Tag Archives: visual aids

Mar 8 2020

Jacob 1-4

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Table of Contents

Jacob CHAPTER 1 Jacob and Joseph seek to persuade men to believe in Christ and keep His commandments—Nephi dies—Wickedness prevails among the Nephites. About 544–421 B.C.

Jacob CHAPTER 2 Jacob denounces the love of riches, pride, and unchastity—Men may seek riches to help their fellowmen—The Lord commands that no man among the Nephites may have more than one wife—The Lord delights in the chastity of women. About 544–421 B.C.

Jacob CHAPTER 3 The pure in heart receive the pleasing word of God—Lamanite righteousness exceeds that of the Nephites—Jacob warns against fornication, lasciviousness, and every sin. About 544–421 B.C.

Jacob CHAPTER 4 All the prophets worshiped the Father in the name of Christ—Abraham’s offering of Isaac was in similitude of God and His Only Begotten—Men should reconcile themselves to God through the Atonement—The Jews will reject the foundation stone. About 544–421 B.C.

God calls Church leaders to help me follow Jesus Christ

Jacob 1: 1-19

Book of Mormon Stories Before Nephi died, he gave the plates he had written on to his younger brother Jacob. This meant that Jacob would also be the spiritual leader of the people. Jacob 1:1–2, 8

Nephi told Jacob to write the things that would help the people believe in Jesus Christ. Jacob 1:4–6

Nephi gave his younger brothers Jacob and Joseph the power to be priests and teachers in the Church and to teach the Nephites the word of God. Jacob 1:18

Go through the Fifth Article of Faith and explain that Nephi would have prayed to find out who God wanted called to certain responsibilities. He then would have “consecrated” Jacob and Joseph for those responsibilities by the laying on of hands because he had the priesthood authority from God to do so.

Jacob and Joseph labored diligently among their people, that they might persuade them to come unto Christ and partake of the goodness of God Jacob 1:7

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Jacob 1-4”

Junior Primary

  • Make simple puppets to represent Jacob and Joseph, Nephi’s younger brothers, who were leaders in the Church. Share some verses from Jacob 1 and 2 to explain what Church leaders are called to do. For example, leaders persuade us to “believe in Christ” (Jacob 1:8), invite us to repent (see Jacob 2:5–6, 9–10), and “declare [God’s] word” (Jacob 2:2, 11). Let the children use the puppets to pretend to do some of these things.
  • Invite the children to name some Church leaders they know, like Primary leaders, bishopric members, and prophets and apostles. Help the children think of ways these leaders bless us.

Senior Primary

  • Read with the children Jacob 1:6–8 and 2:1–6, 11, helping them look for phrases that describe how God’s servants lead the Church. Ask them to write these phrases on pieces of paper and then display the papers on the board. Why does God call Church leaders to guide us? Ask the children to share experiences with learning or receiving guidance from a Church leader or teacher and the blessings they received.
  • Ask the children to draw a picture of a Church leader they know about, and let the rest of the class guess who they drew. What do these leaders do to help us follow Jesus Christ? Invite the children to write notes to Church leaders, thanking them for their service.
  • Invite a local Church leader to tell the children what he or she does to fulfill his or her calling. Ask the children to name some things they can do to sustain their leaders.

Nephi began to be old, and he saw that he must die soon; so he anointed a man to be a king and a ruler over his people, according to the reigns of the kings. (Jacob 1:9) Because of the great love of the people for Nephi, all kings after Nephi were called Nephi (1st Nephi, 2nd Nephi, etc.). (Jacob 1:11)

God heals the wounded soul.

Jacob 2:8

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Jacob 1-4” To help your children understand how a “wounded soul” can be healed, you could discuss together how our bodies get wounded and what helps them heal. Perhaps your children could talk about times when they got hurt and what helped them heal. You could even show them bandages or medicine as part of this conversation. Maybe you could share with them how the Savior has helped you when your spirit needed healing.

First Aid Kit Vectors by Vecteezy

I Can Help Others in Need when I Share with Them

Jacob 2:17–19

The people began to grow wicked during the reign of the second king, wanting lots of riches.

Some of the people in Jacob’s time were very rich and prideful, and they didn’t want to share what they had with people who were poor.

Jacob taught in the temple and told the people to repent of the bad things they were doing.

Jacob taught the following: “And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly (this phrase means that Heavenly Father had blessed them), that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are alifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.” (Jacob 2:13)

Jacob taught that we should clothe the naked, and feed the hungry, liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob 2:19)

Friend April 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities”

Jacob taught that we should be “free with [our] substance” (Jacob 2:17). That means sharing what we have with others. Make a treat to share with some neighbors or friends!

For younger children: Even small acts of service can help people feel lots of love. Help your children think of a kind thing they can do for someone else.

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Jacob 1-4”

  • Some of the people in Jacob’s time were very rich, but they didn’t want to share what they had with others. As you read Jacob’s teachings to them in Jacob 2:17–19, you could give your children pictures or objects to hold that go with words or phrases in these verses. You might explain that you are sharing these objects with them; maybe you could then invite them to share the objects with you or with each other. Talk about how you feel when you share. What else could we share with others to help them feel happy?
  • After reading together Jacob 2:17, perhaps your children could name some blessings Heavenly Father has shared with them. Why does He want us to share with each other?

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Jacob 1-4”

Jacob 2:12–14, 17–21

  • Invite the children to act out ways they can share what they have with someone in need. Testify that we are blessed as we share with others.
  • Bring something to class that you can share with the children. Give some of it to each child, and explain that you are sharing. Ask them how they felt when you shared with them. How do they feel when they share with others? Help them think of something they could share to help someone feel happy.
  • Tell the children that many people in Jacob’s time became prideful and unkind because they loved riches (see Jacob 2:12–14, 17–21). Invite a few children to read Jacob 2:17–19 out loud, and help them understand any difficult words. What should we seek before we seek riches? What should we seek to do with any riches we receive?
  • Read Jacob 2:17 to the children. What blessings has Heavenly Father shared with us? Why does He want us to share with each other? Invite the children to share times when they shared something with someone else, including how they felt and how the other person felt.

Story Ideas

Friend March 2020 “Harry Shares” Harry is playing with toys. He is having fun. Harry sees a girl who looks sad. Harry shares toys with her. Now they are both having fun!

Friend November 1987 “Hand-Me-Down Box” Leigh is fortunate to have a caring friend who shares her hand-me-down clothes with her. She wants to grow up to be someone who shares with others.

  • Was there someone in the story who was prideful and made fun of Leigh for her hand-me-down clothes?

