After watching them try for a short time – while not laughing at [...]]]>

Lesson 5: Lehi and His Family Are Led through the Wilderness

Attention Activity:

Give each child a ribbon or a string.  Ask them to hold on to the ends and while not letting go, tie the ribbons into a knot.

After watching them try for a short time – while not laughing at them – ask them how well that worked for them.

Now give them step-by-step instructions…

1. Lay the ribbon across your lap
2. Tightly fold your arms
3. While keeping your arms folded, pick up an end with each hand
4. Hold on to the ribbon and pull your arms apart to unfold.

Children should now have a knot in their ribbon.

*** Gather the ribbons so that they are not a constant distraction.

Which way was easier?

What made the difference?

Each of us will face a lot of challenges through out our lives.  Some of these challenges are quickly fixed if we ask our parents or teachers what we need to do.  Others of those trials will require more help and more patience.  Some of those trials can only be helped if we lean on and ask Heavenly Father for help.

Play the video “Chapter 5 – Traveling in the Wilderness”

Have all of the children open up their scriptures to 1 Nephi 16.

What did Lehi receive because of his obedience when he was traveling in the wilderness?

What was the Liahona for?

During the video we heard about Nephi and others going hunting in the wilderness.

What happened while they were hunting?

Pretend that you were there with Nephi and his family.  You had agreed to leave the comforts of your home where you could go to the market to get food, you could climb in your bed for warmth and comfort, and you could change your clothes whenever you wanted.  It had already been several days or weeks since you had left the comforts of home.

How would you respond if the primary source of food was gone?

What did Nephi’s brothers and father do?  (1 Nephi 16:17-21)

Did you notice that this time it wasn’t just his brothers that murmured?  Even Lehi got discouraged.  Sometimes it is really hard not to complain about when we are faced with a struggle.

I would like each of you to take one pebble or a bead and one piece of candy.  Please place the pebble in your shoe and the candy in your mouth.  Now, lets go for a walk.

*** Take a very short walk around the church.  There is likely to be a lot of murmuring and a short walk will get the point across.

Wasn’t that such a nice little walk?  We got out of the classroom for a minute; we got to visit about other stuff, and we got a treat.

What did you think about the walk?

Likely they will complain about the pebble or bead more than they will focus on the treat.  Sometimes it is much harder to focus on the positive than it is to focus on the negative.

Lehi and the rest of Nephi’s family really struggled with finding the good in Nephi losing his bow.  In fact, even looking back at it and having not been there.  I still think – really?  As if they weren’t proving their faith enough did he really need to break his steel bow?

Some of us will have to face trials that we will never understand the reason for.  Whether we will have a sibling get sick, a parent lose their job, a cousin die from cancer or something else.  There is no easy explanation for why.  No easy way to say I guess I learned my lesson.

What did Nephi do to fix the problem? (1 Nephi 16:23-24)

Why did Nephi ask his father for help?

Who do you go to when you need help?

We went for a walk and a lot of you complained about the bead hurting your foot.  Some of you couldn’t even enjoy the candy because the pebble or bead was so annoying.

In this jar of rice, there are several treasures.  There is a ring, an earring, a coin, a charm and a pin.  As you look at it, you can’t see any of the treasures.

*** Have the kids take turns rolling the jar looking for the treasures.  Likely only the coin and ring will ever be seen.  But assure them that they are all there.  It just means we have to really look hard to find the good things in life.

After Nephi asked Lehi for direction on where he should go hunt, Lehi went to the Liahona.  (1 Nephi 16:26-30)

How did the Liahona work?

Today we don’t have a Liahona, so what do we have?

We all have the scriptures that we can turn to.  We have our parents and our teachers and our grandparents that will all help us in the right direction to return to our Heavenly Father.  I’d also like to share a story with you from something else that the children in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have to help them do what is right.

The Friend shares a story of a little girl who won her school spelling bee.

What did Nancy do to help her when she was nervous and needed some extra help?

Today’s lesson has three very important things that I would like you to remember.  All three of these lessons will make every aspect of your life better.

Who can tell me what those three things are?

1. Focus on the positive
2. Seek to find the good
3. Lean on the Lord for direction and comfort

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true and living church.  I know that the Lord will guide us and direct us when we have faith in Him.  I know that when bad things happen we want to curl into a ball or we want to throw a fit and scream about the problem.  The only way that we can overcome our trials is to face them head on and come up with a way to fix the situation.  Laman and Lemual instantly reacted and freaked out whenever things did not go their way.  Nephi always took a minute and looked at the situation.  He considered the situation and sought out a solution.  On our walk, Nephi would have focused on the treat and when we returned from the walk, he would have removed the stone.  Nephi never would have given up looking for the treasures in the jar of rice.

