuable blessings.
“Lesson 33: Genesis 25–27,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material Isaac received more than Abraham’s other children because of Isaac’s birthright. A son who held the birthright not only inherited his father’s lands and possessions, but he also took his father’s position as the spiritual leader of the family and received the “authority to preside” (see Bible Dictionary, “Birthright”). The birthright son was then responsible to provide for the family’s needs. The birthright was often passed from a father to his eldest son. However, righteousness was more important than being the firstborn son. The birthright Isaac received from Abraham also included all the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant. (Our choices affect our inheritance from our Heavenly Father.)
The Lord Wants Me to Use My Agency and His Spirit to Make Good Choices.
Ask the children to talk about a time when they had to make a decision. How did they decide what to do? Read together Doctrine and Covenants 62:5, 7–8 to learn about what the Lord said to the elders who were about to journey from Missouri to Kirtland, Ohio. What choices did they need to make about their journey? What has the Lord given us to help us make choices? Tell the children about how you have used the guidance of the Spirit and your own best judgment to make decisions.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 60–62”)
Divide the class into three groups, and ask each group to read one of the following verses, in which the Lord instructed some missionaries about how to fulfill their missions: Doctrine and Covenants 60:5; 61:22; 62:5. What do we notice about the Lord’s instruction in these verses? Why is it sometimes good for us to use our own judgment instead of waiting for specific instruction from God on every matter? (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 60–62”)
Story below about rolypolys that didn’t do anything until they got instructions.
Friend June 2021 “Scripture Time Fun” What good choices have you made today? Together, make a CTR shield to remind you to choose the right. You could draw it on a poster or make the shape out of items in your home.
What does it mean to “[walk] in holiness before the Lord”? It might be fun for family members to draw or write on pieces of paper some things that could help them walk in holiness or things that could distract them from doing so. Then they could create a path using the papers and try to walk on the path, stepping only on the drawings that will bring them to Christ.
An angel rebukes Israel for not serving the Lord—As a pattern of future events, a new generation arises that forsakes the Lord and serves Baal and Ashtaroth—The Lord is angry with the children of Israel and ceases to preserve them—He raises up judges to guide and lead them—The Canaanites are left in the land to test Israel.
How do we come to know the Lord? Through scripture study, prayer, sacrament, living the commandments. etc.
Friend June 2019 “The Sacrament Reminds Us of Jesus Christ” Ways to prepare for the sacrament before hand, what to do during the sacrament, and remembering Jesus and following him after the sacrament.
Use “Abraham and Sarah” (in Old Testament Stories) to help the children understand that people around Abraham were doing bad things, but Abraham wanted to do what was right and the Lord helped him.
Read to the children Abraham 1:18 and 2:8, and invite the children to listen for a part of the body that is mentioned in both verses. How would it feel to have Jesus Christ lead us by the hand or to have His hand protecting us? Testify that Jesus leads us by guiding us through His Spirit.
How do Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ help us when we try to choose the right?
Friend January 2021 “The Party Problem” Luz felt uneasy about going to a graduation party. It didn’t sound like the kind of party where she’d be able to feel the Holy Ghost. She thought about it, made her choice not to go, and then asked Heavenly Father if that was the right choice. Afterwards she felt a wave of warmth and light and knew she had made the right choice.
Show several pictures of the Savior (see Gospel Art Book,nos. 38, 39, 40, and 41), and help the children see things that He did with His hands. What can we do with our hands to help others?
Below song includes a story about a boy that didn’t have any friends and another boy learns in FHE and then befriends the lonely boy.
Heavenly Father will help me make righteous choices. (Jr)
Tell some brief stories of people who are about to make a wrong choice. As the children listen, invite them to hold up their hands or a paper stop sign when the person in the story makes a wrong choice. What would be the right choice? Testify that Heavenly Father will help us choose the right.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” )
How can Mormon’s counsel help us make good choices about how we spend our time and who we spend it with? You could invite family members to search your home and “lay hold upon” (Moroni 7:19), or hold on to, things that invite them “to do good, and to love God, and to serve him” (Moroni 7:13). Praise them for the good things they find.
Use the following or similar examples of choices that apply to your class. Have the children use Moroni 7:16 to help them choose good from evil.
You are playing ball with your friends when a child who does not play well wants to join your team. Your friends tell you if this person plays on your team you will lose the game. You consider telling the child not to play with you. Ask yourself, “Does this choice invite me to do good and to believe in Jesus Christ?”
You are watching a movie that has an immoral scene that lasts only a few seconds. You feel embarrassed to leave the movie. Ask yourself, “Does watching this movie invite me to do good and to believe in Jesus Christ?”
You are in a store when the clerk makes a mistake and doesn’t charge you the right amount for the item you are buying. You know that the item costs more than what you were charged, but the clerk made the error. Ask yourself, “Does paying the wrong price invite me to do good and to believe in Jesus Christ?”
Your bishop has asked you to read the Book of Mormon every day. Sometimes scripture words are hard for you to understand. Ask yourself, “Does reading the scriptures every day help me to do good and persuade me to believe in Christ?”
Friend June 2018 “Small Things Make a Big Difference” Little choices, good or bad, can make a big difference.
Friend May 2018 “Conference Notes” President Oaks used the example of a growing root cracking the sidewalk to teach that little choices can make a big difference over time.
Sister Aburto once saw a big group of butterflies. She learned that every year they fly thousands of miles from Mexico to Canada, and then back. They do this one tiny wing flap at a time. Like the butterflies, we are on a journey back to our heavenly home. One small good choice at a time can get us there.
“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Alma 36-38” Your children might enjoy finding small items that make big things happen. Items like a battery, car key, or even a toy that comforts them might be examples. You could then read Alma 37:6–7 together and think of some small or simple things that God wants us to do. What big things can happen when we obey these small or simple commandments?
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 36-38” Show a picture or two of small things that accumulate into big things, such as a blade of grass and a field, or a raindrop and a lake. Testify that even small, simple actions can make a big difference in our lives and in the lives of others. Encourage the children to talk about some simple, good things they do every day, or share your own examples. Invite the children to pick one simple, good thing they can do this week and to draw a picture of themselves doing it. Invite them to take their drawings home and share them with their families.
With Heavenly Father’s help, small things can make a big difference (see Alma 37:6–7). Help make your favorite recipe. What would happen to the recipe if you took out one of the ingredients? Talk about how small things can make a difference and how you can make a difference too.
For younger children: Look for small things that are helpful, like a small seed that turns into a plant or a light switch that turns on light. Talk about how small things can make a big difference, just like you!
Your children could also try something like this: start filling a cup with water, one drop at a time. How does this relate to Alma 37:6–7? Then you could talk about how the Lord’s “small and simple things,” such as reading the scriptures daily, are like drops of water in a cup.
Help your children think of ways that they bring about great things at home, school, or church. The song “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream” (Children’s Songbook, 236) also illustrates this principle.
Read Alma 37:6–7, and invite the children to crouch down every time you read the word “small.” Show them a few small things that can make big things happen or move big things, such as a battery or a car key. What big things happen or move because of these small things? Help the children think of some small or simple things God wants us to do. What big things can happen because of these small or simple commandments? Invite the children to pick one simple, good thing they can do this week and to draw a picture of themselves doing it.
Friend July 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Alma 37:6 together. Crouch down when you hear the word “small” and jump up and spread your arms wide when you hear the word “great.” You could use the scripture verse or repeat the phrase, “Small things can make a great difference!” Talk about how small things like reading the scriptures or praying can make a great difference.
Ensign March 2018 “Family Home Evening: Discerning Right from Wrong” Object Lesson. Satan tries to make good, righteous, and joyful seem miserable and evil appear to be good. Wrap a rock as a gift and put a treat in a brown paper bag. (See more at link)
Friend September 2020 “Bright Idea” Whether you feel like a hero or not, you are one! You are the hero of your own life’s story. (Battling against evil, helping others, etc)
Friend September 2016 “For Parents of Little Ones” Lesson ideas for little ones about making choices. Friend February 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read 2 Nephi 10:23 together and help your little ones say, “I can make good choices.” Flip through the Friend and help your children smile and give a thumbs up—or whatever gesture means “good job” in your culture—whenever you find a picture of someone making a good decision.
Help the children think of things they can do that are good. Show pictures to give them ideas (you can find some in the Gospel Art Book or Church magazines). Ask the children to point to these good things. Read Doctrine and Covenants 124:15 to the children, and ask them to listen for how the Lord felt when Hyrum Smith chose to do good. How does Jesus feel when we try to do good things?
Give the children paper hearts, and ask them to draw pictures of themselves doing good things. Invite them to share what they drew with the class. How do we feel when we do something good? Testify that Jesus is happy when we try to do the right thing.
Sing a song about doing things that Jesus wants us to do, such as “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam” (Children’s Songbook, 60–61).
Choose some good qualities mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 124:12–21, and write them on the board around a picture of the Savior. Ask the children to search verses 12–21, looking for these words. Help them understand words that they might not be familiar with. According to these verses, how does the Lord feel about people who develop these qualities?
Write the word integrity on the board. Invite the children to learn what the Lord said about integrity in Doctrine and Covenants 124:15, 20. To help the children understand what integrity is, read this statement: “Integrity means thinking and doing what is right at all times, no matter what the consequences” (For the Strength of Youth, 19). You could also share examples of a child demonstrating integrity from your own experience or from the Friend or Liahona magazines. Challenge the children to set a goal to act with more integrity this week.
Share a simple comparison with the children that shows how important it is to follow instructions; for example, talk with them about the steps we must follow to prepare food or play a game or build something. What happens when we don’t follow the instructions? (Maybe you have a personal experience you can share.) Read Doctrine and Covenants 130:21, and compare these instructions to the commandments we must follow to receive blessings from Heavenly Father.
Ask the children if they can think of a time when they obeyed one of God’s commandments. How did they feel? Sing together a song about obedience, such as “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47), and identify blessings of obedience mentioned in the song. Discuss some of the things God has commanded us to do. How does God bless us when we keep those commandments?
Sing a song about obedience, such as “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47), and invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21and 132:5. Help them find words and ideas in the verses that are similar to those in the song. How do we receive blessings from God? Ask the children to share how they have been blessed for obeying God’s laws.
Read together Doctrine and Covenants 132:21–23, and invite the children to draw pictures to represent what they learn from these verses. Encourage them to be creative, and suggest that they include in their drawings the laws or commandments that help us stay on the narrow way to eternal life.
Friend March 1997 “My Choices Have Consequences” Turn the top disk to see a commandment from Heavenly Father. Read the scripture in the other window to find out what blessings are promised to those who keep that commandment. (Link page includes additional lesson ideas.)
You could sing a song about gratitude, such as “Count Your Blessings” (Hymns, no. 241), and make a list of the blessings your family has received for obeying God’s laws. What blessings do we hope to receive? How can we receive those blessings?
Proverbs 4 describes wisdom and righteousness as a “path” or a “way” (see also Proverbs 3:5–6). As you read this chapter, you might find passages that help you ponder “the path of thy feet” (verse 26) and how your steps are drawing you closer to the Lord. For example, what do verses 11–12 and 18–19 teach about the blessings of following the right path? What do verses 26 and 27 mean to you? See also 2 Nephi 31:18–21.
Place a picture of the Savior on one side of a large open area or room.
Stand on the opposite side of the room. Take turns blindfolding each family member, spinning them in a circle, and then seeing if they can walk to the picture of Jesus Christ without any help.
Discussion: What types of help have we been given in this life to keep us on a path that leads to Jesus Christ? For further discussion, read Proverbs 3:5–6. What actions do we need to take to trust the Lord with all our hearts?
32 But my disciples shall astand in holy places, and shall not be moved;
It might be fun to place pictures of a home, a Church building, and a temple around the room. Then you could give your children clues describing these places and invite them to stand near the picture you are describing. Ask them to stand still while you read the first line from Doctrine and Covenants 45:32. What are some holy places God gives us? Help your children understand that to “stand in holy places, and … not be moved” means to choose the right at all times, no matter what is happening. Invite them to “not be moved” away from righteous thoughts and actions.
Show a picture of a temple and a church building, and ask the children to explain why they are holy places. Show a picture of a home, and help the children think of ways they can make their homes holy like the temple (see this week’s activity page). Why do we want to be in holy places?
Invite the children to complete this week’s activity page. Help them write “I can help my home become a holy place” and “Doctrine and Covenants 45:32” on their drawing. What can they do to help their home become a holy place?
Friend November 2009 “Making Your Home a Holy Place” Our home can be one of the holiest places on earth. We can do things to make it easier to feel the Holy Ghost in our homes. Look at each room in this house and decide if what the children are doing will or will not make the house a holier place. If something is happening that will make it easier to feel the Holy Ghost, choose the blue letter. If not, choose the red letter. To find out what your home can be like, fill in the blanks with the correct letters from each room.
Our home can be like a __ __ __ __ __ __.
In Doctrine and Covenants 45:32, the Lord taught that His disciples will find safety in the last days by standing in holy places—places that are special to the Lord.
Sing “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 160).
Jesus Christ taught that we should “stand in holy places” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:32). A holy place can be anywhere we have the Holy Ghost with us.
With your family, list some things that help you stand in holy places, like being kind or praying. How do those things prepare us for Jesus Christ’s coming? Stick the list somewhere you’ll see it often.
Think about the following statement: Gustavo fixed his neighbor’s fence.
What do you think about Gustavo?
Would your opinion change if Gustavo fixed the fence because he broke it in a fit of rage? What if he fixed it as part of a service project that his mom made him attend? What if he fixed it because he didn’t want his neighbor’s dog coming into his yard or because he was trying to impress his neighbor’s daughter? Or what if he simply wanted to be kind?
Why are our motives important?
We read in Matthew 6 that the Savior continued His Sermon on the Mount and taught about motives for doing good works. To help you think about the reasons you do good works such as ministering, serving others, praying, and attending [church], do the following activity.
Create a three-column chart in your study journal. Fill out the top of the chart as follows:
What are three good works you have done in the past week? (List one per row.)
What were your reasons for doing them?
How did you feel after you did these good works?
Read Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18, looking for what the Savior taught about our motives for our righteous acts. The word alms refers to “acts of religious devotion” ( verse 1, footnote b), such as giving to the poor. The word hypocrites refers to those who are “pretenders” ( verse 2, footnote a).
How would you summarize what the Savior taught?
It is important to understand that public prayer is not wrong simply because it is not done “in secret” ( Matthew 6:6). Prayer and other religious practices can be performed publicly if they are performed with sincerity, devotion, and a desire to glorify God. This is also true in regard to fasting. The phrases “sad countenance” and “they disfigure their faces” in Matthew 6:16 refer to individuals in Jesus’s time who made outward displays of their fasting to draw attention to themselves.
Joshua recites how the Lord has blessed and led Israel—Joshua and all the people covenant to choose the Lord and serve Him only—Joshua and Eleazar die—The bones of Joseph, taken from Egypt, are buried in Shechem.
Ask the children to talk about some of the choices they have made today. Read to the children from Joshua 24:15: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” How have the children chosen to serve the Lord today? What are some ways we can choose to serve Him every day?
Sing a song about making good choices, such as “Choose the Right Way” (Children’s Songbook, 160–61). How do we feel when we choose to serve Jesus Christ? Invite the children to draw pictures of themselves doing something to serve the Lord. Share a story from your life or from a Church magazine about choosing to serve the Lord.
Invite the children to create a poster using some of the key words and phrases in Joshua 24:15. Let them share their posters and explain why they chose those words. How can we show God that we have chosen to serve Him?
Invite the children to suggest situations in which they might have to decide to choose God over other things. Ask them to consider what they would do. Why is it important to “choose … this day” rather than waiting for the situation to arise? How will we be blessed when we make the right choice?
After reading this verse, family members could share experiences in which they chose to serve the Lord even though it was difficult. Why is it important to make the choice to serve Him “this day” instead of waiting to decide until a situation arises? How can we support members of our “house” as we strive to “serve the Lord”? (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Joshua 1–8; 23–24”)
Elijah is sent to meet Ahab—Obadiah saves a hundred prophets and meets Elijah—Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to call down fire from heaven—They fail—He calls down fire, slays the prophets of Baal, and opens the heavens for rain.
Explain to the children that people in Elijah’s time weren’t sure if they wanted to follow the Lord. Share the story of how Elijah invited them to choose to follow the Lord, found in 1 Kings 18:17–39 (see also “Elijah and the Priests of Baal” in Old Testament Stories). Tell the children why you choose to follow Jesus Christ, and ask them why they choose to follow Him.
Read to the children what Elijah said to the people: “If the Lord be God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ? Help the children think of specific things they will do to follow Jesus Christ, and invite them to draw pictures of themselves doing those things.
Friend March 2018 “Family Night Fun” Each person makes a pair of sandals and then writes on their shoes one way they want to follow Jesus.
Assign each child to read several verses from 1 Kings 18:17–39 and draw a picture of what his or her verses describe. Help the children understand the verses if needed. Then let them use their pictures to tell the story. What does this story teach us about the Lord?
Ask the children to talk about times when they had to decide between two different things. What helped them decide? Help them think of situations when they might need to decide whether or not to follow Jesus Christ. What truths from the story in 1 Kings 18:17–39 could help them decide?
For the Strength of Youth July 2022 “The Choice” Ben forgot to write a book report that was due the next day. He has to make a choice whether he will follow God or cheat and copy a book report from the internet.
Friend September 2017 “Show and Tell” I love the CTR shield because it reminds me of a knight’s shield that protects them from a dragon. I know when I choose the right I’m protected from sin.