Jacob taught the following: Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. Jacob 2:17 

  • What does it mean to think of others like unto yourselves? (Treat others like you would like to be treated, and give to others like you would give to yourself. (Think about the things you need and then help others who don’t have those types of things so they can have them too.)

Friend December 2019 “Martin’s Favorite Toys” Martin was not happy about having to move, but eventually he got used to his new home. One Sunday, he noticed a lot of new people at church. He found out that they were refugees. He wanted to help them, but he didn’t want to give them any of his toys. Then he realized that many of the children had to leave everything behind. He remembered how hard it was for him to move, but at least he got to bring his things with him. He then wanted to give them his favorite toys to help them be happier.

Friend December 2019
Friend December 2019

Invite the children to think of something they could share to help someone feel happy.

Cut out the arrow, and attach it to the center of the circle. Spin the arrow, and tell about how you can share what the arrow points to. CFM for Primary: BofM

Friend March 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Play a sharing game. Give each person a toy and set a timer. When it dings, everyone should run to someone else and say, “God is happy when I share!” and trade toys.

Friend July 2018 “Coloring Page: I Can Share with Others”

Unshaken in Their Faith

Jacob 4:4–11

I can strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ.

Jacob 4:6, 10–11

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Jacob 1-4”

  • Jacob’s faith in Christ was so strong it could not be shaken. To teach your children how to build faith like this, you could ask them about things we do to make our bodies stronger. What can we do to make our faith in Jesus Christ stronger? Read Jacob 4:6 together to help the children discover what Jacob and his people did to make their faith “unshaken.”
  • Another way to help your children understand what it means to be “unshaken” in their faith would be to find a large tree and ask them to shake individual branches. Then let them try to shake the trunk. Why is it harder to shake the trunk? What phrases in Jacob 4:6, 10–11 describe what we can do to make our faith in Jesus Christ unshaken?

How did Jacob and others develop faith in Christ that is “unshaken” ?

6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can ccommand in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

Jacob studied the words of the prophets, and he received revelations from the Spirit. How can we follow his example and develop unshaken faith?

Missing the Mark

Jacob 4:14

The “Mark” is Christ

All the Prophets Taught of Christ
Jacob 4:4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.

Jacob taught this about the Jews: “Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall.”

The Jews misunderstood the law of Moses and its intent to lead them to the Savior. They were looking for a different kind of deliverance than the kind Jesus, the Messiah, offered them—they were looking for deliverance from foreign rule and oppression.

If we fail to keep focused on our Savior Jesus Christ, what could happen?

Activity Ideas

Ensign March 2020 “Family Study Fun” Off-Target Ball Toss

The prophet Jacob taught that the spiritual blindness of the Jews caused them to look “beyond the mark” (Jacob 4:14), which resulted in their stumbling spiritually and missing many gospel truths.

  1. Place a bucket or sturdy bowl in the backyard.
  2. Take turns tossing a ball into the bucket, standing a short distance away.
  3. Now try tossing the ball into the bucket without looking at the bucket.

Discussion: Why was it harder to hit the target when we’re not looking at it? How did the Jews look “beyond the mark”? (Jacob 4:14). Read “Looking beyond the Mark” by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Ensign, Mar. 2003, 40–44). Discuss how we might find ourselves looking beyond the mark today.

Come Follow Me Kid Blank Arrows (I Can Be Reconciled to God through the Atonement of Jesus Christ) The manual asks, “What has God provided to point you to Christ? How are you using these things to draw closer to God?” Write/draw answers on blank arrows (below) and place around the bucket pointing to it.

Book of Mormon Study Guide “for Home-Study Seminary Students” Lift your pen or pencil at least two feet or one meter above this target, and try to drop it so that it hits the center of the target—“the mark.” You may want to try this several times. Think about how less effective your efforts would be if you were looking somewhere other than the target. How well do you think people would do in archery if they never looked at the target, or mark, while they were shooting or if they looked at what was beyond the mark? Read Jacob 4:14, and identify characteristics of the people Jacob prophesied would look “beyond the mark.”

Song: Wise Man and the Foolish Man

Jacob teaches that the Jews rejected the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation. (Jacob 4:15-17)

Sing “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” See here for teaching ideas, sing-along videos, and visual aid ideas.

Additional Resources

The Red Crystal

Nov 7 2019

New Testament: Stories

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Table of Contents

Sermon on the Mount

Friend March 2019 “Jesus Taught about Prayer” Jesus taught the steps of prayer in the Sermon on the Mount”

Friend April 1988  “Scriptural Giants: The Faith of Mary and Marth”

The Good Samaritan

Friend May 2022 “Hudson the Good Samaritan”

The Last Supper – Sacrament

Friend April 2017 “Jesus Gave Us the Sacrament”

“The Sacrament Helps Us Remember Jesus” Friend September 2015 

Friend September 2015
Friend September 2015

Life of Jesus

Friend April 2017 “Jesus Gave Us the Sacrament”

 Paul

Friend August 2019 “Paul Repents”

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Friend September 1986 “Saul Becomes Paul” Story

Friend November 2015
Friend November 2015

“Paul Testifies of Christ” – Link includes story of the prison earthquake miracle, and it also includes lesson ideas.

Friend November 2015
Friend November 2015

Friend October 2019 “Paul’s Missionary Journeys”

[unitegallery 2019Oct]

Coloring Page: Jesus Can Help Me Do Hard Things

Friend November 2019 “James Taught the Gospel” James, the brother of Jesus, taught the gospel and helped lead the church when he grew up. One of his teachings in James 1:5. says that if we have questions, we can ask God. Many years after James wrote this scripture, a boy named Joseph Smith read it. He prayed to know which church to join. Joseph’s prayer was answered!When I have questions, I can ask God, like James taught. (Memorize James 1:5 as a family. Talk about how this verse led Joseph Smith to receive the First Vision.)

[unitegallery 2019Nov]

Coloring Page: I Can Learn From the Scriptures

Nov 15 2016

Creation: Lesson for Little Ones

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Jesus Created this World for Us

Preparation

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

Presentation

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

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

Show the children the display boards.

Tell the children that Jesus made the light of day.

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

Jesus also made the night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus also made people.

