These original activity sheets that align with the Come, Follow Me
lessons each week are totally free and easy to print from a Google Doc
file. They're designed to print double-sided 2-to-a-page and are perfect for
introducing or reviewing the concepts from the Come, Follow Me lesson.
Our home ward hands them out along with the sacrament programs on
Sundays, others use them in their family or Sunday School lessons. I
hope they add an element of fun to your gospel learning and help to engage even the most reluctant learners. Make sure to come back each week for the latest!
This activity sheet is based on the CFM lesson for April 5th and contains a coloring sheet, word search puzzle, and fill-in-the-blank scripture.
******************************* How fun to have Easter and General Conference on the same weekend! I have lot of Easter ideas posted here on this blog, so rather than reinventing the wheel, I thought I'd just link to a list of Easter resources and ideas that I compiled last year. If you're looking for a little more, here are some scriptures and questions you can ponder together.
SOME SCRIPTURES TO READ THROUGH
FIND PEACE AND JOY THROUGH CHRIST'S ATONEMENT Moses 5:9-10 (Adam - find joy on earth through God’s plan)
Psalms 16:8-11 (Joy comes through walking with Christ)
Psalms 30:2-5 (Giving thanks and praise to Christ brings joy even though we have challenges)
Isaiah 12:1-3 (Joy comes through salvation possible through Christ)
Isaiah 25:9 (Joy through salvation possible through Christ)
Isaiah 40:28–31 (strength renewed and wings as eagles - through Christ)
John 14:27 (Christ gives peace)
John 16:23 (Christ has overcome the world and can help us find peace)| Alma 26:11-12 (Ammon finds joy in miracles wrought by Christ’s strength)
ATONEMENT HELPS US OVERCOME SIN, DEATH, TRIALS, AND WEAKNESSES: D&C 19:15-16 (we will not suffer if we repent)|
Isaiah 61:1-3 (liberty to captives and opening of prison to those that are bound)
Ezekiel 36:26-28 (give us a new heart)
Matthew 11: 28-30 (give rest to the heavy ladened)
Luke 1:49-51 (Lord does great things for us) Romans 8:35-39 (nothing separate us from the love of Christ)
Alma 7:10-11 (Christ suffered for us to know what to comfort us in our trials)
Alma 11:42 (Christ’s atonement looses the bands of temporal death)
Alma 58:11 (Christ’s ministry provides promise of our delivery)
Moroni 10:32-35 (we can become perfect in Christ) *********************************************
SOME QUESTIONS TO PONDER TOGETHER:
Why do we celebrate Easter?
Why is the atonement important for us?
End with D&C 59:23 “But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.”
When we walk with Christ, we can have joy now, see his miracles, and know that we will eternal life in the world to come!
I love the chapters found in the Come, Follow Me outline for this week, because they remind me of the temple. There's a lot of opportunity this week to talk about God's plan and how the Fall and Christ play a role in that plan. I guess that sounds a little understand...it's more like how Christ is the plan and his sacrifice made it all possible. I love the artwork and song suggestions that are found in this week's lesson.
PRINTABLE ACTIVITY PAGE
These activity sheets align with
the Come, Follow Me reading each week, and are great to introduce or
review the material. Our ward hands them out along with the sacrament
programs on Sundays, but they're also perfect for classroom and home
use. They are best printed double-sided and cut in half.
"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." D&C 101:16
One of the things I love to do is hike. Because we lived at sea level for so many years, though, we sometimes get a little intimidated by hiking in the mountains. One day we were trying a new trail that had a pretty significant incline early on in the hike. I was ready to turn around and find a flatter trail, when we came across a group coming down the mountain. I stopped and asked one of them if it was worth the effort to continue on, and his answer surprised me. Instead of a yes or no, he simply said, “You can hear the sounds of peace.”
To be honest, at that point in the hike, the only sound I could hear was my own heavy breathing and I certainly wasn’t feeling very peaceful! But something about that comment inspired us to keep going.
Although the trail didn’t get easier for a while, I noticed that when I shifted my focus from thinking “this is so hard” to listening for the “sounds of peace,” my entire experience changed.
