Choices and Gospel Guideposts

By Laurel Rohlfing

Man was also in the beginning with God (D&C 93:29).

Choices! Choices! Life is full of choices! Should you wear your blue shirt or your red one? Should you play a game or do your work? Should you watch TV or read a book?

Making choices is a very important part of life on earth. Your right to choose was given to you when you lived in Heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus. Heavenly Father held a council with you and all His other spirit children and presented an important plan. If you followed His plan, you would come to earth, receive a body, and be tested to see if you would choose to keep His commandments. If you did, you would be able to live with Him again.

Satan wanted to change the plan. He said that he would not give people any choices. He would force everyone to keep the commandments. Jesus liked Heavenly Father’s plan. He wanted people to be able to choose for themselves how they would live. He said that He would come to earth and be our Savior and Guide. Everyone who lives on earth chose to follow Jesus and Heavenly Father’s plan.

Instructions

Read each of the situations and decide what you would do. Cut out teachings of Jesus, match them to appropriate situations, and glue to gospel guideposts. By following Jesus, you will make right choices. Then you will be able to live with Him and Heavenly Father again.

Illustrated by Bradley Teare

Jesus’ Teachings

Be faithful, and yield to no temptation (D&C 9:13).

Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm (D&C 42:27).

Let every man deal honestly (D&C 51:9).

Swear not at all (3 Ne. 12:34; Matt. 5:34).

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Mosiah 13:16; Ex. 20:8).

Honour thy father and thy mother (1 Ne. 17:55; Mosiah 13:20; Ex. 20:12).

Ye must pray always (2 Ne. 32:9).

Charity is the pure love of Christ (Moro. 7:47).

Those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest (D&C 119:4).

Thou shalt not steal (Mosiah 13:22; Matt. 19:18).

Thou shalt not lie (D&C 42:21).

Strong drinks are not for the belly, [and] tobacco is not for the body (D&C 89:7–8).

Situations

1 Your friends have invited you to a movie. When you get there, you realize that it is not a good, wholesome one. Your friends decide to see it anyway. What choice will you make?

2 Someone wants you to try drugs, smoke, or drink alcoholic beverages, saying that using such things will make you feel good. Will you do it to see if he is right?

3 You break the cookie jar while getting some cookies. Your mother asks you what happened. Will you avoid the blame by telling her that you don’t know who broke it?

4 Some of your friends swear. Will you swear, too, so that you can be more acceptable to the group?

5 Your friends invite you to go to the circus on Sunday after your church meetings are over. What will you tell them?

6 You don’t know an answer on a test at school. You promised your parents that you would try to get a good grade. Will you look at your neighbor’s paper for the right answer?

7 You earn some money to buy a new toy. When you go to pay for it, it costs more than you thought. Will you add your tithing money to what you have saved so that you can buy the toy?

8 Someone tells you some gossip about a friend. Will you pass it on to your other friends?

9 You’re very tired and get into bed before remembering to pray. Will you skip praying for one night?

10 Your brother is being mean and teasing you, and you want to get even with him. What will you do?

11 Your mother asks you to do your chores. Your friends just called you to play a game of ball. Which will you do first?

12 You see a student put some money into his desk at school. Will you take it so that you can buy some candy on the way home?

Sharing Time Ideas

Divide children into groups to read situations and make choices. Have them report their decisions to class. (See Primary Sharing Time Resource Manual, page 10.) Conclude by discussing Jesus’ teachings.
Play matching game. Write situations and Jesus’ teachings on separate cards. Place them face down on flannel board or on chalkboard rail. Have each child turn two cards over to see if he can find match. Continue until all cards are matched.
Devise obstacle course or maze. Blindfold child and ask two other children to verbally guide him through course. One child always gives correct guidance; other always gives incorrect guidance. Liken experience to following directions of Jesus or Satan.