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

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

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

Oct 29 2016

My Heavenly Father Loves Me: Song

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My Heavenly Father Loves Me

(Children’s Songbook, pg. 228 )

Preparation

  • Items needed: a half sheet of poster board, glue, scissors, drawing compass or ruler, and one brad.
  • Print the visual aid items and assemble the activity using the following steps:
  1. Cut out the earth pieces, and place the two pieces together, with the middle edges overlapping until the scenes on both side match in the middle. Glue the pieces together.
  2. Place the earth on the half sheet of poster board and trace around the outside edge. After removing the earth, find the middle point on the earth picture and on the poster board using a compass or a ruler. (Note: it must be the exact middle in order for this activity to work)
  3. Cut out the triangle pieces inside the blue lines. Place the blank triangle on the earth just left of the top middle, making sure the tip is at the center mark. Trace around the triangle with a pencil and then cut out the piece from the earth.
  4. Place each triangle on the poster board circle outline in the correct order (see above picture). They will overlap each other in order for them to all fit, but the points of all the triangles need to be circling the center mark. Once all the parts are situated, lightly glue down each piece. Place the earth on top of the circle and check to make sure that the opening on the earth shows each picture correctly as you turn it. Cut out the poster board circle, trimming off any parts of the triangles around the edges. Laminate both the earth and the poster board circle. (UPS stores have laminators. They also can enlarge the images and print them bigger if needed.) Cut off the excess laminating around the edges, but do not cut out the laminate on the cut out slice of the earth.)
  5. Place the earth on top of the circle cutout. With a thick needle, poke a hole through the center mark on both items leaving the needle in place. Turn the earth and make sure everything is lined up. If both circles are lined up, put the brad through both holes, opening up the arms in the back. Note: The visual aids were found on Microsoft Word clipart and in the Friend magazine. The idea for this visual aid was posted on Sugardoodle from “The Choristers Corner,” but it didn’t include printable images.
  6. Be prepared to attach the back circle to the board with strong magnets or sticky tack. If you plan on having  the children help with the wheel turning, a tab can be added to the front circle edge to help the younger children turn it. If this song idea is used for family home evening, sing the song with the children throughout the week to help the children remember it.

Presentation

Remind the children that our Heavenly Father loves us, so he had Jesus make this beautiful world for us to live on. Explain that this song reminds us of many of the wonderful things we are blessed with on the earth.

Show the children the earth visual aid.

Senior primary:

Have the children listen for what word each pictures stands for as you sing the song for the children while turning the top circle on the earth visual aid. (See the underlined words below). Make sure the pictures are always at the top of the world. Sing the song again using the visual aid, and stop at each picture and have the children say the word. Sing the song again, two lines at a time, and have the children echo you. Then have them sing the whole song with you using the visual aids as clues.

After the children learn the song, you can use the actions to help remind them of the words instead of using the visual aid.

 

Whenever I hear the song of a bird

Or look at the blue, blue sky,

Whenever I feel the rain on my face

Or the wind as it rushes by,

Whenever I touch a velvet rose

Or walk by our lilac tree,

I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world

Heav’nly Father created for me.

Junior Primary

Sing a line while showing the visual aid. But before singing, tell the children to listen for the word each picture stands for. Sing that line again with the visual aid, but stop at the word and have the children say the word. Sing the line again in parts and have them echo you. Then have them sing the whole line with you. Do the same with the other lines. After they learn a new line, have the children sing it with previously learned lines.

After the children learn the song, you can use the following actions to help remind them of the words instead of using the visual aid.

 

Actions

Whenever I hear the song of a bird. (Cup hand around ear.)

Or look at the blue, blue sky, (Point at your eyes and then point at the sky.)

Whenever I feel the rain on my face (Stroke face, and then put hands up in front of you and wiggle your fingers as your hands move downward. )

Or the wind as it rushes by, (Wiggle your fingers as your hand move side to side.)

Whenever I touch a velvet rose. (Put finger out as if to touch something.)

Or walk by our lilac tree, (Make two fingers move as if walking.)

I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world. (Point to your smiling face, and then hold arms out with palms up.)

Heav’nly Father created for me.

 

Note: Accompaniment can be found at http://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/my-heavenly-father-loves-me?lang=eng

Sep 7 2016

Lesson 35: Jesus Christ Heals the Sick and Blesses the Children

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Lesson 35

Jesus Christ Heals the Sick and Blesses the Children

Preparation

  • Items needed: a marker or pen for each child, tape, magnets, a highlighter marker, thread or string, and several pieces of red or pink paper.
  • Print and cut out the visual aids pdf or word.
  • Directions for making the envelope and heart visual aid: Cut the thread into two, 20 inch lengths. Place the first page of cut out hearts face down in two rows in the same order as they were laid out on the page. The hearts should be about 1 ½ inches apart. Place one string on row one with the end of the string in the middle of the bottom heart. Put a piece of tape over the string on each heart so each heart is attached to the string. Do the same thing with the other row of hearts and string. Add the heart labeled “listens” to the top of row one. You should end up with a piece of string at the top that is four inches long on row one and five and half inches on row two. Using an x-acto knife, cut along the dotted line on the envelope. Tape the top of each string to the back of the envelope, each about two inches from a side. Put the string of hearts through the envelope opening you cut. Glue or tape the back edges of the envelope to a piece of heavy paper, leaving the top of the x-acto cut edge open. You should now have an envelope pocket. Stack the rows of hearts in order, and put the two stacks into the envelope.
  • Mobile Handout: Print (or copy) and cut out an envelope for each child. Cut two pieces of string, 13 inches long, per child. Cut out eight hearts per child by folding several pieces of pink or red paper into thirds lengthwise, then placing half of a blank heart along the folded edge, and finally cutting out the hearts using the half a heart as a pattern (or you can purchase precut packages of hearts).
  • Print the word search onto colored paper.
  • Optional: prepare the salt attention activity found here.

Attention Activity

  • In what ways do your mother and father show they love you? (They make rules to keep you safe. They help you and teach you. They give you hugs and kisses. Some parents may even write notes telling you how much they love you.)

Point out that people show love through their actions. Show the children the word search and have them find the words that are actions of love. (All the words are horizontal.) When a child finds a word, have that child come up and mark it with a highlighter or circle it with a pencil.

Word Search Answers: ATTENTIVE, TEACHES, CONSIDERATE, CONCERNED, PRAYS, SACRIFICES, PATIENT, LISTENS, HELPS, SUPPORTS, COMFORTS, FORGIVING

Put the envelope on the board with the opening facing downward. Explain that in today’s lesson they will learn about the love the Savior has for them. Point out that each of the action words in the crossword puzzle has been demonstrated by the Savior in our behalf. Jesus’s loving actions are like messages that remind us that he loves us.

Scripture Account

Put the flannel board image of Jesus on the board, and remind the children that in last week’s lesson they learned that Jesus taught the Nephites the beatitudes. As he prepared to leave at the end of the day, he perceived that the people did not fully understand what he had taught. Have a child read 3 Nephi 17:1–3 as the other children follow along. Have the children look for what the Savior told the Nephites they should do in order to gain more understanding.

  • What does it mean to ponder? (It means to thoughtfully consider something and deeply think about it.)