Later, I reflected on that moment and realized it taught me something profound about peace. I used to think peace was just something that fell upon you in quiet, perfect moments. And while that can happen, the more life experiences I have, the more I’ve come to believe that peace is most often something we must actively seek and choose, especially in hard times.
I want to explore that idea a little more.
Elder Waddell (source) taught us in a general conference talk several years ago that, “Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache. Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course, not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. Nevertheless, we have been promised peace–but with a condition....The peace we all seek requires more than {just} a desire. It requires us to act—by learning of Him, by listening to His words, and by walking with Him. We may not have the ability to control all that happens around us, but we can control how we apply the pattern for peace that the Lord has provided—a pattern that makes it easy to think often about Jesus.”
When I look back at different times in my life when I desperately needed peace, I see how different those situations looked on the surface.
There were times when I was making big decisions, or caught in conflict, or facing a huge trial. Other times it was more internal—moments of doubt, guilt, anxiety, or just feeling overwhelmed by life.
In the New Testament, Jesus says:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
I love that verse—but I’ll be honest: not letting my heart be troubled is easier said than done!
So what is this pattern for peace, and how do we live it and apply it in all the different situations?
Elder Waddell quotes the Savior directly:
“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” D&C 19:23
Learn. Listen. Walk. A simple pattern—with a powerful promise.
As part of my reflections on peace while preparing this, I decided to look back at a couple of experiences in my life where I sought for and received peace and see how that pattern came into play.
One of the biggest experiences was when several years ago my husband and I were preparing talks on the topic of the “Worth of Souls” to share in sacrament meeting. It was a busy season in our lives with 5 young kids at home, so taking time to dive into a gospel topic took a very deliberate effort on our parts. I had a couple hours while everyone was at their various activities, so I turned off my phone and ended up having one of the most memorable spiritual experiences of my life when I read these words from Elder Uchtdorf:
“The most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love. God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.” President Dieter Uchtdorf, “You Matter to Him,” General Conference, October 2011
I had read them before, but this time the words hit me differently and I became overwhelmed with an immeasurable peace and reassurance that I was a child of God and that the worth of my soul was indeed great. I was overcome with an unmistakable feeling that God was keenly aware of me personally, as well as my family. My heart was touched and I packed up my talk that day with a deep sense of calm and gratitude for God’s love in my life.
Although it was meant to be preparation for a talk, in reality that experience instead became a much needed spiritual preparation for the storm that was about to befall our family. Within a few hours of that powerful, yet very personal spiritual experience, we received the news that our sixteen-year-old son, Spencer, didn’t have mono like we thought, but actually had leukemia. Further tests showed that his leukemia was aggressive and would require many months of fully in-hospital treatment. A few days after our son’s diagnosis, my husband was very unexpectedly laid off from his job.
In a matter of days, our world was turned upside down. But somehow, amid the chaos, we still felt peace—because of that quiet experience I’d had just before the storm hit. I knew deep down inside that whatever happened-- it would be okay. Not that we wouldn’t experience fear, or that we’d enjoy every moment along the way, but that whether our son lived or died or whether my husband found a job soon or not, that God was in the details and that in the end it would be alright. And it was. I had learned of Christ, I had listened, and when it came time to walk with Him, we found those sounds of peace throughout that journey.
Our son is now 30 years old, and that experience still reminds me that peace is not about circumstances—it’s about Christ.
Thankfully, not all my experiences with seeking peace have been that dramatic. More often than not, my need for peace comes in the middle of everyday chaos—when there’s too much to do and not enough time, or when I feel inadequate or stretched thin.
But the pattern still applies in those moments. Learn. Listen. Walk.
Sometimes it can feel like too much. Like how can I take the time to learn, listen, and walk when I already feel too stretched? How can I possibly fit in one more thing? It’s those times in life when I feel like Christ has invited me to think outside the box. Why not do scripture study in the car? Or during my morning workout? Why not pray in the shower when my phone is put away and no one bothers me? Those are things I’m doing anyway and changing the focus from just me to me and Christ can absolutely change the trajectory of my day.
