Sunday, April 21, 2013

Lesson 16: The Saints Gather to Kirtland, Ohio


Lesson 16: The Saints Gather to Kirtland, Ohio

Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, (1997), 80–85

Purpose

To help the children desire to strengthen the feelings of unity and love within their families and within their Primary class.

Music: iTunes --  As I Have Loved You for Primary

Video

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/doctrine-and-covenants-stories?lang=eng&start=13&end=24#2010-06-17-chapter-16-joseph-smith-and-sidney-rigdon-learn-about-zion-1830

Kirtland:  
  1. Newel K. Whitney store: (with story) 
  2. http://www.lds.org/locations/newel-k-whitney-store#d

  3. http://www.lds.org/locations/historic-kirtland-visitors-center?lang=eng

Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity. There is a spirit of assurance that pervades the home, and it is felt by all who dwell there.
The fulfillment of this counsel does not rest upon parents alone, although it is their role to lead. 
[Audio 1:50] [Video: Children can be responsible for improving the Christ-centered efforts in the home. It is important for parents to teach children to recognize how their actions affect each individual who lives in the home. Children who are made to feel accountable for their actions, whether righteous or otherwise, grow to become trustworthy citizens in the kingdom of God. . . . .


[3:44] [Video 3:06] You children in the Primary, you young men and women in youth programs, and you stalwart missionaries now serving are doing many things more effectively than I was able to do at your age. In the premortal life you proved to be valiant, obedient, and pure. There you worked hard to develop talents and capacities to prepare yourselves to face mortality with courage, dignity, honor, and success.
Not long ago you came to mortality with all of those magnificent capacities and endless possibilities. Yet there is real danger in the environment surrounding you. Your great potential and ability could be limited or destroyed if you yield to the devil-inspired contamination around you. However, Satan is no match for the Savior. Satan’s fate is decided. He knows he has lost, but he wants to take as many with him as he can. He will try to ruin your goodness and abilities by exploiting your weaknesses. Stay on the Lord’s side, and you will win every time


Enoch



__________________________________________

Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity. There is a spirit of assurance that pervades the home, and it is felt by all who dwell there.
The fulfillment of this counsel does not rest upon parents alone, although it is their role to lead. 
[Audio 1:50] [Video: Children can be responsible for improving the Christ-centered efforts in the home. It is important for parents to teach children to recognize how their actions affect each individual who lives in the home. Children who are made to feel accountable for their actions, whether righteous or otherwise, grow to become trustworthy citizens in the kingdom of God. . . . .


[3:44] [Video 3:06] You children in the Primary, you young men and women in youth programs, and you stalwart missionaries now serving are doing many things more effectively than I was able to do at your age. In the premortal life you proved to be valiant, obedient, and pure. There you worked hard to develop talents and capacities to prepare yourselves to face mortality with courage, dignity, honor, and success.
Not long ago you came to mortality with all of those magnificent capacities and endless possibilities. Yet there is real danger in the environment surrounding you. Your great potential and ability could be limited or destroyed if you yield to the devil-inspired contamination around you. However, Satan is no match for the Savior. Satan’s fate is decided. He knows he has lost, but he wants to take as many with him as he can. He will try to ruin your goodness and abilities by exploiting your weaknesses. Stay on the Lord’s side, and you will win every time

Preparation

  1. 1. 
    Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 37 the first commandment concerning a gathering in this dispensation.38:24–42  care for the poor/be given His law, go forth to teach I say unto you, be aone; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.endowed with power from on high39:15, and the historical accounts given in this lesson. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scriptural and historical accounts. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” pp. vi–vii, and “Teaching the Scriptural and Historical Accounts,” pp. vii–ix.)
  2. http://www.lds.org/locations/historic-kirtland-visitors-center?lang=eng

  3. 2. 
    Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
  4. 3. 
    Materials needed:
    1. a.  Doctrine and Covenants for each child.
    2. b.  Two pieces of string (or other material that will break or tear easily, such as paper or thin wooden sticks) for each child.
    3. c.  Map of the New York–Ohio Area, found at the end of lesson 1.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Give each of the children two pieces of string (adjust this activity as necessary for the material you are using). Ask the children to each break one string.
  • • Was it difficult to break one string?
  • • How strong is each string by itself?
  • • How could we strengthen the strings?
Gather all the children’s unbroken strings into a bundle. Ask a child to try to break the whole bundle at once.
  • • Why are the strings harder to break when they are gathered together?
Explain that just as the strings are stronger when there are many of them together, members of the Church are stronger when they are gathered together. For this reason the Lord instructed the early members of the Church to gather in one place.