Believe me, I know that it is hard to look on the bright side all the time.  But I know that we can.  I know that if we ask the Lord for guidance, He will help us find the path to happiness and to return to Him.

(Object lessons are both from OBJECT LESSONS MADE EASY by Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson)

When [...]]]> It has been a really long time since I’ve entered a photo in the weekly challenges. I think it all rolls down as part of the funk I’ve been in the past little while. There haven’t been as many pictures taken nor many posts written. But I’m trying desperately to get my groove back.

When I saw the theme for this week, I had to participate. Ivy is my little bookworm. She reads all the time and always has 5-10 books piled on her bed. I told her I wanted to take some pictures of her reading. And my inspiration was her bed and a painting my uncle did. Little did I know but she really got into this book on the Tree of Life. After I finished snapping a few shots of her, she sat peacefully and continued to read until she got to a good stopping point.

Go on over to I Heart Faces for other bookworms.

1 Nephi Chapter 3- 5, although early chapters in the the Book of Mormon, they are chapters that immediately put you into a position where you need to ask Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true.  They are chapters that cause [...]]]> Primary 4: Book of Mormon Lesson 3

Obtaining the Brass Plates

1 Nephi Chapter 3- 5, although early chapters in the the Book of Mormon, they are chapters that immediately put you into a position where you need to ask Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true.  They are chapters that cause questions for some and chapters that cause some people to quit reading.

I remember there was a time when I first read these chapters and realized just how important they are to the foundation of the rest of the Book of Mormon.

As we study these chapters together, if you haven’t already read the Book of Mormon, you will understand why it is important to spend a moment and understand how the Lord works, why it is important to us to always follow His commandments.  Even when we don’t understand them.  There are very few things He requires of us, and sometimes they don’t make sense.  If we can be as Nephi, filled with faith that He will only ask us to do that which is right, we will have the strength to withstand temptation and teasing.

Can you tell me what this sign says?

Why can’t your read it?  Sometimes we are given only part of a message and we require more information to understand it.  Over the years we have been asked to do many things by our parents, our teachers, our grandparents and our church leaders.  We may not have all of the information nor understanding of why they are asking us to do something, but do you think they have a reason that they just might not be ready to tell us?

When your mom asks you to do something, do you ever say “Why?”?

What kind of reaction to you get from your mom when you ask why?

The message that I shared above is an important message and it is one that I will ask you to memorize.  Which right now that may seem like a lot to ask.

There are times that Heavenly Father will ask us to do something that He isn’t ready to give us the full understanding of why.

For the past 40 years, our prophets have been telling us to have our food storage ready.  In my 40 years, my family has never had to use ours.  In fact, a lot of the food has gone bad and had to be replaced without ever opening a can.  Now part of that is our own fault for not rotating it but it is also because we have not been in a position to need to use it.

What are some reasons we would need to have food storage? – A flood like in New Orleans not too many years ago.  An earthquake like in Japan that happened just last year.  Or a tornado that hits in the mid-west several times a year.  Those who had their food storage were able to live and help their neighbors and friends.

Can you imagine if they hadn’t put together their food storage and a tragedy happened?  Sometimes a tragedy just hits one family – the dad loses his job, or a family member gets really sick and the family is left without any money.  Their food storage could save their lives.  As long as they obeyed the prophet and readied their food storage.

The story that we are going to study today, is one of those times that the Lord told Nephi and his brothers what they had to do, but didn’t tell them how to do it, nor why it was so important.

{In my class, I will be sharing the story from the Children’s Book of Mormon Stories and also from the Liken story “Nephi and Laban”.  As we read and watch, I will stop and ask the following questions..}

_______

1 Nephi 3

What did Lehi’s ask Nephi to do?

Who told Lehi to have him do it?

Why was it important for Nephi (and his brothers) to retrieve the plates of brass?

Did Nephi have a plan about how to get the plates?

Did he understand what he was supposed to do to get them?

What was his response?

Laban was not a nice man.  He was greedy.  He was ruthless,  He was angry.  He was dangerous.  Because of who he was, neither of the brothers desired to be the one that would go and ask Laban for the plates.  So, they drew straws.

Laman was the first to go to Laban.  He introduced himself as Lehi’s son and asked politely.  Of course, Laban denied him and called him a robber.  So Laman ran away.

