Items needed
- crushed Oreo cookies
- seeds or a plant
- tools to plant a seed
Lesson
I set my objects on a table and tell the youth that I need a volunteer, one that will have faith in my instructions. I ask that the volunteer must be sure to follow my instructions explicitly and is not allowed to talk or to show emotion during the entire duration of the task at hand. I then remind the volunteer of their commitment & faith and ask them to take the potting soil and to plant the flower or seeds.
While the volunteer is planting the flower or seed, I talk about "faith" and how it is much like planting a seed or a flower. I ask them what it would require to keep the plant growing and healthy, etc., and allow a small discussion to take place.
After the planting is done, I remind the volunteer once again they are not allowed to talk or show emotion, just simply have faith and to obey me. I then tell the audience that there was a recent study that eating this particular soil though unusual, was actually edible. I remind the volunteer again of her/his promise not to show emotion, or talk to just obey. And I ask the volunteer to have faith in what I was telling her and to eat a spoonful of soil. The children at this point in the audience are a little stressed and grateful NOT to have been called upon to be the volunteer. However. . . .the volunteer by this point has smelled the aroma of the Oreos and will not have a problem taking a bite.
When the volunteer does taste it, my experience has been that the children all squirm. I then liken my volunteer having faith and obeying me was similar to our obedience to Heavenly Father. Sometimes he asks us to do something that we simply don't want to do. Or it just seems too hard. He asks us to dress modestly, to have family and personal scripture study, to say our prayers daily, etc. . . .
If we have faith, and obey our Heavenly Father, it will be a sweet experience, and we will be blessed. I then ask the volunteer if what I am saying is true. And between the volunteer and myself we let the secret of the soil out.
