Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
Heavenly Father will help me make righteous choices.
It’s not always easy to choose the right, and Heavenly Father knows that. When we ask, He will help us because He wants us to succeed.
Possible Activities
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 to the children, inviting them to shake their heads when they hear the words “tempted” or “temptation.” Explain what this verse means to you.
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.
Show a picture of Jesus, and sing with the children a song about Him, such as “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79).
Talk about how remembering Jesus helps you make good choices. Show pictures of other things that help us make good choices, such as parents or scriptures. Ask the children what helps them make good choices.
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Heavenly Father has blessed me with spiritual gifts.
Heavenly Father has given all His children spiritual gifts. What spiritual gifts do you see in the children you teach?
Possible Activities
Ask the children to draw a picture of a favorite gift they have received. Explain that Heavenly Father gives us spiritual gifts to strengthen our faith and help us bless others. Share with the children some of the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12:7–11.
I love taking pictures of the children in the class and sending it to the parents. You can have the children help you decide what the children's gifts are and put it around their face. You can use this time to tell them that Words of Wisdom, means that this child says wise things, or has a good testimony. Words of Knowledge means that they are learning a-lot and sharing it with others...like (Amazon) Alexa(: Healing means that they take care of someone who is sick, like their Mom when she needs to sleep. Faith is believing in Jesus even when they can't see Him. Most of the kids will say that they defiantly have all of these gifts(:
I chose 4 gifts described in Corinthians (the most kid friendly). But I left some blank power burst, so you can write in words like: Kind, helpful, loving...words that describe the children you teach.
Point out that these gifts are for helping others, because Jesus loves it when we serve others like He does. Thats when you can give them the Eye masks....for them to look around and find people they can serve.
Bring yarn to attach Eye masks.
You can take their gifts (Power burst) and safety pin them to a cape, Dollar Tree sales pillow cases, that you can cut in half...if you really want to complete their outfit(:
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.
It is easiest to text parents, If you want to you can copy what the parents said onto this foldable gift card, so they can keep it in a special place.
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I can love others.
The scriptures teach that charity is the “pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47). How can you help the children develop and express Christlike love?
Possible Activities
Read 1 Corinthians 13:13 and Moroni 7:47, and help the children repeat the phrase “Charity is the pure love of Christ.” Show pictures of Jesus being loving and kind, and ask the children how He showed love to others (see Gospel Art Book for ideas).
Sing a song about loving others, such as “Jesus Said Love Everyone” or “Love One Another” (Children’s Songbook, 61, 136), with the children. Show pictures of different people (such as a parent, sibling, teacher, or friend), and ask the children to share how they could serve that person.
Invite the children to think of someone they could serve and then write a note or draw a picture to give that person. If they need other ideas about how to serve, show the video “Pass It On” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
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Here is another Youth lesson, Senior Primary teachers, you may want to look at these for more ideas and inspiration for you lesson. Click on the image.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
Heavenly Father will help me resist temptation.
The promises in this verse can give children confidence that they can resist temptation with Heavenly Father’s help.
Possible Activities
Invite the children to read 1 Corinthians 10:13 in pairs and summarize the verse in their own words. Ask the children to share an experience in which Heavenly Father helped them avoid or resist temptation. What can we do to rely on Heavenly Father when we are tempted?
You will need, painter tape and a small rope or long fabric.
Put the painters tape on the ground, lay the rope in the middle of the painters tape.
Ask for volunteers of two students.
After they participate in the tug of war read the scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Ask the students how temptation is like a tug of war in our lives or in our brains? How does God help us bear it? What is the way of escape?
Write on slips of paper temptations children may face today. Invite the children to each choose a paper and share what Heavenly Father has given to help us avoid or resist these temptations. For some ideas, read together Alma 13:28–29.
During the sacrament, I can think about how I am following the Savior.
Help the children you teach see that the sacrament is an opportunity to “examine” themselves and renew their baptismal covenant to serve the Lord and keep His commandments (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Possible Activities
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?
Ask the children to make a list of things they can think about when they partake of the sacrament. Invite them to use their lists as a reminder to examine themselves during the sacrament.
Here are some bookmarks that they can pull out to help them remember this lesson.
Pass around a box of Mac and Cheese, or something else you have on hand. Tell the students to look really close at it, because you are going to give them a quiz. After everyone has gotten a good look at it. Ask them how many oz it had? How many noodles were on the spoon? What were all the colors used? Have fun with this(:
Then have them read the scripture about examining themselves. Tell them that when we take the sacrament, is a good time to examine ourselves like we just examined that box.
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I have spiritual gifts.
Paul taught that gifts of the spirit are “given to every man” (1 Corinthians 12:7). This principle can help the children build their sense of self-worth, especially as they use their gifts to bless others.
Possible Activities
Ask the children to write on the board the spiritual gifts they find in 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; 13:2. Invite them to find any additional gifts mentioned in Moroni 10:8–18 and Doctrine and Covenants 46:13–26. 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.
Have the students write down the gifts that they hear on the tags, if they missed a spot, then they missed a gift. You don't have to do all of these, just print the-ones you would like to focus on the most. If you have a student that struggles with writing, have them color in the gift tag whenever he/she hears the mentioning of another gift.
This idea is from Mitzi at comefollowmekid.com
This is the puzzle under-sheet.
After they have all learned about spiritual gifts, pass these around with each students name at the top, the others can write in a gift that they see that person has.
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.
Share different situations in which people could use a spiritual gift from 1 Corinthians 12:7–10. Invite the children to identify the spiritual gifts that could be used in each situation.
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