Scriptural and Historical Accounts

Teach the children about the Lord’s commandment to the Saints to gather to Ohio, as described in Doctrine and Covenants 3738:24–4239:15, and the following historical accounts.

The Lord Commands the Saints to Gather to Ohio

Explain that by the end of 1830, the year the Church was organized, several hundred people had become members of the Church. Display the map and have the children point out the following locations where members of the Church lived as you briefly review the events that occurred at or near each place.
  • • Palmyra, New York—Joseph Smith’s first vision, gold plates obtained,Book of Mormon published.
  • • Harmony, Pennsylvania—Translation of gold plates begun, priesthood restored.
  • • Fayette, New York—Translation of gold plates completed, Book of Mormon witnesses testified, Church organized.
  • • Colesville, New York—First branch organized, mobbings occurred, Joseph Smith tried and set free.
  • • Kirtland, Ohio—Missionaries converted many people to the Church.
  • Explain that at the end of 1830 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith in New York that members of the Church should “assemble together at the Ohio” (D&C 37:3).
By gathering in Ohio, the members of the Church could escape persecution from enemies in New York, be taught by Joseph Smith and other Church leaders, receive further instructions from the Lord, prepare together to send missionaries to all nations, and support and help each other as they worked to become righteous people.
Joseph Smith instructed the members of the Church to sell or rent their farms and homes and move to Ohio. The Saints found it difficult to sell their farms, sheep, and cattle during the winter months. Some members did not believe this commandment came from the Lord and would not follow the Prophet’s instruction. Most of the Saints, however, were willing to join the Prophet in Ohio.  December 1830

Joseph and Emma Smith Go to Ohio

The Lord told Joseph to leave immediately for Ohio so he could escape his enemies and because he was needed in Kirtland. But Joseph was worried that the trip from New York to Ohio in winter would be hard on Emma. They had moved seven times in the four years they had been married, and Emma was expecting another baby. Joseph used a sleigh to make the trip easier for Emma. They left for Ohio at the end of January, and it took several days to travel the three hundred miles to Kirtland.
http://www.lds.org/locations/newel-k-whitney-store#d

When the sleigh reached the Gilbert and Whitney store in Kirtland, Ohio, Joseph jumped off and went into the store. He extended his hand to a man he had never met before and said, “Newel K. Whitney! Thou art the man!” Newel Whitney was very surprised, for he did not know the Prophet. “You have the advantage of me,” he said. “I could not call you by name as you have me.” The Prophet answered, “I am Joseph the Prophet. You’ve prayed me here, now what do you want of me?” (History of the Church, 1:146). Newel Whitney and his family had heard the gospel preached by the missionaries and had joined the Church. They prayed to receive the word of the Lord. While in New York, the Prophet had seen in a vision the Whitneys praying for him to come to Kirtland. The Whitneys provided a home for Joseph and Emma for several weeks.
A few months after their arrival at Kirtland, Emma gave birth to twins, but the babies lived only a few hours. Emma and Joseph’s first baby had died in Pennsylvania, so none of their first three children had lived very long. The day after the twins were born, Julia Murdock also gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. When Sister Murdock died, her husband John allowed Joseph and Emma to adopt his twin babies.