Libby R., age 8, Utah, USA
Peer Pressure
I should care more about pleasing God than pleasing others.
The above story and scriptures help us to “be inspired to remain faithful when others tempt [us] to be disobedient. Read together Doctrine and Covenants 3:5–8; 5:21–22, and look for the blessings that come when we remain true to God.”
Primary 5 Manual: Doctrine and Covenants “Lesson 6: Joseph Smith Begins to Translate the Gold Plates” Write the following on the chalkboard: “When the Lord commands, do it.” Explain that Joseph Smith learned from his mistakes and challenges. Even though he faced despair when the 116 pages were lost, he learned the importance of obedience, repentance, and accepting the will of Heavenly Father. He learned to listen to the promptings of the Spirit and grew in his ability to use the Urim and Thummim. Later in life he was able to say, “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it” (History of the Church, 2:170).
Role-play different situations at home to give your child practice.
Let them know it’s OK to blame an escape on you. “Sorry, I have to be home. Gotta go!”
Brainstorm escape plans as a family. For example, come up with a code word your children could use in a phone call or text message to let you know they need help getting out of a situation. Talk through how the scenario might play out.
Reassure your children that, even when they make mistakes, you are always there to love and help them!
Scripture Support
Nephi’s example (1 Nephi 4:2): We often think of Nephi as the good example. But who set an example for Nephi to follow? Talk about role models who have helped you make good choices.
The Lord’s promise (D&C 6:33–37): Sometimes making the right choice is hard, and it can feel like everyone is against us. The Savior tells us that in these situations, we should still “do good” and know that He is with us.
Daniel said no (Daniel 1:8–16): Daniel and his friends refused the food the Lord had commanded them not to eat and chose better food instead. What are some different ways you can say no to outside pressures?
Friend April 2019 “What’s on Your Mind” Fill in the the speaking bubbles with what you could say when someone tries to get you to do something that is not right. Try explaining why it’s important to you. Even if others don’t understand your reasons, ask them to be respectful.
Friend November 2017 “Peer Pressure Problems” Ideas on how to deal with peer pressure to avoid making wrong choices.
I should care more about pleasing God than pleasing others.
Read these words from Doctrine and Covenants 3:8: “He would have extended his arm and supported you.” Invite the children to stand and extend their arms as you read the phrase again. Share with them some ways the Lord may extend His arm to help them when others try to get them to do wrong things. Let them take turns extending their arms as they tell about other ways the Lord extends His arm to help us.
Help From God Activity – If we’re faithful against pressures to disobey God, how will He help us? Read D&C 3:7-8 and listen for what He’ll do for us (He’ll extend His arm and support us against all the fiery darts of the adversary, and He’ll be with us in every time of trouble).
Talk about what some of the “fiery darts of the adversary” could be. How does Satan try to attack us? Take turns throwing something soft at family members (Nerf gun darts, crumpled papers that say some of the ways Satan tries to attack us, etc.). Whoever is throwing will share something Satan might do to try to attack us with temptations.
Another person will stretch out their arms and block the attacks toward that person. Relate this to how God will protect us and strengthen us if we’re faithful to Him.
Friend August 2020 “Choosing the Channel” Camille’s best friend told her about a TV show, but it had some bad words in it so she turned it off. Camille was afraid to tell her friend that she didn’t watch it. They were best friends that did everything together and liked the same things. She was afraid they wouldn’t be friends anymore. She prayed for help, and her friend was understanding and said they could find a show they both liked.
Balaam sees in vision and prophesies of the destiny of Israel—He prophesies of the Messiah: There will come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre will rise out of Israel.
Summarize Numbers 22:1–18 for the children, emphasizing how Balaam refused to curse God’s people, even though Balak, the king of Moab, offered him honor and riches. Ask the children to search the following verses for phrases that they feel show Balaam’s determination to follow God: Numbers 22:18; 23:26; 24:13. Invite the children to pick one phrase they like and write it on a card to help them remember to obey the Lord.
Talk with the children about situations when friends or others might try to persuade them to do something wrong, as Balak did to Balaam. How did Balaam’s commitment to the Lord help him resist pressure from Balak? Invite the children to practice responding to these situations using words like Balaam’s.
“Treehouse” (August 2003 Friend) Jordan refuses when his friends try to get him to use a bad word as the password for their club.
“The Strength to Choose” (April 2010 Friend) Chris’s friend tries to get him to smoke a cigarette.
“Tag, You’re It” (August 2015 Friend and Liahona)Lauren decides to not follow Tami’s plan to be mean to Ally.
“Garbage Can Graffiti” (September 2010 Friend) Joe makes a bad decision after he listens to his friend instead of the Holy Ghost.
When the 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem, they encountered a group of people living nearby called Samaritans. The Samaritans were the “people who lived in Samaria after the northern kingdom of Israel was captured by the Assyrians. The Samaritans were partly Israelite and partly Gentile. Their religion was a mixture of Jewish and pagan beliefs and practices” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Samaritans,” scriptures.lds.org).
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Ezra 1; 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8” The Lord’s work rarely goes unopposed, and this was certainly true of the efforts led by Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. In both cases, the “adversaries of Judah” (Ezra 4:1) were Samaritans—descendants of Israelites who had mixed with the Gentiles. Reading about their opposition to building the temple (see Ezra 4–6) might lead you to ponder the opposition [you may face as you stand for the right.]
. According to verses 1–2, what did the Samaritans want to do?
Stop the Jews from building the temple
Build a different kind of temple
Help the Jews build the temple
2. What did Zerubbabel and the other Jewish leaders tell the Samaritans?
The Jews would build the temple themselves.
The Jews would be happy to have the Samaritans’ help.
The Samaritans must wait until the next year to help them.
3. How did the Samaritans respond when Zerubbabel and the other Jewish leaders rejected their offer?
They went away and left the Jews alone.
They discouraged the Jews from building the temple and created opposition.
They gave the Jews supplies for the building of the temple.
As a result of the Samaritans’ opposition, the temple’s construction stopped for several years (see Ezra 4:1–24; Haggai 1:2–6).
Our spiritual progress may halt if we don’t choose the right or if we listen to the opposition and give in.
Friend February 2020 “Matt & Mandy” When some kids find a wallet, Matt and his friend stand for the right by telling a boy, who wants to keep the money, that they need to return the wallet to its owner.
Friend September 2017 “Matt and Mandy” Matt tells some boys he doesn’t want to hear a bad joke even though they call him chicken.
Haggai and Zechariah prophesy—Zerubbabel renews the building of the temple—The Samaritans challenge the Jews’ right to continue their building work.
Lesson 107: Ezra,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018) We read in Ezra 5:1–2 that some of the Jews began to rebuild the temple again. When local Persian-appointed governors learned that the Jews had resumed building the temple, they questioned the Jews’ authority to do so and looked for ways to stop the construction.
Read Ezra 5:5, looking for why the local governors could not stop the Jews from rebuilding the temple.
What principle can we identify from the Jews’ experience of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem?
One principle we can identify from Ezra 5:5 is that God watches over and helps us as we seek to obey Him.
Friend July 2022 “Stand for What You Believe”David stood for what he believed. He wasn’t alone. God’s power was with him. He beat Goliath. God will help us even when we face Goliath-sized challenges.
Remember that previously (approximately 90 years earlier), the Persian king Cyrus had allowed many Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and establish a community there. The city, which at that time was without walls, was unsafe to live in. The people were in “great affliction” (verse 3), and the temple was in danger of being destroyed again.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Ezra 1; 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8” When Nehemiah was repairing the walls surrounding Jerusalem, his enemies tried to get him to stop, but he remained faithful to his task. What are some important things the Lord wants the children to do, and how can you inspire them to be faithful to that work?
Share with the children the story of Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 2:17–20; 6:1–9; Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 59–62). Tell the children what Nehemiah said when people made fun of him for wanting to fix Jerusalem’s walls: “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:20). Invite the children to stand up and pretend to help fix the walls of Jerusalem.
Bring some blocks to class, and let the children use them to help you build a wall (or draw a wall on the board). Help the children think of some important things Heavenly Father might ask them to do, like learning how to read the scriptures. With each idea they share, invite them to add a block to the wall. Explain that when Nehemiah was doing his important work of fixing Jerusalem’s walls, people tried to stop him. Read Nehemiah 6:9, and invite the children to raise their hands when you read “strengthen my hands.” Tell the children about a time when you felt God strengthen your hands to do His work.
Review with the children the story about Nehemiah repairing the walls surrounding Jerusalem, including the opposition he faced. Read together Nehemiah 2:19, and ask the children to share situations in which someone might laugh at us for doing the right thing. According to Nehemiah 2:20, how did Nehemiah respond? How can we respond when people make fun of us or criticize us for doing the right thing?
Friend November 2018 “Finders Keepers?” Mike finds some money on the school grounds and takes it to the office even though his friends think they should keep it and spend it.
Read together Nehemiah 6:1–9. How did Nehemiah’s enemies repeatedly try to get him to stop working on the wall, and how did he respond? What work does God want us to do? (see, for example, Mosiah 18:8–10). How can we follow Nehemiah’s example in verse 9 when it’s difficult to do what God has asked us to do?
Describe how you can apply the phrase “I am doing a great work and cannot come down” (see Nehemiah 6:3) when you face opposition in doing God’s will.
Find pictures of the stories in Daniel 1, 3, and 6 (see this week’s activity page, this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families, or Gospel Art Book, nos. 23, 25, 26). Place the pictures facedown on the board or on the floor. Invite a child to turn over one of the pictures, and help him or her tell the story it represents. (For help, see “Daniel and His Friends,” “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,” and “Daniel and the Lions’ Den” in Old Testament Stories.) After each story, discuss questions like these: What did the people do to follow the Lord? How did the Lord bless them? Share how you have been blessed for choosing to follow Jesus Christ. Ask the children to share their experiences.
Invite the children to act out situations where they can show their faith in God by keeping His commandments. These could include being kind to a sibling, telling someone about the Savior, or praying each night.
Story: The prophet Daniel prayed each day. Some jealous men tricked the king into making a bad law. Anyone who prayed to God would be thrown into a den of lions! Daniel prayed anyway. He was thrown into the lions’ den, but God sent an angel to protect him. (See Daniel 6.)
Song: “I Want to Live the Gospel” (Children’s Songbook, 148)
Activity: Cut out the finger puppets on page 17 and use them to tell the story of Daniel and the lions’ den. Why is it good to pray?
Friend October 2018 “The T-E-S-T” One day, when Sharon’s father was reading to her the Bible story about Daniel in the lion’s den, he traced the word “test” on her forehead. He told her she would have tests like Daniel, but she should follow Heavenly Father’s commandments and not give into fear. (Also includes a lion activity of ways Heavenly Father helps us with challenges. )
The stories in Daniel 1, 3, and 6 can give the children you teach courage and faith to make good choices, even when they feel alone.
Draw on the board several arrows all pointing in the same direction and then one arrow pointing in the opposite direction. How are Daniel and his friends like this one arrow? Invite the children to give examples from the stories in Daniel 1, 3, and 6 (see “Daniel and His Friends,” “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,” and “Daniel and the Lions’ Den” in Old Testament Stories). Ask the children why they think it might have been hard for Daniel and his friends to make good choices. How did the Lord bless them for choosing the right?
Help the children think of situations when they might be pressured to make a wrong choice. Invite them to share experiences when they were blessed for choosing the right even when it was hard. Sing together a song related to this topic, such as “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239).
“The Rule Review” (May 2014 Friend) Joseph keeps the family rules instead of giving in to peer pressure.
“Luke the Leader” (July 2014 Friend) When Luke’s friends want him to say a bad word, he makes up silly words instead.
“Matt and Mandy” (March 2011 Friend) Matt chooses the right even when his friend pressures him to do something bad.
“The Bad Movie” (June 2013 Liahona and Friend) When her class chooses a movie, Evelyn decides to watch only things that would be pleasing to Heavenly Father.
Friend November 2018 “Daniel Bravely Followed God” Story and goal card. (I can stand up for what I believe)
Let the children act out the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Matthew 13:24–30). Explain that the wheat represents people who make righteous choices, and the tares (harmful weeds) represent people who do not. One day, Heavenly Father will gather the righteous people to live with Him.
Give the children some examples of right and wrong choices. Ask the children to say “wheat choice” when you describe a right choice and “tare choice” when you describe a wrong choice.
Fighting with siblings/ Sharing with siblings
Doing chores when asked/ Complaining about chores
Getting angry after losing a game/ Choosing to congratulate the winner
Choosing to tell the truth about breaking something/ Choosing to lie so you don’t get into trouble.
Choosing to make fun of someone/ Choosing to be kind
Invite the children to draw different scenes from the parable of the wheat and the tares, found in Matthew 13:24–30, and share their drawings with the class. Ask them to label their drawings using the interpretation of the parable found in Matthew 13:36–43. You may need to explain that tares are harmful weeds.
If possible, display a picture of wheat and tares. Explain that the wheat and tares will grow together until the harvest (the end of the world). This teaches us that we live with both good and evil around us, and we must be careful to choose the right.
Ask the children to share how they can tell the difference between good and evil.
12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
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.
16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is 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.
When a choice needs to be made, ask yourself, “Does it persaudeth men to do evil (from the devil) or does it inviteth to do good (from God).”
Read the situations below and ask the children to tell you what kind of reactions and thoughts would be from God, and what kind of reactions and thoughts would be from Satan.
Your friends have invited you to a movie. When you get there, you realize that it is not a good, wholesome one. Your friends decide to see it anyway.
Someone wants you to try drugs, smoke, or drink alcoholic beverages, saying that using such things will make you feel good.
Some of your friends won’t include you if you don’t swear with them.
Someone tells you some gossip about a friend and suggests you pass it on.
You break the cookie jar while getting some cookies. Your mother asks you what happened.
Your friends invite you to go to the circus on Sunday after your church meetings are over.
You don’t know an answer on a test at school. You promised your parents that you would try to get a good grade.
You’re very tired and get into bed before remembering to pray.
Read Mormon 8:1–7 with the children, and invite them to share how they would have felt if they had been Moroni.
Moroni was the last righteous Nephite, but he stayed true to his testimony. Help the children learn from his example.
Read Mormon 8:3, emphasizing that Moroni was all alone, but he still kept the commandments, including the commandment to finish the Book of Mormon. Share a time when you were faithful even when you felt alone.
After discussing Moroni’s example, share some scenarios in which a child must decide whether or not to choose the right, even though no one is looking. Or invite the children to each write down a situation in which they have to make a choice between right or wrong when no one is watching. Put their ideas in a container, and let the children take turns picking a situation and sharing what they would do to be like Moroni.What would Moroni have done?
Sing with the children a song about choosing the right, such as “Stand for the Right” (Children’s Songbook, 159). Why is it important to choose the right all the time, even when you are alone?
Think Good Thoughts
Friend August 2019 “Friends by Mail” We took pictures from the Friend and made a poster collage that says “Think Good Things” to help us remember to think about good things around our home. We love the Friend! It helps us learn more about how to become like Jesus. Jack, Calvin, Maggie, and Clark B., ages 9, 3, 6, and 8, Arizona, USA
To illustrate what these verses teach, show the children a cup or other container that is clean on the outside but dirty on the inside. Help them think about what “the outside of the cup” might represent. What does the “inward part” represent? Why is it important to clean both the outside and the inside?
Object Lesson
What we think about and put into our minds affects what actions come out.
Demonstrate this with an empty toilet paper roll or paper towel roll. Shove some dirt covered paper towels into the cardboard roll as the children tell what things might make our spirits dirty, things such as what we see and hear or thoughts that are filled with hate and anger, dishonesty, greed, pride and vanity (thinking we are better than others in appearance, abilities, intelligence, etc.) selfishness, disobedience, etc.
Ask what would happen if you continued to shove dirty paper towels into the roll. (They would come out the other end.) What happens when we fill our minds with things that are unclean? They come out and manifest themselves through unclean actions.
Show another toilet paper roll and fill it with clean paper towels. Ask the children what will come out the other end. Explain that the clean paper towels represents thinking good thoughts by filling our minds with good things like reading our scriptures, listening to talks and lessons at church, praying, watching and listening to good, uplifting media and music, etc. When we fill our lives with things that are good and uplifting, our thoughts and actions become clean. (You can also push the dirty paper towels out with clean ones to demonstrate that we can clean out unclean thoughts by replacing what we see, hear, and think with good things.)
Read together some other scriptures that emphasize righteousness both in our hearts and our actions—for example, Psalm 24:3–5; Matthew 15:7–8; Moroni 7:6–9. Discuss why the Savior wants our hearts and private actions to be spiritually clean.
The things we do and think affect our happiness in this life and the life to come.
Print and cutout all the signs except for the top page. Using tacky wax or removable double sided tape, attach all the small words to a piece of cardstock in random order. Tape the faces to the board or wall. Explain that after Jesus visited the Nephites they kept their spirits clean for many years and they lived in happiness. Show the cardstock to children. Have them take off the words they associate with happiness and put them under the smiley face. Explain that the scriptures tell that these are the things they experienced as a result of keeping their spirits clean. After a long period of time, wickedness started to creep in and the Nephites started experiencing terrible things as a result of the wickedness. Tape the rest of the words on the cardstock under the frowning face.
Explain that when we keep our minds and thoughts clean, we make good choices and we are happy. We can also return to live with Heavenly Father and again and enjoy the blessings of eternal life (the kind of life Heavenly Father has).
My Choices Can Affect Others
Friend July 2022 ” For Older Kids” Good choices and bad choices affect others around us. For example: Getting upset at someone ripples from that person to others.
Finders, Keepers?
