He Sent His Son

I've talked with my ward's Primary Presidency and I think I understand what they want my roll in Primary to be. Fortunately for me, they want to write their own Sharing Time lesson plans and sometimes they'll choose to integrate the song I plan to teach.

For February I'm working with Sis. Taylor who wrote up a great lesson plan based on the idea from February's Week 1 in the Outline. Sis. Taylor requested I teach part of the song after she reads a scripture and the children stand and face a picture that goes with the scripture. With her permission I'm sharing part of her plan with you. She didn't tell me what pictures she will use so I wrote some suggestions down in what follows. Here's VERY briefly Sis Taylor's plan:


First...

Scripture: Luke 2:12

Picture: GAK 200 (Maybe you could use picture #32 in the Gospel Art Book and read a scripture about Simeon prophesying about Jesus Christ's mission--Luke 2:25-33)

Song Section: "How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness."


Second...

Scriptures: Luke 22:13, 14 and John 15:12,13

Picture: GAK #225, 226 or Gospel Art Book #54, 55

Song Section: "How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go? He sent his Son to walk with men on earth that we may know."


Third...

Scripture: Luke 22:39-44

Picture:GAK #230

Scripture: Luke 23:33, 34, 46

Picture:GAK #234

Song Section: "How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath."


Fourth...

Sis. Taylor chose to let me teach this last part without her. I think I'll share the story of Nephi, Lehi, and Aminidab in Helaman 5 or the story of Alma teaching the poor Zoramites (especially Alma 32: 21) or King Benjamin's council in Mosiah 2:22 or Jesus Christ's counsel in 3 Nephi 18:12, 24. I haven't decided yet.

Song Section: "What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say? Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way. What does he ask? Live like his son."

Update: I'm using Moroni 7: 33, 40-42, 47, 48 to teach that last part. Faith, hope, and charity go well with the words at the end.

He Died That We Might Live Again

Song: “He Died That We Might Live Again” (CS pg.
April 2009 Gospel Principle # 3: My family and I will be resurrected.
40 minutes

Presidency Member: Dramatization (5 minutes)

Pick two children (a boy and a girl) to act out the story of Adam and Eve as you narrate. The important parts of the story are that

• Adam and Eve took the fruit and became mortal
• They left the Garden of Eden
• Heavenly Father told them he would provide a Savior for them.

As they act it out ask the children in the audience to direct what they see. Ask the following:

• How Adam and Eve should act when they find out they have to leave the Garden of Eden
• How they should act when they find out there will be a Savior.

Invite the children to return to their seats.

Music Director: Singing (2 minutes)

• Sing the first sentence of “He Died That We Might Live Again”.
• Ask who died that we might live again? If they don’t get it sing the line again and then tell them.
• Point out that this song calls Jesus Christ by more names than just Jesus. Tell the children to listen for two other names for Jesus while you sing the first line again. Ask what other names for Jesus they heard and take answers.
• Pull out a hat or crown with the word Lord written on it and another with the word Redeemer on it. (For the non-readers in Junior Primary you may have to point out the first letter of each word and help them hear the sound so they know which word is which. For instance you can say, “L-L-L-Lord. Lord starts with L because you can hear the l sound at the beginning of the word Lord.”)
• Invite the children to sing the first sentence with you.
• Give the hats to the presidency member.

Presidency Member: Discussion (3 minutes)

• Explain that the name Lord means that Jesus Christ is the leader so when we call Him Lord Jesus we are saying he is our leader and we will obey Him.
• Explain that a redeemer is someone who buys back something or someone who gets or wins something back. When we call Jesus our Redeemer we are saying he gets something back for us.
• Ask the children what he got back for us. If they don’t know explain that when we die our spirit does not have a body anymore—our body goes back to the earth. We don’t have to worry though, because Jesus, our Redeemer gets our body back.
• Ask what Jesus had to do to get our bodies back.
• Look at music director and set the hats on display on a table to the side.

Music Director: Singing (3 minutes)

• Sing the second and third sentence of “He Died That We Might Live Again”.
• Ask what Jesus had to do to get our bodies back. Point out that He had to die to get our bodies back. He gave his life for me and you.
• Tell the children to listen for where he died and sing those two sentences again. Invite the children to sing with you and review the song up to that point.
• Ask the children if Jesus stayed dead. Sing the next phrase and look at the presidency member.

