This is My Beloved Son

Objective: Jesus Christ is Heavenly Father’s firstborn Son. I am also a child of God
Song: “This is My Beloved Son” (CS pg. 76)

Presidency Member: (5 minutes)

• Ask for three children to tell you a special name their parents call them—maybe tell them one your parents call you if they have a hard time thinking of one.
• Tell them Heavenly Father has a special name for Jesus Christ. Challenge them to listen for the special name as we talk today.
• Introduce objecives. Read Doctrine and Covenants 93:21. Say something like, “Today we will be talking and singing about some of the times Heavenly Father witnessed that Jesus Christ is Heavenly Father’s Son.” Emphasize that those times are very rare and sacred.

Music Leader: (2 minutes)

• Hold up a picture of Jesus Christ’s baptism. Sing the first part of the first verse of “This is My Beloved Son.”
• Ask where was Jesus baptized and when. Have the children sing too.
• Hand the picture to Presidency Member.

Presidency Member: (3 minutes)

• Tell the story of Jesus Christ’s baptism.
• Talk about how John the Baptist felt about baptizing Jesus, and why Jesus was baptized (to be obedient to His Father).
• Read Matt. 3:16-17 all except the end. When you get to the end of vs. 17 turn on a recording of a man saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.” (Hear ye Him is only in the JST version so feel free to omit it but it goes well with the song).
• Ask who spoke from heaven? Point out to the children that that isn’t really Heavenly Father’s voice but we know Heavenly Father is a man so it sounds kinda like this man’s voice.
• Hand the picture back to the music leader.

Music Leader: (2 minutes)

• Sing “God the Father spoke from heaven” and play the recording of the man’s voice again this time singing the last phrase “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him.”
• Ask who spoke from heaven and what did he say.
• Sing the whole first verse with the children

Presidency Member: (5 minutes)

• Let the children act like the Nephites in 3 Nephi 11: 3-8. Maybe let the children sit all together on the floor and turn off the lights.
• As they move and get settled talk about the setting.
• When they are settled read about the voice they heard as described in vs. 3. Again turn on a recording of a man’s voice this time reading vs. 7.
• Ask who spoke to the Nephites (Heavenly Father). Again reassure the children that this isn’t really Heavenly Father's voice but it might sound like his voice.
• Tell about vs. 8 (emphasizing the white robe—it’s in the song) as Chorister lowers a picture of Christ lighted by a flashlight.
• Ask who visited the Nephites. (Feel free to change this if this is too dramatic.)

Music Leader: (3 minutes)

• Right where they’re sitting, as soon as the children have a chance to answer Presidency Member’s question about who visited the Nephites, sing the second verse of “This is My Beloved Son.”
• Have the lights turned back on. Teach the second verse asking who the children were pretending to be (the Nephites), who came to visit the Nephites (white robed Savior), and whose voice did the Nephites hear (God’s).
• Let the children sit back in their seats.

Presidency Member: (2 minutes)

• As the children are going back to their seats make sure the TV is still set up (it should be cued to min. 13 of The Restoration DVD).
• Tell the children we are going to watch another time when Heavenly Father introduced Jesus Christ. Tell them they will see a boy and to watch for what the boy does.
• As they watch stop the DVD to ask questions and have them answered.
• Ask what the boy did (kneeled down to pray).
• Ask who the boy is (Joseph Smith).
• Point out the sun and tell them to watch something else come that is even brighter.
• Ask what came that was even brighter than the sun (two glorious beings).

Music Leader: (3 minutes)

• As soon as the children answer, sing the first part of the third verse and have the children sing too.
• Ask who the glorious beings were and sing “God again presented Jesus,” and let the children sing it with you.
• Then, tell them to listen for what God said and play the DVD.
• Stop the DVD again and sing “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him.”
• Sing again from “God again ...” to the end and let the children sing too. Then sing the whole verse with the children.

Presidency Member: (2 minutes)

• Hold up a set of scriptures and ask the children what they are.
• Ask how often we should read the scriptures (daily).
• Tell them the words in the scriptures are from a special person. Tell them you will show them who the special person is while the music leader sings the first half of the fourth verse. As the music leader sings let the children peek at a picture of Christ you slipped in your scriptures.

Music Leader: (2 minutes)

• Ask who the special person is.
• Sing the first half of the fourth verse with the children.
• Ask how they feel when they see a picture of Jesus Christ. Point out that the good feelings they feel are from God telling them (and sing) “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him.”
• Sing the whole second half of the fourth verse, let the children sing it with you and sing the whole fourth verse together.

Presidency Member: (2 minutes)

• Ask how God puts those feelings in their heart (through the Holy Ghost).
• Tell them that they are children of God and Heavenly Father loves them so he send the Holy Ghost to tell them He loves them (share an appropriate scripture).
• Ask the children if they figured out what the special name Heavenly Father calls Jesus Christ (My Beloved Son).
• Share your testimony about Jesus Christ.

Music Leader: Review the whole song holding up pictures. (remaining time)