Friend September 2024 “Lost and Found Pencils” A girl finds some nice colored pencils on the floor at school and takes them home. Her mom reminds her that someone is probably sad because they lost them. So the next day she takes them and puts them in the lost and found.
Memorization Tip: Article of Faith 7 is about gifts of the Spirit. Seven and Spiritboth begin with s!
Articles of Faith in Action: When I was seven, I was sick with a fever for a few days. I prayed about what to do. A warm feeling came to me, and the Holy Ghost told me to ask for a blessing. I asked my dad for a blessing. He called our home teacher to come help. When my dad gave the blessing, I felt the Spirit. At the end of the day, I felt much better. Faith M., age 11, Minnesota, USA
Items needed: medium size rocks (or cans of food with the labels removed), a backpack or heavy duty bag, chalk, some little pieces of wrapped candy and a candy bar for each child. Tape the burden situations to the rocks (or cans of food).
Attention Activity
Explain that you are going to start off the lesson by giving each of them a small piece of candy. Point out that the piece of candy is small, but if they promise not to eat or open it, you promise to give them something bigger and better at the end of class. Emphasize the fact that you are both making promises.
Point out that eating candy is not a sin, but there are many things in life that give pleasure that are against the commandments of God because they are spiritually harmful. If we obey God’s commandments and avoid partaking in these spiritually harmful things, we can eventually receive the greatest gift of all, which is eternal life. Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will learn how the Lord tries to help us avoid these harmful things so that we can gain this eternal reward.
Scripture Story
Using the visual aids, tell the following story. As the story is told, background scenery such as a waterfall, a pool of water, and a grove of trees can be drawn on the chalkboard.
Remind the children that in last week’s lesson they learned about the prophet Abinadi being condemned to death by the wicked King Noah. They also learned about the repentant priest Alma who pleaded for Abinadi’s life. King Noah was angry with Alma and tried to have Alma killed, but Alma fled and hid. Alma hid in the wilderness at a place called Mormon.
Why was Mormon a good place to hide? (Have the children look up and read Mosiah 18:4-5 to find the answer.) It had a fountain of pure water, it was near the border of the land, it was supposed to be infested at times with wild animals, and it had a thicket of small trees that Alma hid in during the day to avoid the searches of the king–so Alma had water, food, and seclusion and cover while hiding.
At times, Alma secretly went among the people and taught the words of Abinadi to all who would listen. Many believed Alma’s words. Those who believed his words went to the place called Mormon to hear him preach.
One day Alma was teaching a large group of believers near the waters of Mormon. He taught them faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. He asked if they desired to take the next step toward becoming God’s people.
What is the next step after faith and repentance? Tell the children to think of the fourth Article of Faith. (Baptism)
In order for the believers to be called God’s people they needed to covenant (promise) to serve God and keep his commandments. Sometimes when people make promises they shake hands or sign something as a symbol of their agreement. Baptism served as a witness or sign that they were willing to serve God and keep his commandments because baptism symbolizes the death of the old sinful person and the rebirth of the new spiritual person.
When the people heard they could be God’s people they clapped their hands for joy and exclaimed that it was the desire of their heart.
In order to be called God’s people they needed to covenant to serve God and keep His commandments. What is a covenant? A covenant is a two-way promise made between us and the Lord; both sides make promises.
Why does the Lord want us to make covenants? The Lord loves us and wants us to gain the blessings of eternal life, and in order to do this we must become like our Savior Jesus Christ and do the things he would do. The Lord knows that when we make bonding promises and commitments to do those things, we are more likely to do them.
Activity
Put the “Baptismal Covenants” word strip on a wall or display board. Put the word strip “We Promise” and the word strip “The Lord Promises” on each side underneath it.
We Promise
Have the children look up and read Mosiah 18:8-10 to find the covenants we make at baptism. As they find each one have them put the corresponding word strips under the “We Promise” word strip.
To come into the fold of God and be called his people.
We promise to join his church and take upon us the name of Christ. As members of his church we represent Christ and are to be examples of his teachings. (See the lesson on King Benjamin to further review this principle.)
To stand as a witness of God at all times and all places.
A witness is someone who tells others what they know and have seen; so a witness of God tells others what they know about God and His church. They state their beliefs in His commandments and try to be an example of them.
To serve God and keep his commandments.
We become more like our Savior as we obey the commandments.
To serve and help others.
We become more like our Savior as we serve and help others, which includes:
o Mourning with those that mourn.
o Comforting those that stand in need of comfort.
o Bearing one another’s burdens.
How do we mourn with those that are mourning? Answers might include: grieving and feeling sadness for the person’s loss and sorrow.
How do we bear one another’s burdens that they may be light? (Discuss this by doing the following activity.)
Activity
Show the children the rocks, and explain that you are using the rocks to represent the burdens that some people carry. Read the situation title as you put each rock into a bag. Tell the children that life’s burdens can become heavy and difficult to carry. Let each child come up and lift the bag. Ask if they would want to carry that weight for very long. Remind the children that we covenant at baptism to help each other with our burdens. Have the children take turns reaching into the bag and taking out a rock. Have them read the situation and tell how they can help someone with that burden to make it lighter and easier to bear.
The Lord Promises
• What does the Lord promise if we keep the covenants we make? (Have the children look up and read Mosiah 18:9-10 to find the things the Lord promises. As they find each one, have them put the corresponding word strips under the “The Lord Promises” word strip.
We can be redeemed of God.
This means we can be forgiven of our sins when we repent.
We can come forth in the first resurrection.
We will be ready and spiritually prepared to come forth out of the spirit world during the first resurrection.
We can have eternal life.
Eternal life is the kind of life Heavenly Father has, which includes having a fullness of joy, love, peace, knowledge, and power.
He will pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon us.
As we keep our covenants, the Lord will bless us with his spirit more abundantly. The companionship of the Holy Ghost is a wonderful blessing because the Holy Ghost guides, teaches, protects, and comforts us.
The Lord promises to pour out wonderful blessings upon us if we keep our covenants (promises) to do the things he asks us to do.
Have the children trade their small piece of candy for a full size candy bar. Ask the children what would have happened if they hadn’t kept their promise and had instead opened and eaten the small piece of candy. They wouldn’t have received the bigger, better prize. Point out that it is the same with covenants. If we partake of unfulfilling sinful pleasures while on the earth instead of keeping our covenants (promises), we may not receive the wonderful blessing of eternal life which brings true happiness and joy. (Note: If a child has opened or eaten his or her candy, tell them they can still have another chance. Give them another piece of candy, and tell them to bring it back the following week. If they bring it back uneaten and unopened, they can still earn their reward. The Lord also gives us the opportunities in life to fix our mistakes and repent.)
Scripture Story Continued
After the people told Alma they wished to become God’s people and be baptized, Alma began to baptize them in the waters of Mormon. The first one he baptized was a man named Helam. As Alma baptized Helam, Alma submerged himself also.
Why did Alma immerse himself also when he baptized Helam? In Mosiah 18:13 it says that Alma had the priesthood authority to baptize. This is evidence that he had already been baptized. Therefore when Alma immersed himself with Helam it was merely as a token to the Lord of his humility and full repentance. Alma did not immerse himself again while baptizing the others. (Joseph Fielding Smith: Answers to Gospel Questions)
Alma baptized about two hundred and four souls that day at the waters of Mormon, and anyone who was baptized from that time forward was also added to the church of Christ.
King Noah eventually discovered there was a movement among the people. He sent his servants to watch the group. When the king’s servants reported what was happening, Noah said that Alma was stirring up the people to rebellion against him. Noah ordered his army to destroy them. Alma was warned of the Lord that the king’s army was coming, so he and his people took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness. They were in number about 450 souls.
Conclusion
As we keep our baptismal covenants, we learn to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ, and we become worthy to receive the greatest gift and reward we could ever receive, which is eternal life.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Give each child a new scripture reading chart, and remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Mosiah 18:1-17, 30-35
Activity: Find the Favorites All of us are different. We have different talents, likes, and dislikes. But we are all children of God!
Use the clues to fill out the chart and find what each of these friends is interested in. Hint: Put an X by what you know is not true. The first one is done for you. When you’re done, each column should have one empty square!
Kai is the only one who likes basketball. The piano player is not Amara or Jade. Max doesn’t like math. None of the boys play an instrument or do karate. The girl who likes animals is not Amara.
When we understand that God the Father and Jesus Christ have bodies like ours, we feel closer to Them, and our relationship with Them is strengthened.
Show the children a picture of Jesus Christ, and invite them to point to His eyes, mouth, and other parts of His body. Then invite them to stand and point to those same parts of their own bodies. Read from Doctrine and Covenants 130:22: “The Father has a body of flesh and bones … ; the Son also.” Testify that our bodies are like Heavenly Father’s and Jesus’s bodies.
Sing together a song about our bodies, such as “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” (Children’s Songbook, 275), and invite the children to do actions that go along with the words. Ask the children to tell you some things they can do with their bodies. Express your gratitude for the body God has given you. How can we show we are thankful for this special gift?
Invite the children to draw pictures of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and themselves. Help them see how our bodies are like Heavenly Father’s and Jesus’s.
Friend August 2016 “God is Our Father” God our Father has ears with which to hear our prayers. He has eyes with which to see our actions. He has a mouth with which to speak to us. He has a heart with which to feel compassion and love. He is real. He is living. We are his children made in His image. We look like Him and He looks like us.
Read to the children what God said to Moses: “Thou art my son” (Moses 1:4). Invite a child to the front of the room, and ask the children to repeat with you, “[Child’s name], you are a child of God.” Repeat the phrase for each child in the class.
Show several pictures of children, and ask the class if these children are all children of God. Emphasize that everyone is a child of God. Let the children take turns looking in a mirror, and testify that they are children of God too.
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.
For older kids:
Read with the children Moses 1:4, 37–39 and Abraham 3:24–25. Give them opportunities to ask questions and share favorite words or phrases from these verses. What do we learn from these verses about Heavenly Father? about ourselves?
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. Testify that God’s purpose is to help each child gain eternal life.
Help the children think of situations in which they have to choose whether or not to “do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command” (Abraham 3:25). Let them practice or discuss possible responses to those situations. How can the Savior help us when we make a wrong choice?
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 lds.org 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 someone who lives in a different country or culture
Is a bishop
Is a grandmother or grandfather
Is a soldier
Is someone who doesn’t go to our church
Is a mailman or missionaries
Is a mom or dad
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)
In Athens, Paul taught people who believed that gods were powers or forces, not living, personable beings. Help your family recognize that we are literally the “offspring of God” ().
Pass out paper to each family member and instruct them to list on the paper the traits they’ve inherited from their parents, such as physical traits or personality traits. Discuss how these traits help you and your family members know who their parents are.
Next, have each family member list traits they inherited from Heavenly Father. Refer to patriarchal blessings if appropriate. Discuss how knowing that we have inherited these traits can strengthen our testimony that we are children of God.
Heavenly Father Loves Us
Friend January 2022 “You Are a Beloved Child of God” “You are a beloved child of God. Please remember that fact. If you never forget that one pure truth, you can face any problem with faith and courage. I know that Heavenly Father watches over you. He loves you very much, and so do I.” (President Russel M. Nelson)
1. Guessing game with clues about who you are thinking of (Heavenly Father).
2. Read scriptures about how the Lord addresses each prophet, and then help the children understand that God knows each of us by name.
3. Pass around several items that represent God’s love for His children as they sing “I Am a Child of God” (CS, 2–3) or “I Know My Father Lives” (CS, 5).
Friend August 2019 “Show and Tell” Primary children in Virginia, USA, were given the “toothbrush challenge”—to look in the mirror and say, “I am a child of God,” when they brushed their teeth each day. Each Sunday they shared how God had helped them during the week. Then they put a pom-pom in a jar to help them remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them.
Friend January 2016 Stand tall because you are a child of God and he stands with you. Heavenly Father lifts and helps us. He blesses us with others to help us. .
Many people struggle with feelings of low self-worth; others are unkind toward people who are different from them. The powerful message of Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 can change how we view ourselves and people around us.
Repeat verse 10 with the children, this time replacing “souls” with the children’s names.
Help the children think of things that people consider valuable. Then let the children take turns looking in a mirror, and as they do, tell each child that he or she is a child of God and of great worth. Testify that to Heavenly Father, they are more valuable than all the things they thought of earlier.
Ask each child to write his or her name on a piece of paper and pass the papers around the room. Invite them to write on each paper they receive something they like about that person. Encourage them to be kind and thoughtful in their comments. Then help the children read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–12, and invite them to share what they learn about how God feels about us. Explain that we are all of great worth to God because we are His children.
Show the children something that is very valuable to you. How do we treat things that are valuable to us? Ask a child to read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10. How can we show other people that “the worth of [their] souls is great” in our sight?
Each family member could read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13 and substitute his or her name in place of the words “soul,” “souls,” and “all men.” You could then discuss how these verses help us understand our worth to the Father and the Son (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19).
Circle of Worth: Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were counseled to remember that “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). As we help others to see their own worth, we bring them nearer to Christ while becoming closer to Him ourselves.
Invite family members to sit in a circle.
Each person will take a turn standing in the middle of the circle.
Everyone sitting in the circle will tell the middle person, “You matter to me because ___________,” and share specific details of why that person is of worth to them.
The middle person will then choose their own statement of personal worth: “I matter to God and myself because __________.”
Discussion: Why is it important to remember our own worth as well as the worth of those around us? If Christ were in the circle, what would He say about us? Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–13 and discuss what Christ went through because of how much He loves and values us.
Elder Stevenson invited us to stop each time we see ourselves in a mirror and say, “Wow, look at me! I am amazing! I am a child of God! He knows me! He loves me!” Doing this will help us remember who we really are and how God and the Holy Ghost can help us.
Friend September 2020 “Children of Heavenly Parents” Lisa Harkness of the General Primary Presidency visited the people in Africa. She found that the people of Africa come from many different countries and cultures and they speak many different languages, but they are rich in their faith and their knowledge that they are children of God.
Friend August 2024 “A Worldwide Family” Elder William K. Jackson tells of a time when his parents did volunteer work in different countries. He wanted to help people around the world too, so he became a doctor. He has worked in many different countries helping people. He tells Primary children that they are part of a special world-wide family with a Father in Heaven that loves them. We are all brothers and sisters, children of God.
If you’re very, very tall, (stretch and reach arms up) Heavenly Father knows and loves you. If you’re very, very small, (crouch down) Heavenly Father knows and loves you. Tall, (stretch up) Small, (crouch down) Tall, (stretch up) Small, (crouch down) Heavenly Father knows and loves us all.
We Feel Their Love When We Pray
Ensign October 2017 We grow closer to Them and feel their love as we pray and read the scriptures. Color a heart each time you do one of these things.
I Lived with Heavenly Father Before I Came to Earth.
God is the Father of our spirits. We are literally His children, and He loves us. We lived as spirit children of our Father in Heaven before we were born on this earth.
The Savior emphasized three times in section 93 that we lived with God “in the beginning” (verses 23, 29, 38). Why might He want us to know this? How might knowing this truth bless the children you teach?
Repeat together with the children the words “Ye were also in the beginning with the Father” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:23). Explain that before we were born on earth, we lived with Heavenly Father in heaven. Sing together “I Am a Child of God” or “I Lived in Heaven” (Children’s Songbook,2–3, 4).
Invite the children to draw pictures of themselves with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the premortal life. Bear your testimony that God loves all of us and that we are all His children.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 93:23, 29, 38 together, and invite the children to look for a truth about themselves that is repeated in these verses. Ask the children to share anything they know about our life with Heavenly Father before we were born. Give each child one of the following scripture references, and help them find something these scriptures teach about life before we came to earth: Jeremiah 1:5; Doctrine and Covenants 138:53–56; Moses 3:5; Abraham 3:22–26.
Sing together “I Am a Child of God” or “I Lived in Heaven” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3, 4). What truths do we learn from this song about our purpose for coming to earth?
Sing “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3).
We lived with Heavenly Father before we came to earth (see Doctrine and Covenants 93:23). We are all His children.
Find some smooth rocks and write “You are a child of God” on them with paint or markers. Then give each rock to a friend, family member, or someone you think could use a reminder.
Read to the children Jeremiah 1:5, and explain that God knew the prophet Jeremiah before he was born. Tell each child, individually, that Heavenly Father also knew him or her before he or she was born and that He sent each of us here for a purpose.
We lived in Heaven: 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.
Show the children a picture of a baby, and ask the children if they know where this baby lived before he or she was born. Sing together a song that teaches about our premortal life with God, such as “I Am a Child of God” or “I Lived in Heaven” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3, 4). Talk about the spiritual feelings the song brings. Bear your testimony that we all once lived with Heavenly Father and that He sent us here to earth.
President Dallin H. Oaks said that if we teach “a young person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God,” we can give him or her the “self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life” (“Powerful Ideas,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 25).
Explain that Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, and we are his spirit children
To help the children understand their potential to become like God, find ways to show them that baby animals grow to become like their parents—perhaps the children could match pictures of animals with pictures of the animals’ babies. Open the scriptures to Doctrine and Covenants 76:24, and tell the children that we are all “sons and daughters unto God.” Bear your testimony that God is our Father and that we can grow to be like our Heavenly Parents..
Sing together “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook,2–3), and invite the children to point to themselves when they sing “I.” Ask them to sing the song again, replacing “I am” with “you are” and pointing to someone else in the class.
Explain that God is another name for Heavenly Father.
(The below visuals are from the Nursery Manual. Also see lds.org for the music)
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Acts 16-21” On Mars’ Hill, Paul taught basic truths about the nature of God, including the truths that we are His children and that He is “not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27). How can you help the children feel close to their Heavenly Father?
