Hold in your hand five or six small balls or other small items, and tell the class that these represent a handful of weaknesses (our leader wrote names of some bad habits on paper and wrapped them around spools of thread like procrastination, lying, profanity, sleeping in, eating unhealthy foods).
Select a student and ask him/her to try to overcome these weaknesses by catching them. Then throw the balls to the student all at once. At least one will probably be dropped.
How might this demonstration apply to overcoming bad habits?
Throw the balls to the student one at a time so she can catch each one.
Point out that we develop self-mastery by working on one habit at a time, not expecting perfection from ourselves all at once.
Scripture Point out that King Benjamin gave some excellent advice that we might consider as we think of overcoming our bad habits. Have the class read Mosiah 4:27. (Source: YW Manual 2, Lesson 40, Developing Self Mastery)
In order to demonstrate the importance of waiting for your big spiritual reward rather than indulging yourself in "worldy rewards", put a cookie in front of the child/children and ask them if they would like to enjoy it by eating it now.
After all of the children have decided whether they would like to eat it or not you then present a humongous dessert such as a banana split or a piece of cake with whipped cream and candy all over it.... then you tell the children that they could eat this big dessert instead of the cookie but they will have to wait for a half hour in order to do so, would they wait to eat it?
Apply the lesson to great rewards that await us in the Celestial Kingdom, or by being virtuous, or by preparing to enter the temple. You may want to use the following poem by Elder Boyd K. Packer in your lesson:
We have within a burning flame,
A light to kindle lights,
The sacred fire of life itself,
Which if misused ignites
A smold’ring, suffocating cloud
Of sorrow and distress.When used by law this power brings forth
A life, a family, happiness.Temptors from the darkest realm
Seek to pervert this power
In acts of wickedness and waste
Until there comes the hour
Of judgment and of recompense,
When bitter tears are shed
O’er power once held to foster life
That now is gone and dead.I know this power to be a key,
A very key to God’s own plan
Which brings to pass eternal life
And immortality for man.And marriage is the crucible
Where elements of life combine,
Where mortal temples are conceived
Within that plan divine.Then spirit offspring of our God
Can come through mortal birth
To have a choice, to face the test—
The purpose of our stay on earth.
Here good and evil stand alike
Before decision’s sovereign nod.Those who elect the righteous path
Will part the veil, return to God.A gift from God, the plan provides
That mortal beings in humble strait
Be given power, supernal power,
To share their love and help create
A living child, a living soul,
Image of man, and of Deity.How we regard this sacred gift
Will fix our course, our destiny!
(as quoted in "Marriage," Ensign, May 1981)
This object lesson was inspired by one at KidsSundaySchool.com.
I'm sure everyone knows what this is. Yes, it is a ballpoint pen.
What do you think the most important part of this pen is? Many of you said the "ink", that is a common answer. Let's see how useful this ballpoint pen is. I need someone to volunteer to write with this pen, and see if it works properly.
Let several kids try to use the pen. They will conclude something is broken, or perhaps some may realize the spring is missing. Take the pen back.
Yes, the reason this pen is not working properly is because it is missing a part. It may seem like an insignificant part, but the pen can't work without it. It is the spring! I have it here in my pocket.
Insert the spring back into the pen, and let a few children confirm that it is now working properly.
Even something as simple as a ballpoint pen needs all its parts to work properly. Some parts may seem more important, like the ink, while others may seem less important, like the spring, but they are all needed. In our church/class, each of our member's best efforts and talents are needed, too. Everyone has a job to do, whether it's conducting the meeting, teaching a lesson, singing, or simply sharing testimony by participating in class discussions. Some jobs may seem more important than others, but without everyone, the Church just wouldn't function.
The apostle Paul said: "But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary." (1 Corinthians 12:20-22).
This object lesson was inspired by one at KidsSundaySchool.com.
Tell the class you've brought some special treats for them to enjoy, but want them to carefully observe (with their spiritual eyes) each object as it is cut open.
Invite a volunteer to come forward. Have them cut the hollow chocolate candy. Observations made by the students could include: Many things seem good on the outside but are hollow and empty inside. (or Some activities seem fun but leave you feeling hollow afterwards. They are not wholesome activities.)
Invite another volunteer to come forward. Have them cut the chocolate covered candy bar. Observations made by the students could include: This chocolate covered candy bar is kind of like many of us, or many things in the world. They have some of the chocolate goodness on them, but inside there is some work to do.
Ask for a third volunteer to come forward. Have them cut the solid milk chocolate bar several times to see what is inside. Observations made by the students could include: This chocolate is "pure" solid chocolate all the way through. It both looks good, and is good. It's consistent: you know what you're going to get in each bite when you buy this piece of chocolate.
Read the following quote from Elder Wirthlin:
"Do we, indeed, actually live the gospel, or do we just manifest the appearance of righteousness so that those around us assume we are faithful when, in reality, our hearts and unseen actions are not true to the Lord’s teachings? "Do we take on only the “form of godliness” while denying the “power thereof”?
"Are we righteous in fact, or do we feign obedience only when we think others are watching? "The Lord has made it clear that He will not be fooled by appearances, and He has warned us not to be false to Him or to others. He has cautioned us to be wary of those who project a false front, who put on a bright pretense that hides a darker reality. We know that the Lord 'looketh on the heart' and not on the 'outward appearance.'