And while sometimes that may feel like “checking a box,” it’s better than not doing it at all. And I’ve learned that He honors even small efforts.
In my personal experience, I think the listening part of the pattern is the hardest. It requires me to quiet my mind, put down my phone, and push past the noise of life and self-doubt—so I can hear those sounds of peace. The temple is a great place to do that. So is being out in nature. But, even in those quiet places, it takes effort. If I’m not deliberately trying to quiet my mind to listen, the noise in my brain can easily drown out the sounds of peace.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah calls Christ the Prince of Peace. And it is through Him that we find the peace our souls long for.
Just like that steep mountain trail, peace often requires us to keep climbing—but if we stay the course, we’ll hear the sounds of peace. Not just in stillness, but in the midst of the struggle.
And those sounds—His peace—can carry us through anything.
********************************** PEACE IN CHRIST MUSIC VIDEO
********************************** ORIGINAL ACTIVITY PAGE
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...especially when it's a word search!
This is a topic that's near and dear to my heart, because I've been blessed many times over by people selflessly giving Christlike service to our family. I've gathered some of my favorite talks, quotes, and shared a personal story that you may find helpful if you are preparing a lesson or talk on the topic of service. These resources are based on the two sections in the Come, Follow Me manual this week, entitled: "The Savior has given me much and requires much of me," and "thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings."
THE BEATING HEART - LOVE/SERVICE ANALOGY One function of the heart is to beat oxygen rich blood to the entire
body, but another, equally important function, is to receive blood so it
can be oxygenated again. The heart only works when it is giving and
receiving blood effectively.
Service is much the same way. We all would like to live in a state where we are endlessly giving selfless acts of service to others, but that's not how our lives generally go. Sometimes we need, literally need like our bodies need oxygen, to be open to receiving service from others.
Being on the receiving end of service can be humbling, but it should absolutely not be viewed as weakness. Just as our hearts can't function without receiving blood to be re-oxygenated, we go through seasons of life, when we need to allow others to share their oxygen with us. Being on the receiving end of service, has made
me appreciate the small and simple efforts all the more. I am one who often gets caught up in wanting my service to be big or "pretty", and I sometimes let that desire for perfection hold me back. Now I realize that it’s better to reach out and do something...anything...no matter
how small and imperfect my efforts might be, because a heart that's starving for oxygen (or a person who's in the middle of a heartbreaking trial) just needs something/anything to know that they are loved and not forgotten.
MY PERSONAL STORY ABOUT RECEIVING SERVICE:
As any of you longtime followers
knows, when our oldest son was in the hospital with an aggressive form of leukemia, we had the blessing of being on the receiving end of many
hours of loving service. People brought us meals, mowed our lawn, gave
our kids rides, etc. Those were all beautiful, unglamorous acts of
service that very much lit up our world and made it so we could keep our
heads above water in what was otherwise a very upside down and
difficult time for our family.
He was 16 when he was diagnosed
and his cancer was aggressive enough that he lived full-time in the
hospital for months on end. This meant no school, no seminary, no
sports...just long days and nights in the hospital where he was often
stir-crazy, miserable with the side effects of his treatments, and
mostly just deeply deeply lonely.
But there was one bright
spot in his weeks… Every Sunday his entire priest's quorum jumped into
cars for the third hour of church, drove the 10-miles to the hospital,
brought us the sacrament, and had the priest’s quorum lesson with him in
his hospital room. They did this week after week, for months on
end….adding extra time onto their busy Sundays. They were a light not
only to us, but to the doctors and nurses who were amazed at these
well-dressed teens that showed up every Sunday to give Spencer a small
moment of almost normalcy each week. We never would have asked for
anyone to make that sacrifice for us, but that’s a huge part of what
made it all the more meaningful. Those Young Men and their leaders
recognized that what Spence needed more than signed cards wishing him to
get well soon, was light, friendship,and, more than anything else,
the feeling that he still belonged somewhere.
I think often at
what a powerful lesson those young men leaders taught those boys.