Invite the children to repeat the phrase “We are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29), and explain that offspring means children. Bear your testimony to each child, one by one, that he or she is a child of God. Invite them to share how they feel about their Heavenly Father.
Print one of the below image for each child and have them write their name on the line in the sentence and then draw a picture of themself
Show pictures of children with their families (if possible, include pictures of the children in your class). Ask the children to point to the parents in the pictures. Explain that we are the children of our mothers and fathers, and all of us are also spirit children of our heavenly 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.
Sing a song about Heavenly Father, such as “I Know My Father Lives” (Children’s Songbook, 5). With help from the children, write words or draw pictures on the board that represent things we learn about Heavenly Father from the song.
Read to the children these words from Acts 17:27: “He be not far from every one of us.” Talk about times when you have felt close to Heavenly Father, and invite the children to do the same.
Friend August 2017“Ralphie’s Amazing Find” A boy is upset that his best friend is moving. He takes his dog for a walk, and his dog discovers a beautiful waterfall. The boy feels God’s love for him.
Show the children a stone, and explain that in Paul’s day, people worshipped gods they made out of stone and other materials.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Acts 16-21” In Athens, Paul found people with diverse opinions and religious views. They were always seeking “to hear some new thing,” and what Paul had to offer was definitely new to them (see Acts 17:19–21). They worshipped many gods, including one they called “the unknown God” (Acts 17:23), but they believed that gods were powers or forces, not living, personal beings, and certainly not our Father.
Ask the children to read Acts 17:27–29. What do we learn about God from these verses? Explain that offspring means children. Ask the children how it makes them feel to know that they are children of God. (Explain that we are the children of our mothers and fathers, and all of us are also spirit children of our heavenly parents.)
Ask the children to read Acts 17:27. Invite the children to write about or draw pictures of ways they can “feel after” or come closer to God. When have they felt that He is “not far from [them]”?
The below pictures can help the children with ideas on how they can come closer to God.
Talk to Him through Daily PrayerGordon B. Hinckley said, “Never hesitate to get on your knees in some private place and speak with Him. What a marvelous and wonderful thing is prayer. Think of it. We can actually speak with our Father in Heaven.” God wants to hear from you, and He is always available to listen. He wants to hear about your day, he wants to hear what you are grateful for, and He wants to hear how He can help you. Latter Day Saint Channel “How to Build a Relationship with God“
Study God’s Words in the Scriptures and from His Living prophets. Some describe the scriptures as “God’s love letter” to us. In the scriptures we learn more about God and of his love for us and how we can become like him and draw closer to him.
Keep the CommandmentsWhen we live righteously we are be blessed with “His Spirit to be with us”.
Go to Church Meetings and Temples. We learn of God and feel his Spirit in church meetings and at temples.
Take the Sacrament and Remember Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father loves us and sent Jesus to help us and be our Savior. Remembering Jesus Christ and what he did for us and the example he set helps us see and understand who our Heavenly Father is and how we can become closer to him.
Be Grateful for Our Blessings. The earth and everything on it was created under the direction of Heavenly Father. Gratitude for our many blessings helps us feel closer to Heavenly Father.
New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2023) “Acts 17:16–34” Seek the Lord Consider hiding something in the classroom that students would enjoy finding, like a piece of candy. Invite students to search for the hidden surprise until it is found. Discuss the effort students put into finding the object and why effort is needed to obtain something worthwhile. Encourage students to analyze Acts 17:27, including the Joseph Smith Translation found in footnote b. Point out that Paul testified to the Athenians that God is close to His children and desires all to seek after Him.
You might introduce Galatians 4 by discussing the differences between a king’s servants and his children. What opportunities or potential does a king’s child have that a servant does not? Think about this as you read together verses 1–7. What do these verses teach about our relationship with Heavenly Father? (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Galatians”)
Friend June 2019 “The Holy Ghost is…” The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead, a gift that comes with baptism, and a promise from Heavenly Father. He is a comforter, warning, teacher, messenger, friend.
Read Joel 2:28 to the children, and explain that the words “all flesh” mean everyone, including “sons” and “daughters” like them. Invite the children to draw pictures of the people referred to in this verse (sons and daughters, old and young men, old and young women), including themselves. Explain that one way Heavenly Father pours out His Spirit is by giving us the gift of the Holy Ghost when we are baptized.
What could it mean for the Spirit to be “poured out” upon us? Maybe you could demonstrate this by pouring a liquid and then contrasting it with a drip or a trickle.
Invite the children to share what they know about the Holy Ghost. Help them understand that the Holy Ghost can teach us about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and can help us to know what is true (see John 14:26; Doctrine and Covenants 42:17). Share experiences to help the children understand the ways the Spirit can help us.
Friend June 2019 “The Holy Ghost is…” The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead, a gift that comes with baptism, and a promise from Heavenly Father. He is a comforter, warning, teacher, messenger, friend.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Hosea 1–6; 10–14, Joel” Many of the children you teach have likely been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. How can you use these scriptures to help them understand the power and blessings that come from hearing the voice of the Spirit?
Invite the children to read together Joel 2:28–29, inserting each other’s names in place of the phrases “your sons” and “your daughters.” Write on the board a sentence like The Holy Ghost can … and invite the children to take turns completing the sentence. Encourage them to include things they learn from John 14:16; Moroni 10:5; Doctrine and Covenants 42:17, and other scriptures.
Place an object in a bowl, and let the children take turns pouring water over it. Explain that the object represents us, and the water represents the Holy Ghost. When we are baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is one way the Lord fulfills His promise to “pour out [His] spirit.” What must we do to receive the Holy Ghost? Invite the children to share times when they have felt the influence of the Spirit.
What could it mean for the Spirit to be “poured out” upon us? Maybe you could demonstrate this by pouring a liquid and then contrasting it with a drip or a trickle.
Friend February 2018 “Funstuff: The Holy Ghost” Fill in the blank with some things you can do to feel the Holy Ghost.
Gift of the Holy Ghost
Friend August 2019 “Open Your Hearts to the Holy Ghost” Clips from President Henry B. Eyring’s talks about the Holy Ghost.
Friend August 2023 “Connect the Dots” After you’re baptized, you’re confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide and comfort you. Connect the dots to finish the picture.
Copy and paste each scripture to a word document or slide show. Leave the space empty where it says laying on of hands in each scripture. Have the children read the scriptures and find what is missing in each scripture.
“Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, baptism of the Holy Ghost.” — Joseph Smith Jr.
Following a person’s baptism, men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood place their hands upon the person’s head, as shown in the picture. One of the men (usually the father, the bishop, a missionary, or a friend of the person being confirmed) says the prayer. During the prayer, the person is confirmed a member of the Church and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Primary 3 “Lesson 12: The Gift of the Holy Ghost,”)
Tell the children about when you received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands after you were baptized.
Explain that after we are baptized, we are confirmed. Invite the children to say “confirmed.” Tell them this means that men who hold the priesthood put their hands on our head to give us the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Use Matthew 3:11, 16 to teach the children that the Holy Ghost descended on Jesus when He was baptized (a dove appeared as a sign to show that this had happened). Show the picture The Gift of the Holy Ghost (Gospel Art Book, no. 105), and explain that we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost when we are confirmed.
I Can Always Have His Spirit to Be with Me
Friend May 2022 “Taking Turns for Church” Jenny and her siblings have to take turns going to church because their mom can only afford two bus tickets each week. Jenny misses the happy warm feeling she gets at church and the things she learns. When her mom and sister got home and shared what they learned at church, Jenny learns that she can feel the Savior close to her even at home.
Show the picture The Last Supper (Gospel Art Book, no. 54). Explain to the children that at the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Ghost. Share some of the truths He taught in John 14:26–27; 15:26; 16:13–14.
Friend October 2017 “Family Night Fun” Read “Sarah and the MRI.” When Sarah was comforted by the Holy Ghost, she felt like she was being wrapped in a blanket. Cut several strips of paper. Write a different way the Holy Ghost can help you on each one. Weave the papers together to make a blanket.
Friend October 2017 “Sarah and the MRI” Sarah had to have another scary MRI where she was all alone in a tube. Her mother reminder her that there was someone who could be with her to comfort her—the Holy Ghost. Her dad blessed her that she would feel the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and she did. The Holy Ghost felt warm and comforting like being wrapped in a blanket.
Friend June 2023 “A Prayer for Comfort” A close family friend died and Maycie was feeling sad. She was also worried about his family and how sad they were. She said a prayer for comfort for them and her family. After the prayer, she felt a wave of warmth come over her. She knew that it was the Holy Ghost comforting her.
Testifies of Christ and Truth
Friend September 2015 “A New Feeling” – Child feels Holy Ghost while reading the scriptures
Share an experience when the Holy Ghost comforted you, guided you, or helped you know the truth. Testify that the Holy Ghost can help the children in similar ways.
Story: Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can comfort and teach us. He can help us know what is right. (See John 14:26.)
Song: “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, 106–7)
Activity: Go to page 8 to make a cup telephone. Talk about how the Holy Ghost can help us hear what Heavenly Father wants to teach us.
Friend June 2023 “Can You Hear Me?” Make this play phone. Talk about how the Holy Ghost can help us hear what Heavenly Father wants to teach us.
Friend June 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones” Whisper “I love you” to your little one. Tell them that the Holy Ghost whispers words of love and truth to our hearts and minds. We can’t often hear them with our ears, but they make us feel loved and safe.
Together with the children, sing a song about the Holy Ghost, such as “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105). Invite them to listen for things mentioned in the song that the Holy Ghost does.
As you read what the Lord told Joseph Smith about the Apocrypha, think about how this counsel could help the children discern between the truth and error they will encounter throughout their lives.
Read together the section heading for Doctrine and Covenants 91 to help the children understand what the Apocrypha is (see also Guide to the Scriptures, “Apocrypha,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Help the children think of other places, such as in the media, where we might find “many things … that are true” and “many things … that are not true” (verses 1–2). Then invite the children to search section 91 to learn what the Lord said we can do to discern between truth and error.
Read together Doctrine and Covenants 91:4–6, and ask the children what these verses teach about the Holy Ghost. Invite the children to share a personal experience when “the Spirit [manifested] truth” to them. Also share your own experiences. In what other ways can the Spirit help us?
Show the children a fake and real diamond jewelry item. Explain that one of the jewelry items has fake diamonds in it and one has real diamonds in it. Ask the children how much value a fake diamond would have. Then ask how much value a real diamond would have. Ask the children if they can tell which diamond is real and which is fake. Reveal which diamond is real.
Tell the children that there has been an increasing amount of imitation diamonds introduced into the world that some people try to pass off as the real thing. It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake. Many people are fooled into paying large amounts for fake items that are worthless.
Also explain that there has been an increasing amount of false teachings about religion being spread throughout the world, and many people have a hard time telling the difference between what is priceless truth and what is worthless lies. People are paying dearly with the consequences of buying into the deceptions.
Explain that Satan has a counterfeit or opposite teaching for every teaching of Jesus Christ, but because Satan’s counterfeits are worthless they do not bring real happiness or satisfaction.
• How can a person tell if a diamond is real or fake? It takes special equipment and study to be able to tell the difference.
• What is the special equipment we have been given to help us identify the difference between false teachings and true teachings? The scriptures, the Holy Ghost (remind the children that Alma was able to discern Korihor’s lies through the Holy Ghost), and we also have access to trained experts through the living prophets. (Lesson 20 – Korihor, the Anti-Christ)
God will reveal truth to me by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “1 Nephi 6-10” How could you help your children understand what Nephi taught in 1 Nephi 10:19? Perhaps you could fold a picture of the Savior or another special object inside a blanket and invite your children to unfold it. As you read 1 Nephi 10:19, they could raise their hands when they hear the words “unfolded” and “Holy Ghost.” Then you could share an experience when the Holy Ghost helped you discover truth.
“Fiction or Nonfiction?” (January 2012 Friend) When Jennifer learned the difference between fiction and nonfiction she wondered about the Book of Mormon. She spent a lot of time reading it but didn’t know how she would ever know it was true. During Sacrament she said a prayer. Then she remembered the warm, happy feelings she had when she was baptized. She realized she felt the same way when she thought of the Prophet Joseph Smithy and when she read the Book of Mormon. She knew that Heavenly Father was telling her through the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon was true.
Friend January 1988 “Juliano’s Testimony” Juliano seeks to gain a testimony for himself. He reads the Book of Mormon and then prays to know if it is true. He didn’t know how the Holy Ghost would visit him because he was just a boy. Then he remembered a story the missionaries told him about a boy his age learning that he was to be the future keeper of the gold plates. He looked up the story in the scriptures and found out that it was Mormon. He felt a peaceful feeling spread through him and he knew that the Book of Mormon was true.
Friend January 2024 “My Own Testimony” Chloe gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon when she felt the Holy Ghost witness it was true while reading the Book of Mormon.
Sing a song with the children about seeking truth, such as “Search, Ponder, and Pray” (Children’s Songbook, 109). Show pictures that illustrate words in the song to help the children remember how the Holy Ghost teaches us.
Read Moroni 10:5 together and help your little ones say, “The Holy Ghost helps me know what is true.” Some children mistakenly think the Holy Ghost is a spooky ghost. Explain that the Holy Ghost is a real person, like Heavenly Father and Jesus. He helps us have comforting, warm, happy feelings. You could cuddle up together in a blanket and watch the sing-along video for “The Holy Ghost” at children.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Friend June 2020 A testimony is a good feeling from the Holy Ghost telling you that something is true.
Friend January 2025 “Just Like Joseph” Lhensay learns in primary that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. She asked her mom how she could see them like Joseph did. Her mom explained that most of us won’t see Heavenly Father and Jesus like Joseph Smith did. But They can still speak to us through thoughts and feelings from the Holy Ghost. Then you can know They are always with you. Lhensay remembered the warm feeling she had when learned about the First Vision. That was the Holy Ghost, sending her a message from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! They had spoken to her, just like they had to Joseph Smith!
Perhaps family members could share some of the “many instances” (verse 2) in which the Spirit has manifested to them that the scriptures are true, just as He did for Oliver Cowdery. How can your family “rely upon the things which are written” (verse 3) in the scriptures? How can you build your family’s foundation on the “rock” (verse 4) of the gospel?
Friend September 2015 “A New Feeling” – Child feels Holy Ghost while reading the scriptures
Teach the children that when Jesus was with his Apostles he taught them many things. He knew he would not always be with them, so he promised to send a special gift to help them.
Read the following clues. Have the children stand when they think they know what the gift is and whisper the answer in your ear. If they correctly identify the Holy Ghost, have them remain standing.
I am a spirit person but do not have a physical body.
Write Pentecost on the chalkboard. Explain that Pentecost comes from a Greek word meaning fiftieth. Pentecost was a Jewish celebration held every year fifty days after the Passover. Jesus gave the sacrament to his Apostles at the Last Supper, which happened at the time of the Passover. It was fifty days after the Last Supper that his disciples received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Write Gift of the Holy Ghost on the chalkboard.
On the day of Pentecost, how did the Holy Ghost come to Jesus’ Apostles? (Acts 2:1–4.)
What gave the disciples the ability to speak in tongues and be understood by people who spoke other languages? (Acts 2:4.) How does this spiritual gift of the Holy Ghost help the Church’s missionary effort today? (By helping many of the missionaries learn foreign languages. The gift of tongues can also help contacts understand the gospel message even when a missionary does not speak the language well.)
What caused the hearts of the people to be pricked after Peter had testified of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection? (Acts 2:33, 36–37. The Holy Ghost.) What does it mean to have a pricked heart? (To have a sharp feeling of regret or sorrow.) How can the Holy Ghost help us feel sorry for things we have done?
What did Peter tell the people they needed to do to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost? (Acts 2:38.) What do we need to do to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?
After the 3,000 souls were baptized, what were some of the things they did so the Holy Ghost would continue to guide them? (Acts 2:42–47.) (You could have the children find the answers in the scriptures and list them on the chalkboard.)
Read together Acts 2:36–37. What does it feel like when the Holy Ghost tells us something in our hearts?
As a class, make a poster with the words What shall we do? at the top. Display the poster each week, and add ways the children can act on what they learn in each week’s lesson.
Invite the children to read Acts 2:41–47 and find the good things the people did after they were baptized. What good things can we do to show we are thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost we received when we were baptized?
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “John 14–17” Have the children you teach received the gift of the Holy Ghost? What do they know about how the Holy Ghost can help them? Consider how you will help them better understand the roles of the Holy Ghost.
Give the children the following verses to read in pairs: John 14:26; 15:26; and 16:13. Ask them to find words that teach them what the Holy Ghost does. Write the words on the board.
Reading these verses can help your family members recognize when the Spirit is communicating with them. You could shine a flashlight on the floor and invite a family member to move to where the light is shining. How is this like following the guidance of the Holy Ghost? What personal experiences could you share?
Scatter pillows, couch cushions, and other soft objects throughout the room.
Assign someone in the family to be the “person in need” at the end of the obstacle course.
Place a blindfold on a member of the family and assign someone else to whisper directions into the person’s ear to guide them safely through the course to the person in need.
Discussion: When was a time you felt directed by the Holy Ghost to help someone else? How did you recognize those promptings?
Sing a song about the guidance of the Holy Ghost, such as “Listen, Listen” (Children’s Songbook, 107). Ask the children what the song teaches them about how the Holy Ghost helps us.
Use “Abraham and Sarah” (in Old Testament Stories) to help the children understand that people around Abraham were doing bad things, but Abraham wanted to do what was right and the Lord helped him.
