Follow the Prophets

By Judy Edwards

“Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments” (D&C 110:8).

Our prophets help us prepare to go to the temple by teaching us how to live righteous lives. Each prophet has shared his knowledge of what Heavenly Father wants us to do. If we follow their counsel, we will be worthy to someday enter the holy temple. Here are some of the things that they have told us:

JOSEPH SMITH “We must love others, even our enemies as well as friends.”

BRIGHAM YOUNG “Truth is obeyed when it is loved.”

JOHN TAYLOR “The gospel whispers peace.”

WILFORD WOODRUFF “We need to be guided by the Spirit of God.”

LORENZO SNOW “The time has now come for every Latter-day Saint … to do the will of the Lord and to pay his tithing in full.”

JOSEPH F. SMITH “I feel in my heart to forgive all men.”

HEBER J. GRANT “I assert with confidence that the law of success, here and hereafter, is to have a humble and a prayerful heart, and to work, work, WORK.”

GEORGE ALBERT SMITH “All the people of the earth are our Father’s children.”

DAVID O. MCKAY “Every member a missionary.”

JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH “The Church … is a world church; the gospel is for all men.”

HAROLD B. LEE “Keep the commandments.”

SPENCER W. KIMBALL “Lengthen your stride.”

EZRA TAFT BENSON “Read and study the Book of Mormon.”

Here is a game for two or more players to help you remember the names and order of the Presidents of the Church and what they said. Think about how you can use each of these gospel truths in your own life to help you prepare to enter the temple when you are older.

Instructions

Use a die or write numbers 1–6 on small pieces of paper and put them in a sack. Use buttons or other small objects as markers.
When it is your turn, roll the die or take a number out of the sack. Move your marker forward or backward on the game board the number of spaces indicated. However, you may not land on the temple space until you have landed on each prophet’s space.
The object of the game is to land on each prophet’s space in the order in which he served as President of the Church. Keep a list of each player’s progress.
After landing on the current prophet’s space, move your marker to the temple on your next turn. The game continues until all players have entered the temple.

Illustrated by Scott Greer

Sharing Time Ideas

Using the scriptures and Church magazines and manuals, find temple-related stories or statements of latter-day prophets. Have the children illustrate the stories told.
Ask some Primary leaders and teachers to tell why the temple is important to them and how they prepared, or are preparing, to go to the temple. Children might also be invited to do the same.
Help the children identify ways they can gain testimonies and become worthy to someday go to the temple: search the scriptures, pray, obey the prophets, keep the commandments. Children could draw on the chalkboard or pantomime one of the ideas until it is identified by the other children.

Illustrated by Larry Winborg