The New York Saints Make the Journey to Ohio

The Saints from New York traveled to Ohio in several different groups. The weather was cold and the journey was difficult. One group was led by the Prophet’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith. Lucy reminded the Saints that they were following the commandment of the Lord and if they were faithful, they would be blessed. She encouraged them to sing and pray during the journey. Lucy’s group traveled to Buffalo, New York, and planned to travel on Lake Erie, which would take them close to Kirtland, Ohio. When the group arrived in Buffalo, they found that ships were unable to move on the lake because large pieces of ice jammed the harbor. Lucy had faith that the Lord would help them. When the Saints got on board a ship the next morning, she persuaded the group to unite together in faith and pray to the Lord to break the pieces of ice. She explained, “A noise was heard, like bursting thunder. The captain cried, ‘Every man to his post.’ The ice parted, leaving barely a passage for the boat, and so narrow that as the boat passed through the buckets of the waterwheel were torn off with a crash. … We had barely passed through the avenue when the ice closed together again” (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, pp. 204–5).
All the groups finally arrived in Kirtland. As other people joined the Church in Canada and other parts of the United States, they too came to Kirtland. Church members were thankful to live near each other and have the Prophet instruct and lead them.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading and discussing the scriptures with the children in class will help them gain personal insights.
  • Why did the Lord command the Saints to go to Ohio? (D&C 38:31–33.) What were the Saints promised if they did so? (D&C 38:3239:15.) Explain that the Saints were promised that they would receive additional laws and blessings when they gathered to Kirtland and built a temple.
  • What sacrifices did the Saints make in order to move to Ohio? What sacrifices do people make today to help the Church and its members?
  • Why do you think the Saints were willing to go through hardships to move to Ohio? How could these early Saints strengthen each other better if they were gathered together?
  • Why don’t Church leaders encourage all members of the Church to move to the headquarters of the Church today? Help the children understand that the early members were commanded to gather to one place in order to establish the Church and form a strong center for the Saints. Now we are to establish the Church where we are and work to strengthen our own wards, branches, and stakes.
  • When do we gather or meet together as a Church? What blessings do we receive when we meet together? How do we strengthen each other when we meet together?
  • Have a child read aloud Doctrine and Covenants 38:24. What do you think it means to “let every man esteem his brother as himself”? How can we do this? How will this make the Church and its members stronger?
  • What does it mean to “be one”? (D&C 38:27.) Why is it important to be united? What can we do to help create more unity and love in our families? in our Primary class? Why is it difficult to be united if we do not love and care for each other?

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
  1. 1. 
    Help the children understand that we need to work together to help everyone feel comfortable at church. Ask the children to suggest ways to develop unity within your ward (branch) or class. Write their suggestions on the chalkboard. Encourage each child to choose one or two ideas to work on during the coming weeks.
    Possible suggestions:
    •  
      Take care of the church building.
    •  
      Treat others kindly.
    •  
      Listen to the speakers.
    •  
      Pray for one another.
    •  
      Speak kind words.
    •  
      Listen and participate in Primary class.
    •  
      Attend ward (branch) activities.
    •  
      Help everyone feel welcome at Church meetings and activities.
    •  
      Be cheerful.
    •  
      Express gratitude for Church leaders and teachers.
    •  
      Participate willingly when asked to give a talk, pray, or sing.
  2. 2. 
    Write on separate pieces of paper some activities, traditions, and actions that can help develop unity within a family, such as family home evening, family prayer, family scripture study, mealtime, holiday celebrations, birthday celebrations, being kind to each other, and being unselfish.
    Discuss with the children what unity means and how unity can be developed within a family. To help the children identify ways that their families can develop feelings of love and unity, let each child choose a piece of paper and give clues to the other children about the activity or action described on his or her paper. Have the other children guess the activity or action. Then invite the children to tell about how that activity or action has blessed and strengthened their families.
  3. 3. 
    Ask the children to share an experience when they have felt love and support from their family or from ward or branch members. Ask them how they feel when they receive this kind of support. You may want to share an experience of your own.
  4. 4. 
    Show the children an item used in a skill (such as a set of knitting needles or a musical instrument). Give the item to a child and ask him or her to perform the skill. If you have the particular skill, demonstrate how to use the item properly after the child has attempted to use it. Discuss how difficult it is to do something for the first time without a teacher’s instruction or direction.
    Relate this to the newly organized Church in 1830. The members were living in various places without any leaders nearby to direct the Church and help the members understand Church teachings. It often took a long time to receive communication from the Prophet. The Church members were anxious to go to Ohio, where they could be instructed by the Prophet and other Church leaders.
  5. 5. 
    Read or have a child read the following quotation from Sister Patricia P. Pinegar, ninth general president of the Primary, about how Church members need and help each other:
    “The giant redwood trees that grow in northern California [USA] … have a very shallow root system. But when they are surrounded by other redwood trees, the strongest, fiercest wind cannot blow them over. The roots of the giant redwood trees intertwine and strengthen each other. When a storm comes, they actually hold each other up” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, p. 103; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 78).
    Draw on the chalkboard several trees with their root systems intertwined (see illustration). Ask the children to suggest strengths and qualities they see in others. Label some of the roots with their ideas, and discuss how each individual’s strengths can help strengthen the whole group.
  6. 6. 
    Have the children stand. Demonstrate how easy it is for you to move one child alone. Then have the children wrap their arms around each other’s shoulders. Show how much more difficult it is for you to move all the children at once. Help the children understand that when we stand together and support each other, as members of families or members of the Church, it is easier for us to remain firm in our beliefs and do the right things.
  7. 7. 
    Demonstrate the importance of working together by doing the following activity:
    Cut some strong string or cord into two-yard [two-meter] lengths, one for each child in the class. Have each child tie his or her string a little above midway on a stick about four or five feet [one and a half meters] long, such as a broom or mop handle or a yardstick.
    Lay the stick in the middle of the classroom with the children sitting around it in a circle. Ask one child to see if he or she can raise the stick to a vertical position by pulling only his or her string. Ask another child to join the first and see if two strings can keep the stick standing. Then ask all the children to pull their strings to hold the stick in a vertical position. (You may have to slightly adjust the places where the strings are tied.)
    •  
      What happened when one person pulled on the stick? What happened when someone else helped?
    •  
      What needed to be done in order to make the stick stand upright?
    Explain that just as everyone needed to work together to make the stick stand upright, Heavenly Father knew the early members of the Church needed to be gathered together in order to strengthen and help each other. We can experience the same strength and support in our own ward (or branch).