Read to the children Abraham 1:18 and 2:8, and invite the children to listen for a part of the body that is mentioned in both verses. How would it feel to have Jesus Christ lead us by the hand or to have His hand protecting us? Testify that Jesus leads us by guiding us through His Spirit.
How do Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ help us when we try to choose the right?
Friend January 2021 “The Party Problem” Luz felt uneasy about going to a graduation party. It didn’t sound like the kind of party where she’d be able to feel the Holy Ghost. She thought about it, made her choice not to go, and then asked Heavenly Father if that was the right choice. Afterwards she felt a wave of warmth and light and knew she had made the right choice.
Show several pictures of the Savior (see Gospel Art Book,nos. 38, 39, 40, and 41), and help the children see things that He did with His hands. What can we do with our hands to help others?
Below song includes a story about a boy that didn’t have any friends and another boy learns in FHE and then befriends the lonely boy.
“You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit—that which enlighteneth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God.”
Helps You Feel the Love of Heavenly Father and Jesus
Friend October 2023 “I Feel My Savior’s Love” A girl feels the Savior’s love during singing time. Her mother tells her that the warmth and love she feels in her heart is the Holy Ghost helping her feel the Savior’s love.
Peace and Courage
Friend July 2023 “Courage from the Holy Ghost” Mathias had extreme social anxiety and could only talk to close family members. He was seeing a counselor but didn’t seem to be getting any better. When he turned 8 he was baptized and received the Holy Ghost. He knew the Holy Ghost would comfort him and give him courage. I decided to try to speak to his friend, Charlie. He tried all week, but couldn’t. Then one day when they were alone in the school garden, Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost helped him say hi to his friend. After that day, it was easier to complete more goals. Soon he was talking to pretty much everyone!
Testifies of Christ and Truth
Friend September 2015 “A New Feeling” – Child feels Holy Ghost while reading the scriptures
Share an experience when the Holy Ghost guided you, comforted you, warned you, or testified of truth to you. Invite the children to share any experiences they have had. How did they recognize the Holy Ghost’s influence?
Story: Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can comfort and teach us. He can help us know what is right. (See John 14:26.)
Song: “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, 106–7)
Activity: Go to page 8 to make a cup telephone. Talk about how the Holy Ghost can help us hear what Heavenly Father wants to teach us.
Friend June 2023 “Can You Hear Me?” Make this play phone. Talk about how the Holy Ghost can help us hear what Heavenly Father wants to teach us.
Friend June 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones” Whisper “I love you” to your little one. Tell them that the Holy Ghost whispers words of love and truth to our hearts and minds. We can’t often hear them with our ears, but they make us feel loved and safe.
Invite each child to draw his or her face on a paper bag. Shine a flashlight, representing the Holy Ghost, into each bag. Then put things in the bags that block the light, such as a pieces of cloth, to teach that our wrong choices can limit the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Let the children remove the things from their bags to represent repentance.
New Era January 2019 “How to Get Better Revelation Reception” Use a cup and string communication device and put folded papers on the string of things that might interfere with receiving revelation. (See article for more information.)
Ask a child to read Matthew 3:11. How is the Holy Ghost like fire? For instance, fire can be comforting, and it gives light to guide us (see John 15:26; 2 Nephi 32:5).
Show objects or pictures that represent ways we learn about the world (such as a school, book, or smartphone). What can we learn when we use these things? Explain that in 1 Corinthians 2:11, 14, Paul taught that we can learn about God only through the Spirit of God, which is the Holy Ghost. What can we do to learn “the things of God”?(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 1–7” )
Clap your hands as you say each syllable in the sentence “The Holy Ghost teaches us truth.” Ask the children to clap their hands and repeat the phrase. Share with the children an experience when the Holy Ghost helped you know that something was true.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 1–7” )
Friend January 2022 “Dinis Finds an Answer” Dinis and his family had joined the church, but a couple of years afterwards Dinis was questioning that decision. He knew he needed to ask God if the Church was true. He prayed harder than he ever had before. Then Dinis felt something. The feeling was strong and warm. It grew until he felt it all over his body. He knew it was the Holy Ghost telling him that the church was true.
When Christ was on the earth, He promised he would send The Holy Ghost to comfort us, Our true, eternal friend. The Holy Spirit whispers With a still small voice. He testifies of God and Christ And makes our hearts rejoice.
If you wanted to learn more about something like automotive mechanics or medieval architecture, how would you do it? According to 1 Corinthians 2:9–16, how is learning “the things of God” different from learning the “things of a man”? Why must we have the Holy Ghost in order to understand the things of God? After reading these verses, what do you feel you should do to understand spiritual things more fully? How could Paul’s words help someone who is struggling with his or her testimony? Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 1–7”
Friend January 2021 “The Party Problem” Luz felt uneasy about going to a graduation party. It didn’t sound like the kind of party where she’d be able to feel the Holy Ghost. She thought about it, made her choice not to go, and then asked Heavenly Father if that was the right choice. Afterwards she felt a wave of warmth and light and knew she had made the right choice.
Refiner
Refine: Fire can help refine gold and burns off the impurities that can’t be seen.
“Additionally, the Holy Ghost is a sanctifier13 who cleanses and burns dross and evil out of human souls as though by fire.
The Savior Himself proclaimed, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”25
Receiving the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost in our lives creates the possibility of an ongoing cleansing of our soul from sin. This joyous blessing is vital because “no unclean thing can dwell with God.”26
With the help of the Lord and through the power of His Spirit to “teach [us] all things,”31 indeed we can be blessed to realize our spiritual possibilities.”
Invite the children to close their eyes and hold out their hands. Then lightly brush their palms with a feather or string. Invite them to tell you when they feel it. What does this activity teach about recognizing the impressions of the Holy Ghost?
Invite the children to share experiences they have had with the Holy Ghost. Why does keeping our covenants help us to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost?
President Eyring said that he feels encouraged when he reads the story of Nephi getting the brass plates from Laban. Nephi didn’t know exactly what to do, but he was guided every moment by the Holy Ghost. When the Lord asks us to do something hard, the Holy Ghost will help us too.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 42:61, 68 with the children, emphasizing the phrase “revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge.” Explain that God does not reveal everything at once; instead, He gives us a little bit at a time. Show how a puzzle is built little by little, or use something similar to help the children understand this principle. Share an experience when you received revelation that blessed you.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 41–44”)
The Lord will give us revelation for our lives. “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:61).
Sit in a circle as a family. Take turns answering the question, “In what ways can I seek personal revelation?”
Give examples from the scriptures.
How do we “hear Him”?
Discussion: What steps can we take as a family to help each other receive and recognize personal revelation?
Several of Joseph Smith’s family members and friends asked him to seek the Lord’s will on their behalf. Joseph was happy to do so, but the Lord was also willing to give them personal revelation. In Doctrine and Covenants 11, a revelation that Joseph received for his older brother Hyrum, the Lord said, “I will impart unto you of my Spirit, … and then shall ye know … all things whatsoever you desire of me” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:13–14). What is the Lord trying to tell you about personal revelation?
William E. McLellin had five specific questions for the Lord. Joseph Smith received answers to them in a revelation even though he did not know what William’s questions were. This experience could help you teach the children that God is aware of them and can answer their questions.
Tell about how the Lord answered William E. McLellin’s questions through a revelation from the Prophet Joseph Smith (see Doctrine and Covenants 66, section heading). Testify that Heavenly Father knows us and wants to help us. Ask the children to share how they know that God loves them.
Read to the children Doctrine and Covenants 66:4. Tell the children about a time when the Lord showed you what He wanted you to do. Read the verse again, this time inserting the name of one of the children. Repeat for each of the children.
Friend March 2018 “Heavenly Father Listens” Elder Clayton felt the love of God as a teen when he prayed about some worries. Heavenly Father loves us and is interested in our lives just like a parent would be. (Activity page included: Find the hearts in the room of the girl who is praying.)
Moses knew by revelation how to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea (see Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3). How can this story help the children you teach learn to act on personal revelation?
Display the picture of Moses parting the Red Sea in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Ask the children to review Exodus 14:5–22 and share something they know about the story. What does Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 add to our understanding of the story? Tell about an experience when the Holy Ghost told you something in your mind or heart, and invite the children to talk about their experiences.
“You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit—that which enlighteneth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God.”
Friend January 2021 “The Bread Loaf Prayer” “How do you know when the Holy Ghost is talking to you?” Carver asked his parents. They decide to practice listening for the Holy Ghost. Carver’s mom bakes some bread and each person prays to know who to take it to. Carver thought of Sister Smith and he even listened and said the words to her that popped into his mind when he gave her the bread. He knew it was from the Holy Ghost.
Remind the children of the story of Nephi following the Spirit when he went to get the brass plates (see 1 Nephi 4:1–6). Help the children see that Moses also had to follow the Spirit when he led his people across the Red Sea. Help the children write a new verse to “Nephi’s Courage” (Children’s Songbook, 120–21) about how the Lord provided a way for Moses when he showed courage and followed the Spirit. Sing the new verse together.
Additional Resources:
A testimony of Jesus Christ comes through revelation.
Ask the children what they would say if someone asked them, “Who is Jesus?” Invite the children to read Matthew 16:13–17 to find out how Peter answered that question. How did he gain his testimony of Jesus?
Help the children compare the way we know spiritual truths with the ways we know other truths. For example, how do we know how tall a person is or what the weather is like? How do we know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Tell the children how the Holy Ghost has testified to you of the Savior.
Peter saw and heard the Savior’s teachings. However, he received his testimony of Christ through revelation rather than through his physical senses—his “flesh and blood” (see Matthew 16:13–17).
Gather a few objects (see ideas below). Take turns being blindfolded. Have each person use their other four senses to guess what the object is.
Ideas:
Smell a flower
Taste a treat
Listen to a song
Touch a soft sweater
Discussion: Read Doctrine and Covenants 6:14–15 and 8:2–3. How can we learn truth through the spiritual sense of revelation rather than only relying on our physical senses? Note that everyone receives a testimony through the Holy Ghost but that some feel that influence differently than others. How can personal revelation through the Holy Ghost deepen our testimonies of Christ?
Friend September 2015 “A New Feeling” – Child feels Holy Ghost while reading about Jesus in the scriptures
Elder Richard G. Scott said, “If you accomplish nothing else in your relationship with your students than to help them recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit, you will bless their lives immeasurably and eternally” (“To Learn and to Teach More Effectively” [Brigham Young University Education Week devotional, Aug. 21, 2007], 5, speeches.byu.edu).
Read to the children how Joseph Smith described the Spirit: “Yea, thus saith the still small voice” (Doctrine and Covenants 85:6). Ask the children to name some things that are small (show pictures if they need help). Invite them to crouch down on the ground to be as small and still as they can. Help them think about how a voice can be small, and let them practice listening to and speaking in a small voice. Tell about times when the Spirit spoke to you in a still, small voice.
Teach the children a song about the Spirit, such as “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105). Invite them to sing it with you in a whisper. What does this song teach about the Holy Ghost? Help the children recognize when they may have felt His influence (such as when praying, singing hymns, or helping others).
The world has many distractions that can make it difficult to hear the Spirit. How will you help the children listen for the Spirit’s voice?
Ask the children what they would say if someone asked them how they know when the Holy Ghost speaks to them. Invite them to read about one way Joseph Smith described the Spirit’s voice in Doctrine and Covenants 85:6.
Play a hymn or children’s song quietly, and ask one of the children to guess what song it is while the others make distracting noises, such as clapping or stomping. Then ask the other children to stop, and discuss how this is like hearing the Holy Ghost when we remove distractions from our lives. Help the children think of distractions they can remove in order to feel the Spirit more often.
How can you teach your family to recognize the still, small voice of the Spirit? Maybe you could play a game in which someone whispers important instructions amid distracting noises. What might be distracting us from hearing the Holy Ghost? Perhaps family members could share what they do to hear the voice of the Spirit.
For Doctrine and Covenants 85–87: Sing a hymn or Primary song very quietly. Practice concentrating on hearing and understanding the song. Help your little ones say, “I can listen for the Holy Ghost.”
Friend August 2016 “The Little Bottle of Silence” Gage’s grandfather gives him a empty bottle of “silence” at his baptism to remind Gage that quietness helps you hear the Holy Ghost. He feels the Holy Ghost comforting him during a sad time when he seeks quiet time.
Friend September 2015 “Sister Pettigrew’s Lesson” Elder Ronald A. Rasband tells how he learned to listen to the still, small voice
Friend June 2016 Poem about a quiet place to go to pray and feel the Spirit. Also includes lesson ideas.
The Holy Ghost speaks to me in a still, small voice.
Jezebel seeks the life of Elijah—An angel sends him to Horeb—The Lord speaks to Elijah, not in the wind nor the earthquake nor the fire, but in a still, small voice—Elisha joins Elijah.
Summarize for the children the story found in 1 Kings 19:9–12, and read verses 11–12. Invite them to do actions to represent the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire. Then invite them to sit very still as you read the end of verse 12 in a soft voice: “after the fire a still small voice.” Ask them to try speaking in a still, small voice. Tell them about times when you have experienced a prompting from the Holy Ghost.
Friend August 2016 “The Little Bottle of Silence” Gage’s grandfather gives him a empty bottle of “silence” at his baptism to remind Gage that quietness helps you hear the Holy Ghost. He feels the Holy Ghost comforting him during a sad time when he seeks quiet time.
Friend September 2015 “Sister Pettigrew’s Lesson” Elder Ronald A. Rasband tells how he learned to listen to the still, small voice
Help the children recognize when they may have felt the Holy Ghost’s influence. For example, play or sing a reverent song about Jesus, and ask them how they feel when they think about Him. Ask them how they feel during other reverent activities, such as praying with their families or partaking of the sacrament. Explain that these feelings come from the Holy Ghost. Tell the children how the power of the Holy Ghost has blessed your life.
Ask the children to listen closely as you read 1 Kings 19:11–12 to them very quietly. Invite them to search 1 Kings 19 to find the verses you read and learn what Elijah was doing. Talk about what they had to do to hear what you were saying, and help them compare this to what we have to do to hear the “still small voice” of the Spirit. Let the children take turns quietly reading other verses from 1 Kings 19 while other children find those verses in the scriptures.
Share with the children some additional scriptures that describe how the Spirit communicates with us (see Guide to the Scriptures, “Inspiration, Inspire,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Ask the children to talk about times when they have felt the Holy Ghost guiding them or testifying to them. What were they doing? What can distract us from recognizing the Spirit? Read together Moroni 4:3, and encourage the children to choose one thing they will do so they can “always have his Spirit to be with them.”
Story: Elijah was a prophet. He learned that the Holy Ghost speaks in a still, small voice. You can read this story on page 8 or in 1 Kings 19:11–12.
Song: “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105)
Activity: Have everyone sit in a line. The first person whispers some words to the next person. Each person whispers the words to the next person. The last person tells everyone what they heard. What can you do to hear the Holy Ghost better?
The Holy Ghost leads us “to do good” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:12) and helps us “know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). If you have a thought to do something good or a feeling of love for the Savior, it’s probably from the Holy Ghost!
Most of the time, the Holy Ghost doesn’t use a loud voice or give you a really big feeling. It’s quiet and peaceful. Learning to follow the Holy Ghost can take practice.
“When she said that, I was so surprised. Just earlier, I had prayed and asked my Heavenly Father to help me hear the Holy Ghost. All my life I’d had thoughts that guided me to choose the right. Now I knew that those thoughts came from the Holy Ghost!
Since then, I have noticed the Holy Ghost a lot more. Just last Sunday, we were having home evening again. This time it was about testimonies. I didn’t really know what a testimony was, so I asked my dad. He told me that a testimony is something you know or believe to be true. He said we get our testimonies from the Holy Ghost. I then thought of how I started noticing the Holy Ghost more, and BOOM! I also had a testimony!”
Friend November 2023 “Listening to the Holy Ghost” The Holy Ghost brings us messages from Heavenly Father. This is called revelation. Have you ever had a warm, happy feeling when you sing in Primary? Or had a thought to help someone? Those good thoughts and feelings come from the Holy Ghost! Ask these questions to help you know when the Holy Ghost is speaking to you.
The Lord calls Samuel—The house of Eli will not be purged by sacrifices and offerings—Samuel is recognized as a prophet by all Israel—The Lord appears to him.
Invite one child to pretend to be Samuel and another to pretend to be Eli as you read 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (or show the video “Samuel and Eli,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). What can we learn from Samuel about how to listen to the voice of the Lord? How do we show that we are willing to hear when the Lord speaks to us?
Invite the children to think about how they would explain to someone how the Lord speaks to them. Invite them to look for answers in one or more of the following scriptures: Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23; 8:2–3; 9:7–9.
The Holy Ghost leads us “to do good” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:12) and helps us “know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). If you have a thought to do something good or a feeling of love for the Savior, it’s probably from the Holy Ghost!
Most of the time, the Holy Ghost doesn’t use a loud voice or give you a really big feeling. It’s quiet and peaceful. Learning to follow the Holy Ghost can take practice.
It might be fun to act out the story of the Lord calling to Samuel, or your family could watch the video “Samuel and Eli” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Family members could talk about times when they have felt the Lord speaking to them and how they acted on His words. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3”
Samuel heard the Lord’s voice when he was a young boy but did not recognize it at first. Try this activity to learn about listening:
Blindfold one person or have them cover their eyes.
From another room, a family member will say the blindfolded person’s name.
If the blindfolded person can guess who spoke, the speaking person will give directions to help the blindfolded person find him or her.
Take turns being the blindfolded person and the person saying the name.