Point out the Savior’s instruction found in 3 Nephi 17:3 that the Nephites should “prepare [their] minds for the morrow,” for when Jesus would return to teach them again.

  • How do you prepare your mind for an important lesson such as a school assignment? You read and learn about the subject, you ponder on (or think about) what you have been taught in order to understand it more thoroughly, and you may even ask for help from a parent to help you understand it further.
  • What happens if you don’t prepare for an assignment by doing these things? (You may not properly understand the material.)

It is the same with the gospel; in order to understand the gospel we need to think about what we have been taught, study it thoroughly, and ask our Heavenly Father for help in understanding it. Through the Holy Ghost our minds can be enlightened and we can receive understanding. When we understand a concept better then we are ready to learn more and add to our understanding and knowledge.

  • In the scripture that was just read, what did the Savior do to show his love for the people? (He wanted the people to understand the things he had taught so they could progress spiritually.)

The Savior has taught us many things. These teachings can be found in the scriptures. Someone who loves us teaches us the things that will help us in life. (Take the heart out of the envelope that says “teaches.” It will be the first one in the pile on the left.)

  • Have a child read 3 Nephi 17:4-5, and then ask the children how the Nephites responded when the Savior expressed his intention to depart. (They wept and were sad. They wanted him to stay longer.)
  • Have a child read 3 Nephi 17:6-8. Ask the children how the Savior responded when he saw the Nephite’s sorrow. (He had compassion upon them and asked if they had any sick or afflicted among them. He explained that he would heal them because he had perceived their desire to have the miracles shown to them that he had performed in Jerusalem. He also perceived that they had the faith to be healed. )
  • How did the Savior demonstrate his love for the people? (He was filled with compassion for them. Compassion means he cared about their feelings. He was filled with sympathy and understanding.)

A person who loves us is considerate of our feelings. (Have a child take the heart out of the envelope that says “considerate.” It will be the first heart in the pile on the right.) (Alternate drawing from the left and right when the remaining hearts are mentioned.)

Have a child read 3 Nephi 17:9. Afterwards, put the picture of the sick and afflicted Nephites on the board.

  • What types of ailments did Jesus heal? (The lame (those unable to walk), the blind (those unable to see), the dumb (those unable to speak–which was most likely due to deafness))
  • What types of ailments might be included in afflictions of “any manner”? (All other types of physical illnesses and disorders, but also mental and emotional difficulties and disorders.)

Ask students to ponder ways in which they may be “afflicted” and what they would ask the Savior to heal if he were to bless them personally. Remind them that even though the Savior is not here to minister to them in person, his power to bless and heal is available through the priesthood. If it is his will that they be healed, and if they have faith, then they can be healed. If it is not his will, then we need to trust in the Lord and his purposes, but we also need to remember that the Lord will help us deal with the affliction if we ask for his help.

Point out that someone who loves us will be there for us when we have problems and difficulties. That person would offer comfort, support, and help. (Have children take the hearts out of the envelope that say “comforts”, “supports”, and “helps.”  Remember that they alternate from left to right and then back to left again.)

After Jesus Christ healed the sick, he had the children brought to him. He had the people gather around them and kneel.  He then said a prayer that was so wonderful and marvelous that the people could not even describe it. (Read 3 Nephi 17:14-17) (Optional: Do the salt object lesson.)

The hearts of the people were filled with joy when they heard the words that Jesus prayed to the Father in their behalf.

Point out that someone who loves us will pray for us. They will appeal to Heavenly Father for His help in watching over us, protecting us, and guiding us. (Have a child take the heart out of the envelope that says “prays.”)

After Jesus arose from his prayer, he noticed that the people were overcome with joy. The great faith of the multitude filled him with such joy that he wept.

A person who loves us is filled with joy when we make good choices; but they can also be filled with sadness when we make bad choices. Remind them that Jesus groaned inside himself because of the wickedness of the people of Israel. Explain that those who love us are concerned about us. They want us to make good choices. (Have a child take the heart out of the envelope that says “concerned.”)

After Jesus wept, he took the children one by one and lovingly blessed them and prayed to the Father for them. He tenderly took time for each individual child because of his great love for children.

  • Someone who loves us will share their time with us. They will pay attention to us and listen to us. (Have children take the hearts out of the envelope that say “attentive” and “listens.”)
  • How would you feel if Jesus Christ held you in his arms, blessed you, and prayed to Heavenly Father for you?

After blessing the children, the Savior told the people to look upon their little ones. The heavens opened and angels descended out of heaven and encircled the children. It appeared as if they were in a midst of fire. (Put the picture of the children on the board.) The angels ministered unto the children. The heavenly attention bestowed upon the children of the Nephites is further evidence of the special love Jesus has for children.

Ask the children if they can think of any other things Jesus has done that shows his great love for us. Have them look at the word search to get ideas, but they must explain how Jesus demonstrated that action. For example, Jesus demonstrated sacrifice by suffering and paying the price for our sins. Write on the blank hearts any other actions the children think of that are not included in the word search. Have the children then attach these hearts to the board with magnets or tape, making a pile underneath the other hearts.

Knowing that Jesus loves us helps us to have faith and trust in him. Because he loves us, we know that he wants what is best for us. He wants the things for us that will bring us eternal happiness and peace. If we have faith in Jesus and keep his commandments then we can someday live with him and Heavenly Father. again. One of the greatest joys is being able to be with the people we love and with those who love us.

Handout

Have the children make their own mobile with the blank hearts you have prepared. Hand out an envelope, a set of eight hearts, and a marker or pen to each child. Have them write eight of the ways Jesus has shown love for them on their hearts, and then have them tape the hearts to the string and tape the top of the string to the envelope opening. Remind the children that each heart is like a message from Jesus that reminds them that he loves them.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: 3 Nephi 17:1-25

Nov 10 2012

Lesson 40: The Jaredites Are Led to the Promised Land

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Lesson 40: The Jaredites Are Led to the Promised Land

Preparation
• Items needed: a cellphone GPS (or print the clipart picture of a GPS device), chalk and eraser, tape or sticky tack, pencils.
• Print the scripture story visual aids, and cut them in half so one picture is on each half. Number the back of the pictures in the order they were printed. (Scripture story pictures are from chapters 50 & 51 of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Print the activity visual aids and the French and English instruction cards. (Optional: Print the pages on colored paper.) Cut out the individual signs and cards.
• Make enough copies of the game handout for each child to have one. (Half a page is one handout.)
• Pre-class prep: Draw the timeline on the board using the provided timeline as the example (do not include the events or names). Tape the “Jaredite’s Journey” activity pages on a side wall (or on the chalkboard)  in the order shown in the above picture. Tape the sign “Jaredite’s Journey” above the pages.  Tape each of the individual signs under the classroom chairs (except for the Tower of Babel sign).

