Sorry this is late. This was a hard lesson for me. Not that I don't love it, in-fact it brought tears to my eyes as I studied it. But to turn it into a visual lesson, was really tough. I almost got on here and said "Sorry everyone I've got nothing." But in the eleventh hour it did come together.
Because of Jesus Christ, I can “be of good cheer.”
Your Heavenly Father knows that your life will include moments that are difficult, even frightening. But He also wants you to experience joy. Read 3 Nephi 1:1–23 to learn about the reasons the faithful Nephites had to be afraid. What reason did the Lord give them to “be of good cheer”?
K, here we go. I really feel like it is important for the students to relate and be able to apply these principals to their daily lives. Since we are talking about feelings, that makes it easy...we all have those.
You will be passing out pieces that look like this:
OR like this:
Pass these out at the beginning, and tell them to think about what they can share. They may need help, and you may need to set an example of what it looks like to be transparent. Have some examples from your life (or when you were there age) that you can share, but then ask them to think of their own.
After everyone has shared and hopefully bore a small testimony, they can come together and complete the puzzle. If they get stuck you can show them a picture on this website, or from the printable lesson plan. It will look something like this:
You will can use magnets or tape to attach it to the board.
Take a minute and talk about the layout of this. Do you ever feel like your life is like a roller coaster? You can ask questions of why they think Joy is above happiness. Do they know some people who have rarely felt the height of Joy and can only shoot for happiness because they choose not to turn to God?
Maybe they have experienced letting fear and sadness take over and spiraling down. How can we come out of that? See also “Grief,” “Hope,” “Mental Health,” or other topics in the “Life Help” section of the Gospel Library.
Joy is a spiritual gift and state of being that comes from a righteous life, while happiness is dependent on circumstances. -According to the Church of Jesus Christ.
Read these scriptures together, and decide where they land on the roller coaster. I do write out scriptures to try to help students that struggle with disabilities, but I highly recommend, those who can look up scriptures to still do that, in an actual Book of Mormon or Bible(: I have both options in my store.
All the Roller Coaster, board art, scriptures are in my store.
Your board might look something like this when you are done:
The Savior has used the phrase “be of good cheer” on several occasions—for example, in Matthew 14:24–27; John 16:33; Doctrine and Covenants 61:36; 78:17–19. What impresses you about these invitations?
It would be great to study all these scriptures after you have studied 3 Nephi 1, I especially liked this scripture. I'm putting it here for a free Print. Pass it around or have everyone read and and explain what they think it means.
I have printed this and put it on my magnet board. I am as a little child, because I still struggle understanding why bad things happen to good people. But I know the Savior's love is real, and if we endure our trials we will have all the blessings of heaven.
You might read surrounding verses to understand the circumstances in which the Savior said these words. In each case, what reasons did He give to help people face their fears? How has he done this for you?
Consider studying President Russell M. Nelson’s address “Joy and Spiritual Survival” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 81–84). What does President Nelson teach you about finding joy in any situation? Notice how many times President Nelson uses the word focus. Maybe you could compare focusing a camera or other lens to focusing on Jesus Christ. How will you focus on Him more?
See also “Grief,” “Hope,” “Mental Health,” or other topics in the “Life Help” section of the Gospel Library.
The Lord will fulfill all His words in His time.
Read 3 Nephi 1:4–7 and think about how you might have felt if you were one of the believers. What did they do to keep their faith strong? (see 3 Nephi 1:4–21 and 5:1–3). How were Samuel’s words fulfilled? (see 3 Nephi 1:19–21). How has the Lord fulfilled His words in your life?
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Mormon declared, “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ” (3 Nephi 5:13). What does this phrase mean to you? Consider searching 3 Nephi 1:4–15; 5:12–26; 6:10–15; and 7:15–26, looking for qualities, beliefs, and actions of disciples of Christ.
See also “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus,” Children’s Songbook, 78.
I made these book marks, in place of the gift tags I usually make. They are in my store.
When I exercise faith in Jesus Christ, I don’t need to fear.
The Nephites’ experience with bands of robbers may contain lessons that can help you with the spiritual dangers you face. Look for these lessons in 3 Nephi 2:11–12 and 3:1–26. For example, you could search Giddianhi’s words in 3 Nephi 3:2–10 and compare them to ways Satan might try to deceive you. What do you learn from the example of Lachoneus?