Instead of just hearing about Christ’s example and about how good it is to
serve, they lived it. They sacrificed their time and ministered to the
one. Sometimes we get these grand notions of trying to change the
world, but I’m here to say that there is no “world” as a single
entity--there are only 6 billion individuals in the world having
individual experiences. And those young men absolutely changed
Spencer’s world and ours. Our testimonies were strengthened because of
their love and service.
That’s what service is all about….it’s about LOVE and action for the one!
Jesus didn’t wait around to serve only those he deemed worthy. He
didn’t seek to do it in front of an audience. Or wait until it was
more convenient for Him. He took what he had--sometimes just some spit
and some mud--and he loved. He listened. He healed. He got messy.
And in those boys' cases (one of whom is now our son-in-law), they added
on time to their already long Sundays to show a peer that he wasn't forgotten!
SCRIPTURES TO READ:
"And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord. Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." Doctrine and Covenants 81:4-5
"For of him unto whom much is given much is required;" Doctrine and Covenants 82:3
“When you are in the service of your fellow being, you are in the service of our God” Mosiah 2:17 “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40
“Love thy neighbor as thyself”. Matthew 22:37-39
QUOTES: “To help us better love one another, I would like to suggest four words to remember: “First observe, then serve.” Linda Burton
“Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His
life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people,
Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach
a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to
others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “succor the weak,
lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” Elder Uchtdorf
“. . . Having charity and caring for one another is not simply a
good idea. It is not simply one more item in a seemingly infinite list
of things we ought to consider doing. It is at the core of the gospel—an
indispensable, essential, foundational element.” Elder Uchtdorf
Here is a sample lesson based on the section in the Come, Follow Me manual this week, entitled: "The Lord wants me to be a faithful, just, and wise steward." It's likely too much information for one class, so you'll need to adjust it for the age, understanding, and attention span of your class.
DEFINE THE WORD, "STEWARD": I found this great definition on the church website, here. "A person who takes care of the affairs or property of another. That
which a steward cares for is called a stewardship. All things on earth
belong to the Lord; we are His stewards. We are accountable to the Lord,
but we may report on our stewardship to God’s authorized
representatives. When we receive a calling of service from the Lord or
His authorized servants, that stewardship may include both spiritual and
temporal affairs."
Make sure they really understand the concept that whenever we're given
something to take care of or to watch over that we are given
stewardship. This could be as simple as a chore they've been assigned, a
calling they have, making sure they are completing homework, helping
take care of a pet or younger sibling, etc.
DISCUSS THE KINDS OF THINGS EVERYONE HAS STEWARDSHIP OVER: Talk about how there are certain things that God has blessed us with that everyone in the whole wide world has been given the same stewardship over for our whole lives. Ask if they have any thoughts first, before sharing my thoughts below. Each of these could make for a whole lesson in and of themselves, so keep it pretty short, unless this is the direction you feel inspired to go:
1. Our bodies: This is HUGE. Ask how many bodies each of us has? Of course the answer is ONE. Remind them that our bodies are a beautiful gift from Heavenly Father and that He expects us to take care of it, by exercising, getting enough sleep, and not putting harmful substances into it, etc. This is a stewardship we have our whole lives. 2. The world we live in: Every single person on the whole earth is a part of of the human community and we should do our best to be a wise steward of the beautiful earth that God created. This could mean not leaving trash outside, planting flowers, or finding ways to reduce energy usage. 3. Our spirits: Our parents can teach us and help us, but ultimately it's up to us whether we seek to stay close to Christ. We can be wise stewards when we turn away from internet sites, shows, music, books, and video games that would damage our spiritual sensitivity. 4. Our talents/spiritual gifts: Every person in the world has their own talents and spiritual gifts and Jesus taught that to be a wise steward, we should share those talents and gifts with others. Remind them that every person is unique and that we shouldn't compare our talents and gifts to another person's. 5. Our time: We each have 24-hours a day and to be wise stewards, we should be aware of those things in our life that distract us from doing what we need.