Attention Activity
Show the children the cellphone GPS (or the picture of a GPS). Explain that a GPS is a device that helps a person get to a place they wish to go to. It gives voice directions and diagram directions on the screen. (Demonstrate this if possible by entering a location so they can hear the voice and see the screen.)

• What would happen if you desired to get to a certain destination and you needed help to get there but you didn’t use your GPS to get directions–or you used your GPS but you didn’t follow the directions it gave? You might not find your desired destination.

• Explain that in life we have been given a spiritual GPS to help us reach a wonderful destination called eternal life. What is this spiritual GPS we have been given? The guidance of the Lord throughly the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can show us the way to eternal life but we must seek for, listen to, and follow the guidance given.

Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will learn of a group of people who followed the guidance of the Lord and were led to a promised land.

Chalkboard Presentation
Remind the children that the Book of Mormon tells of three separate groups of people who were led by the Lord to the Americas. Remind the children that Lehi and his family were one group, and they left Jerusalem at approximately 600 BC. (Write in Lehi by the date 600 B.C. on the timeline.) A group of people called the Mulekites were another group. Mulek and his people escaped the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem at approximately 587 BC. (Write in Mulekites next to Lehi.) Mulek was the son of King Zedekiah. The Nephites eventually found and joined with the Mulekites. (Omni 1:14-19)

The final group that came to the Americas was called the Jaredites. This group actually came to the continent many years before Lehi and his family, sometime between 2500 BC and 2200 BC. (Write in Jaredites between the date 2500 BC and 2200 BC.) The Jaredites eventually completely destroyed themselves sometime around 580 BC during a bloody civil war. (Point out when this happened on the timeline.) The Nephites discovered the ruins of the Jaredite civilization and also found some of the Jaredite records amongst the ruins. (Mosiah 21:25-28) Moroni included an abridged portion of the Jaredite records at the end of the Book of Mormon. This abridged section includes the story of the Jaredite’s journey to the Americas.

The Jaredite’s story begins at the Tower of Babel. (Put the Tower of Babel sign on the first page of the activity “Jaredite’s Journey.”) Ask if any of the children knows and can tell the story of the Tower of Babel. (Following the Flood in Noah’s day, many descendants of those who had been spared became wicked. One group of people attempted to build a tower “whose top may reach unto heaven” (Genesis 11:4). The Lord dealt with the widespread wickedness by confounding (meaning changed or confused).the common language and by scattering the people across the face of the earth. (Ether 1:33; Genesis 11:5–8)

Object Lesson
Have a volunteer stand in front of the class. Give the child the card with the French words on it. Tell the other children that there are directions on the card. Explain that when the volunteer reads the directions, the class needs to follow them. After the child reads the card, give the class a few moments and then ask the children why they didn’t follow the directions. Have the child then read the card with the directions written in English. After the children follow the directions, ask what it would be like if they weren’t able to understand the people around them. Tell the children to hold onto the card the found under their chair. Explain that they will use them later on in the lesson.

Scripture Story
(Show the scripture story visual aids as you tell the following story.)
Explain that a man named Jared and his family lived during the time period when the languages were confounded (meaning changed or confused). Jared had a brother who was highly favored of the Lord. Jared asked his brother to cry unto the Lord to beg of him not to confound the language of their family and friends.

• What is the difference between “crying unto the Lord” and merely saying your prayers? When you cry unto the Lord you are praying with deep feelings and emotions. Sometimes our prayers can become repetitive, where we are just repeating a list and we don’t have strong feelings concerning what we are praying about. When we “cry unto the Lord” our emotions and needs are strong, and we may put more effort into trying to communicate with the Lord and into hearing his responses.

1) The brother of Jared pled with the Lord to preserve the language of his friends and family, and the Lord had compassion upon them, and their language was not confounded.

Jared asked his brother to cry unto the Lord again concerning whether they should leave the land, and if so where should they go. The Lord told them to gather their family, friends, flocks, and seeds and he would lead them to a land choice about all others.

Activity
Point out the pages on the wall and explain that they represent the Jaredite’s journey. Explain that the children are going to fill in the spaces with the things the brother of Jared did to help receive the guidance of the Lord. Point out the first space of the journey and ask the following question:

• If you were starting a journey and needed direction and had access to a GPS, what would you need to do first in order to access the help and information that is available through the GPS? (You would first have to input and communicate with the device the direction information that is needed.)

Similarly, when we are need of help and direction in order to find our way through the wilderness of life, we must communicate our needs to Heavenly Father.

•What was the first thing the Brother of Jared did to get help and direction from the Lord?  (He prayed.)

Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the first step to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. Have the child with the sign “Sincere Prayer” put it on the first space.

• Why did you think the Lord promised the brother of Jared to lead him, his family, and friends to a promised land? (See the last line in the scripture Ether 1:43. “Because this long time ye have cried unto me.”) Explain that the brother of Jared had turned to the Lord regularly and consistently in his life. He was steadfast in his devotion to the Lord.

Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Regular and Consistent Prayers” )

• If you don’t use the GPS often, can it be difficult to remember how to operate it when you need it? Explain that just like a GPS, if a person were to turn to the Lord only during times of dire need, they may become unfamiliar with the ways of the Lord and the workings of the Spirit. It may take time and effort before answers come.

• After the brother of Jared was told to prepare for the journey to the promised land what did he, his friends, and his family do?

2) They went to the valley called Nimrod and did gather and prepare supplies for the journey as the Lord had instructed. (Read Ether 2:1-3)

• What would happen if we inputted our info into the GPS and directions were then supplied, but then we didn’t follow the directions that were given?

If we don’t listen to and follow the direction the Lord gives, we may face great difficulty as we try to go our own way.

• Would the Lord continue to provide direction and help through the Holy Ghost if we do not listen to and obey the direction he gives?

Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Follow the Lord’s Directions”)

After the Jaredites had prepared food and supplies, they began their journey to the promised land.

3) The Lord went before them and talked to them in a cloud and gave them directions where they should go.

4) They were guided to the great sea where they dwelt in tents on the seashore for four years.

5) At the end of four years the Lord did appear to the brother of Jared in a cloud and did talk with him and chasten him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. (We don’t know how long the brother of Jared was negligent in calling upon the Lord. Sometimes people forget to turn to the Lord when things become nice and easy, and then their progression towards eternal life may become stalled.)

6) The Lord told the brother of Jared that the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man unless he continues to petition the Lord in righteousness.

•What happens to a GPS if we don’t maintain it and make sure its battery is charged? We may lose access to the valuable direction and help it could provide in our travels.

