A Hen Gathering Her Chicks and a Come Follow Me Activity Sheet for D&C 29 (Apr 6)

 This blogpost features some of my thoughts and a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  March 31 - April 6, which includes Doctrine and Covenants 29.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

********************************************
MY THOUGHTS ON A HEN GATHERING HER CHICKS

When I read this week's Come, Follow Me reading, I immediately paused on D&C 29:2. 

"Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer."

I think it stuck out to me because it was the first time I was realizing (no, I'm not a scriptorian) that the imagery of  Christ gathering His people like a "hen gathereth her chickens under her wings" is used throughout the scriptures.   You can find this analogy with very similar wording in the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and in the Doctrine and Covenants.    I had read it many times before, but had never connected that it was found so many times in the scriptures in different places.  

It made me pause and consider why this same imagery was used by different writers throughout the ages.  In those considerations, my mind was turned to   think of our own experiences with chickens.  

About a decade ago, we had friends that owned  a small hobby farm who asked for volunteers to take care of some baby chicks until they were old enough to join the hens in their coop.   We were very much suburbanites living a very suburban life, but we decided we could convert one of our bathtubs into an incubator for a few weeks, so my kids could have the experience of taking care of them.  All in all, it was a good (and slightly smelly) experience for them to learn how to care for such helpless creatures, but we were happy to give them back to the owners when it was time. 

Fast forward several years and we moved to Utah!   The home we purchased here came with a chicken coop and a few chickens.   We were pretty excited by it at first, but have since realized that taking care of chickens is a lot of work and they don't give as much as they take.  But it's all good.  We take care of them and they give us eggs when they feel like it.  

Both of our separate experiences with baby chicks and then with fully grown hens has given me a new lens to consider the imagery found in these scriptures. 

First off, it's hard not to think of my own "baby chicks" who needed a lot of care when they were young, but now  have somehow all grown and left our coop to go off to create their own lives.  I know the scattering is natural and what we want for our children, but   I am filled with longing looking at the picture below.  These days it is rare for our family to all be under the same roof and I miss the simplicity (though it didn't feel simple when we were living it) of having a house filled with our little people.   I had no idea in the moment that picture was taken, the challenges that lay ahead very shortly, for if I had, I would have held onto them a little tighter.   But God knew.  And looking back I can see that he was preparing us for those challenges.  

I'm not experienced enough with chickens to have ever witnessed a hen gathering her chicks, but looking at this picture, I can relate.   

I very much want to protect my children from any storm that may befall them, but I've come far enough into life to realize that that's just not possible.  Try as I might,  I couldn't stop my daughter from developing epilepsy.  I couldn't stop my son from developing leukemia.  I couldn't stop my husband's job losses.  I couldn't stop my child from experiencing severe mental illness.   Then I realized that it's not my role, nor is it in my capacity, to STOP storms from happening.  But what I can do, is follow the example of our Savior and make sure that my kids know that my arms and our "coop"  are always a safe place to come back to.  That no matter where their journeys take them, that they know that my love for them is unconditional. 

I love this quote from October's General Conference that illustrates many of the feelings of my heart on this topic so well:  

"One of the miracles of the divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus’s love, we find ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that “whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Being filled with God’s love shields us in life’s storms but also makes the happy moments happier—our joyful days, when there is sunshine in the sky, are made even brighter by the sunshine in our souls."    "God's Favourite," Karl Hirst, October 2024

The storms still happen, but with God, we are better equipped to weather them.   I believe that one of Satan's greatest tools is to have us believe that somehow we've messed up so much that we've fallen out of reach of Christ's atonement.  He'd have us think  that because our path in life is  windy and hilly, that we're too far gone to qualify for God's help...and I think that's where the beauty of the imagery of a hen gathering her chicks comes into play.   We are never, ever too far gone.   Christ's reach is infinite and he can pull us out of our lowest lows and bring us in from the furthest path.   

In the 10th Article of Faith, it reads: 
"We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory."

Gathering is an integral part of the gospel plan and just as I yearn for and treasure the moments when our family is all gathered in, I know Christ yearns for us to be able to return to Him.  He doesn't stop the storms from happening, but he provides the soft place to land, as well as that sure foundation for us to hold onto when we are in the midst of them.  

*********************************************

These activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom or home setting.   I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament programs each week.  Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them.


