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
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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
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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)
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HAVE FUN LEARNING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER!
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