• What other things could cause the loss of a GPS signal? Tall buildings, forests, and mountains could block the satellite signal.

Just as certain things can cause interfere with a GPS signal, so does disobedience and sin cause us to lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost. But just as a GPS will recalculate and provide ways to get back on track when mistakes are made (or after wandering into areas that can block the signal), so does the Lord provide a way for us to get back on track if we wander into sinful paths.

• What way has the Lord provided for us to get back on track? (Repentance) Part of the repentance process involves moving away from the thing that is causing interference in living a righteous life (just as a person must move away from the item that is blocking the GPS signal in order to get back on track).

• What did the brother of Jared do after the Lord chastised him? (See Ether 2:15.) The brother of Jared did repent.

Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Repent of Wrong Doings”)

The Lord forgave the brother of Jared and told him to sin no more.

7) The Lord then commanded Jared and his brethren to build barges according to His instructions.

The barges were small–the length of a tree– and the top, bottom, and sides were tight like a dish that could hold water. When the door was shut, it was also tight like a dish.

8) When the barges were complete, the brother of Jared talked to the Lord and reported that they had finished the work according to His command, but he also expressed some concerns he had about the barges.

• What concerns do you think the brother of Jared had regarding the barges? (Remind the children that the barges were tight like a dish.) (See Ether 2:19 for the answer) Write the problems on the left side of the board. Then have the children read Ether 2:20–25 to find the Lord’s solutions to the problems. Summarize them on the right side of the board.

Problems
1. When the door was closed tight, no air could get in, so how would they breathe?
2. There was no light in the barges, so how would they be able to see and function in the dark?

Solutions
9) 1. The Lord instructs the brother of Jared to make holes with removable plugs in the top and bottom of the barges to allow air in. (Ether 2:20)
2. It was left up to the brother of Jared to decide what to do about the light problem, but the Lord reminded the brother of Jared that they couldn’t have fire in the barges, and they couldn’t have windows because the barges would be like whales in the midst of the sea, and waves would dash upon them and break the windows.

• Why do you think the Lord revealed solutions for one of the problems but left the brother of Jared to resolve the problem of not having light? The Lord wants us to grow and learn in life, and we can learn many things in life as we strive to figure out solutions to our problems. (Have the children listen for the things the brother of Jared learned as he worked to resolve the problem of no light.)

10) The brother of Jared went up into the mountain and did molten out of rock sixteen small stones. They were white and transparent like glass.

11) He did cry unto the Lord and asked the Lord to touch the stones. He had faith that if the Lord touched them, the Lord could prepare them with His power to shine forth in the darkness.

12) When the brother of Jared told the Lord of his proposed solution to the problem and of his faith in the Lord’s power, the Lord stretched forth his hand and did touch the stones one by one with his finger. The veil was taken from the eyes of the brother of Jared and he did see the finger of the Lord. He saw that it was the finger of a man, and he fell down in fear. The Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen and he said unto him, “Arise, why has though fallen?”

• Point out that the Lord knows all things, and yet he still asked the brother of Jared this question and other questions. How might the questions have helped the brother of Jared? The questions might have helped him think about, sort out, comprehend, and respond to the things he was seeing and experiencing.

The brother of Jared told the Lord that he fell to the earth in fear because he saw the finger of the Lord, and he feared lest the Lord would smite him, for he knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

The Lord had always been hidden by a veil or cloud as they spoke, so the brother of Jared had not seen the true form of the Lord.

• Why was the brother of Jared able to see the finger of the Lord? (See Ether 3:9-10) Because of the brother of Jared’s exceeding faith.

• What did the brother of Jared ask the Lord to do? (The brother of Jared desired of the Lord to show himself fully and completely.)

Before showing himself, the Lord asked the brother of Jared, “Believest thou the words which I shall speak?”

He answered saying, “Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.” The brother of Jared expressed and confirmed his faith in the Lord’s words.

13) When the brother of Jared said these words, the Lord showed himself unto him. The Lord explained that he was Jesus Christ who was prepared from the beginning to redeem the people from their sins so they might gain eternal life if they would believe on his name.

Have the children look up and read Ether 3:15-16 to find out what the brother of Jared learned about the body of Jesus Christ. Help the children understand that the brother of Jared saw the spirit body of Jesus Christ which looked very much like the physical body Jesus would receive when he came to earth. He also learned that men are created in the image of God.

Also point out that the Lord told the brother of Jared, “Never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.” (Ether 3:15)

• The scriptures tell us that Adam and Noah walked and talked with God face to face (Moses 7:4 & Genesis 6:8, 9), so why would this scripture say the Lord had never showed himself to man before? There are several possible explanations including the following from Jeffery R. Holland:

An “explanation—and in terms of the brother of Jared’s faith, the most persuasive one—is that Christ was saying to the brother of Jared, ‘Never have I showed myself unto man in this manner, without my volition, driven solely by the faith of the beholder.’ As a rule, prophets are invited into the presence of the Lord, are bidden to enter his presence by him and only with his sanction. Obviously the Lord himself was linking unprecedented faith with this unprecedented vision.” (Christ and the New Covenant, 21–23). Jeffrey R. Holland

The brother of Jared had great faith in the Lord, and his actions throughout his life demonstrated that faith.

• What things had the brother of Jared done that demonstrated his faith in the Lord? (He had consistently turned to the Lord in prayer. He had obeyed the Lord and left the tower of Babel and travelled across the wilderness. He built the barges the Lord commanded him to build. He made stones, having faith that the Lord’s touch would give them light.)

Call attention to the GPS once again and ask the children if they believe–if everything is in proper working order–that it can provide directions.

• How does someone gain that faith in the GPS’s ability to provide directions? Explain that other’s testimonials of its abilities can lead us to try it out, and then our own experiences using the device also builds that trust. Faith in God works in similar ways: as we listen to the testimonies and teachings concerning God, and as we act on those things, our faith grows. Explain that exercising faith in God and acting upon his words is a necessary part of receiving the Lord’s help and guidance.

Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Exercise Faith”)

After the brother of Jared talked with the Lord, he took the stones which the Lord had touched and he put two in each barge, and they gave light to the vessels.

The Jaredites prepared all manner of food for their voyage, and then they commended themselves to the Lord their God and got aboard the barges and set forth into the sea. By commending themselves to the Lord, they exercised their faith. They had done all the Lord had directed, and then they entrusted their lives into his hands.

14) The Lord God caused a furious wind to blow upon the face of the waters. The wind blew towards the promised land. The barges were tossed upon the waves of the sea, and at times they were buried in the deep from the mighty waves breaking over them, but the water could not hurt the Jaredites because their vessels were tight like a dish.

15) As they journeyed, the Jaredites did sing praises to the Lord.