SUMMARIZE D&C 51: Depending on the age of your students, you can have them skim the chapter and look for stewardship principles, or you can read a few key verses {51:8-9, 51:13-14, 51:18-19}. Or if your students are too young to read fluently, tell them about the examples of stewardship found in the aforementioned verses.
SHARE AN EXAMPLE FROM YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU'VE BEEN A STEWARD. Talk about how you ended up with the responsibility and how you performed it.
GO AROUND THE ROOM AND ALLOW EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A TIME WHEN THEY'VE BEEN A STEWARD Give them a minute to think and make sure to let them know you'll be going around the room and asking everyone to share. If someone is struggling to come up with one on their own, use prompts to help them think of something. If it's a student that just refuses to speak up, don't push it.
SHARE AN EXAMPLE FROM YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU HAVE NOT BEEN A FAITHFUL STEWARD. Don't make this a long story, but share a time when you were trusted to take care of something and you failed. {this could be as simple as forgetting to feed the dog, not practicing your music, or not doing your chores...whatever you think will resonate with your class} Talk about the consequences of your failure and how it affected whomever or whatever you were given stewardship over. Maybe mention how it affected your relationship with the people who assigned you the stewardship.
DISCUSS: TRUST AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO STEWARDSHIP After hearing your class members share about their experiences with stewardship and sharing your experience with failing at a stewardship, talk about how TRUST is an important part of stewardship. When we receive a calling or are given responsibility to do something, that means that that person trusts enough to follow through. Talk about how the best way to keep someone's trust is to honor that by being a wise and faithful steward.
DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE Note: Keep this discussion super positive. Many people often have a negative view of repentance and think they're "bad" if they're not doing everything right and I think it's really important to discuss how everyone messes up sometimes and that Christ does not expect us to be perfect. What really matters is what we do when we do make mistakes. Do we seek to repent and change? Or do we keep on doing whatever it is we're doing?
BEAUTIFUL QUOTE FROM APRIL 2025 GENERAL CONFERENCE ABOUT REPENTANCE: "It
saddens me to admit this, but I used to measure my relationship with
the Savior by how perfectly I was living. I thought an obedient life
meant I would never need to repent. And when I made mistakes, which was
every single day, I distanced myself from God, thinking, “He must be so
disappointed in me.” That’s just not true. I’ve learned that if you wait until you’re clean enough or perfect enough to go to the Savior, you’ve missed the whole point! What if we thought about commandments and obedience in a different way? I testify that while God cares about our mistakes, He cares more about what happens after we make a mistake. Are we going to turn to Him again and again? Are we going to stay in this covenant relationship?"Tamara Runia
TALK ABOUT HOW JESUS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF BEING A WISE AND FAITHFUL STEWARD Ask your students to think of examples from Jesus's life that showed that he was a wise and faithful steward. This list could be quite long, but here are a few I thought of:
1. his stewardship of teaching people the principles of the gospel 2. his stewardship of showing the power of the priesthood by healing and helping the sick and poor 3. his stewardship of loving and serving the people (even washing the disciples' dirty feet) 4. ultimately his stewardship of redeeming us from our sins.
CONCLUSION: ASK IF THEY CAN THINK OF ANY WAYS THAT THEY CAN FOLLOW THE SAVIOR'S EXAMPLE OF BEING A WISE STEWARD. Listen to their thoughts and be encouraging.
Bear your testimony and finish up.
***************************************
ADDITIONAL STUDY MATERIAL: My daughter pointed out to me that this recent Young Adult devotional by Sister Johnson goes along perfectly with this topic and would be good to add to your studies when preparing your lesson/talk on this topic.
***************************************
PRINTABLE CFM 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.
"And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.That which is of God is light; and he that receivethlight, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;" D&C 50:23-25
I have always loved the analogy of Christ being a light. I think of how, even in the darkest abyss, a flicker of light will instinctively draw you to it and as long as we keep Christ in our lives, He can be the flicker of hope and light when our lives seem dark.
This thought reminds me of a time when I was younger and I came to an open field in the summertime that was glittering with thousands of fireflies. It was a magical experience and it made think that God placed fireflies on the earth to bring sparkle and light to dark places. If you haven't ever experienced this phenomena, I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list!