Discussion: We can hear the voice of the Lord in the scriptures, the temple, and the teachings of living prophets. How do you hear His voice? Read or listen to President Russell M. Nelson’s April 2020 general conference talk “Hear Him” and look for ways we can hear the Lord’s voice better in our own lives. Talk about how you as a family can “hear Him.”
Nephi was blessed with revelation when he pondered the things the Lord had shown him.
Ponder means to meditate and think deeply, often upon the scriptures or other things of God. When combined with prayer, pondering the things of God may bring revelation and understanding. (Guide to the Scriptures)
What does it mean to ponder? (To think about and consider) The scriptures tell us that many prophets received revelation from the Lord as they were pondering upon the things of God. We also open ourselves up to revelation as we ponder upon our problems during scripture study, during church meetings, and during our prayers.
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon received Doctrine and Covenants 76 when they were pondering the scriptures. Help the children see how studying the scriptures can invite revelation through the Holy Ghost.
Ask the children if they know what Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were doing when they saw the vision in Doctrine and Covenants 76. Invite them to read verses 15–19 to find out. Share a time when you received inspiration while reading the scriptures, and ask the children to talk about the spiritual feelings they have when reading the scriptures.
Ask the children to close their eyes and try to perform a task, like coloring a picture or opening the scriptures to a specific verse. What are some things that are difficult to do when our eyes are closed spiritually? Read together Doctrine and Covenants 76:12, 15–19, 114–16 to find out what we need to do to have our eyes opened spiritually.
In Holy Places
I can feel God’s presence in holy places and learn to become more like him
The tabernacle is reared—Aaron and his sons are washed and anointed and given an everlasting priesthood—The glory of the Lord fills the tabernacle—A cloud covers the tabernacle by day, and fire rests on it by night.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19”The Lord commanded the children of Israel to build the tabernacle so He could “dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). You can help the children learn about the holy places God has given us today to help us feel His presence.The tabernacle not only allowed the children of Israel to have the presence of God with them, but it also taught them things they could do to become more like God.
Younger Children: Show a picture of a temple, and read Exodus 25:8 to the children. Explain that in our day, God has given us holy places where we can be close to Him. Help the children list some of these places. Ask the children how they feel when they think about these holy places. Share with them that we can also feel close to God when we pray, no matter where we are.
Older Children: Ask the children to read Exodus 25:8 to find out why the Lord wanted the children of Israel to build a “sanctuary” (or tabernacle). Help the children list places and situations where we can feel the presence of the Lord. How do these places help us become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
Friend November 2009 “Making Your Home a Holy Place” Our home can be one of the holiest places on earth. We can do things to make it easier to feel the Holy Ghost in our homes. Look at each room in this house and decide if what the children are doing will or will not make the house a holier place. If something is happening that will make it easier to feel the Holy Ghost, choose the blue letter. If not, choose the red letter. To find out what your home can be like, fill in the blanks with the correct letters from each room.
In what seemed like a powerless condition in Liberty Jail, Joseph was given revelation about power—not the political or military power that had been exerted over the Saints but “the powers of heaven.” As you read Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46, what do you learn about God’s power? How is it different from worldly power? For example, look at the words the Lord uses in verses 41–43 to describe “power or influence.” What do they teach about how God maintains His “power or influence”? Perhaps these verses could inspire you to ponder your life and what you can do to be an influence for good in your relationships with others.
Perhaps an analogy would help your family understand “the powers of heaven.” For example, you could compare God’s power to electrical power; what might prevent an electrical device from receiving power? What does this analogy, along with verses 34–36, 41–45, teach us about how to increase our spiritual power? Maybe family members could share stories from the Savior’s life that exemplify these attributes.
Draw a line with the words high power at one end and low power at the other. Draw an arrow pointing at the middle of the line. Choose several words or phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46 that teach how we decrease or increase heavenly power in our lives (such as “cover our sins,” “pride,” “gentleness,” and “love”). Invite the children to take turns picking a word, deciding if the word leads to a decrease or increase in power, and moving the arrow accordingly. Talk with the children about people they know who have been a good influence on others because they follow the Lord’s counsel in these verses.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:41–42, 45, and ask the children to list qualities in these verses that the Lord wants us to have. Help them define any words they don’t understand. Assign each child one quality, and help them think of a way that they can show it. Once they have all shared, ask them to read verses 45–46 and list the blessings they will receive if they develop those qualities.
Read together the first line of Doctrine and Covenants 121:46. How can the Holy Ghost be our “constant companion”? Sing together “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105) or another song about the gift of the Holy Ghost. What does the song teach us about why we want the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion?
New Era January 2019 “How to Get Better Revelation Reception” Use a cup and string communication device and put folded papers on the string of things that might interfere with receiving revelation. (See article for more information.)
Object Lessons
Ensign July 2016 Recognizing promptings from the Holy Ghost: “I put various hard foods–such as rice, beans, pasta shells, and peppercorns–into opaque plastic containers, using two containers for each food item. We then challenged our children to match the foods by shaking the containers and listening carefully. After a few rounds I asked how this activity might be compared to identifying the voice of the Spirit among other distracting influences. Before long, the older children were telling about their experiences with the Holy Ghost, and we all gained an appreciation for what it means to hear and feel the still, small voice.” Anita L. Reeves
Ensign April 2017 “The Just Shall Live by Faith” Draw a features on a face blindfolded by listening to directions from friends or family.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 If you have a compass, a map, or something else that helps us find our way, you could show it to your children. This could be a good way to begin a discussion about the Liahona, which you can read about in 1 Nephi 16:10, 28–29. What are some reasons a compass or map might not work? Why did the Liahona sometimes not work for Lehi’s family? (see 1 Nephi 18:9–12, 20–22). What has Heavenly Father given us today to guide us back to Him?
Friend May 2000 “Sharing Time: Keeping Promises” The Liahona is like the Holy Ghost. Roller Box story.
Come Follow Me Kids “I Will Prepare the Way Before You If it’s something that would be conducive to receiving revelations, have the kids make a thumbs up sign. If it’s something that would interfere with receiving revelation, make a thumbs down sign. Talk about additional ways we can keep the commandments and feel the Lord’s spirit and guidance. You hurt your brother/sister. You disobey your mom/dad. You share your candy with your brother/sister. You tell your family members that you love them. You help your brother/sister clean up their toys. You give a family member a hug to help them feel better when they get hurt. You listen to songs with bad words. You pray reverently. You try to be like Jesus
I must keep the commandments to have the guidance of the Lord in my life
Pour the container of water into the rectangular pan. Have a volunteer try to blow the paper boat from one long side of the pan to the other. Have two other volunteers try to make the task difficult by blowing the boat in the opposite direction and by blowing on the water to make waves. (Have the volunteers stay about a foot away from the boat as they do their individual tasks.) When the boat reaches the other side of the pan, or when it sinks, point out the difficulties that occurred during the activity: the boat tumbling over, the boat filling with water, the boat going in the wrong direction, etc.
Remind the children of the ship that Nephi built. Nephi was blessed with Heavenly Father’s guidance in building the ship, so it was a well built ship, but crossing a sea in any ship can be dangerous. Storms can occur, causing heavy winds that could blow the ship off course. Large waves can form that could flood or capsize a ship. Navigating a ship can also be a problem. In the vast, wide open, empty sea it is difficult to know where you are and what direction you are going. People could starve to death or die of thirst if they can not find their way to land. Nephi and his family needed the help of the Lord to carry out the difficult and perilous journey of crossing the sea.
Game: Show the game board and explain to the children that the object of the game is to get the ship from the start to the promised land.
Ask the children if they remember what the promised land is a representation of. (Eternal Life) Explain that as we travel through our mortal lives, we need to strive to do the things necessary to attain eternal life. There are things that help us move toward that goal, and there are things that impede our progress. In this game we talk about both.
Have the children take turns drawing papers out of the bag and moving the ship on the game board. If they draw the sun, they move the ship forward two spaces. They must then tell of something that helps keep the guidance of the Lord in their lives. They must also explain how doing that thing helps them in life. Answers might include: prayer, scripture reading, keeping the commandments, being honest, being kind to others, etc.
If they draw the lightning they move the ship back one space. They then tell of something that drives the Spirit away and causes suffering in people’s lives. They must also explain how it causes suffering. Answers might include: swearing, lying, cheating, complaining, arguing, stealing, using drugs or alcohol, etc. Note: If they draw a lightning piece at the start, they stay at the start position.
Continue in this manner, with the children taking turns drawing papers from the bag and moving the ship, until they have reached the space marked “Promised Land.”
Primary 4: Book of Mormon ” Lesson 7: Crossing the Sea” Write words or phrases such as prayer, choice of friends, words we use, television shows, video programs, music, movies, obedience to parents, keeping the commandments, kindness to brothers and sisters, respect for other people, service, or other appropriate activities on separate slips of paper. Put the papers in a small container. As each child draws out a piece of paper, have him or her read it to the class and tell how what is written can affect our ability to have the Holy Ghost in our lives. (See more lesson ideas at link.)
The Spirit can speak to our hearts and help us know what God wants us to say or do.
Ask the children how Samuel the Lamanite knew what to say when he was preaching from the city wall. Invite them to search Helaman 13:2–4 for an answer. Tell about a time when the Holy Ghost helped you know in your heart what God wanted you to do or say. Ask the children to share any similar experiences they have had.
When Samuel the Lamanite was commanded to preach to the Nephites, Heavenly Father helped him know in his heart what he should say.
Teach the children that while we speak to each other using words, the Holy Ghost can communicate through feelings in our hearts. Invite them to hold their hands over their hearts each time you read the word “heart” in Helaman 13:2–5. Help them decorate heart-shaped pieces of paper that say, “The Spirit speaks to me in my heart.”
The Holy Ghost helps them know what Heavenly Father wants them to do and say.
In the fall of 1828, a young schoolteacher named Oliver Cowdery took a teaching job in Manchester, New York, and stayed with the family of Lucy and Joseph Smith Sr. Oliver had heard about their son Joseph, who was now living in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and Oliver, who considered himself a seeker of truth, wanted to know more. The Smiths described visits from angels, an ancient record, and the gift to translate by the power of God. Oliver was fascinated. Could it be true? Lucy and Joseph Sr. gave him advice that applies to anyone seeking truth: pray and ask the Lord. Oliver did, and the Lord answered, speaking peace and reassurance to Oliver’s mind.
With Oliver assisting, the translation of the Book of Mormon went faster. After working as scribe for some time, Oliver wanted to translate. He was given permission to translate but failed when he tried. Oliver thought that the ability to translate would be given to him by merely asking Heavenly Father for it, but he learned that it required great mental and spiritual effort. The ability to translate had to come through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost
Oliver Cowdery tried to translate the Book of Mormon but couldn’t, so Joseph asked the Lord why. Read to the children the Lord’s answer: “You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8).
Discuss with the children the process for making decisions that was revealed to Oliver Cowdery through Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 9:8–9:
Study the problem or question in your mind. Think about how you could solve the problem or answer the question.
Decide what you think you should do.
Ask Heavenly Father if your decision is right.
Listen with your heart and mind. If your decision is right, the Holy Ghost will give you a good feeling about it. If your decision is wrong, you will not feel good about it, and you need to make a different choice.
Friend January 2021 “The Party Problem” Luz felt uneasy about going to a graduation party. It didn’t sound like the kind of party where she’d be able to feel the Holy Ghost. She thought about it, made her choice not to go, and then asked Heavenly Father if that was the right choice. Afterwards she felt a wave of warmth and light and knew she had made the right choice.
Invite the children to touch their heads and their chests as you read the words “mind” and “heart” in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2. Help them understand that Heavenly Father speaks to us through the Holy Ghost, who gives us thoughts and feelings. Sing together a song about the Holy Ghost, such as “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105). What does the song teach about how the Spirit speaks to us? Share an experience when you felt the Holy Ghost in your mind and heart.
Draw on the board a head and a heart. Help the children read the following verses and determine which describe the Holy Ghost speaking to our minds, to our hearts, or to both: Doctrine and Covenants 6:15, 23; 8:2; 9:8; 9:9. Tell the children, from your experiences, what it’s like when the Holy Ghost speaks to your mind and heart.
Show the radio to the children but do not turn it on. Ask the children if they can hear what is being broadcast, and briefly discuss why they cannot. Turn on the radio but do not have it tuned to a station. Point out that the radio is on, but the children still cannot hear what is being broadcast.
What must we do before we can hear the radio clearly?
Help the children understand that listening to the Holy Ghost may be compared to listening to a radio. Before we can hear what Heavenly Father wants us to know, we must be tuned in to the Holy Ghost.
Joseph learned that he could not translate without the help of the Holy Ghost. One morning he was upset with Emma over something she had done. When he tried to translate, he found that he could not translate at all. Joseph went out into the orchard to pray and ask the Lord why he could not translate. He soon realized that he needed to make peace with Emma before he could have the help of the Holy Ghost. He came back into the house and asked Emma’s forgiveness. He was then able to continue with the translation.
Make two columns on the chalkboard. Label one Invites the Spirit and the other Offends the Spirit. Help the children understand that the Spirit (the Holy Ghost) is very important in our lives. Explain that good things invite the Spirit into our lives while bad things offend the Spirit and cause him to leave (see Moroni 7:12–13). Ask the children to think of actions to list in each column, such as listening to good music and being kind under Invites the Spirit and quarreling and being dishonest under Offends the Spirit.Explain that the Holy Ghost will teach us, comfort us, protect us, strengthen us, and guide us (see Gospel Principles [31110], chapter 7), but to receive his help we must do things that will invite him to continue to be with us.
Have the children look up Doctrine and Covenants 8:2, and have a child read the verse aloud. Discuss how each person can receive personal revelation by listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Share an experience when the Holy Ghost directed you, and invite the children to share similar experiences.
Explain that when we have the Spirit with us, we feel differently than we feel when we do not have the Spirit or when Satan is influencing us. Read the statements below, and ask the children to stand when the statement describes how we feel when we have the Spirit, and sit when the statement describes how we feel when we do not have the Spirit.
You feel happy and calm.
You feel selfish.
You feel generous.
You become easily discouraged.
You want to make others happy.
You want to get even.
You are forgiving and kind.
You feel happy when others do well.
List on separate pieces of paper several activities that invite the Spirit and that can be pantomimed by the children. Put the pieces of paper in a container. Have each child select a piece of paper and pantomime the activity listed while the other children try to guess what the activity is.Possible activities:
Read the scriptures.
Pray.
Perform an act of kindness or service (such as washing dishes or playing with a baby).
Sit reverently in church.
You may want to have the children choose one of these activities to do during the week. Give the children paper and pencils so they can write down what they have chosen, and tell the children to put their papers where they can be seen often to remind them to do the chosen action.
Sing or say the words to “Search, Ponder, and Pray” (Children’s Songbook, p. 109). Discuss what the song teaches us to do to obtain a testimony (you may need to explain that pondermeans to study or think deeply about).
Sing or say the words to “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, p. 106) and discuss how the Holy Ghost speaks to us. Help the children understand that we do not often hear the Holy Ghost speak out loud. Usually the Holy Ghost gives us feelings or puts ideas into our minds about what is right.
The Lord will bless me and others when I listen to the Spirit.
As Nephi was writing the record of his people, God directed him to create two sets of plates, called the small plates and the large plates of Nephi. Nephi didn’t know why he was commanded to create two sets of plates, but he trusted that the Lord had “a wise purpose … , which purpose I know not” (1 Nephi 9:5
Centuries later, as Mormon was abridging Nephi’s large plates, he came across the small plates. The small plates covered many of the same events described in the large plates that Mormon had already abridged, but the small plates focused more on spiritual matters and the ministry and teachings of the prophets. God inspired Mormon to include the small plates of Nephi in his record in addition to the large plates.
Like Nephi, Mormon didn’t understand God’s purpose for having both sets of plates, but he trusted that it was “for a wise purpose” (Words of Mormon 1:7).
Today we know what God’s purpose was. In 1828, after Joseph Smith had translated part of Mormon’s abridgment of Nephi’s large plates (116 manuscript pages), Martin Harris lost those pages. God commanded Joseph not to retranslate this portion because evil men would change the words and try to discredit Joseph (see Doctrine and Covenants 10, section heading; Doctrine and Covenants 10:14–19, 30–45).
Video and Images from Doctrine and Covenants Stories
Thankfully, God had foreseen this and provided the small plates, which covered the same history that was lost with the 116 pages. The small plates compose the books that come before Words of Mormon, and Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates begins after the Words of Mormon.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Enos-Words of Mormon” Mormon followed the guidance of the Holy Ghost to include the small plates of Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Everything we’ve studied in the Book of Mormon so far this year has come to us because Mormon made the choice to listen to the Spirit. How can you help your children learn about listening to the Spirit? Invite them to take turns reading the verses from Words of Mormon 1:3–8. You could talk about what they learn from each verse. Your children could then:
Invite the children to share stories they have learned from the Book of Mormon so far this year (pictures from the Gospel Art Book may help them remember). Explain that we have these stories in the Book of Mormon because Mormon listened when the Holy Ghost told him to include them.
Sing together a song about the Holy Ghost, such as “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, 106–7).( Sing it several times in different ways, such as fast, slow, or in a whisper. When you whisper the song, open to Words of Mormon 1:7, and point out that Mormon described the Holy Ghost as a whisper.)
Come Follow Me Kid Hidden Candy- Hide a piece of candy somewhere in the room. Blindfold one person and assign another person to act as the “still small voice.” Have the rest of the family talk loudly while the blindfolded person tries to hear the still small voice’s whispered directions to where the candy is. Talk about how we’re blessed when we listen for the Holy Ghost and heed the Holy Ghost’s promptings. Point out how Words of Mormon 1: 7 explains the Spirit as something that whispers to us. Encourage family members to try to hear the quiet promptings from the Spirit each day.