Presidency Member: Object Lesson (Lessons 3 and 41, Primary 2: Choose the Right A) (3 minutes)

• Place a glove on the table. Explain that even though the glove is shaped like a hand, it cannot move like a hand because it is not alive.
• When a hand is placed in the glove, then the glove can move. Put your hand into the glove and wiggle your fingers.
• Explain that the glove is like a physical body, and the hand is like a spirit. Our bodies cannot move without our spirits inside them. Our spirits cannot be seen inside our bodies, just as the hand inside the glove cannot be seen.
• Continue the analogy by explaining that dying is like taking the hand out of the glove. The body (like the glove) cannot move, but the spirit (like the hand) is still alive.
• At resurrection the spirit and the body are reunited, and both are alive again.
• Look at Music Leader.

Music Leader: Singing (2 minutes)

• Sing again the fourth sentence only this time complete it.
• Ask the children if they heard two more names for Jesus. Take out two hats/crowns with the words Savior and King on them. (Again point out the first letter of each word for the non-readers)
• Invite the children to sing the sentence with you and review the song up to that point.
• Hand the two hats to the Presidency Member.

Presidency Member: Lecture (2 minutes)

• Explain that the word Savior refers to someone who saves someone else from danger or destruction so when we call Jesus our Savior we are saying He saved our bodies from destruction.
• Explain that the word King refers to someone who is the ruler of a big group of people so when we call Jesus our King we accept Jesus as the one who tells us what to do—Jesus gives us commandments.
• Put those two hats/crowns on display with the other two hats.

Discussion (3 minutes)


• Show GAK 233 and 234. Explain that Jesus was the first one to be resurrected and that because he was resurrected we will all be resurrected.
• Ask the children if they remember what Jesus did when he was resurrected. They might give lots of answers but tell them that one of the things Jesus did after He was resurrected was He visited some of His best friends on earth, His apostles.
• Ask one of the children to look up Luke 24: 36-39 (or just 39 in Junior Primary) and while you help them do that…

Music Leader: Singing (2 minutes)

Lead the children in singing just the second verse of “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” If you thing the child will need a little more time to look up the verse go ahead and sing the whole song (the children learned that song in 2006 so some of the younger ones won’t know it—that’s okay you love singing solos in Primary, right?)

Presidency Member: Visualization (5 minutes)

• Tell the children to close their eyes and imagine that they are one of the apostles as they listen to a child read Luke 24:36-39.
• Tell the children to open their eyes and ask them why the apostles were first frightened when they saw Jesus. Explain that they thought they were seeing Jesus’s spirit until he told them to touch His hands and feet so they would know he is real.
• Tell the children to close their eyes again and this time imagine they are with their whole family having dinner. The TV is off and they are listening to their family tell about their day. Then tell them to imagine Jesus Christ sitting with them. Tell them not to say aloud but think about how they feel when they see Jesus sitting there. Ask are they afraid like the apostles first were or do they run right over to Him, climb in His lap, and give him a big kiss on the cheek. Ask them if they can feel Jesus’ love for them.
• Tell them to open their eyes and tell them that when Jesus gave his life that we might live again He showed His love for all mankind.
• Bear your testimony that they and their families will all be resurrected after Jesus Christ comes again.
• Look at the Music Leader.

Music Leader: Singing (10 minutes)

• Sing the rest of “He Died That We Might Live Again”. Explain that this last part of the song is the time for them to share how happy they are for Jesus Christ.
• Pass out scarves or something similar for the children to wave in the air while they sing.
• Show them how to wave their scarf as you sing the last few words of the song, “Rejoice! Rejoice! and sing, sing, sing.”
• Invite them to sing and wave with you just that last part.
• Back up and practice singing the two sentences before the end with the children.
• Review the entire song.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Sister Marissa Coates who told me what main points she, as the Presidency Member, wanted to address when teaching this gospel principle. Those main points were the framework for this lesson plan.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Objective: Because of the Atonement, I can repent and return to live with
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Song: “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (Hymns, #136)

Presidency Member: Introduce the theme and objective any way you want (or not). Then, point out that there are lots of different names we use for Jesus Christ. A couple of months ago we talked about how Heavenly Father calls Jesus Christ “My Beloved Son”. Tell them to listen for another name for Jesus Christ as they sing with Sis. Roberts. (2 min.)