Just as the moon could not shine without the light of the sun, our power to be a light is increased when we have Christ as our guide.
In the Bible, it says this about Jesus, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
I believe that all light--literal and figurative--comes from Christ. The sparkle and light that emanate from each of us are a gift from God to give us perspective in dark times and to help brighten the lives of those around us. If you ever feel that your light is feeling a little dim, look to Christ and allow His light to ignite yours.
I love this quote from Elder Uchtdorf about feeling like you’re in the dark: “Even in the darkest of nights, the sun does not cease to radiate its light. It continues to shine as bright as ever. But half of the earth is in darkness. The absence of light causes darkness.
When the darkness of night falls, we do not despair and worry that the sun is extinguished. We do not postulate that the sun is not there or is dead. We understand that we are in a shadow, that the earth will continue to rotate, and that eventually the rays of the sun will reach us once again.
Darkness is not an indication that there is no light. Most often, it simply means we’re not in the right place to receive the light.”
We all have times when we feel like we’re in the dark and I have to remind myself sometimes that darkness is temporary. It doesn't mean that it doesn't feel suffocating when you're in the midst of it, but when I'm in those times, it helps to shift my perspective a bit, to express gratitude for whatever flicker of light I can see, and to make time for Christ in whatever capacity I can. When I seek out the light, I can always find it, though it sometimes feels dim and far off. Then, one step at a time, I shakily make my way toward that light.
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.
*********************************** Make sure to bookmark this site and check back every week for new resources to go along with the Come, Follow Me reading for the week.
FHE LESSON LINK Lesson about temples from this website QUOTES "Holy places can be wherever you are—alone, in a crowd, with
strangers, with friends. The road to Jericho was treacherous and
formidable. Thieves infiltrated the bushes and trees waiting to ambush
any traveler. It took a kind and courageous Samaritan to change that
road from a haunted place to a holy place." Sharon G. Larsen.
"Standing
in holy places is all about being in good company, whether you are
alone or with others. It’s being where the Holy Ghost is our
companion—alone or in a crowd. When we determine within ourselves that
we will control our thoughts and our actions and be the best we can
possibly be, the best of life will come to us.
A holy place is
where we feel safe, secure, loved, and comforted. That’s how it was in
our heavenly home. Standing in holy places and being in good company
bring feelings of how it must have been in that home we left behind, the
home that seems so far away at times."Sharon G. Larsen
************************************** EASTER RESOURCES AND TEACHING IDEAS Here is a collection of some of the best ideas I've found for teaching about the true meaning of Easter with your families or classes. Most of these are tried and true (with the Redheaded Hostess kit being the only exception). Let me know if you use any of them or if you have any resources you'd add to the list! I'd love to hear how your lessons go.
1. This takes a good deal of prep work and effort, but having anEaster Seder with your family or class would
be a unique and powerful way to talk about the Atonement. We did this
as part of an adult Sunday School class a few years ago and loved how visual
and hands-on it was.
6. Easter Tree Activity: I found this activity in a 2004 Friend Magazine and thought it would make for a great hands-on activity for either a family or a church class.
7. Red-Headed Hostess Easter Kit (for purchase): If you're just looking for an all-inclusive printable pack that includes study guides, activities, visual aides, teaching ideas...this is a great resource. It costs $5.50, but it could potentially save a lot of work if you are looking for something ready to go.
************************************** PRINTABLE CFM 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.
********************************* Be sure to bookmark and come back each week for new teaching ideas and activity sheets to go along with the CFM reading.
This blogpost features some of my thoughts on why the scriptures use the analogy of Christ being like a "hen gathering her chicks," which you may find useful if you are preparing a talk or a lesson on this topic. Additionally, you'll find a half-sheet activity page at the bottom 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.