Share an experience when you followed a prompting from the Holy Ghost (or share the story below). How did your actions bless others? Explain that Heavenly Father wants us to help and bless others, so He sends the Holy Ghost to guide us.
Friend March 2020 “Check the Kittens” After everyone has gone to bed, a girl kept having the thought to go and check on their kittens. She acted on the prompting and found that a warming light had fallen over onto the kittens cardboard box and would have caught on fire. The Holy Ghost helped keep their family and kittens safe.
Write a note for each child, describing a spiritual gift you have seen in him or her (or you could invite parents to write these notes). Put the notes in envelopes. Allow the children to open the envelopes, and help them read about their spiritual gifts.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” ).
Cut out cards. Give one card to each parent to fill out. The name of the child goes on the top line.
The Red Crystal has black and white copies that the children could fill out.
“Write the gifts named in Moroni 10:9-16 on strips of paper, and put them in a gift box. Write the numbers 9 through 16 on the board, and invite the children to take turns picking a paper from the box and matching it to the verse number on the board. What do we learn about these gifts from verses 8 and 17-18?”
Share with them some additional spiritual gifts mentioned by Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “The gift of asking; the gift of listening; … the gift of avoiding contention; … the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; … the gift of caring for others; … the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony” (“There Are Many Gifts,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 20). Invite the children to talk about the spiritual gifts they see in each other. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” )
After reading these verses together, consider giving everyone a piece of paper with the name of another family member (or classmate) at the top. Ask everyone to list the spiritual gifts they notice that person has. You could then pass the papers in a circle until everyone has had a chance to write about each family member’s gifts. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8-13”
Before class, ask the parents of the children in your class about the gifts they see in their children, or think about the children’s gifts yourself. Tell the children about these gifts. Invite the children to write down one way they will use their gifts to bless someone this week.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 8–13” )
Friend September 2019 “Family Night Fun” How many different kinds of fruit can your family name? Read “Paul’s Letters” (FJ4). One thing the Apostle Paul taught the people of Galatia was about the “fruit of the Spirit.” Like a tree that gives us fruit, the Holy Ghost can give us wonderful blessings. Talk about what blessings come from the Holy Ghost. (For a hint, look at Galatians 5:22–23.)
Display or show pictures of several kinds of fruit, and ask the children to describe how each fruit tastes. Explain that just as fruits have different flavors, we can feel the Holy Ghost in different ways, such as love and peace. Describe some of the ways you have felt the Holy Ghost in your life, and let the children share how the Holy Ghost feels to them. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians” )
Read Galatians 5:22–23 with the children, and explain words they may not be familiar with. Invite each child to select a fruit of the Spirit mentioned in these verses, and help them think of a time when he or she has experienced it. Invite the children to draw simple pictures of their experiences.(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians” )
If I “walk in the Spirit,” I will receive the “fruit of the Spirit.” (Sr)
Give each child a piece of paper (you could cut the paper into fruit shapes), and ask the children to find a “fruit of the Spirit” listed in Galatians 5:22–23. Invite them to write one of the fruits on one side of their paper and a word that means the opposite on the other side. (Help them understand words they aren’t familiar with.) Invite them to share their fruits with the class. What can we do to have the Holy Ghost with us always?(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians” )
Story: When we keep the commandments and listen to the Holy Ghost, we receive blessings in our lives. Paul called these blessings “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–23).
Song: “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, 106–7)
Activity: Turn to page 8 and do the activity to learn more about the fruits of the Spirit. What other blessings does the Holy Ghost give you?
Invite the children to read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 and write about or draw a picture of a time when they felt one of those fruits. Ask them to share their story or picture with another person in the class. Why is fruit a good way to help us understand how the Spirit influences us?(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Galatians” )
Ensign September 2019 add some fun to your discussion of Galatians 5:22–23, your family could label different fruits with words Paul used to describe the “fruit of the Spirit.” Then each family member could select one, define it, and talk about someone who exemplifies that fruit. This could lead to a discussion about ways your family could invite the Spirit into your home and cultivate this fruit. After the discussion, you could enjoy a fruit salad together.
Moroni described the gifts that God gives to His children when they have faith in Him.
Write the numbers 9 through 16 on separate pieces of paper, and wrap each paper like a gift. Let the children take turns unwrapping the gifts. (or put all the papers in one gift box and let the children take turns picking a paper from the box) As they do, read together verses from Moroni 10:9–16 that correspond with the numbers, and help the children identify each spiritual gift. Explain that these are gifts Heavenly Father gives His children so we can help each other and do His work.
Tell the children about spiritual gifts you have noticed that Heavenly Father has given them, such as the gifts of faith, wisdom, testimony, kindness, and the ability to learn. Let the children talk briefly about favorite gifts they have received.
Use this activity to talk more about Moroni 10:18 (“every good gift cometh of Christ”).
Ahead of time, wrap a Book of Mormon with many layers of wrapping paper or colored cellophane. Tell your family you’ll share clues about what’s inside this gift.
As you share each clue (for example, “This teaches us about Jesus Christ”), invite a family member to take off a layer of paper and guess what’s inside.
If someone guesses correctly, continue unwrapping and take turns sharing truths about the Book of Mormon.
Discussion: Once the book is unwrapped, end by reading Moroni 10:18 together. What can your family do to share the gift of the gospel with others?
In Kirtland, many of the new members that Parley P. Pratt and the other missionaries had baptized had plenty of zeal but little experience or direction in how to live the gospel. They had been drawn to the restored gospel by the promise of marvelous manifestations of the Spirit. Soon, some unusual expressions of worship—including falling to the ground or writhing like a snake—were introduced into their Church meetings. Many found it hard to discern which manifestations were of the Spirit and which were not. Seeing the confusion, Joseph Smith prayed for help. The Lord revealed that spiritual manifestations are real and clarified what they are—gifts from a loving Heavenly Father, “given for the benefit of those who love [Him] and keep all [His] commandments” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:9).
Write on pieces of paper some of the spiritual gifts found in Doctrine and Covenants 46:13–26 and Articles of Faith 1:7, and hide them around the room. Invite each child to find one of the papers and search the verses to find where that gift is mentioned in the scriptures. Then read together Doctrine and Covenants 46:8–9, 12. Why does Heavenly Father give us spiritual gifts?
Sing “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79).
Heavenly Father gave each of us spiritual gifts (see Doctrine and Covenants 46:11–26). That means He gave us special talents. Everyone is unique and important to Heavenly Father!
Think about what gifts you have. Then put on a family talent show! Share the gifts Heavenly Father has given you with others.
Heavenly Father Gives Me Spiritual Gifts to Bless Others.
Ponder what your spiritual gifts are—and how you can use them “for the benefit of the children of God” (verse 26).
Give a child something that can be shared, like a piece of bread or two toys. Ask the child to share what you have given him or her with another class member. Explain that Heavenly Father gives us gifts, and He wants us to use them to help others. Tell the children about a time when you were blessed because someone shared his or her spiritual gifts.
Elder Robert D. Hales: “These gifts are given to those who are faithful to Christ. They will help us know and teach the truths of the gospel. They will help us bless others. They will guide us back to our Heavenly Father” (“Gifts of the Spirit,” Ensign, Feb. 2002, 16).
Ponder why it is important that you “always [remember] for what they are given” (verse 8). How can these truths help you “not be deceived”? (verse 8).
See also Gospel Topics, “Spiritual Gifts,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Have you ever wished a friend would do something a little differently? Like reach out to you more, not tease you so much, or support you in something? It’s important to have good friends. But first, it might help to be a good friend.
Time for some self-reflection: Are you the kind of friend you’d want to be friends with? Do you follow Jesus Christ’s example in your friendships?
Let’s take a look in the mirror. Ask yourself each of these questions, and then see how you can be a better friend.
May I share something I’ve learned about choosing friends? Watch what makes them laugh. What makes us laugh says a lot about us.
Find those who laugh with, who do not laugh at; who include others and draw the circle bigger, not smaller; who are kind and do not bully or make fun of others in person or online, especially those with physical or mental challenges or those who are new or from other countries or backgrounds.
Be lighthearted, not light-minded. Lighthearted means wholesome, good humor—lots of it. In contrast, light-minded can include making fun of sacred things, using bad language, or doing edgy things that appeal to the world.
As Doctrine and Covenants 88:40 teaches, like things attract each other. Be the friend you want others to be to you. Look for friends who help you become what you truly want to be.
Jonathan loves David—Saul sets David over his armies—David is honored by the people, and Saul becomes jealous—David marries Michal, a daughter of Saul.
Draw two figures on the board, one to represent David and the other to represent Jonathan. Read to the children a few phrases from 1 Samuel 18:1–4 that emphasize the love these two friends felt for each other. Give each child a paper heart, and ask them how they can show love to a friend. After each child shares an idea, invite the child to attach the paper heart to the board.
Friend August 2018 Find the words below that tell how we can share the Savior’s love with others.
Tell the children about a good friend who helps you live the gospel or build your faith in Jesus Christ, and invite the children to share who helps them. Invite the children to act out doing something nice for a friend.
Friend April 2017 “Be a Light” Color in the sun as you figure out someone to do certain things for as a true friend such as loving, forgiving, encouraging, etc.
Lesson 29: David and Jonathan,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 125–30 To help the children understand how to be a true friend.
Tell the children that one way to strengthen friendships is to get to know one another better. To help the class members know each other better, play the following game.Pass around a bowl of small pieces of candy or dried beans. As you pass the bowl around, have each child name something he or she likes to do, take a piece of candy or a bean, and pass the bowl to the next child. Keep passing the bowl until all the children have had at least one turn.Alternate game: Have the children sit in a circle. Play spin the bottle by placing a narrow bottle on its side on the floor. Tell one thing about yourself and spin the bottle. Whoever the mouth of the bottle points to when the bottle stops spinning will be next to tell one thing about himself or herself, plus one good thing that he or she knows about someone in the class (this could be something the children have learned during the game or something they already knew about the person). Have the child spin the bottle to determine who has the next turn.
How can you help the children know that the Savior loves us even more than a dear friend does?
Display a picture of the Savior as you read Doctrine and Covenants 84:77. Invite the children to point to the picture of the Savior every time they hear the word “friends.” Explain that when we try to keep the commandments, we show Jesus that we love Him. Share what it means to you to have Jesus as your friend.
Help the children list some things they can do to show their friends that they love them. What did Jesus do to show us that He is our friend? What can we do to show the Savior that we are His friends? Sing together a song about Jesus, such as “Jesus Is Our Loving Friend” (Children’s Songbook, 58).
Friend March 2020 “What’s on Your Mind?” A child doesn’t know how to make friends. The Friend magazine explains that lots of other kids are looking for a friend too. So why not be the first to smile and say hello? The Friend also includes an activity where children can think about what they would say in certain situations.
Friend August 2017 “Friends Come and Go” Ways of dealing with friends moving away and making new friends.
(Idea: Before the lesson, cut the picture into parts. During the lesson discuss each part as you put the picture back together on the board)
Friend June 2017 “Question Corner” Ideas from children on how to make friends.
Friend May 2017 HELP for Shyness. It was hard for me to make friends. Then my cousin taught me to think of the word HELP. H is for “hobbies.” E is for “education.” L is for “what you like.” And P is for “plans.” I could talk to anyone about hobbies, school, what we liked to do, and what we were planning to do. That helped me so much that I grew up to be a journalist who interviews lots of people! Linda Davies, video producer
Friend April 2017 “Be a Light” Color in the sun as you figure out someone to do certain things for as a true friend such as loving, forgiving, encouraging, etc.
Friend February 2015 “Question Corner” Children give ideas on how to make friends in a new school.
Friend February 2015 “Happy Alone, Happy Together” Ideas on what to do when want to be alone or when we are lonely.
Friend April 2021 I was feeling lonely at recess, so I asked someone if they would play with me. We started playing with chalk, and more people came, and it was so much fun! If you feel lonely, you can ask someone to play with you! (includes photo)
Friend March 2022 “The Origami Activity” Toshi had just moved to the Philippines and didn’t know the language. He planned a party for his Primary class, and his father help translate. Everyone had a good time.
Working Through Disagreements
Friend May 2019 “What’s on Your Mind” Ideas on how to work through disagreements.
Friend September 2019 “3 Ways to Get Along With Others” Love them, forgive them, treat them the way you wanted to be treated. (Includes Golden Rule activity and coloring page.)
When Job was struggling, his friends said that God was punishing him because he had sinned. This story can help you teach the children a better way to respond when a friend has challenges (see Job 16:1–5).
Ask the children to review the many hard things that happened to Job (see Job 1:13–19; 2:7). Read together Job 19:14, 19, looking for how Job’s friends reacted to his trials (see also Job 22:1–5). Invite the children to imagine that they were Job’s friends—how would they try to help him? Encourage them to think of a friend who may be going through a difficult time and plan something they can do to show love and support to their friend.
Ask the children to list some qualities of a good friend and to name a friend who has these qualities. Show a picture of Jesus Christ. In what ways is Jesus a good friend to each of us? How can we follow His example?
Friend October 2018 “Kaity and Quincy” Kaity, who has Down syndrome, loves her friend Quincy. Quincy always helps her at church. When Quincy’s brother dies, Katie wants to help her friend. She is able to comfort her sad, crying friend with just the right words and hugs.
Ensign January 2016 “The Kindness Challenge” When Jesus visited the people in the Americas, He taught them to love each other and to be kind. What can you do to follow Jesus and love others? Here are some ideas. Check off each challenge as you go.
Friend October 2015 Jesus showed love and kindness to everyone around Him. Take this quiz and think about how you can follow His example.
New Testament Seminary Student Manual (2023) After Jesus Christ learned that John the Baptist had been beheaded, He traveled with His Apostles to a solitary place. They were followed by a multitude. Even though He was suffering, the Savior had compassion on the crowd and taught and fed the people—5,000 men plus women and children. This lesson can help you be more compassionate and selfless like Jesus Christ.
Show the children a basket and some bread as you tell the story in Matthew 14:13–21. Explain that even though Jesus had tried to find a place to be alone, the people wanted to be near Him. Share the rest of the story with the children, and ask them to listen for what Jesus did to show kindness and love for the people.
Ask the children to share ways in which someone has been kind to them. Then help them think of things they can do this week to be kind to others. For every answer they give, draw a loaf of bread or a fish on the board. Tell the children that when they do these things, they are following the example Jesus set when He fed the five thousand people who were hungry.
We can follow the example of Jesus Christ by showing compassion and serving others even while we are experiencing our own difficulties.Note that a “desert place” ( verse 13) is a solitary place, and “victuals” ( verse 15) means “food.”
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Friend July 2023 “Magnolia’s Amazing Dad” Some kids in Primary weren’t kind to Magnolia. They told her that her family wasn’t a good family because her Dad wasn’t a member of the church, but he went to church with them, and he did scripture study and prayer with the family. It made her want to cry because her father was an amazing dad. Magnolia talked to her parents and said. “Jesus taught us to be kind to everyone. Saying mean things doesn’t seem like following Jesus.” “You’re right,” said Dad. “Maybe when you feel like saying something mean, you can remember how you felt when others were unkind to you. Then you can say something kind instead.”
Read Matthew 7:12, and paraphrase it in simple words that the children can understand. Help the children think of several ways to complete a sentence like the following: “I like it when others_______ for me.” After each sentence, invite them to repeat with you, “So I should______ for others.”
The below video isn’t produced by the church, but it has some examples of the golden rule. Watching it without the volume on and discussing each picture might be a good way to show some examples.
Sing with the children a song that you feel reinforces Matthew 7:12, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61). Make up simple actions to accompany the song. Ask the children what they learn about how we should treat others from the Savior’s example.
Invite the children to list kind things their parents or other family members do for them. Read Matthew 7:12, and invite the children to name kind things they can do for their families.
Friend June 2019 Story “Each of us has an imaginary bucket inside of us. People fill our buckets when they do nice things for us. And we fill others’ buckets when we’re nice to them. For example, when your mom gives you a hug, she is filling your bucket. When you say something nice to someone, you are filling their bucket.”
Have each child decorate some small bucket, and have class members or family members write kind things about each person to put in their buckets.
Friend November 2023 “More than a Good Practice Day” Ismael saw a woman weeding the whole time he and his dad were playing soccer. He felt strongly that he should go over and tell her she was doing a good job. She seemed unhappy and tired until Ismael told her thank you for taking care of the park, and then she got a big smile and thanked him.
Ensign August 2017 “A Disciples Life” Circle two or three things you could do this week to be kind to others.
Ensign July 2017 “Family Home Evening Ideas” Consider asking family members to come to family home evening prepared to share a time when someone showed kindness to them and how it made them feel. Share one of the stories about kindness. You could then read together the “Looking Inside” and “Looking Outside” lists included with the article, inviting family members to select one or two ideas to work on. Encourage them to share their experiences at a future family home evening. You might want to conclude by singing “A Special Gift Is Kindness” or “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 145).
Friend April 2015 “Family Fun Time” Post on wall all the acts of kindness others have done for you.
Friend September 2021 “Kindness Begins with Me” Color in a heart every time you help someone, say something kind, act as a peacemaker, include someone who may feel lonely, or do any other act of kindness.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 24–27” Abraham’s servant was impressed with the remarkable kindness that Rebekah showed to him by offering water not only to him but to his 10 camels as well. Her example can be a reminder for the children to always be kind to others.