HERE IS THE LINK TO THE ACTIVITY SHEET (in case it's not showing below)

 

 

*********************************************

💗HAPPY GENERAL CONFERENCE WEEKEND AND HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!  💗

Remembering Jesus Teaching Ideas and a CFM Activity Page for D&C 27-28 (Mar 30)

  This blogpost features a lesson plan and a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  March 24-30, which includes Doctrine and Covenants 27-28.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

********************************************
TEACHING ABOUT KEEPING YOUR SINGLE TO GOD'S GLORY (AND REMEMBERING JESUS) (D&C 27:1-4)
This is a lesson more geared for teens, but could easily be simplified for teaching primary

MATERIALS NEEDED:
cookie sheet or platter
15-20 random objects
towel for covering
paper and pen for each student

MEMORY GAME:
Show your class a platter full of about 15-20 random objects from around your house.   Allow everyone to examine the items for 30 seconds, then cover the items with a towel.

Ask them to number their papers 1-20 (or however many objects you have) and give them 1 minute to recall as many items as possible without consulting with anyone.     

ASK:
How’d you do? Why didn’t you remember everything? Talk about how we are all human and our memories are fallible. 

SHARE A PERSONAL STORY
Share a time in your life when you forgot something important

BRIEF STORY (don't let it go on too much on a tangent)
Share briefly about the world record holder for remembering items and point out that the blurb mentions that he attends training programs that help him learn skills for remembering things.  (read about him here)

ASK: 
Ask if they have any tricks they use to remember important things.  Perhaps putting it in their calendar, writing a note to themselves, setting an alert, making an acronym, etc.   

READ D&C 27:1-4
Discuss what it means to keep your eye "single to God's glory".  It doesn't mean that we stop living a normal life and become monks, but it does mean that we try to build habits into our lives that help us remember the Savior. 

GET OUT PAPER AND PEN
Tell them to think back honestly and write down a couple of things that they were thinking of during the sacrament that day.  Don't make anyone feel bad and don't make anyone share.  Perhaps you can share something off-topic that entered your mind during the sacrament to point out that it's natural for our minds to wander.

ASK
Ask if they have any tricks they or their  family uses to help you remember the Savior and the promises they make during the sacrament?    (this could be reading through the hymnbook, or reading scriptures, or a thought cue they've made, whatever they do is great...be encouraging).  Ask them to be thinking about that during the rest of the lesson and that you'll circle back to this at the end. 

SCRIPTURE ACTIVITY
Have everyone get out their scriptures (electronic or paper is fine) and ASK  "How many times is “remember” found in the scriptures?"   I don't actually know the answer to this question, but let them look it up and see it's A LOT.  If you have time, have everyone pick a random scripture that contains the word "remember" and go around the circle and ask what is so important that God wants us to remember in that particular scripture.   I found this was a powerful exercise that got everyone thinking (though please read the note below).  

**NOTE:   I was teaching teenagers and some of them were on a mission to find the weirdest scriptures possible (generally in the Old Testament).  THAT'S OKAY!   You can make any scripture work, but you may need to help them.  Don't discourage anyone....just go with whatever scripture they have found and help them to find a message, even if it's just that God knew that person by name.  Or that he doesn't want us to murder.  Or that He is aware of us in all circumstances.**

READ SACRAMENT PRAYERS IN MORONI 4:3, 5:2

Discuss what the sacrament reminds us of...

 WE PROMISE                                                         
1. To take upon me the name of Christ    |
2. To always remember him
3. To keep his commandments
HEAVENLY FATHER PROMISES
  1. We may have spirit to be with us

What do these promises look like in real life? Why do we want his spirit to be with us?


TREE OF LIFE / ATONEMENT ANALOGY
This is a great time to talk about what Christ's atonement looks like in real life.  I love this diagram that shows how Christ is as essential to our eternal life as trees are to our physical life.  Encourage them to use this idea to help them to think of a way they can keep their "eye more single to God's glory".  




PAPER AND PEN ACTIVITY
Ask them to write down what they feel inspired to do to help them REMEMBER Jesus and to keep their eye single to his glory!   

TESTIFY OF CHRIST

********************************************
SOME GREAT RESOURCES:

This blogpost:  If you decide to focus on the Armor of God, this blogpost I wrote up a couple years ago has some great ideas for you

"Put on the Whole Armor of God" by N. Eldon Tanner


*********************************************
These activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom or home setting.   I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament programs each week.  Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET (in case it's not showing below)




*********************************************

HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!  