********************************************* PRINTABLE CFM 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.
******************************************** LESSON PLAN ABOUT KEEPING YOUR EYE 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
********************************************* PRINTABLE CFM 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
PRINTABLE ACTIVITY SHEET: These activity sheets are designed to print 2 to a page. They're perfect for kids ages 8-14, though the coloring pages are for all ages and many adults like the activities as well. We hand them out with the sacrament programs in our ward; many others use them as a review or discussion starter in their families and classrooms.
TEACHING IDEA ABOUT THE HOLY GHOST: Plastic Plate Demonstration (need scriptures, plates/pans, post-it notes or small pieces of paper, and spoons):
Have one person (a good reader) wearing a sign saying "Holy Ghost" and being prepared to read Moroni 10:5 very softly several times over.
Have one person stand up next to the "Holy Ghost" while the reader very softly reads Moroni 10:5. Ask the other person if they were able to hear the promptings of the Spirit. Of course they should have been able to, since the room was quiet and they were standing next to each other.
Next, have another person come forward and stand in between the first two people. Give the person a plastic plate/pan with a spoon and discuss what some things in our lives that can make it harder to hear the Holy Ghost. {Some possible examples: spending too much time on video games, being
too tied to your phone, sinning, listening to bad music, being so busy
that you never have time to read your scriptures, whatever you think
could be distracting your class/family, etc} Have them pick one, write it on the post-it note and attach it to the plate/pan.
Then have them repeatedly bang the plate while the "Holy Ghost" softly reads the scripture again. Was it harder to hear the promptings this time? Repeat this process, each time discussing and labeling a plate/pan with another distraction, and having the new person bang the plate while the "Holy Ghost" continues softly reading the scripture until all the people in your family/class are a part of the demonstration. The first person and the person representing the Holy Ghost should be far apart by the end, with plate banging people in between them. It should be almost impossible to hear the scripture being read. Explain that distractions (bad things and daily distractions that pull us away from Christ) can make it hard to hear the still, small voice. Even though the Spirit is trying to communicate with us, we cannot hear him.
Discuss what you can do to minimize the distractions and to be more in tune to hearing the still small voice of the Spirit.
QUOTE(S):
"Too many of us are like those whom the Lord said “[came] with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, … [and] at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.”
Imagine that: “And they knew it not.” It is not unusual for one to have received the gift and not really know it.
I fear this supernal gift is being obscured by programs and activities and schedules and so many meetings. There are so many places to go, so many things to do in this noisy world. We can be too busy to pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit.
The voice of the Spirit is a still, small voice—a voice that is felt rather than heard. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought put into your heart.
All over the world ordinary men, women, and children, not completely aware that they have the gift, bless their families, teach, preach, and minister by the Spirit within them." Boyd K. Packer, "The Cloven Tongues of Fire," May 2000
"The comforting Spirit of the Holy Ghost can abide with us twenty-four hours a day: when we work, when we play, when we rest. Its strengthening influence can be with us year in and year out. That sustaining influence can be with us in joy and sorrow, when we rejoice as well as when we grieve.
I believe the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is the greatest guarantor of inward peace in our unstable world. It can be more mind-expanding and can make us have a better sense of well-being than any chemical or other earthly substance. It will calm nerves; it will breathe peace to our souls. This Comforter can be with us as we seek to improve. It can function as a source of revelation to warn us of impending danger and also help keep us from making mistakes. It can enhance our natural senses so that we can see more clearly, hear more keenly, and remember what we should remember. It is a way of maximizing our happiness." James E Faust, "The Gift of the Holy Ghost--A Sure Compass," April 1989
These 1/2 page activity sheets are perfect for handing out with the sacrament programs, to use an attention activity for a class, or to spark a discussion in your family. They're geared for kids ages 8+, but the coloring sheets are for all ages and teens/adults often enjoy the activities as well.
TEACHING IDEA:
I love using this simple scientific/spiritual analogy when talking about the atonement.
"I suspect that many Church members are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and enabling power. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us—that is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us...
The gospel of the Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially about doing and becoming good. And the Atonement provides help for us to overcome and avoid bad and to do and become good. Help from the Savior is available for the entire journey of mortality—from bad to good to better and to change our very nature."Elder David A Bednar “It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.” Bible Dictionary