Show the picture of Rebekah in this week’s activity page. Point out details in the picture as you summarize the story in Genesis 24:10–21, in which Rebekah showed kindness to the servant of Abraham. Point out that her words and act of kindness were the sign that Rebekah was the one that God wanted to marry Abraham’s son Isaac. Invite the children to pretend to be the servant arriving with his camels or Rebekah getting water for them. Give them phrases to recite from the scriptures, such as “Let me … drink a little water” (verse 17) and “I will draw water for thy camels also” (verse 19). Why is it important for us to be kind to others?
Tell a story about how the Savior showed kindness to someone. Invite some of the children to share their own experiences of showing kindness.
Friend November 2019 “Being an Example” Activity Included: Draw a line to match the pictures of Jesus with ways you can be kind too.
Suggest several scenarios in which a child can show kindness, such as playing with friends or meeting someone new at school. Ask the children what they could do to be kind in these scenarios.
Friend July 2019 “A New Friend at Lunch” Austin sat with his friends at lunch, and they told jokes and shared cookies. Everyone was happy, except for a boy sitting alone. He was crying and sad. Austin comes up with a plan to help him. He invites the boy to sit with him and his friends, and then everyone is happy.
Friend July 2019
Friend July 2019
Friend July 2019
Friend May 2019 “The Red Cupcake” Sam couldn’t wait to have one of Ryan’s birthday cupcakes. But when he finally got to the front of the line to get his cupcake, it was the last one, and Jenny was still behind him. She looked sad, so Sam told the teacher that Jenny could have his cupcake. Jenny suggested that they share it, and they were both happy. Friend May 2019 “Family Fun Night”Cupcake refreshment idea.
Sing with the children a song about kindness, such as “Kindness Begins with Me” or “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 145, 78–79). Invite the children to listen for the word “kindness” (or a similar word) and stand when they hear it. How can we show kindness to others? This week’s activity page could help with this discussion.
Elimelech and his family go to Moab because of famine—His sons marry—The father and sons die—Ruth, the Moabitess, her husband having died, remains constant to Naomi—They come to Bethlehem.
The nearest relative declines, and Boaz takes Ruth to wife—Ruth bears Obed, through whom came David the king.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3” When Ruth’s husband died, she could have stayed in her home country, but she chose to go with her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, and care for her. Consider how Ruth’s Christlike example could inspire the children you teach to be kind to those around them.
Invite the children to represent Naomi, Ruth, Boaz, or other characters as you tell their story from the book of Ruth (see also “Ruth and Naomi” in Old Testament Stories). Invite the children to raise their hands every time they hear an act of kindness in the story. How do we feel when people are kind to us? How do we feel when we are kind to others?
Sing together a song about being kind, such as “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 145). Help the children think of ways they can be kind to their family and friends. If they need help, show them pictures of people showing kindness. For every idea mentioned, let the children draw a heart on the board.
After Ruth became a widow, she chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, instead of returning to her people, “for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16).
Ruth supported Naomi by staying with her. Try this activity to learn about supporting family:
Choose a family member and stand back-to-back. Place any object (a small ball or a book) between each other’s backs.
Working as a team, see how many steps you can take together without letting the object fall.
Take turns as a family until everyone has had a chance to work as a team to help each other.
Discussion: How did Ruth and Naomi help each other? Ruth believed in Heavenly Father and had faith, so she stayed with Naomi. How was she blessed? How can we support each other and trust the Lord when we have difficulties?
Story: Read about Ruth in the scripture story on page 8. She worked hard and gathered grain to take care of her husband’s mother. God blessed her for serving others.
Activity: Cut out pieces of paper in the shape of grain kernels. Use a stick or long piece of paper as a stem. Glue or tape your kernels to the stem to make a stalk of grain. Whenever you serve someone, pull off a kernel. Keep going until the stem is bare!
Lesson 26: Ruth and Naomi,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 114–16 To help the children have the desire to follow the example of righteous people and to be good examples themselves.
Friend July 2018 “Ruth was a Loyal Friend” Link includes story and goal card ideas to learn how to be a good friend like Ruth.
King Benjamin taught that when we come unto Christ and receive a remission of our sins, we are “filled with the love of God” (Mosiah 4:12). This leads us to be loving and kind toward others. You and your children could search Mosiah 4:13–16, 26 (or a song like “I’ll Walk with You,” Children’s Songbook, 140–41) and find phrases that describe how we can serve others. They could then act out these things or draw pictures of them and guess each other’s phrases.
Draw a small heart on the board. Invite the children to share ways they can be kind to others. Each time they share, erase the heart and draw a bigger one. Testify that our love for others grows as we are kind to them. Give the children paper hearts, and invite them to draw on the hearts ways they can show love and be kind.
Help the children come up with actions to do as they sing a song about loving others, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” or “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook, 61, 136).
Friend April 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Mosiah 4:26 together and help your little ones say, “I can help those in need.” This would be a great time to do a family service project. For example, young children could decorate paper bags and help fill them with snacks or other items to comfort people who seem sad or lonely.
Friend April 2020 “My Family Night Fun” Kindness Challenge: Do a family kindness challenge! Set out a small jar. Throughout the week, put a small object in the jar every time you do something kind. Can you fill it to the top?
I Will Be Blessed as I Act in Faith and Show Kindness to Others.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 24–27” Abraham’s servant showed faith by trusting God’s guidance to find a wife for Isaac. Rebekah showed kindness in the way she treated Abraham’s servant. How can you help the children you teach follow the examples of Abraham’s servant and Rebekah?
Read Genesis 24:1–28 together, and help the children identify examples of faith and kindness (see, for example, verses 12–14 and 17–20). How were Abraham’s servant and Rebekah blessed by showing faith and kindness? Write on the board We can show faith by … and We can show kindness by … , and invite the children to suggest ways to complete these sentences.
On strips of paper, write things Abraham’s servant said or did and things Rebekah said or did in Genesis 24:1–28. Invite the children to each select a strip of paper and work together to guess who said or did these things (they can refer to the scriptures if they need help). What does this story teach us about kindness? What does it teach us about faith? Other examples of kindness and faith are found in Genesis 24:29–33, 58–61.
Invite the children to think of an act of kindness they have seen. Invite them to write it down and share it with the class or their families at home. How do we feel when someone is kind to us?
Story: Rebekah helped Abraham’s servant by bringing water for his 10 camels (see Genesis 24:10–20). Abraham’s servant was thankful for her kindness.
Song: “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79)
Activity: You can serve like Rebekah! Draw 10 camels (see page 12 to learn how). Hang them up where your family can see them. Each time you do something kind for someone else, color in a camel.
Friend February 2022 “Draw a Camel” Use this page to do the activity on page 7. One camel can drink 30 gallons (114 liters) of water in just a few minutes! How much water do you think Rebekah brought for the 10 camels to drink?
Show pictures of something sweet and something sour. Help the children understand that Heavenly Father asks us to use our tongues to say sweet (or kind) things and not sour (or unkind) things (see James 3:10). Help them think of examples of nice things we can say to others. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “James”)
Friend October 2019 “Words Matter” The words we say make a big difference. Trace your finger along the lines to see how the words you say can make others feel. Also, make some kind notes to give to others.
James 3 includes many images that could inspire memorable object lessons to help your family remember to speak kindly. For example, you could build a fire together and talk about how a small, unkind word can cause a big problem (see verses 5–6). Or you could serve something sour in something that is usually used for sweet food—such as lemon juice in a honey jar. This could lead to a discussion about using sweet and uplifting words (see verses 9–14).
Give each child a simple drawing of a person speaking. Invite the children to hold it up when you say something nice that we can do with our words (such as telling the truth, giving compliments, and offering to help someone) and put it down when you say something that we shouldn’t do with our tongues (such as telling lies, calling other people names, and refusing to obey a parent).(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “James”)
TOOTHPASTE WORDS: The words we speak have the power to hurt or bless others. Get a small tube of toothpaste. Let family members take turns squeezing some of it out onto a plate until it’s empty. Challenge them to get the toothpaste back into the tube. Help them see that once it’s been squeezed out, you can’t put it back in. Similarly, words are hard to take back. Once we speak hurtful words to or about someone, we can’t take them back. Are the words we’re saying words that would hurt or lift others? How can we be better at blessing others with our words?
Is there someone in the ward, perhaps one of the children you teach, who has worked with horses or knows something about boats? You could invite him or her to provide insights about James’s teachings in James 3:3–4 about using kind words. Or provide some of your own insights. What do we learn about controlling our tongues from these examples?(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “James”)
“Bugs and Brothers.” In this Friend story, Lacey learns that she doesn’t have to be angry at her brother Zach.
“The Right Reply.” Emily wants to write a mean reply when her friend sends her a mean email, but then she thinks of what Jesus would do and responds kindly. (From the Friend.)
Make a list of kind, positive things you could say to those around you. Post this list where you can see it every day as a reminder.
Look for examples in the scriptures of how the Savior spoke to those around Him. How did His words teach, lift, and help others? Write in your journal the impressions you receive about how you can follow the Savior’s example.
Your thoughts affect your words. Do you have unkind thoughts about someone? Every time you have an unkind thought about someone, think of something positive about the person instead. You’ll be more likely to speak kindly, and you might even find a new friend!
How do you and your friends talk about others? Set an example of using kind words. For example, if your friends start gossiping about someone, find a kind way to stand up for that person or change the subject. You could even ask your friends to join you in your goal to speak kindly about others.
TOOTHPASTE WORDS: The words we speak have the power to hurt or bless others. Get a small tube of toothpaste. Let family members take turns squeezing some of it out onto a plate until it’s empty. Challenge them to get the toothpaste back into the tube. Help them see that once it’s been squeezed out, you can’t put it back in. Similarly, words are hard to take back. Once we speak hurtful words to or about someone, we can’t take them back. Are the words we’re saying words that would hurt or lift others? How can we be better at blessing others with our words?
Friend May 2019 “For Parents of Little Ones” Teaching little ones to use kind words.
Read Proverbs 15:1 to the children, and explain any words or phrases that might be unfamiliar to them. Share a few examples of situations in which a child might feel angry (such as an argument with a brother or sister). Help them think of “soft answers,” or kind words, they could use instead of angry words. Help them practice saying these things softly or in a calm voice.
Friend October 2019 “Words Matter” The words we say make a big difference. Trace your finger along the lines to see how the words you say can make others feel. Also, make some kind notes to give to others.
Friend January 2018 “Lucas and the Bully” Lucas stood up to a bully, but the words he used hurt the bullies feelings. Lucas apologizes and invites the bully to play and they become friends
Friend April 2023 “The Big, Bad, Rotten Text” Zach got mad at his older sister and sent a mean text to her on his mom’s phone, but he sent it to the wrong Rachel. The person who received it helped him realize that it was important to use his words to say kind things, not to hurt others.
Friend September 2022 “Jack Uses Kind Words” Throughout the day Jack uses kind words like please and thank you. (Read the story to the children, then read each of the kind words on the list and have them repeat them. Next read each sentence in the story again and have the children tell you which word was the kind word.)
Friend May 2019 “Choosing Kind Words” Selene called Adriana a mean name when she missed the ball. Adriana told Selene that it hurt her feelings and asked her not to say that. Selene apologized. (Also a lesson idea about kind words children can use and when to use them. Have children tell which ones Adriana and Selene used.)
Activity Time: Match the good words with the picture. How can you use good words?
Sing a song about kindness, such as “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, 145). What does the song teach us about being kind?
To help the children understand what it means to be “slow to anger” (Proverbs 15:18), tell a personal story about when you (or someone you know) felt angry but chose to be kind. Let the children share their own experiences too. Help the children think of things they can do instead of becoming angry. For example, they could think about Jesus, ask Heavenly Father to help them, sing a Primary song to themselves, or, if possible, just walk away.
Friend May 2019 “Choose to Be Kind” A girl pushed her way to the front of the line at the bus stop and sat where Samuel and his friend, Mike, had planned on sitting. This started an argument, but Samuel chooses to be kind instead of right, and figures out a solution.
Friend September 2018 “Show and Tell” “One day I wanted to sit by a bully at school to be friends with her. She yelled at me to go away. I wanted to get her back with my words. But I held my tongue and said, “It’s OK. I’ll sit by someone else.” When I walked away, I felt good for what I did.” Elijah V., age 12, Arizona, USA
Practice: How do our words affect the spirit in our home? Perhaps family members could practice giving “a soft answer” to “grievous words” and try to use what they learn in their interactions with each other. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families Old Testament 2022
Response: You can’t make anyone do anything. But when you speak kindly, others might follow your example. Words are powerful. Especially when you use your words for good. Mean words can be hurtful, but kind words can be helpful, healing, and inspiring.
Friend February 2023 “Soccer Riddle” Alessio invited his new neighbor, Sara, to play soccer with his friends! Use the clues to help Sara learn all their names.
Friend June 2021 “Be Kind” President Oaks tells us to be kind and not tease, reject, bully, and reject those who are different from them.
Ways to show kindness to someone new or from a different country.
Friend August 2017 “Happy to Help” A girl born in a refugee camp but now lives in Utah helps translate for new kids at Primary. Some ideas for helping new kids include: “If you don’t speak their language, find someone who can translate. Learn how to say hello in their language. In Kirundi, say “Amakuru.” In Swahili, say “Jambo!” Invite them to come play with you.”
Friend September 2020 “Friends By Mail” A family came up with some kindness tips: “If there’s a new kid at school, offer to show them around and introduce them to your other friends. Share things about yourself so they get to know you, and ask questions about them.”
Love, Kindness, and Looking for the Good
Friend September 2016 “Family Night Fun” Musical chairs but when someone gets out have everyone say one nice thing about them. Look for the good.
Draw a small heart on the board. Invite the children to share ways they can be kind to others. Each time they share, erase the heart and draw a bigger one. Testify that our love for others grows as we are kind to them. Give the children paper hearts, and invite them to draw on the hearts ways they can show love and be kind.
Help the children search Mosiah 4:13–16, 26 and identify phrases that describe how we can serve others. Invite them to act out these things or draw pictures of them, and let the other children guess the phrase. How can we show love and kindness at home, at school, or at church?
Friend April 2016 What does it mean to be kind? Write something for each letter of the alphabet on a poster. Set some family goals and hang up the poster.
Ensign August 2017 “The Burdens of Bullying” Lesson ideas about teaching children how to avoid becoming bullies themselves –including the below object lesson idea.
Cover several cans of food with paper and take turns writing on the cans ways that others hurt us, like ignoring, yelling, hitting, or saying, “I don’t like you.” Then blow up some balloons. Use a marker to write on the balloons ways that others make us happy, like sharing toys or saying, “I like playing with you.” Have two people each hold a basket or box while everyone else gives balloons to one person and cans to the other. Explain how positive behaviors and words make our loads easy to carry, but negative actions and comments can weigh us down. Talk about what you and your family can do to help lighten others’ burdens.
Friend October 2015 Jesus showed love and kindness to everyone around Him. Take this quiz and think about how you can follow His example.
Friend May 2020 “What’s on Your Mind?” Someone wants to know how to stand up for someone who is being bullied. The Friendngives some tips and suggest acting them out.
Friend April 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Mosiah 4:26 together and help your little ones say, “I can help those in need.” This would be a great time to do a family service project. For example, young children could decorate paper bags and help fill them with snacks or other items to comfort people who seem sad or lonely.
Friend April 2020 “My Family Night Fun” Kindness Challenge: Do a family kindness challenge! Set out a small jar. Throughout the week, put a small object in the jar every time you do something kind. Can you fill it to the top?
Even young children can follow the counsel to strengthen others “in all your conversation, in all your prayers, … and in all your doings.”
Draw a person on the board, and ask the children to name some things the person could do to become physically stronger. (You might draw bigger muscles on the person as the children name things.) Read Doctrine and Covenants 108:7, and ask the children to listen for ways we can “strengthen [our] brethren [and sisters].” Explain any words that might be difficult.
Help the children think of people they know who may need strengthening. What could we say to them or do for them? Work together to make cards for these people, or encourage the children to remember them in their personal and family prayers.
How can we strengthen each other in our conversations? in our prayers? in our exhortations, or encouragement? in all our doings? You might choose one of these to work on as a family.
In My Conversation
Friend October 2019 “Words Matter” The words we say make a big difference. Trace your finger along the lines to see how the words you say can make others feel. Also, make some kind notes to give to others.
In Prayers
Friend March 2020 “Praying for Uncle Dan” At bedtime Isabelle’s family prayed together. They always started by talking about people who might need extra blessings. This time dad asked them to pray for Uncle Dan who had lost his job. Every day they prayed for him, and eventually he started making progress in finding a new job.
Friend March 2020
Friend March 2020
Friend March 2020
Friend March 2020
Friend September 2019 “Praying Like Alma” Joplin got hit by a tornado and Isaac wants to go help, but he’s too young. While learning about Alma’s prayer for his son, Isaac got the idea to pray for the people of Joplin. He said prayers for them everyday.
In My Exhortations
Friend July 2020 “Kind Enough to Speak Up” Charlie’s friend was mean to people and called them names. Charlie talked to his friend about it and he agreed to stop being mean.
Friend February 2018 “Standing up for Church” Easton is surprised when kids in his international school class laugh when a boy says he goes to church. He decides to do his family identity presentation on church so that others would see why it’s important and not silly.
In My Doings
For the Strength of Youth June 2024 “Just Be Kind” Raegan and Rylyn make “Be Kind” signs to help people remember to be kind to others who are different from them, like their down syndrome siblings. They sell the signs and see them in people’s yards. The money they make, they donate to charities. They have made over 5,400 Be Kind signs and raised over $50,000 for charity. They also set a goal to lift kids at school who don’t fit in. (See more images and story at the link.)
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