This blogpost features a lesson plan and some resources, including a printable half-sheet activity page to complement the Come Follow Me (CFM) reading for July 14-20, which includes Doctrine and Covenants 77-80. Click here for an index and links to my CFM blogposts for other weeks.
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LESSON PLAN FOR D&C 77-80
You will likely not have time to cover all the material in this lesson plan, so prayerfully decide what parts of this would be best to focus on for the age, understanding, and attention span of your class.
D&C 77
SHORT SCRIPTURE ACTIVITY:
Have your class take a quick look at D&C 77 and see if they notice anything unusual about it.
They might notice other random things, but the Q&A format of the section is worth pointing out as being very unusual for revelation / scriptures.
READ THE HEADING OF SECTION 77:
Focus on "I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John."
QUICK SCRIPTURE SEARCH: Ask them to look in their scriptures (in whatever form they have) and find the official full name of the last book of the New Testament...perhaps even offer a small prize for the first person to find it. Make sure they see it's not just "Revelation", but "The Revelation of St. John the Divine"
QUOTE (ABOUT WHY WE SHOULD STUDY THE BOOK OF REVELATION):
"This book is an unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ and a revelation of His authority, power, and preeminent role in the Father’s plan of salvation. The book also reveals much important information about the events leading up to the Second Coming and the Millennium.
Studying the book of Revelation can help you gain a deeper understanding of the resurrected and glorified Son of God and His dealings with God’s children throughout the ages of earth’s history, particularly in the last days. This book extends a message of hope to the righteous and can encourage you to remain faithful to your testimony of the Savior in the midst of persecution and trials." (SOURCE)
D&C 78
There are several good scriptures you could focus on in this chapter, but I've picked two, which I think will make for interesting / Christ centered discussions.
READ D&C 78:18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
DISCUSS THE PHRASE, "I WILL LEAD YOU ALONG" FROM THAT VERSE:
Who is the "I" referring to? Jesus Christ
Who will Jesus lead? All of us who are willing to follow Him
Where will He lead us? To eternal life in His kingdom
WATCH THIS VIDEO TOGETHER AND DISCUSS DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN WALK WITH JESUS:
I Will Walk with Jesus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FswogEd6Rec)
(you may need to download this first, especially if using a laptop)
Perhaps give them paper and pen before showing the video and have them write down ideas they hear in the song. Wait for them to share their answers before sharing any ideas of your own (if you feel inspired to do so).
A few ideas I had while watching: seek wisdom and truth, show love to others, seek to keep His spirit with you, take care of our bodies with enough sleep, good food, and exercise, so we can grow like Jesus, take time to listen for His spirit, etc.
ASK: What do you think it means in the song when it says, "I will walk with Jesus and He will walk with me."
LISTEN TO THEIR IDEAS AND SHARE ANY IMPRESSIONS YOU HAD
ASK: I want you to think of a good leader in your life...a parent, coach, teacher, etc. and think about what makes them a good leader?
DISCUSS THESE QUALITIES with an open mind and talk a little about what qualities a good leader does NOT have. They aren't bossy or mean. They don't brag about how they're better than everyone else. They don't force people to follow them. They don't do things to hurt people.
READ THE FOLLOWING QUOTE about how Jesus is the best example of a leader we could ever want.
QUOTE:
"During
His earthly ministry, the Savior set the example of leadership for His
Church. His central purpose was doing the will of His Heavenly Father
and helping others understand and live His gospel . He loved those He led and showed that love by serving them." (SOURCE: Church Handbook 4.2)
ASK: Can you think of a way you can be a leader among your family or friends?
MAKE SURE TO EMPHASIZE some of the qualities of Jesus and other good leaders that they've discussed.
SHIFTING GEARS A BIT...
ASK: Who wants to be happy? How can we be happier?
LISTEN
READ D&C 78:19 "And
he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious;
and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred
fold, yea, more."
ASK: Did you know that scientists have actually done studies that prove that people who find ways to show gratitude every single day are happier?
DISCUSS WAYS THAT THEY CAN SHOW GRATITUDE EVERY DAY:
This could be keeping a gratitude journal, making sure you express gratitude in your prayers each night, you could share what you're grateful for with a family member or friend, etc. The key is to do it EVERY SINGLE DAY...even on days when it's been hard.
If you have time, ASK THEM FOR SPECIFIC STRATEGIES they could use to try to find gratitude when they've had a bad day. This would be a powerful time to share your own personal experience with this idea.
BEAR YOUR TESTIMONY AND CLOSE.
HANDOUT IDEA: Get each student a small notebook and fun colored pen they could use to start keeping their own gratitude journals.
THE LINK TO THIS WEEK'S PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET LINK (in case it's not showing below)
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.
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BE SURE TO BOOKMARK THIS SITE AND COME BACK EACH WEEK FOR MORE "COME, FOLLOW ME" RESOURCES!
Enjoy learning the Gospel together!
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