Conclusion

Testimony

Express your gratitude for the example and faith of the early Saints who strengthened the Church and each other as they gathered to Kirtland, Ohio. Encourage the children to try to increase the love and unity within their families and within their Primary class.

Suggested Home Reading

Suggest that the children study Doctrine and Covenants 38:24, 31–32 at home as a review of this lesson.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Lesson 15: The Prophet Receives Revelation for the Church


Lesson 15: The Prophet Receives Revelation for the Church

Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, (1997), 76–79
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/doctrine-and-covenants-stories?lang=eng&start=13&end=24#2010-06-15-chapter-14-the-prophet-and-revelations-for-the-church-september-1830

Purpose

To help the children understand that revelation for the whole Church comes only through the living prophet and that we should follow him.

Preparation

  1. 1. 
    Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 2843:1–7, and the historical account given in this lesson. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scriptural and historical accounts. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” pp. vi–vii, and “Teaching the Scriptural and Historical Accounts,” pp. vii–ix.)
  2. 2. 
    Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
  3. 3. 
    Materials needed:
    1. a. 
      Doctrine and Covenants for each child.
    2. b. 
      Picture 5-1, The Prophet Joseph Smith (Gospel Art Picture Kit 401; 62002), or 5-2, Joseph Smith (Gospel Art Picture Kit 400; 62449); a picture of the living prophet (from the meetinghouse library or a Church magazine).

