March 2-8, Come Follow Me, youth lesson, YM&YW

Hello & Welcome!

Here are the Free prints and ideas for this week's youth lesson. You can read about them and print them in the lesson plan below.

Here is the purchasable lesson. You can click the image below to purchase it on Etsy. You can also read about it in the lesson plan below.

This gift tag is already in the lesson bundle, but you can purchase it separately by clicking on the image below.

Genesis 28

The covenants of the Lord’s house bring God’s power into my life.

While sleeping on a pillow of stones, Jacob had a life-changing dream. It was such a sacred experience that Jacob named the place Bethel, or “house of God,” declaring, “Surely the Lord is in this place” (Genesis 28:16).

To introduce this, you could pass around rocks or stones to the youth. If they’re large enough, invite them to write on the stone something that feels heavy in their life—something tough, uncomfortable, or weighing on their heart. (If they are small stones, just have them write a keyword that means something only to them.)

Explain Jacob's story, and how he hit "Rock bottom."

Then read “Surely the Lord is in this place” (Genesis 28:16). How is the Lord in this place?.... referring to what they wrote on their rock. How can this trial or heavy thing be a sacred experience in your life?

How is this the foundation of your own personal temple?

As you read Genesis 28, you might ask yourself what made this experience so sacred to Jacob. What was he going through at the time? How might he have been feeling? You could also look for words and phrases in verses 10–22 that remind you of the house of the Lord. What impressions do you receive about God, His house, and His covenants?

At the end of this outline is a painting that depicts Jacob’s dream; you might refer to it as you read. If you were to create your own artistic depiction of his dream, what would you do? What truths from the story would you try to portray?

The hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” (Hymns, no. 100) is based on Jacob’s experience. What connections do you see between this song and Genesis 28:10–22?

Here is a free Print of this beautiful song, that you can read and compare to the scriptures. This is a Free Print.

Print Here

Black and White

How does the temple help you feel nearer to God? Consider looking for answers to this question in President Russell M. Nelson’s message “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation” (Liahona, Nov. 2021, 93–96). You may also want to review the covenants and blessings of the house of the Lord in General Handbook, 27.2 (Gospel Library). How does keeping these covenants bring God’s power into your life?

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The rest of the lesson is available in my store. You can click on the storefront image at the top of the page.

The next part of the lesson is so fun.

You are going to set up your board like this:

You will have a bag full of puzzle pieces.

Tell them not to worry about putting anything together. First, we'll sort them out according to the knowledge or understanding of the scripture or quote.

Have scissors available for the youth to cut off the quotes and questions after they are read and answered. If you did the object lesson above, you can tell them we are playing rock, paper, scissors. If you are looking for the one (terrible) joke in every lesson plan, you found it(:

Here is a sample of some of the pieces:

Teaching Tip: I ask everyone to select a piece at the same time so that each student is prepared. I give them time to read and think, and I encourage them to ask questions if they need clarification. Set a clear expectation: when it’s your turn, you should be ready to respond. “I don’t know” is not the right answer. Preparing the students and setting expectations goes a long way. As always, go by the spirit and the needs of your students.

The board will look like this as the pieces get sorted correctly:

If you don't have time to cover everything, choose the pieces you feel are most important, cut the questions and quotes from the other pieces, and let them still complete the puzzle.

There are also these "Insights for Teachers" that you might find helpful.

Lastly, you can let the youth assemble the pieces to display the final picture.

Close with your testimony.