Music Leader: Lead the children singing the first half of the first verse of “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (Less than one min.)

Presidency Member: Ask what name for Jesus Christ was used in the song. (If they don’t get it tell them). Explain what the word Redeemer means (a Dictionary has some really good definitions). Use the following drawing to explain what it means for Christ to be our redeemer:

• Draw a line on the board with two large dips in it to represent a path with two pits.
• Draw a shining castle at the right end.
• Put a paper picture of a person (stick figures work) at the left end.
• Explain that the path you drew represents our life on earth. The paper person is each of them and the castle is where Heavenly Father lives.
• At the end of our lives we all want to be back with Heavenly Father but there are two pits that we fall in (walk the picture person down the path and show it falling in the first pit).
• First, we will all die (write the word Death or a picture of a grave under the first pit).
• We need someone to help us get out of the pit of death, so, Heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ to help us. (take a picture of Jesus Christ from a spot close to the castle and put it over the first pit).
• Because Jesus Christ was resurrected we will all be resurrected. (Display GAK #233. Draw a rope from the picture of Christ down in the pit to the paper person. The paper person is then lifted out of the pit.)
• Second, we all make bad choices (walk the picture person down the path and show it falling in the second pit).
• Bad choices are called sins (write the word sin or a picture representing sin under the second pit).
• We also need someone to help us get out of the pit of sin, so, Heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ to help us. (move the picture of Jesus Christ over the second pit).
• Jesus suffered for our sins so we can repent (Display GAK #227, 230).
• Read Luke 22:44 about Christ being in agony and sweating great drops of blood—this was the pain he suffered for our sins.
• Then read Doctrine & Covenants 19:16 to explain that Jesus Christ suffered these things for us so we can repent.
• Explain what it means to repent.
• Return to the picture and explain that we aren’t just lifted out of this pit—we have to choose to follow Jesus Christ. (draw a ladder with four rungs. Label the rungs of the ladder the four principles of the gospel or pictures representing them—faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost. Show the paper person going up the ladder and following the path to the shining castle).
• Share your testimony about Jesus Christ making it possible for you to repent. (5 min.)

Music Leader: Invite the children to sing the first half of the first verse again and this time imagine that Jesus Christ has just lifted them out of the pit of sin. (less than one minute)

Presidency Member: Explain that even though Jesus Christ has promised to redeem us we still have to do our part. Alma the younger found this out the hard way. Share the story of Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah (Mosiah 27 and Alma 36). Emphasize that while Alma was first in the coma his soul was tormented (Mosiah 27:29) (but use the word hungered, explaining what that means, because it’s in the song) but after he asked for Jesus’s help (Alma 36:18) Alma was filled with love (vs. 19 & 20). Talk about how great Alma’s need was for Jesus’s help—and that Jesus blessed Alma in his time of need because he asked for help. With the older kids, if you have time, you can also share Doctrine and Covenants 38:4 (last half of the verse) about how Christ pleads for us to the Father. Tell the children that Heavenly Father loves them just as much as He loves Alma and that He has sent Jesus Christ to redeem them too. (4 min.)

Music Leader: Lead the children in singing the second half of the first verse and then all of the first verse. (1 min.)

(If you get the feeling like you're trying to cram too much into 30 min., like you couldn’t tell the story in only 3 min., take out one of the following stories. Still split up the two halves of the second verse and put the story in the middle.)

Presidency Member: Take out a blanket. Invite a child to come up and wrap it around them. Ask the child how that feels. Explain that sometimes blankets are called comforters because they are comfortable. Spread out the blanket and invite all the children to come sit on the blanket while they listen to a story from the friend. Here’s a challenge—as you tell the story try to use the following phrases and words from the first half of the second verse of “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”: rich supply, guide me with his eye, comfort, soul’s complaint (3 min.)

Music Leader: Sing the first half of the second verse acappella showing pictures. Sing it again inviting the pianist to play and the children to sing. Ask the children to go back to their seats and sing it again. Play the leave-out-the-last-word game. (5 min.)

Presidency Member: Share a comfort story from the Friend (3 min.)

Music Leader: Sing the second half of the second verse acappella showing pictures. Sing it again inviting the pianist to play and the children to sing. Sing it a few times with changes like stand up, or do a hand action while singing. Then, put together both halves of the second verse. (5 min.)