CFM Teaching Ideas, Resources, and an Activity Sheet for D&C 23-26 (Mar 23)

 This blogpost features some interesting resources, a fun fill-in-the-blank hymn hunt to uncover a secret message, a few thoughts, and  a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  March 17-23, which includes Doctrine and Covenants 23-26.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

*************************************************
SOME THOUGHTS:

There are a lot of different ways to go with teaching about Doctrine and Covenants 25.  If I were teaching young women, I would almost certainly focus on what it means to be an "elect lady".  There are some great scriptures listed in this study guide, which would be great for launching some good discussions.  I would also use this as an opportunity to talk about other "elect ladies" from the scriptures and church history (like Esther, Eve, Anna, Ruth, Mary, Martha, etc.) and what it means to be an elect lady today.  This article would be a great resource if you decide to go with this route.

Focusing on the hymns would also great way to go!  You could talk about the power of good music and discuss why the Lord prioritized creating a hymnbook so early in the church.  You could play name-that-tune or have a hymn scavenger hunt.  Have fun with it!  

*************************************************
SOME INTERESTING RESOURCES:

A guide for studying Doctrine and Covenants 25, including some historical background and some insights on specific verse

A page by page glimpse at the original hymn book (scroll through the pages by dragging the arrow found along the bottom of the page).  I thought it was fascinating that it was not standard at the time to include the sheet music, because most hymns were sung to familiar tunes. 

An interesting article about Emma Smith

"The Influence of Righteous Women" by Dieter Uchtdorf

*************************************************
A PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET:

These activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom or home setting.   I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament programs each week.  Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them. 😊

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE PRINTABLE ACTIVITY PAGE (in case it's not showing below)



*************************************************
A FILL-IN-THE-BLANK HYMN HUNT:
You'll want to cut off the bottom section with the answers before distributing it.


*************************************************

ENJOY LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!!! 💗

Taking Upon Us Christ's Name Lesson Ideas and an Activity Sheet for D&C 20-22 (Mar 16)

 This blogpost features a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  March 10-16, which includes Doctrine and Covenants sections 20-22.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

*************************************************

LESSON IDEAS FOR TAKING CHRIST'S NAME UPON YOU (D&C 20:77)
Below you will find some discussion points and activities that you could incorporate into your lesson on this topic.  Which ones you use and how the discussion goes will very much depend on the age and level of understanding of your class.  Use the Spirit as you prepare and teach this lesson. 

Attention Activity: 
Share the meaning behind your name or the name of a family member.  Share how it was chosen and what it meant (even if it's just because your parents just really liked the name).  Ask your class members if they know if they are named after anyone or if their name was chosen for a special reason.  Allow for a few minutes for class members to share if they choose.   

Share: Share a story of how someone heard what your last name was and assumed they knew things about you...maybe because they knew one of your siblings or your grandparents.  You can share how the assumptions they made were or were not true.    In my own case, a lot of people knew my husband's grandparents with the same last name as ours when we moved to DC.  They were a very musical family and often assumed that we must musical too. 

Ask:
Have you ever been somewhere and someone found out your name and assumed things about you?   How did it make you feel?   How would you feel if someone assumed negative things about you just because of someone you know?  

Discuss:
Talk about how it can be a good thing or a bad thing when people make assumptions about you based on who you are affiliated with.    

Ask and discuss:
What does it mean to be a Christian?  Being a Christian means taking Christ's name upon us.   Depending on the age of your students, this could be a great opportunity to talk about the fact that there are people who don't believe that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Christian because of our views of the Godhead.   But not only does the name of our church bear the name of Christ, but that we make a covenant each week to take His name upon us. 

Read D&C 20:77 and discuss:
Discuss what it means  to  take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ. How does taking His name influence who we are and the way we try to live?   How can we show to others that we are Christians by the way we live our lives? 

Scripture Activity:
Depending on the age of your students, either have them independently or in groups, read Mosiah 5:7 together, then skim the rest of Mosiah 5 and search for a few reasons why it’s important to take the name of Christ upon us.  You may want to give a little background about what this chapter is about first:  about how King Benjamin taught his people about Christ and how many of them wanted to join with him and take Christ's name upon them.

Here are a few examples of things to look for (any of these would make for more discussions if the Spirit leads you in that direction):

verse 7--hearts are changed
7-become his sons and daughters
8--only way to salvation
9-be on the right hand of God
10- if you don't, then you'll be on the left hand of God
12-you will know God's voice
15-brought to heaven
have everlasting salvation and eternal life


Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_92mKlQOlk
This is a great video that shows an example from President Monson's life about a time when he had to stand alone in his beliefs and that people were very much looking to him to learn what a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands for.  