• Why is expressing gratitude to the Lord important? (One reason is that our faith in the Lord grows as we think about and focus on all he does for us, which also provides peace and courage to our souls. The Lord is also more likely to provide help to those who appreciate it and value it.)

Ask the children which one of them thinks they have the next item to receiving the Lord’s help and guidance. (“Express Gratitude”)

• How long did you think it took for the Jaredites to cross the ocean? (Almost a year.) (See Ether 6:11) They were three hundred and forty four days upon the water.

Have the child with the sign “Promised Land” put it on the last spot on the activity board.

Ask the children what they think the Jaredites did first when they arrived at the promised land.

16) They did bow down and give thanks to the Lord.

Conclusion
The Lord knew the Jaredite’s journey to the promised land would be difficult and dangerous, so he provided guidance and help. Our journey towards eternal life can also be difficult and filled with many dangers that can harm us spiritually. Just as the Lord gave the Jaredites guidance and direction in their journey, he also blesses us with guidance and direction in our lives through the Holy Ghost.

Remind them that we learn important lessons from the Jaredite story concerning the things we need to do in order to receive the help and guidance of the Lord in our lives.

Review Game
Take the signs off the activity board pages. Explain to the children that they are going to do a memory game to see if they can remember the things they need to do in order to receive the guidance of the Lord in their lives. Give each child a pencil and a copy of the paper labeled “Life’s Journey.” Have the children write down the missing items from the activity board onto their blank spaces. (They don’t have to be in the correct order.) Once they are finished, show the signs one at a time and have them check the item off, or add it to their list if it was missed. Ask the children if any of them remembered all the items. Explain that their game paper will help them remember all the items talked about in the lesson. Have them take it home and post it somewhere visible in their rooms. Bear testimony of the importance of doing those things that help us receive the guidance of the Lord in our lives. Remind them that receiving and following the Lord’s guidance in their life will help lead them to a wonderful place called Eternal Life.

Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Ether 1:1–4, 33–43; 2:1-25; 3:1-16; 6:1–13

Mar 28 2012

Lesson 26 – Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty

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Lesson 26
Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty

Preparation
• Items needed: a national flag or pictures of the flag, patriotic music such as “The Star Spangled Banner” (Note: Hymn CD’s and players can be checked out at the meeting house library), a large piece of fabric that can be torn up, a pole or long stick, coloring markers, tape or sticky tack, scisssors, and a roll of wide masking tape. (Optional Items: small dowel rods to attach the children’s flags and glue or tape.)
• Each child will be making a flag from a piece of the fabric, so you need to determine how many flag pieces you need and how big you want them to be. With a pair of scissors, cut into the fabric slightly at the sections you wish to tear to make each child’s flag. Also cut or tear a large piece off of the fabric to make a prepared example of Moroni’s Title of Liberty. Write the following words on it using markers: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” Be prepared to attach the “Title of Liberty” to a pole.
• Print and cut out the scripture story visual aids. Cut each page in half so one picture is on each half. Number the back of the pictures in the order they were printed. Print and cut out the activity visual aids. Be sure to cut out each stone.

Attention Activity
Have patriotic music playing and a flag displayed (or pictures of a flag) as the children enter into the classroom. Ask the children how they felt as they heard the music and saw the flag. Ask if they felt a sense of patriotic loyalty and devotion. Ask the children how they would feel if they heard that someone wanted to take over their country, take away their freedoms, take away their right to go to church, and even possibly harm their family members in the process.

Explain that in today’s lesson they are going to learn of a people who had to face this very problem, and they will learn what a leader of these people did to protect his people. They are also going to learn how the actions of this leader demonstrated how we can protect ourselves from the attacks of a spiritual enemy who desires to destroy our freedom and lives.

Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the scripture story visual aids.

1.  Among the Nephites there was a man named Amalickiah. He desired to be king. He sought to destroy the church and destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted them. (Alma 46:10)

• Why would Amalickiah want to destroy the church and the liberty of the people? Perhaps as a way to gain total power and influence over the people.

• In the preexistence who had a plan to destroy the freedoms and agency of the people who came to earth? (Satan) 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)

Ask the children how they felt during the exercise and how they would feel if they were forced to do exactly what they were told to do, all day every day.

2. In Amalickiah’s quest for power he was able to get many people to follow him. He flattered them and told them he would make them rulers over the people if they supported him and made him their king.

3. When Moroni, the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, heard of these dissensions he was angry with Amalickiah.

Moroni rent (tore) his coat to make a flag to rally his people to fight against these threats to their freedom. Explain that a coat back in Moroni’s day was probably a cloak. (Using the large piece of fabric, demonstrate how a cloak might have looked and how it might have been used as a coat.)

After demonstrating how it was used as a coat, dramatically take the cloth off and tear it along one of the precut slices in the fabric. Explain that fabric wasn’t easy to make or as easily available back in Moroni’s time, so tearing his coat to make a flag demonstrated the depths of Moroni’s emotion and commitment.

Show the children the piece of fabric you prepared, and explain that Moroni wrote the following words on his rent coat, “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” He then fastened it to the end of a pole, and he called it the Title of Liberty. (Attach your prepared piece of fabric to a pole.)

Explain that the word “Title” has many definitions in the dictionary. One of its meanings is, “something that justifies a claim or an established right.” So the words on the Title of Liberty might have represented their claims and rights to fight for liberty.

4.  After making the Title of Liberty, Moroni put on his armor and bowed himself to the earth. He prayed mightily unto God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren.

5. Then Moroni went among the people waving the Title of Liberty in the air that all might see the writing, and crying with a loud voice saying,  “Whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them.”

6.  When Moroni had proclaimed these words, the people came running together with their armor girded about them, rending their garments in token or as a covenant that they would not forsake the Lord their God.

• The Nephites would need to fight to defend their families and their freedoms. What direction had the Lord given to the Nephites concerning war? (Read Alma 43:47)

Explain to the children that we are also fighting a daily spiritual war against Satan. He wishes to bring us into captivity through getting us to sin. Demonstrate how Satan takes away our freedom through sin by doing the following object lesson.

Object Lesson
Ask for a volunteer. Have the volunteer put their hands together. Wrap one layer of the masking tape around their fingers and thumbs. Ask them if they can break free. Explain that when we first make a mistake or sin we are easily able to break free of its grasp and repent. But Satan knows that if he can get us to do the sin again and again, that eventually the sin will become a habit or an addiction and then we are bound in captivity to the sin. (Wrap the tape around the child’s hands several times, layering one area around the fingers and thumbs.) Ask the child to try and break free from the bindings. They shouldn’t be able to.

(Read 2 Nephi 2:27) “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.”

