Happy Heart

By Karen Lofgreen

I Believe in Having a Happy Heart

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord (Ps. 92:1).

When you do something kind for someone, do you like to be told thank you? How does it make you feel?

Heavenly Father and Jesus have given you many blessings for which you can be thankful. Being thankful means that you appreciate your blessings and the kind things other people do for you. When you are thankful, your heart is happy!

One day as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He saw ten men standing outside a village. They could not go into the village because they were lepers. Leprosy is a disease that causes large sores on the body that spread and hurt. When the ten lepers saw the Savior, they asked Him to heal them of this terrible disease. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. When they did as the Savior told them, they were found to be healed.

When one of the men discovered that he was cured, he went back to the Savior, fell down at his feet, and thanked Him. Ten men had been healed, but only one went back to thank the Savior. Who had the happy heart?

Instructions

After reading the scripture story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:12–19, complete the word puzzle on the next page. Then color the picture.

Illustrated by Mark Robison

Across

The number of lepers who thanked the Savior
The disease that causes large, spreading sores on the body
What one thankful leper said to the Savior (2 words)
The city where the Savior was going
The number of men who were healed

Down

The ten men were _____________ because they did what Jesus told them.
Another name for Jesus
We have a happy ______________ when we remember to say thank you.
The book in the New Testament that tells the story of the ten lepers

Answers:

Sharing Time Ideas

Learn the songs “Thank Thee, Father,” “I Love to Pray,” and “Can a Little Child Like Me?” (Children’s Songbook, pp. 24, 25, and 9 respectively). Have the children name the blessings they are thankful for that are mentioned in the songs. Write the blessings on separate cards. Pass a card (or cards) to each class and have the children draw pictures of each blessing. Then sing the songs again and have the children show their pictures as each blessing is mentioned.
Tell the story of the ten lepers, having the children role-play the different parts. Discuss the gift of healing with them. Have children who have received special blessings tell about them and how they showed they were thankful. (Be sure to make the children sensitive to the importance of appreciating our blessings and expressing thanks for them.)
On separate cards, write situations where a blessing was given or a service was rendered, and put them into a box. Have the children choose a situation from the box, read it, and discuss how they would respond. For example: David was very ill. His father gave him a special blessing. David got well. What should he do? (Possible answer: Thank his Heavenly Father for granting the blessing, and his father for using the priesthood to pronounce the blessing.)
Read “Grateful Heart” by James E. Faust (Friend, May 1994, inside front cover). Invite older members of the ward or branch to talk about how their hearts have been made happy because of simple, daily blessings. Help the children realize that each day we receive many small blessings for which to be thankful.
Display a large heart. Discuss activities that make a happy heart (for example, saying our prayers, making a new friend, helping with a family project, learning a new skill). As the children provide answers, draw simple illustrations on the heart that represent the ideas. Give each child a small paper heart, and have him draw something that makes him happy. Take turns sharing these with the other children.
One week ahead, assign each class a word or phrase from Articles of Faith 1:7 (tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues). Have the class prepare to teach the meaning of the word/phrase to the other children. The Primary children could then memorize this article of faith.
Search the scriptures to find references about some of the gifts our Father in Heaven gives us (Job 32:8, 1 Ne. 10:17; Moro. 7:16; D&C 14:7; D&C 18:32; D&C 46:11–26). Display pictures of children who are demonstrating some special gifts they have (treating an elderly person with respect, helping a younger child with homework, showing kindness to animals, etc.). Have each child spend a moment thinking about a special gift he or she has. Leaders may need to help point out these gifts. Have the children share some of their gifts with the others and talk about how these blessings from their Heavenly Father help them to be happy.
Have the children draw pictures to illustrate the following terms to add to their “My Articles of Faith Word Book” (see Sharing Time, Friend, January 1995, page 36): gift—an ability or power given by our Heavenly Father to each of his children; to heal—to make a sick person well; thanks—expression of gratitude to someone who has done something kind; service—doing something kind or helpful for someone else.