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Tell the children that you are going to play the game “Teacher Says.” Explain that you will give them some directions, but they should obey a direction only if you say “Teacher says” before giving the direction. Give the children a few directions. Make sure the directions not preceded by “Teacher says” are opposite the ones you give when you do say “Teacher says.”
Examples:
  • • Teacher says put your right hand up.
  • • Put your right hand down.
  • • Frown.
  • • Teacher says smile.
If a child obeys a direction not prefaced by “Teacher says,” have him or her sit down until the end of the game. If the children all have to sit down in a short period of time, you may want to play the game again to see if they improve in their ability to listen to the directions.
Tell the children there will be many people in our lives telling us what to do. We can trust some of them to give us good advice. Others we cannot trust.
  • • To whom should we listen to receive good advice? (Answers may include our parents, our teachers, and the prophet.)
Explain to the children that we should always listen to what the prophet says, because he tells us what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do. The prophet receives instructions from Heavenly Father and Jesus for the entire Church. We should never listen to someone who tells us to do something different from what the prophet says.
Illustrate this by giving conflicting directions as you did in the game, substituting “the prophet says” for “Teacher says.” Have the children raise their hands when the direction is something they should do.
Examples:
  • The prophet says pay a full tithing.
  • The world says one-tenth is too much; just pay what you can afford.
  • The prophet says never swear or use bad language.
  • The world says it is OK to use a bad word once in a while.
Explain that in the early days of the Church, a few other people besides the Prophet Joseph Smith claimed they were receiving revelations for the whole Church. Church members were getting confused about whom they should listen to and what they should do. The Lord gave instructions, which are now published in the Doctrine and Covenants, to the members of the Church about who would receive revelations for the whole Church.

Scriptural and Historical Accounts

Teach the children about Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmers questioning Joseph Smith’s revelations and about Hiram Page and the “seer stone,” as discussed in Doctrine and Covenants 2843:1–7, and the following historical account. Show the pictures at appropriate times.
While Joseph and Emma Smith were living in Harmony, Pennsylvania, a few months after the Church was organized, Oliver Cowdery disagreed with the wording of one of the revelations Joseph had received from the Lord. Oliver wrote to Joseph Smith and said, “I command you in the name of God to erase those words!” Joseph immediately wrote back to Oliver and asked him “by what authority he took upon him to command me to alter or erase, to add to or diminish from, a revelation or commandment from Almighty God” (History of the Church, 1:105).
A short time later Joseph and Emma went to Fayette, New York, where they found that Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmer family were convinced that this revelation Joseph had received had an error and should be changed. Joseph spent much time trying to reason with Oliver and the Whitmers. Eventually Christian Whitmer became convinced that the revelation was correct as Joseph had given it, and he helped convince the others.
Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmers were also studying some revelations that Hiram Page, one of the Eight Witnesses of the gold plates, claimed he had received from a “seer stone.” Hiram Page said he could see revelations in this stone. Among other things, he said he had received by revelation instructions on the location of Zion, the place where the Church was to go to establish the kingdom of God on the earth. Many people believed the things that Hiram Page said.
Joseph Smith was concerned that others were claiming to receive revelations for the Church. He decided to deal with the problem at a conference that would be held soon. Before the conference Joseph prayed, and the Lord revealed Doctrine and Covenants 28, which said that Joseph Smith was the only one authorized to receive revelation for the whole Church (see verse 2). The men at the conference discussed Hiram Page’s claims to revelation for a long time, but finally all of them, including Hiram Page, agreed that Joseph Smith was the only one who could receive revelation for the Church.
Other people also claimed to have received revelation for the Church. One of these was a woman named Hubble. According to John Whitmer, she appeared to be very religious, and some people were misled by her. Joseph Smith prayed to Heavenly Father about the problem and received Doctrine and Covenants 43 as an answer. This revelation says that the prophet of the Church, whether Joseph Smith or someone who would be called to be prophet after Joseph, is the only one who receives revelation for the entire Church.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading and discussing the scriptures with the children in class will help them gain personal insights.
  • • Who was originally appointed to receive commandments and revelations for the whole Church? (D&C 28:243:2–5.) Why was this done? (D&C 43:6.) What might happen if several people received revelation at the same time for the whole Church? (If they disagreed, members of the Church would not know whom to follow.) Who is the only person who receives revelation for the whole Church today? (The living prophet.) What should we do if someone other than the prophet says he or she has received revelation that Church members should follow? (D&C 43:5–6.)
  • • How can we find out what the living prophet says? (See enrichment activity 1.)
  • • What is the difference between the teachings of the living prophet and those of other Church leaders? (D&C 28:1–2, 4–5.) Explain that Joseph Smith’s name in Doctrine and Covenants 28:2 can be replaced by the name of the living prophet. Does this mean we should not listen to anyone but the prophet? Explain that other Church leaders can also teach us and give us instruction. However, only the prophet can tell us what the Lord has commanded us as a Church to do.
  • • For whom can we receive revelation? Explain that we each can receive personal revelation for our own lives. We can also receive revelation according to our responsibilities; for example, fathers and mothers can receive revelation for their families, the ward Primary president can receive revelation for the Primary in her ward, and the bishop can receive revelation for the whole ward.
  • • What does the living prophet have that no other person has? (The authority, or keys, to receive revelation for the entire Church; see D&C 28:7.)
  • • What did Hiram Page do wrong? (He claimed to have received revelation for the Church.) How does the Lord’s instruction to Oliver Cowdery in Doctrine and Covenants 28:11 show the Lord’s love for Hiram Page even though he needed to repent? How do we know that the Lord loves us even when we are disobedient? How might the Lord let us know when we have done something wrong?
  • • Have a child read aloud Doctrine and Covenants 28:13. Explain that “common consent” means that all the members of the Church accept the instructions and decisions of Church leaders. How do we show common consent today? (By raising our hands to sustain the actions of our Church leaders.) What does it mean to sustain our leaders? (See enrichment activity 3.)