Satan wants us to be miserable like he is, and he knows that sin destroys lives and keeps us from the many joys and blessings we could be enjoying. (Ask the child whose hands are bound to try and do some form of activity they normally could do if their hands were free such as tying their shoes. With their fingers bound they shouldn’t be able to do the activity. Afterwards, remove the tape and thank them for their help.)

Explain that they are going to do an activity that will help them realize and think about all the blessings they enjoy due to freedom from sin.

Activity
Tear up the rest of the fabric into pre-sized pieces and give each child one of the pieces. Ask them to draw on it pictures or write on it the blessings they enjoy due to freedom from sin.

Share an example, such as a person who is a drug addict may not be enjoying the following blessings: good health, good relationships with family and friends, spiritual blessings such as temple attendance, freedom (they may be locked up in prison for illegal drug transactions), financial security (due to wasting their money on drugs), integrity and the trust of others (due to lying and stealing to buy drugs), etc. Their addiction becomes more important than anything else and destroys their ability to hold onto and enjoy all the good and wholesome things in life.

Once the children’s flags are finished, give them the option to share what they put on their flags. Afterwards explain that they should each post their flag in their room to remind them of the many blessings they enjoy and the many reasons to fight to maintain their freedom from Satan’s traps of sin.

Scripture Story Continued
7. When Amalickiah saw that the people of Moroni were more numerous than the Amalickiahites, and he also saw that his people were doubtful concerning the justice of the cause in which they had undertaken, therefore, fearing that he should not gain the point, he took those of his people who would go with him, and he departed into the land of Nephi.

8. Moroni thought to cut off the people of Amalickiah before they joined the Lamanites because he knew that Amalickiah would stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites and cause them to come to battle against the them to obtain his purposes. Moroni headed off the armies of Amalickiah, but Amalickiah escaped with a few of his men.

9. Moroni caused the Title of Liberty to be hoisted upon every tower in the land of the Nephites; and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites. And there was peace in the land for four years.

10. After Amalickiah escaped Moroni and his army, he fled to the Lamanites. With much deceit, fraud, and murder he became king of the Lamanites. After becoming their king, he stirred up the Lamanites to go to war against the Nephites. He sought to rule over all the land.

11. While Amalickiah had been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni had been strengthening the Nephites against attack. He strengthened the armies and built up high banks of earth and high walls of stone around their forts, cities, and around their borders.

• Moroni had also been strengthening his people spiritually. Why was it important for the Nephites to be prepared spiritually? So they would be worthy of and in-tune to the Lord’s guidance when defending themselves against the attacks of the Lamanites. Moroni told the people to obey God’s commandments. If they would obey, God would help them to be free.” (Also see Alma 48:15–16.)

•In what other ways does obeying commandments help us be free? Obeying commandments helps protect us from Satan’s attacks (temptations) and helps keep us free of Satan’s destructive traps (sin). A loving Father in Heaven gives us commandments because he wants us to be safe and happy, just as a father or mother on earth gives their children rules such as “don’t play in the street” or “don’t touch the hot stove” because they want their children to be safe and happy.

Show the children the pictures of the signs, and ask what would happen if they didn’t obey the laws, rules, and warning signs that are around them in the world. (They could become seriously injured or even die.) Explain that just like laws, rules, and warning signs are meant for our protection, so are the commandments meant to be for our protection. We are free to choose whether or not we will obey God’s commandments, but we must also live with the consequences that follow as a result of our choices.

Scripture Story Continued
12. The Lamanites had prepared themselves for battle with armor, shields, and thick clothing. Being prepared they thought they could easily overpower the Nephites, but they were astonished and afraid when they saw the fortifications around the Nephite cities.

13. They attempted to attack and gain entrance to the cities in many different ways, but the Nephite’s defenses and preparations prevented the Lamanites from succeeding in their attempts. During these initial attempts to attack the cities, all of the Lamanite’s chief captains were slain and more than a thousand of the Lamanite’s soldiers were slain, but not one Nephite was killed.

The Lamanites fled and reported to King Amalickiah of their great losses. Amalickiah was exceedingly angry at his people because he had not gained his desire to bring the Nephites into bondage. He cursed God and Moroni.

14. The Nephites, on the other hand, did thank the Lord their God for delivering them from the Lamanites.

Activity
The Nephites built up fortifications to protect themselves from the attacks of the Lamanites. Through keeping the commandments we are also building up protective barriers and fortifying ourselves against the fiery darts of Satan’s attacks. (Ephesians 6:16)

Put the picture of the fiery darts on the board, and then put the wall outline to the left of the picture. Have the children build a barrier wall in front of the fiery darts by taking turns telling a commandment, explaining how that commandment helps protect them, writing the commandment on a stone, and then attaching it to the wall outline. Continue in this manner until the wall is built.

Remind the children that keeping the commandments helps keep us safe from Satan’s attacks and from his attempts to enslave us in sin. Express your testimony and gratitude for the commandments of God and for the freedoms and protection we enjoy through keeping the commandments.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 46:4-22, Alma 48:1-17, Alma 49:1–30. Additional optional chapter: Alma 47

Oct 13 2010

Tithing #2

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The Widow’s Mite – Scripture Story

Preparation

Print one copy of  the story cards. Cut the picture pages in half on the dotted lines. To make the picture cards into a flip-chart, punch a hole in the top left corners of the picture pages and attach the cards together with hinged metal rings found in office supplies, or string or ribbon.

Items needed: Scriptures – Old Testament

 Scripture Story

( Show picture #1 to the family. Read #1 of the words below as you hold up the picture. Continue on in numerical order, holding up pictures and reading words.)

 1. The people of Israel had been taught the law of tithing. The people paid tithing by giving one-tenth of their crops or animals.

2.  During the time of the prophet Malachi they had begun to give blind and sick animals, and polluted bread as tithing.

(Have the family look up and read Malachi 3:8)

  •  Why would not paying tithing, or giving our worst, be robbing God? (The Lord created the earth and everything on it. Everything is His, but He has given it to us to use.  When we refuse to pay our tithing, or pay it grudgingly, we are being ungrateful and keeping from him what is rightfully his.)

 3.  The Lord wants us to gladly pay tithing with gratitude in our hearts.

4.   In Jesus Christ’s time, tithes and offerings were collected at the temple in large containers with openings at the top (point out the container in the picture).

5.   One day Jesus watched the people as they came and put their money into the container. When Jesus saw the widow put in her money he called over his disciples.

6.   He told the disciples that the widow had done a great deed. Because of her love for Heavenly Father, she had given all that she had.

7.   We are not required to give all that we have, but we can show our love and appreciation for Heavenly Father by happily paying our tithing with a grateful heart.