I Can Tell Others About Jesus Christ – Primary 2 Lesson #11

Objective:  To inspire each child to help others learn about Jesus Christ.

The link to the lesson is here.

 

In this lesson, the scriptures about the missions of the sons of Mosiah are a good foundation to build upon.  I’d also like to add some stories about Paul from the New Testament.  Paul suffered quite a bit of physical trial as a missionary but he endured because of his faith in Jesus Christ and his desire to spread the message of Christ.  A couple of Friend articles about Paul may be helpful  here and here.

Or, just go directly to the scriptures. This Primary 7 Manual lists quite a few scriptures you can choose from about Paul’s missions in the New Testament.

Not to be negative, but I’m not a huge fan of using pretend stories about “Tommy or Johnny or Susie” because they feel a bit plastic to me.  I’d much rather use true stories, such as one gleaned from this article about President Hinckley’s mission in England.  With the littlest of effort you can find other stories about previous Church president’s missions to include in this lesson.

For other resources about missionary work with a current perspective see the links. Most are from the Friend magazine within the last few years, and there are a couple of video clips from Mormon Messages.

I Can be a Missionary Now July 2009,  Friend

Being Like a Missionary January 1010 Friend

I can be a Missionary, Too.  February 2011  Friend

Missionary Maze  May 2011 Friend

Missionary to the Rescue  January 2010 Friend

Your Day for a Mission (YouTube Mormon Messages) (Maybe geared more toward 7 year olds than 4 year olds)

The Vineyard (YouTube Mormon Messages) (Maybe geared toward 7 year olds than 4 year olds)

I would close the lesson by bearing my testimony that as a convert to the Church I am eternally grateful to my sister’s example.  She was a missionary to me when she didn’t even know she was acting like a missionary.  She didn’t wear a missionary tag.  She didn’t receive an official “call.”  She didn’t say anything particularly powerful that caught my ear.  It was just her quiet but constant example that made all  the difference.  Anyone can be an example.  You just never know who will notice and become eternally grateful to you.

Primary 1 Lesson 10 (Sunbeams) “I am Thankful for Trees, Plants and Flowers”

by Roberta

Link to Lesson at LDS.org

Objective:  To help children feel gratitude to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for trees, plants and flowers.

I think these simple lessons about the various parts of God’s beautiful creation are a lot of fun to teach.  For this lesson about trees, plants and flowers, I’m following the lesson’s suggested outline for the most part:

First, I’ll discuss that trees, plants and flowers were created by Heavenly Father first spiritually and then created physically in the world by Jesus on the third day of creation, who followed Heavenly Father’s plan.  All these things were created for man to be useful and also to please man’s eye and gladden his heart (D&C 59:18).  I’m going to explain that the part I love most about trees, plants and flowers (aside from their fabulous uses) is their amazing variety.  I am so happy to have so much diversity to enjoy, so much varying texture and color.  When I look at trees, plants and flowers in the world I know that Heavenly Father loves diversity, too, and that He derives great pleasure from mixing them together in just the right way to create an incredible view.  I will show photographs of some amazing natural displays of trees, plants and flowers.

The lesson suggests including the “popcorn popping” song during the lesson, but I’m going to skip it only because I want to have enough time to cover several scriptures that involve trees and plants as key elements.  Here is what I’m adding for a scriptural emphasis:

Genesis 6:  Noah’s ark  (I’ll show a picture and I’ll ask what the kids think it’s made of).

Exodus 15:22:   The Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness and are thirsty.  They come to a pool of water that is very bitter.  Moses prays and is told to throw a nearby tree into the water to make it sweet.  (I’ll show a picture of a tree and ask the kids questions about how they think that tree grew there in the first place since it’s a dessert-ish area).

Exodus 3:   Burning bush at Sinai  (Did the bush really burn?  I may ask them why God used a bush and not a rock…just to hear their answers and to observe their thoughts)

John 19:  The cross used to crucify our Lord.  I will ask the kids what the cross was made of?  A plant, tree or flower?  Today, when we visit the gravesite of a loved one, we bring flowers to make it more beautiful and as a symbol of our love for that individual.

Mark 16:1:  Mary at the selpulchre to annoint Jesus’ body with herbs.  What are herbs? (I’ll bring a variety they can smell and touch)  Where do herbs grow?  Why would Mary use herbs on Jesus’ body? What are perfumes made from?

Genesis 2:  Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden.  Symbolic uses of trees to mean choices and growth.  Trees are often used in the scriptures as metaphors to teach important lessons because of the many uses of trees in our world.

For an enrichment activity I will bring paper cups, potting soil and seeds for the kids to plant seeds.

Sunbeam Lesson #4 “I Can Pray to Heavenly Father”

By Roberta

 Link to Lesson

Objective:  To help each child learn how to pray to Heavenly Father, and know that He will listen.

I think the biggest “take away” that I would hope to give the children though this lesson is that Heavenly Father hears their prayers.  I know that we Latter-day Saints can easily get caught up in the cultural aspects of prayer, what I often call the “works” part, such as whether we have closed our eyes or folded our arms, or if we’ve used the “proper” old English pronouns correctly, but regardless of these things I believe Heavenly Father hears every sincere prayer.

The Bible Dictionary is a good resource to read over for this lesson.  (It’s interesting to me that prayer is more a duty of the faithful rather than a commandment, and nothing about it is found among the list of interview questions for a temple recommend).  However, when we pray, we are commanded to pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

CTR (4-7) Lesson #3 “I Am a Child of God”

By Roberta

Link to original lesson

Objective:  To help each child realize that Heavenly Father loves each of us because we are his children.

Some resources that may be helpful for this lesson are:

New Era Article “You are a Child of God”

Mormon Messages Video Clip ”I Am a Child of God”

Mormon Messages “Child of God”

Quotes on the doctrine of Premortal Existence:

Boyd K. Packer (February 2006 Ensign “The Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Teaches of Life Before Birth)  “This doctrine of premortal life was known to ancient Christians. For nearly five hundred years the doctrine was taught, but it was then rejected as a heresy by a clergy that had slipped into the Dark Ages of apostasy. Once they rejected this doctrine, … they could never unravel the mystery of life. They became like a man trying to assemble a strand of pearls on a string that was too short. There is no way they can put them all together.”

Sunbeam Lesson #3 Heavenly Father’s Plan for Us

By Roberta

Objective:  To help each child understand that we lived with Heavenly Father as spirit children before we came to earth and that we can live with him again after this life.

Link to Lesson

(Read Alma 40 as lesson preparation)

For an “attention getter,” contact the parents of the kids ahead of time and get a picture of each child as a baby.  Young children often like to look at pictures of themselves as babies, and it’s a good way to introduce the “pre existence” concept.  As you hold up each picture, ask the children if they recognize who the baby is in the picture?

Do they remember being a baby?  Most people can’t remember what it was like to be a baby.  Do they remember living before they were born?  Most people can’t remember what it was like to live with Heavenly Father but everyone did.

We are spirit children of Heavenly Father

• Did you know that we are all spirit children of Heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:9)?  We all lived with him before we came to earth as babies.  We were happy there.
• Our spirits are an invisible part of our bodies.  Our spirits can live without a body just like they did before we were born, but our bodies cannot live without a spirit. A body without a spirit inside it is called “dead.”  Your spirit will always live but not your earthly body.
• One of the reasons we came to earth was to be born into a body so our spirit could experience the joy of having a body.  A body is wonderful!  (See: Friend Magazine February 1999 “I Shouted for Joy”)

Part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us to grow and to learn to be more like him was to come to earth to get a body.  On earth we get to learn to treat our ourselves and others the right way.