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
Build a kite with structure (gospel), tail (balance), wind (a cloud) for trials, and of coarse the most important part...string commandments of Heavenly Father.
As long as a kite is attached to a string, it will fly high up in the sky. You may think that since it is pulling and tugging on the string, that it would go higher if it were set free. But it is not so, If you let go of the string, the kite will soon nose dive.
That's the way it works with God's commandments too. We may think we would go farther in life, have more fun and be more successful if we didn't have to be held down with keeping the commandments, but it is actually the blessings of keeping the commandments that keeps us soaring in the air. The string of the gospel keeps us safe and in control. If we ever cut that string, and decide obeying God's laws is too much trouble, then eventually we will loose control and do a nose dive, too.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, with some additions by Jenny Smith
The Parable of the Kite -Stacy Schofield Hair
There once lived a girl, so faithful and true,
With so much potential, so much she could do.
Her favorite pastime was spent in the park-
Flying her kite, from dusk until dark.
Her father had built it, a bright, sturdy frame,
It seemed to hold up when the strong whirlwinds came.
It had a long tail, and what joy it could bring,
As it flew through the air, tightly held by the string.
Her father had warned her, to hold on quite tight,
The trial of the wind could put up a big fight,
This daughter grew restless, just watching it fly,
She wanted to see it soar deep in the sky.
One day she decided that it wasn't fair,
To punish this kite, and to hold back the air,
The kite deserved more than the same point of view,
If she just let it go, it could fly away too.
Because she was struggling-life was so hard,
She longed for the freedom to let down her guard,
Rules and commandments were causing such strife,
They just held her back, there was much more to life!
In just a brief instant, she cut off the string,
She took a deep breath as the as the air caught the wing
It spiraled; it turned, and quite soon she had found
Her precious kite mangled and crushed on the ground.
She then heard her father, his voice calm and true,
My child, these commandments are given FOR you
To help you and guide you and keep you a flight,
Just as string has preserved your invaluable kite.
I love you. I need you. You're precious to me.
If you keep my commandments, they help make you free!
Free to fly high, free from the sorrow,
Free to awake without guilt for tomorrow.
My daughter, please know that I'm sending my love,
I'll guide you; I'll hold you with strength from above.
As I hold your string, I won't let you down,
I promise, in heaven, that you'll get your crown!
1. Show a bottle of clear water.
2. Then add a couple of drops of food coloring to the water.
3. Now pour bleach in the bottle, which will turn the water clear again.
1. We come to this earth sinless.
2. As we progress, each of us sins and it marks our souls.
3. However, through repentance our souls can become clean again.
I believe that if you put vinegar in the water before you add food coloring, the bleach works better. Here is what you do:
You start with clean water and you put a couple of tablespoons of vinegar in it first. Then you add the food coloring to the water to represent sin or mistakes or whatever. Then you add some bleach, and POOF! The water turns back clear again just like that. (repentance, atonement, etc.) This also works wonderful for a giving a talk at a baptism too.
Theresa, in Kennewick, WA
Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
I take an old, well worn shoe and talk about how useful and comfortable the shoe is. It's a good shoe. I have worked and walked and jogged many miles in this shoe. They protect my feet from thorns and rocks and glass. At first, they pinched when I wore them, but now I look forward to putting them on.
The commandments are like this shoe. They may not always seem fashionable to the world but they protect me against sin and heartache. The commandments may seem at times "out of style" but they protect us and enable us to live our lives and progress to the fullest. They protect us from sin, danger, and disappointment. It might be uncomfortable or unpopular to obey the commandments, but it gets easier with time.
Another variation of this is to have each person in the room describe their own shoes and how it relates to the lesson.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, additions by Jenny
Fill up a large jar (larger than a quart, if possible) half way up with popcorn. Take a ping pong ball and push it to the bottom of the popcorn. Put the lid on and swirl the jar around. After a few seconds the ping pong ball will rise to the top of the popcorn.
After you show this demonstration, discuss what habits and traits a person needs to develop that would help them rise above the temptation/trials/evil in their lives.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, some changes by Jenny Smith
Begin this lesson by giving a brief explanation of what repentance is.
Be sure to include the four basic steps:
(1) regret for the sin,
(2) abandonment of the sin,
(3) confession, and
(4) restitution.
Display the strawberry basket, which is filled with the rocks. Each corner of the strawberry basket should have a helium-filled balloon tied securely to it.
Application: Liken the stones to sins because they weigh us down. If we go through the proper repentance process, we can remove the sins from our lives. Remove the stones one by one. The basket will lighten a little as each stone is removed. Before taking away the last stone, point out that repentance makes it possible for us to rise up and reach our highest potential and live with our Heavenly Father.
Remove the final stone, and the helium balloons will lift the strawberry basket to the ceiling. Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
Items needed
I found a good way to show differences in your testimony and/or faith was to use eggs. I make Jello Jigglers in plastic easter eggs, then also use a raw egg, a soft boiled egg, and a hard boiled egg.
Each of the 4 eggs are placed in separate zip-lock bags. The children then got to feel of the eggs and test the firmness of each one. I make the point that all of our testimonies can sometimes be concealed within an outer shell, and they still need work. The favorite is always the Jello egg. It is a great example of testimony or faith that is based on the continuous changes in life. It is solid. It is firm. It retains its shape and identity. Yet it gives a bit and adjusts to changes around it, which may include guidance from a parent, teacher, or church authority; experiences with others; revelation; inspiration; etc.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html
Show the pencil to the class--teach that the useful, best part of a pencil is in the middle. And in order for it to be useful, something sharp has to wear away the outer covering. Let's compare that to the heart/spirit that is found inside each of us.
In order to be of the most use as a servant of God, we allow God to scrape away our covering of pride and arrogance, and allow ourselves to become tools in his hands. After our pride is gone, the good part inside of us is exposed, and we are useful tools in God's work.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4746/lessons.html, with some additions by Jenny Smith
Show the power sources. Ask questions like: What do we benefit from this item? Are there other sources of power that benefit you? Do you know what we call the the power of God? Priesthood!
Source: http://www.eprimary.dk/ - (visit the Primary Object lessons section)
