Invite Sharing
Ask the children to share things they and their families do to learn the gospel at home. Invite them to share some of their favorite experiences with learning the gospel with their families.
Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
The priesthood can help us in many ways.
Hebrews 7:1–6 can provide an opportunity to introduce to the children the blessings of the priesthood.
Possible Activities
This is a hard lesson for sunbeams. Here is an idea where they can practice using their small motor skills. You can encourage the students to put 9 coins in the piggy bank and one in the envelope.
Click on the image to be taken to the churches website to watch this.
Briefly explain who Abraham was, and then use Hebrews 7:1–6 to teach that Abraham paid tithing to Melchizedek (see also Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:36–40 [in the Bible appendix]). Explain that Melchizedek held the priesthood, which is God’s power, and Melchizedek used it to bless Abraham. The children may enjoy acting out the story with simple props, like a crown and a tithing envelope.
I'm giving you a couple of options.
As you can see from the picture, it is a little smaller, so unless you have the very littles, it might be safe to go with the wrap around crown (at the top).
Invite an Aaronic and a Melchizedek Priesthood holder to visit the class and tell the children how they have used the priesthood to bless others. Then show the children pictures of different priesthood ordinances (for examples, see pictures 103–8 in the Gospel Art Book). Help the children determine which priesthood is required for each ordinance and give that picture to the appropriate priesthood holder to hold.
Click on the image to be taken to the churches website, to get this story from the Friend magazine.
Click on the images to be taken to Etsy.
Faith is believing in things we cannot see.
Even though we can’t see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can develop faith in Them and Their promises, following the examples of faithful people described in Hebrews 11.
Possible Activities
Display a picture of Jesus. Place around the room several objects to represent “evidences” that He is real even though we can’t see Him (such as the scriptures, a picture of the First Vision, and a picture of the earth). Invite the children to locate the items, and then share with them how each item helps us have faith that Jesus lives.
Bring a paper fan, and let the children take turns feeling the fan blow air across their faces. Teach them that we can’t see air, but we can feel it. Similarly, we can’t see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but we can feel Their love and have faith that They are real.
Share the stories of one or more people mentioned in Hebrews 11:4–32. You can also find stories about these people in Old Testament Stories. What did these people do to show they had faith in something they couldn’t see? Share some blessings you have received because of your faith.
Here is a interactive song on Fatih.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us and never leave us.
What trials might the children be experiencing? How might the message of Hebrews 13:5–6 help them?
Possible Activities
Review some New Testament stories the children have learned this year in which the Savior helped others, such as when He healed the man with palsy (see Luke 5:18–26) or fed the 5,000 (see Matthew 14:15–21). Help the children learn the phrase “The Lord is my helper” (Hebrews 13:6).
Invite the children to draw a picture of a time when someone comforted them when they were afraid. Read Hebrews 13:5–6 to them, and testify that Heavenly Father will help us and never leave us. Help the children cut out paper hearts large enough to cover the drawings. What are some things that help us feel closer to Heavenly Father? Write some of these things on the hearts.
Teach the children a song about how Heavenly Father and Jesus love and help us, such as “Tell Me, Dear Lord” (Children’s Songbook, 176). How can we know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are near us? Talk about a time when you felt “the Lord [was your] helper.”
For those of you that would like to get an early start. Click on the image. I found these socks at Dollar tree.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
Church leaders follow the Savior.
How can you use these verses to help the children understand that those who are called to serve in the Lord’s Church are to be faithful and serve others as He did?
Possible Activities
Help the children list things they know about the two great leaders Abraham and Melchizedek. They can find help in Hebrews 7:1–4; Abraham 1:1–2; and Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 14:25–40 (in the Bible appendix). What Christlike qualities did these men have that helped them honor the priesthood?
Ask the children to read Hebrews 7:1–2 and look for the titles used to describe Melchizedek. How do these titles remind us of Jesus Christ? Help them think of ways in which Jesus was a “King of peace.” Invite them to talk about other priesthood holders who are also an example of following the Savior.
Cut out the pieces next to the picture of Jesus. Pass them out to your students. Encourage them to write titles in Hebrews 7:1-2, it's ok if they duplicate,( if you need more pieces you can cut them smaller to make a harder puzzle). Show the picture of Melchizedek. and have them place the pieces over the top of the picture, you can place the last piece, which is Jesus, bear your testimony of how the priesthood represents our Savior.
Share an experience in which your faith in the Savior was strengthened because of the service of a righteous priesthood holder. Help the children think of ways the priesthood has blessed them.
Your personal story is the best, but if you are struggling, you can share a story like this, and ask them how that strengthened their faith in the Savior.
Heavenly Father rewards those who have faith.
Hebrews 11 contains many examples of people who were blessed when they acted in faith. Which of the stories will be most inspiring or helpful to the children you teach?
Possible Activities
Invite the children to make a list on the board of the things they learn about faith in Hebrews 11:1–3, 6. Give each of the children the name of someone mentioned in Hebrews 11, and invite them to read the verses associated with that person. Ask them to share clues about the person so that the other children can guess who it is. How did these people show faith, and how did Heavenly Father reward them? (For pictures of these people, see the Old Testament section of the Gospel Art Book.)
You can pass these out to the students. They can take turns reading and having the other kids guess who it is.
After reading about some of the faithful examples in Hebrews 11, ask the children to write about a person they know who showed faith. Invite several children to share their examples with the class.
The Lord chastens those He loves.
These verses can help the children understand that Heavenly Father, their parents, and others correct them because they love them and want them to learn from their mistakes.
Possible Activities
Read together Hebrews 12:5–11, and ask the children to find reasons why Heavenly Father chastens us (corrects or disciplines us). What does this teach us about why earthly parents also correct their children? How should we respond to loving correction?
Share examples of people in the scriptures who were chastened by the Lord and repented (for example, see 1 Nephi 16:25–27; Ether 2:13–15). How are they good examples of the principles in Hebrews 12:5–11?
After reading Hebrews 12:5–11, invite the children to write down a few things they will try to remember when they are corrected for their mistakes.