The brothers were preparing to return to Lehi without the plates and Nephi came up with a plan to go and get them.  He knew the Lord would provide a way.  So they went to their home and gathered all of the gold and silver to give to Laban as a trade for the plates.

What do you think Laban did?

This did not go well.  So after they ran away and hid, Laman and Lemuel (Nephi’s brothers) began to Nephi and his younger brother, Sam.

When things don’t go your way, do you ever get really angry and blame other people for your problems?  Sometimes it is hard to accept that bad things can happen to good people.  Even when they are doing the right thing.  These brothers were trying to do what they were ask, but they had been denied twice.

Did you know, that even after an angel appeared to them, Laman and Lemuel still complained?

1 Nephi 4

Nephi told his brothers that they should stay in the wilderness and that he would go in on his own to retrieve the plates.  The brothers did not that he could do it.  But Nephi knew that they Lord would provide a way.  These plates were extremely important to their family and their believes.

As Nephi walked through the city, he came upon a drunk man who had passed out.  This man was dressed in fine clothing and Nephi realized it was Laban.  Nephi felt like he should kill Laban.

What?  A good man felt that he need to kill this bad man?

This is what the Lord answered to him…

So, Nephi killed Laban and put on his clothes.  As he was walking away, one of Laban’s servants called to him.  As Nephi pretended to be Laban, he answered him and asked the servant to take him to the plates and then to the outer wall of the city.

Nephi’s brothers were scared as they saw who they thought to be Laban coming to them with the plates.  But once they knew it was him, they rejoiced and returned to their father.

When they returned, the family gathered and Lehi read from the plates.  These plates told them all about their genealogy and their believes.

___________

Let’s take a look again at the message above that we couldn’t read.  Here’s is a handout that includes the code that is needed to translate the message.  We can take a minute now and solve the puzzle of the message that is so important that we are going to memorize it after we are done translating it.

It is important to remember that in 1 Nephi 3:7 we read “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.”  This is a scripture that we can repeat over and over in our minds and out loud anytime we are questioning what is the right thing for us to do.

In closing, I’d lie to share my testimony of the importance in following all of God’s commandments.  As a grown up, there are a lot of things that He has asked us to do.  Sometimes we are tempted to ignore the commandments.  Sometimes we’re tired and lazy.  And other times we are very eager and willing to follow everything He has asked us to do.  I know that at all of those moments, I can repeat to myself that I will go and do the things that the Lord has asked me to do and know with all my heart that I will be blessed.  I will be comforted by the Holy Ghost and receive the help that the Lord has promised us.

JOURNAL PROMPT:

What have you learned today?  When is it difficult to do what you have been asked to do – either by your parents or by Heavenly Father?

HANDOUT -

Lynette, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

May your day be bright, your hearts full and the Spirit strong.

Happy Christmas to all!

PS – Thank you so much for your friendship and support this year.  It truly means the world to me.

September – [...]]]> I don’t have a lot of time but I’ve missed you and I’ve been dying to sit down and write a quick post.  But then I feel like I need to go back and share what we have been up to the past several months since I went silent.  So, here it is…

September – job interviews, lots of resumes, Lake Powell, Vegas and a job offer

October – started new job, first trip (of many) to Microsoft, a baptism, a hike, a new computer and a fantastic Halloween that included a lot of sewing.

November – Ivy and I rolled down a mountain into a river, walked away without a scratch but the car was totaled, second trip to Microsoft, celebrated the life of Scott’s grandpa after his passing, hosted Thanksgiving and felt overwhelmed with gratitude.

So, there you have it in a nut shell. One of these days, I’ll share more about the wreck, more about Jade’s costume and the pattern that I made up and I’ll do a better job paying tribute to Grandpa Wayne.  Until then, thanks for visiting and know that I will be back. (After I complete the next 4 big work projects on my plate, finish Christmas shopping and get some sleep).

I got all choked up and held back tears.

Thank you!  Thank you veterans for serving our great country.  Thank you for fighting for freedom and liberty.  Thank you for [...]]]> Today I shared a moment of silence with my 3rd grader and all of the other parents that attended the Veteran’s Day program.

I got all choked up and held back tears.

Thank you!  Thank you veterans for serving our great country.  Thank you for fighting for freedom and liberty.  Thank you for making such huge sacrifices so that we can have agency.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

At the end of the program, the 3rd graders presented all veterans in attendance a rose of gratitude.  I saw this hero and couldn’t help but take his photo.  I hope he is okay with my sharing this, because I didn’t think to ask for his permission.

PS – Jade did a wonderful job on her part of the program and I am loving hearing her singing the national anthem as she’s cleaning, eating, playing or doing homework.