Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
I show my love for Jesus Christ by keeping His commandments.
Help the children understand that they can show the Savior they love Him by keeping His commandments.
Possible Activities
Help the children recite John 14:15. Ask them to say “If ye love me” when you hold up a paper heart. Ask them to say “Keep my commandments” when you hold up the scriptures.
Here is a simple puzzle you can do over and over again, to help the children learn this scripture.
Help the children think of some of Jesus’s commandments. Invite them to suggest ways they can keep each commandment. Testify that doing these things shows our love for Jesus Christ.
The 10 commandments or a bit hard for children this age to understand. Here is a more simplified idea of commandments. You can use these for a matching game, or you can lay them out on the ground and have them flip them over, discuss it and put it in a bag, with Jesus picture. Every time they put it in the bag, testify that doing these things shows their love for God.
Sing together a song about the commandments, such as “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47).
Play the game on this week’s activity page with the children.
Here is the game board from the primary manual, but I made it bigger and option for a little bit of color. I also added the numbers that the directions asked for.
Click on the image to be taken to Etsy.
The Holy Ghost helps me.
Jesus taught His disciples important truths about the Holy Ghost. Consider how these truths might bless the children you teach.
Possible Activities
Show the picture The Last Supper (Gospel Art Book, no. 54). Explain to the children that at the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Ghost. Share some of the truths He taught in John 14:26–27; 15:26; 16:13–14.
Put each of these pictures on a wall or a corner in you house or classroom. Practice a couple of times with the kids saying “Spirit” “Truth” “Guide” “Comfort”, and see how fast they can run to that picture. Then read the scriptures John 14:26–27; 15:26; 16:13–14. See if they can still catch the words and run to them. After take the picture of the Holy Ghost and pass it around. Ask the children if he has a body. Because he is a spirit he has the power to comfort, guide, teach us what is true. How do you think he does this?
Share an experience when the Holy Ghost comforted you, guided you, or helped you know the truth. Testify that the Holy Ghost can help the children in similar ways.
Here is a way to teach about the Holy Ghost using a blanket.
If you would like the 1st article just click on this image.
Here is a coloring page.
Together with the children, sing a song about the Holy Ghost, such as “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105). Invite them to listen for things mentioned in the song that the Holy Ghost does.
(Click on image to be taken to Etsy)
I can know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ taught that “life eternal” is to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ.” As the children you teach come to know Them, they will find spiritual strength that will bless them throughout their lives and help them achieve eternal life.
Possible Activities
Read John 17:3, and ask the children to listen for who Jesus wants us to know. Show a few pictures that represent ways we can come to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, such as pictures of the scriptures, a family learning together, and someone serving another person. Put the pictures face down, and invite the children to take turns turning them over and describing what is in the picture. How do these things help us know Heavenly Father and Jesus?
Assemble this before you see the children.
The children will remove each piece and talk about the pictures underneath.
(Print on card stock)
Talk with the children about things they do to get to know their friends better. How do we get to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better? Share ways you have done this.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
I show my love for Jesus Christ by keeping His commandments.
As you read these passages in your personal study, think about the children you teach. How will they be blessed when they understand that their obedience to the Savior is a sign of their love for Him?
Possible Activities
Invite the children to share ways Jesus showed He was obedient to Heavenly Father. Show pictures from the Savior’s life to help them (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 34–35, 56–57). Ask the children to talk about times when they obeyed Heavenly Father.
Invite a child to read John 14:15. Let the children take turns drawing pictures that represent someone keeping a commandment, while the rest of the children guess what he or she is drawing. For examples of commandments, see the For the Strength of Youth booklet (2022). How does keeping these commandments show the Savior that we love Him?
Here are some cards they can pick out of a bag and draw.
Click on image to be taken to Etsy.
The Holy Ghost guides, comforts, and testifies of truth.
Have the children you teach received the gift of the Holy Ghost? What do they know about how the Holy Ghost can help them? Consider how you will help them better understand the roles of the Holy Ghost.
Possible Activities
Give the children the following verses to read in pairs: John 14:26; 15:26; and 16:13. Ask them to find words that teach them what the Holy Ghost does. Write the words on the board.
Here are a couple of object lessons, this one teaches about how the Holy Ghost guides and warns.
The Holy Ghost Testifies of Truth.
Share an experience when the Holy Ghost guided you, comforted you, warned you, or testified of truth to you. Invite the children to share any experiences they have had. How did they recognize the Holy Ghost’s influence?
This is a great story about the Holy Ghost guiding us to make good choices. Click on the image to take you to the churches website.
Invite each child to draw his or her face on a paper bag. Shine a flashlight, representing the Holy Ghost, into each bag. Then put things in the bags that block the light, such as a pieces of cloth, to teach that our wrong choices can limit the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Let the children remove the things from their bags to represent repentance.
Last object lesson from the primary manual.
(Click on the image to be taken to Etsy)
Heavenly Father and Jesus want me to know Them.
You will bless the lives of the children by helping them come to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better.
Possible Activities
Display a plant (or a picture of one) as the children take turns reading verses in John 15:1–9. How is Jesus like a vine? How are we like branches? What can we do to “abide in,” or stay close to, the Savior?
Here is a picture of my one grape vine in my garden. It is a very strong plant, as you can see from the picture it is up a against the hot bricks of our home and doesn't wither or wilt. That was one little vine planted years ago and it has grown so big we can barely walk on our stepping path. You can't see the grapes yet, but they will come in abundance. It is no wonder this was chosen as a plant that scriptures compare our relationship to God to. When we "abide" in God we can flourish(:
Here is a coloring page, with some journaling. If you don't have time to cover everything you can send this home.
Read aloud John 17:3. Ask the children what they are doing to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Share how you are coming to know Them.
Encourage Learning at Home
Encourage the children to share with their families a song they have recently learned in class or in singing time.
Thank you sister, this material help me in so many ways because I'm new in my ward in English, my first language is Spanish and with this classes I can feel more confident with the kids and help me with my poor English and I can feel the spirit in the class!! You are amazing!
thanks for your Wonderfull work!! 😀😍
Thank you so much for your hard work doing this! I absolutely love your ideas and they make my class so much more fun and the kids learn so much more! Just wanted to thank you!
I just want to thank you for all your hard work and sharing your talents with us! My primary class needs to be actively participating constantly or I lose them and these suggestions and printouts are so helpful! Thank you again!!
typo on the vine coloring page -- "As the branch cannot bair" should be bear not bair