"The Savior taught us to 'judge not according to the appearance' and warned us against wolves who 'come to [us] in sheep’s clothing' and whose deception can only be discovered 'by [examining] their fruits.'
"... President Marion G. Romney wisely observed that there are too many of us 'who try to serve the Lord without offending the devil.'
"The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.' Hence, the first of the Ten Commandments is, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me,' and the Savior declared that the first and great commandment is, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' Only when we give our all and overcome our pride and walk the path of faith without deviation can we honestly sing, 'Lord, accept our _true_ devotion.' " (Joseph B. Wirthlin, "True to the Truth," Ensign, May 1997)
Things to discuss:
1) How can we become the same inside and outside? How does this apply to baptism and repentance?
2) What are some things that seem good on the outside but have no real worth?
3) What are some things that look good on the outside but are different once you see inside? or What are some things in your life that are on the way to becoming consistent inside and outside?
4) Name some examples of things that are consistently good clear through. (scriptures, Savior, Heavenly Father, temple)
This object lesson was inspired by one at KidsSundaySchool.com.
The prophet has "seen inside the box". We should all follow him.
Tell the class that you've put something special for them in one of the boxes, and you want them to choose which box they want to get their reward from by raising their hands.
Ask the class is it hard to choose? Why? It's hard to make decisions without information or experience. They haven't seen inside the boxes and can't make a good choice.
Call up a member of the class and let her look in each box. Invite her to sit back down, and ask again who wants what's in box A (nothing). No one will raise their hands, because the girl who knows what's in the box won't raise her hand.
Now ask who wants what's in Box B (the treat). Everyone will raise their hands after checking with the girl who saw inside the box. Ask why did the class choose Box B? Because the girl who saw inside the box chose Box B. Duh, right? She's seen inside both boxes.
Bear witness that our Prophet has "seen inside the box" and knows the choices we should make. He will always make good choices and we will receive eternal rewards by watching the choices he makes. If we don't choose the Prophet's way, what do we get? Open the first box--nothing, no eternal family, no hope, no joy. May we all follow the Prophet in the same way (Thinking "Duh" of COURSE I will follow him.) to get our eternal reward. Let each person pick their reward from the box.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Teach that we must be very careful the things that we allow in our minds.
Put some food coloring in the first glass. Watch how the food coloring changes the color of the water, and eventually colors all the water. Look through the glass and talk about how the food coloring has affected how things look by changing it's color. Putting things in our minds changes the color in our minds, and it also affects how things look in the world.
Put the glob of mud in the second glass. Talk about how the bad stuff (mud) has affected the water. It's dirty, cloudy, can't see through it. Let the class try to get the mud out of the water. We should put good things in our water, so that we see things as they are.
You could get the dirt out by lots of hard work, straining it, distilling it, etc. Remind the class that through the Atonement, our water can be cleaned, but it's a lot easier to make good choices so we don't have to clean out our minds.
Other uses: This object lesson was told to me at a presentation by Joann Hamilton (http://www.StrengthenTheFamily.net/) as a lesson for teaching children the importance of avoiding pornography specifically, though it has application for the Word of Wisdom and Chastity.
Items needed
Take a spool of thread and wrap the thread once or twice around the volunteer's fingers or wrists. Have them break the thread.
This represents bad habits. When we first begin a bad habit like smoking, or even something as simple as watching an inappropriate t.v. show or using foul language, it is easy to break.
Now wrap the thread around many many times and see if the volunteer can break the thread. If we let bad habits go on and on, we lose the power to easily return to something better. It requires more will power and may require help from someone else. Don't give up your freedom and power by remaining in your bad habits. The Family Home Evening manual uses this lesson to demonstrate the web we create when we tell lies.
Honesty, FHE Manual, p 194. Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, some additions made by Jenny Smith
Items needed
Take a sock ( an old one preferably one you don't care about getting real muddy), soak the sock in mud, get it real dirty and then put it in a plastic bag. Take it to your class and during your lesson ask someone if they would mind putting on a sock (of course they haven't seen the sock yet), someone will volunteer.
Then take out the muddy sock from the bag and ask them to put it on their clean foot. Hopefully no one will want to do this.
Liken this to the holy spirit not wanting to dwell in an unclean body. How can you put your foot in a dirty sock and expect it to feel ok? You can't ask the spirit to dwell in an unclean body, it absolutely will not.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html
Alma 7:21 And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Scoop out a handful of mud and ask "What would you do if a friend ran up with his arms full of mud? Do you move closer and hold out your arms and accept all that mud? Or do you say, 'No, thanks. I don't want that mud.' " And keep on walking?
The mud is like gossip or angry words or sarcasm or cutting remarks or criticism. People who dish this mud out of their mouths are wanting to give it to you. Do you have to take it? Or can you refuse? Of course, you have the choice to refuse. You don't have to take offense, or get angry. You can choose to not let the other person's angry words rub off on you.
This lesson also applies to pornography, bad music, bad language, taking the Lord's name in vain, dirty jokes, drug use, in fact, nearly any kind of sin.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, some additions by Jenny Smith
Get two envelopes; put a picture of the temple on one envelope.
Put cut-outs (paper dolls? magazine people?) of family members in each envelope.
Seal shut the envelope with the temple picture.
All the while, talk about the one family going to the temple and the other not going. Then dump both envelopes containing families upside down. The family in the envelope that was not sealed will fall out all over the place. The family in the sealed envelope, will be all together. Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
