April 20-26, Come Follow Me, Youth Lesson helps, YM &YW
- redwallace
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Here are this week's free lesson prints and ideas. You can read about them and print them below.
Here is this week's purchasable lesson. Just click on the image to go to Etsy. It is explained in the lesson plan below.
There is an old lesson from July 2025 that you might like, also about commandments. The game is really fun, but I don't feel like it goes with the guidelines of this lesson. But you are welcome to look at it and see if it is something you would like better.
Just click on the image to go to the page to read about it.
Same gift tag for both lessons, and it is already included in either lesson bundle. But if you would like to purchase it separately, click the image below.
Obedience to God’s commandments brings blessings.
While the Israelites were gathered at the base of Mount Sinai, they heard the voice of God give the Ten Commandments (see Deuteronomy 4:12–13). These, of course, aren’t God’s only commandments—there are many others in the scriptures. So, as you read Exodus 20:1–17, ask yourself why God emphasized these ten in particular.
Target Practice
What you need:
Trash can or bucket
Several pieces of paper (crumpled into balls)
Optional: tape to mark a throwing line
Step 1: No Target
Have everyone stand in the same spot.
Say:
“Alright—your goal is to throw these paper balls… somewhere.”
Don’t give them a target.
Let them throw.
Ask:
“Did anyone feel like they were doing a good job?”
“How did it feel not having a clear goal?”
Step 2: Add a Target
Now bring out the trash can.
Say:
“Now you have a goal—get it in the bucket.”
Let them try again.
Ask:
“What changed?”
“Did you try harder this time?”
“Was it more satisfying to get it in?”
Say something like:
"The only thing that changed was having a target (or boundary)—but it changed everything about how you acted."
Then connect it:
God’s commandments—like the Ten Commandments—give us a target (or boundaries) for how to live.
Without commandments:
Life feels random
Choices don’t seem to matter
Easy to drift or lower standards
With commandments:
You know what you're aiming for
You can improve
Your choices have purpose
“Commandments don’t just tell you what not to do—they show you what kind of person you’re becoming.”
“What ‘targets’ does the world give vs. what God gives?”
“Which commandments help you the most right now?”
“Why do people sometimes choose to ignore the target?”
What is the strongest reason for following the commandments? (love)
If you think you will be short on time, you can just watch this movie to introduce this topic:
The game is in my store. Click the image at the top of the page to access it.
This is a very simple and effective game. Your board will be set up like this:
The youth will be matching the commandments to the blessings. There are actually 14 commandments, another perk of our religion(:
Play this like a normal memory game: pick a commandment, flip it over, then pick a blessing, read the blessings, and see if they match. However, there are additional questions. You can tell them they don't get their match until they answer the questions. Here is what a matching set looks like:
Also, additional insights are included. So you can teach how these commandments actually apply to them.(:
14 total pages and matches.
I highly recommend watching this, if not as a class, then as a teacher. It will help you teach the deeper meaning of the commandments. I drew many of my insights for the game from this; it taught me so much.
How might the hymn “How Gentle God’s Commands” (Hymns, no. 125) affect the way you explain God’s commandments to others?
This is a Free Print.
See also “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson (2014), 37–45; Dallin H. Oaks, “No Other Gods,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 72–75; Topics and Questions, “Commandments,” Gospel Library.
Here is a quote picked from Ezra T Benson:
This is also a free Print.
Point out: Putting God first doesn’t take away love—it makes our love for others stronger and eternal.
My thoughts:
This question from the lesson stood out to me very much:
How would you respond to someone who says the Ten Commandments were given a long time ago and do not apply today?
Before really studying this lesson, I think I subconsciously thought this also. For example, "thou shalt not kill" - I mean, who really does that? But as the world draws closer to the second coming, we are seeing more and more of this. Here is just one quote:
“Nurturing and protecting life that is yet unborn is not a political position. It is a moral law confirmed by the Lord through His prophets.” -Neil L. Andersen
As values keep shifting in this changing world, it will become increasingly vital for us to understand the importance of these commandments given to us long ago, which are very much needed in our day. They are like the North Star, never changing. Isn't a direct quote, you can tell I grew up with a love for President Hinkley(:
Be sure to close with your personal testimony of the importance of the principles and commandments.
There is an old lesson from July 2025 that you might like, also about commandments. The game is really fun, but I don't feel like it goes with the guidelines of this lesson. But you are welcome to look at it and see if it is something you would like better.
Just click on the image to go to the page to read about it.