Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
I can be thankful for what God has given me.
Even though the Lord had done wonderful things for the children of Israel, they often focused instead on what they didn’t have. Help the children learn to be thankful for what God has given them.
Possible Activities
Ask the children if they remember some of the miracles the Lord performed to bless the Israelites in the wilderness. (If the children need help, show them pictures from the April 4–10 outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families; see also Exodus 14:21–22; 15:23–25; 16:4.) Then summarize for them Numbers 11:4–10, emphasizing that the Lord was unhappy because the Israelites were complaining. Help the children think of ways they can show gratitude to the Lord.
Here is a gratitude, prayer count down for a week. Bring some yarn and string them on to a necklace. They rip the day off after they said a prayer and remembered to thank God for some of their blessings. Be sure to follow up and see how they felt after a week of being grateful.
Sing together a song about gratitude, such as “Count Your Blessings” (Hymns, no. 241). Invite each child to draw pictures of blessings the Lord has given them or their families. Encourage them to think about or look at their picture whenever they are tempted to complain about something they don’t have.
Here is a song from the primary manual about gratitude. It's call "For Health and Strength." You start out singing the correct words to the song, and then change it with other things you are thankful for.
Here is a cute story about a toy maker and gratitude.
Here is an amazing video of people all over the world showing gratitude.
Last one for Gratitude
Faith can help me not be afraid.
When Moses sent 12 men to find out about the promised land, 10 of them came back afraid because of the mighty people who lived there. Two of them, Caleb and Joshua, were not afraid, because they had faith in the Lord.
Possible Activities
Cover the page in packing tap or laminate. As you summarize the story draw (with a dry erase marker) a scared face (or have the children draw it) on the blank face. Explain that 10 of the men felt scared. Then erase the face and draw a happy face and explain that 2 of the men were happy because of their faith.
You can also use rolls of play dough, and make eyes, brows and a mouth for the kids to shape.
Use pictures or drawings of grapes, honey, giants, and grasshoppers to briefly tell the children about the 12 men Moses sent to explore the promised land (see Numbers 13:17–33). Explain that they found a lot of fruit and other foods (invite the children to pretend to eat the food), but they also were afraid because the people there were large and strong (invite the children to pretend to be afraid). Show a picture of Jesus, and point out that two Israelites, Caleb and Joshua, were not afraid because they had faith in Jesus Christ.
Read Numbers 14:9 to the children, and talk about a time when you were afraid but your faith in Jesus Christ helped you have courage. Help the children think of any similar experiences they’ve had.
If you can't think of your own experience, here is one from Elder Gong
I can look to Jesus Christ.
Just as the children of Israel were healed by looking at the serpent of brass, the children in your class receive salvation by looking to the Savior.
Possible Activities
Mitzi at comefollowmekid.com has this cute snake bite game. Just click on the picture to take you to her page.
Using this week’s activity page or the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families, tell the children what happened when “fiery serpents” came into the Israelites’ camp (see Numbers 21:6–9). Help them see how the brass serpent is like Jesus Christ (see John 3:14–15). Then let the children take turns using the picture to tell the story to each other.
Ask the children to close their eyes while you place a picture of the Savior somewhere in the room. Then invite the children to open their eyes, find the picture, and look at it. Let them take turns being the one to place the picture. Each time the children find the picture, help them think of something they can do to look to the Savior.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
The Lord wants me to follow His prophet.
Numbers 12 contains some valuable lessons that can help the children when they hear people saying unkind things about the Lord’s prophet or other Church leaders.
Possible Activities
Tell the children that on one occasion, the Lord was unhappy with Aaron and Miriam, Moses’s brother and sister. Invite them to read Numbers 12:1–2 to find out why. According to verses 5–8, how did the Lord feel about Aaron and Miriam speaking against His prophet?
Help the children think of examples of people in the scriptures who did follow the prophet and were blessed (for example, see Genesis 7:7; 1 Nephi 3:7). What are some of the things our living prophet has taught us? How are we blessed when we follow his teachings?
Jesus Christ has the power to heal me spiritually.
Many Israelites died because they did not have faith that the Lord would heal them if they looked at the brass serpent (see Alma 33:18–20). How can you help the children you teach have faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ?
Possible Activities
Invite the children to draw pictures of what they read in Numbers 21:4–9. Let them use their pictures to tell the story. Ask each child to choose one of the following scriptures and share what it adds to our understanding of the story: John 3:14–15; 1 Nephi 17:41; Alma 33:18–20; Helaman 8:13–15; Doctrine and Covenants 6:36.
Write on the board a question like What can we do to “look upon the Son of God with faith”? (Helaman 8:15). Give each of the children a piece of paper, and invite them to write as many answers to the question as they can think of. Collect the papers, read a few answers aloud, and invite the children to talk about how doing these things can help us when we need the Savior’s healing power.
I can follow God’s will, even if others try to persuade me not to.
Balak tried to persuade Balaam to curse the Israelites, but Balaam knew that this was against God’s will. Balaam’s example could help the children when they face pressure to disobey God.
Possible Activities
Object lesson
1. Have a child leave the room.
2. Have the other children in the room create a maze out of the chairs.
3. Organize 2 sets of children on opposite sides of the room. One will help the child get through the maze the other will tell them something else. They might even say phrases like "If you are cool, you will go this way" or "You should sit on the floor and give up."
4. After the child makes it through ask them how they knew who to listen too, and why?
5. Ask all the children how their commitment (like Balaam's) to the Lord will help them to know what voices to listen to.
Summarize Numbers 22:1–18 for the children, emphasizing how Balaam refused to curse God’s people, even though Balak, the king of Moab, offered him honor and riches. Ask the children to search the following verses for phrases that they feel show Balaam’s determination to follow God: Numbers 22:18; 23:26; 24:13. Invite the children to pick one phrase they like and write it on a card to help them remember to obey the Lord.
Here is the story in cartoon form, skip the lady with the puppet dog(:
Talk with the children about situations when friends or others might try to persuade them to do something wrong, as Balak did to Balaam. How did Balaam’s commitment to the Lord help him resist pressure from Balak? Invite the children to practice responding to these situations using words like Balaam’s.
(click on the pictures to be taken to my Etsy store)
