Show the class or family a new plot of ground that has just been dug up and prepared to be planted and ask: If this ground were left alone for a year just like it is right now, what would it look like? Would it have flowers and vegetables or would it have weeds and grass?
The new ground represents each one of us. We must actively sow seeds of service, unselfishness, forgiveness, courtesy, kindness and actively dig up and remove the ever-present weeds of contention, selfishness, and pursuit of worldly pleasures. We must work hard to weed out bad influences, just like the gardener must work hard to have a beautiful flower garden or to grow abundant vegetables.
A good handout for this object lesson would be a package of flower seeds or a small trowel.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, some additions by Jenny Smith
Demonstrate what sustaining a church leader means.I saw a great demonstration done at a Regional Workshop.
Sister Myers had a Bishop come up and put his hands out.
She had a pile of hymnbooks to represent his responsibilities.
Every time she said one of his responsibilities, she put a book in his hands.
His arms started to get tired really fast.
Then she had three Primary leaders
(representing a presidency) come up and put their hands under his to help support the books (giving him support in his calling)
The load was much easier to bear and together they could take on more books.(responsibilities).
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This could be switched to where the children could come up and be the supports and tell what they could do to support (sustain) whomever you have being the church leader.
Things that they could do could be ~ help keep the buildings clean, be an example and a missionary to others, prepare to now to some day enter the temple, help in Primary when asked, etc... (Dana H)
Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
Items needed:
Place an empty chair in the middle of the room and then discuss how one good way to avoid gossiping is to imagine the person who you are talking about is sitting in that chair. Ask yourself:
If you can't answer yes to all of these questions, then you should talk about something else.
This lesson can also be likened to name calling or taking the Lord's name in vain. Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, some additions by Jenny Smith
Show your hands and offer to shake hands with anyone.
Show the bar of soap and ask:
Let me demonstrate. First, wash your hands in the water only.
Show your hands and ask:
Next wash your hands again using just a little hand soap. Show your hands again and ask:
Last, wash again using lots of soap, both hand and dish detergent, along with the scrub brush.
Now show your hands and ask:
Repentance is a beautiful cleansing process which takes a lot of hard work and the proper steps.
Variation: display the soap and discuss
Presentation: Soap is a practical household necessity. Soap is cleansing. For physical cleanliness, soap must be applied frequently.
Lesson Application: Repentance is a practical principle of the gospel. Repentance is cleansing. Spiritual cleanliness requires constant repentance. Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
Relate the following story: There once was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. After a while, the boy discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence saying, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, it won't matter how many times you say 'I’m sorry,' the wound is still there." A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one and can leave devastating damage. Without the healing power of the Atonement, the damage would be permanent. You can demonstrate this object lesson by inviting a student to hammer a nail into the wood, and then removing it. Pass the damaged wood around the class to show the scars left. This lesson can also be likened to gossip or name calling.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, some additions by Jenny Smith
Items needed
Display the doormat, and point out that it is put in front of the door to provide those who enter the opportunity to wipe the dirt and debris from their feet so that they will not soil the inside of the home.
Explain that Heavenly Father has also place a doormat outside his home. It is known as repentance. Repentance enables us to remove the things from our lives that are not clean.
Explain further that unless we cleanse our lives of such debris, we will not be allowed into our Father's house.
Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
no unclean thing can dwell with God, 1 Ne. 10:21.
This is a talk given by 11 year old Alex. The idea was based on Our Destiny November 1999 Ensign
First you make two paper airplanes. One needs to fly very straight and true. The other needs to look a little battered and fly more in loops. There are patterns out there for making the different types.
Then here is the lesson: Imagine a plane taking off, the plane is in perfect condition the crew is trained and they have flight plan. If you get on this plane your sure to get to your destination.
Now, imagine another plane taking off it doesn’t really have a place to go. It’s not in good shape. Its crew is a bunch of high school kids who have just graduated and have not been properly trained yet. If you get on this plane you're almost sure to not reach your destination.
The first plane is God’s plan of happiness. Just like in the plane the church has leaders who are called of God. Just like the flight plan, God's plan of happiness is clearly written out in the scriptures. If we get on this plane, then we will be happy, and reach our destination of living with God again.
The second plane is the world. It has no destination, no plan, no consistent direction or standards. One month the world wants Pokemon, next it wants Pogs. One year the world wants Harry Potter, next it wants Animorphs. Everything is subject to the whims of popular culture. The passengers on this plane don't know where they are going, so they never know if they get there.
According to Elder L. Aldin Porter Of the Presidency of the Seventy: "One cannot make wise long-range decisions unless one understands that there is purpose here and recognizes that he must understand at least some aspects of the merciful plan of the great Creator. The Lord has given us instructions and commandments to help us fulfill the destiny which He envisions for us."
If I were a passenger with a specific destination, I would pick the one with trained pilots and a flight plan. I would feel safer and more secure the God's plan of happiness. Then read this scripture: Eph. 4:11-14 and bear testimony.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html
Demonstrate how easy it is to squeeze out the contents from the can "'Cheeze' Whiz, it's impossible!", then pick a volunteer and ask them to try to put the cheese back into the can. Of course it is impossible. Angry, sarcastic words, derogatory names, or mean comments are very easy to say. But it is difficult and maybe impossible to fix the damage done by idle or angry words. You could use any other object that squeezes out of the top like toothpaste or whipped cream or something like that. The author chose the cheese because you can spread it on crackers at the end of the lesson. Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html
Ask for two volunteers.
Have one eat a slice of lemon (usually a boy is more likely to taste the lemon than a girl) and another eat a slice of apple.
I compared the way they reacted and felt to the way we feel when we make wrong or right choices. The lemon-eaters felt sour and had a bad taste that lingered in their mouths. The apple-eaters enjoyed their apples and wished for more. It was kind of silly but the kids really liked it. I used it for both junior and senior Primary.
A variation: Show the apple and the lemon, and talk about how they smell and taste. Cut one of each in half and walk around and let a few smell them. What are some words that describe the taste of an apple/lemon? The decisions we make have consequences that either taste like an apple (sweet) or a lemon (bitter). Heavenly Father has given us standards to live by and if we make our decisions following these standards we will always taste apples.
Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
Moses 5:11
11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
Moses 6:55-56
55 And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.
56 And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.
You need a lazy susan or turntables that go in your cupboard for your spices. Demonstrate in some way how the things in the center spin much slower and don't fly off like the things on the outside. If you can't have the demonstration then just have them picture the last time they were on a merry-go-round and have the class discuss what happens to a person in the dead center and what happens to someone on the edge when the merry-go-round is going very fast.
You may also wish to use the story Staying Centered from the New Era, November 1999. Here's an excerpt:
"... 'there are greater risks on the outside—which is my point tonight. It’s safer when we are in the center—on the merry-go-round and in the Church. " 'You’ll find that when you move away from the teachings of the Savior and the prophets, you find yourself taking risks you know you shouldn’t. And then you can suddenly find yourself far away from the Church. And it can be really hard to get back on the ride again once you’re off. Right, Carlos?'
"Carlos nodded and brushed a few flecks of sand off his jacket.
"Dave opened his scriptures and read from Moroni 10:32 [Moro. 10:32]. 'Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.' "
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, additions by Jenny Smith