Relate:
After watching the video, discuss examples from the scriptures of people who had taken upon them the name of Christ and ended up standing alone in their beliefs. (Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, Jonah, Paul, etc )

Read  quote #1 :
#1 “We promise to take His name upon us. That means we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to want” Henry B. Eyring

Group Activity:
Divide the class into three groups, and ask each group to discuss one of the following questions: What does it mean to see ourselves as Christ’s? How do we put the Savior first in our lives? What does it mean to want what the Savior wants? Ask one person from each group to share with the rest of the class what her group discussed.

QUOTES ABOUT TAKING THE NAME OF CHRIST UPON US


#1 “We promise to take His name upon us. That means we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to want” Henry B. Eyring

#2 “Our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ affirms our commitment to do all that we can to be counted among those whom he will choose to stand at his right hand and be called by his name at the last day. In this sacred sense, our witness that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ constitutes our declaration of candidacy for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Exaltation is eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God.”  Dallin H. Oaks

#3 " For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." 2 Nephi 25:23

#4 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life"— Mosiah 18:9

#5 "Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine." Mosiah 26:18


*************************************************
These activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom or home setting.   I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament programs each week.  Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them. 😊

HERE IS THE LINK TO THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITY SHEET (in case it's not showing below)

 

*************************************************

Enjoy learning the Gospel together!  💗

Come Follow Me: Thoughts on Christ's Atonement and a Printable Activity Sheet for D&C 19 (Mar 9)

 This blogpost features some of my thoughts on Christ's atonement, including some scriptures and quotes you can add to your studies this week.   Below all that you'll find a half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for  March 3-9, which includes Doctrine and Covenants section 19.    Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.

**********************************

THE PERFECT LIE:  Thoughts on Christ's Atonement

Several years ago I watched a video on the church website by Tiffany Webster called “The Perfect Lie”. Sister Webster identifies what she calls Satan’s “Perfect Lie” as a formula that if I take me as I am, flawed, imperfect and all and just add more, more humility, more service, more righteousness, more [fill in the blank], then I will be Christlike. Chasing perfection in that way is a human hamster wheel – we’ll never reach the finish line and we'll never stack up. We absolutely cannot become as Christ is through our own efforts.

However, if we can change the formula, to take me as I am, flawed, imperfect and all and add Christ, then I become more--More powerful, more lovable, more fit for service, more [fill in the blank].

It's interesting how someone can share their thoughts on a Gospel topic that isn't necessarily all that new or original, but there's something about the way they share it that resonates with you.  That's how this video (which used to be an online article as well) was for me.   My personality is such that I am prone to chasing perfection in my life and there was something about the way Sister Webster expressed her experiences and thoughts that was transformational for me.   I shared this video with everyone I knew, taught lessons using some of her ideas, and really tried to change my focus from striving for perfection to striving to simply add more time to connect with Christ each day in my life.   As with most things in life, it's a complicated and ongoing effort that I sometimes fail at, but I do believe that it's something I'm getting better at over the years.    
 
Since then, I've started to be more cognizant of this same idea popping up in General Conference talks and in the scriptures.  Here are a few that I've found:  

In a 2015 General Conference talk, Elder Uchtdorf shared:

“Grace opens windows of heaven… through which God pours out blessings of power and strength enabling us to achieve things that would otherwise be far out of our reach…Throughout our lives God’s grace bestows temporal blessings and spiritual gifts that magnify our abilities and enriches our lives. His grace refines us and helps us become our best selves.”

 Paul said “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Ammon said it this way, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things…”

As the Lord said to Moroni: “…my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

In one of my favorite new hymns,  "Amazing Grace," we sing, "Amazing grace—how sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found,  Was blind, but now I see. The Lord has promised good to me; His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be. As long as life endures. Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. His grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home."

I add my voice to these great prophets that though I often feel weak, though I often feel I am not good enough temporally or spiritually, that when I strive to walk more deliberately with Christ, by his grace, I am my best self.

*******************************
ACTIVITY SHEET

These activity sheets are designed to print double-sided and cut in half.  They're perfect for reviewing or introducing the content found in the Come, Follow Me reading each week and would be great used in a classroom or home setting.   I have no children at home, nor do I have a calling working with youth, so I copy these to be handed out with the sacrament programs each week.  Kids, teens, and adults enjoy them.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITY SHEET (in case it's not showing below)




*********************************************

Enjoy learning the Gospel together!  💗