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
  1. 1.  Obtain a copy of a talk given by the living prophet in general conference. List on the chalkboard the instructions given in the prophet’s talk that are applicable to the children in your class. Discuss with the children how they could follow the prophet’s instructions.
    Challenge each child to choose one or two instructions to work on until the next conference. Give the children pencils and paper, and have them write down the things they have chosen. Encourage the children to share their papers with their families and then put the papers somewhere in their homes to remind them of the prophet’s instructions. Encourage the children to listen to or read the messages of the prophet from the next general conference to find out what the Lord wants them to do.

    Conference April 2013
    Obey
    http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-brings-blessings?lang=eng#watch=video

    http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng
    contribute generously to the General Missionary Fund of the Church.
     be attentive and receptive to the messages which we will hear.

    http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/come-all-ye-sons-of-god?lang=eng
    share the gopel 
    prepare for missions
    May I suggest a formula that will ensure our success: first, search the scriptures with diligence; second, plan your life with purpose (and, I might add, plan your life regardless of your age); third, teach the truth with testimony; and fourth, serve the Lord with love.

    http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/until-we-meet-again?lang=eng
    study the messages further when they are printed in coming issues of the Ensign and Liahona magazines.
    be good citizens of the nations in which you live and good neighbors in your communities, reaching out to those of other faiths as well as to our own. May we be tolerant of, as well as kind and loving to, those who do not share our beliefs and our standards.
     extend to them a helping hand and a loving heart.
    put our trust in the Lord,
     humble and prayerful, having the faith that our Heavenly Father can guide and bless us in our lives.
    nurture and nourish your testimonies of the gospel,




  2. 2. 
    Help the children understand that it is always wise to follow the prophet, even if we do not completely understand why he tells us to do something. If we follow the prophet, we will be doing what the Lord wants us to do (see D&C 1:38).
    Read or have a child read the following quotation from President Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church:
    “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray” (Doctrine and Covenants—Official Declaration 1, “Excerpts from Three Addresses by President Wilford Woodruff”).
    Emphasize that the prophet will never ask us to do something that the Lord does not want us to do.
  3. 3. 
    Help the children understand what it means to participate in “common consent” by sustaining our Church leaders when they are presented in meetings. Explain that when we raise our hands to sustain people in their callings, we promise to support and help them. Have the children think of ways they can help and support Church leaders such as the bishop, the Primary president, their Primary teacher, and their parents in their Church callings.
  4. 4. 
    Help the children memorize the ninth article of faith.
  5. 5. 
    Sing or say the words to “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”(Hymns, no. 19) or “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, p. 110).

Conclusion

Testimony

Express your gratitude for the Prophet Joseph Smith and for the living prophet. Bear your testimony that Jesus Christ speaks through his living prophet and that we are living righteously when we follow the prophet. Emphasize that the living prophet will always teach us the right things to do; Heavenly Father and Jesus will not let him teach us wrong things.

Suggested Home Reading

Suggest that the children study Doctrine and Covenants 43:1–7 at home as a review of this lesson.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.