April

Jesus Christ Teaches Me to Choose the Right

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

Song: Song of your choice about Jesus Christ from the Children’s Songbook

Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Each week, plan ways to (1) identify the doctrine, (2) help the children understand it, and (3) help them apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the Spirit?”

Week 1: Jesus Christ is the perfect example for me.

Encourage understanding (reading scriptures and drawing pictures): On a large piece of paper write the phrase, “Jesus Christ is the perfect example for me.” Cut the paper into four simple puzzle pieces. Write one of the following sentences on the back of each puzzle piece:

• He showed us the way to be baptized (see Matthew 3:13–17).

• He showed love for others (see Mark 10:13–16).

• He forgave those who hurt Him (see Luke 23:34).

• He showed us how to pray (see Matthew 6:5–13).

When teaching gospel principles, help the children find ways to apply them to their lives.

Sing “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (CS, 78–79). Ask the children to explain what the song teaches. Show a picture of Christ, and tell the children that He taught us many things through His perfect example. Divide the children into four groups, and give each group one of the puzzle pieces and some blank pieces of paper. Ask them to read the scripture together and then draw pictures of how they can follow Christ’s example. Invite each group to explain their scripture and pictures and to place their puzzle piece on the board. After the puzzle has been assembled, repeat together, “Jesus Christ is the perfect example for me.”

Adapt activities for the age and number of children in your Primary. For example, in the activity in week 1, if you have a large Primary, you may want to prepare more than one set of puzzle pieces. For younger children, a teacher could read the scripture and help the children draw pictures.

Weeks 2 and 3: Jesus Christ taught me the right way to live.

Identify the doctrine (singing a song): Sing “Choose the Right Way” (CS, 160–61), and ask half of the children to listen for how we can be happy and the other half to listen for what will help us and show us the way. Discuss what the children learned from the song.

Encourage understanding (playing a guessing game and reading scriptures): Prepare wordstrips containing the following words and scripture references: hunger (Matthew 5:6); shine (Matthew 5:16); love (Matthew 5:44); and pray (Matthew 6:6). Show a picture of the Sermon on the Mount. Explain that Jesus went up on a mountain to teach His disciples; the things He taught are now called the Sermon on the Mount. Show one of the wordstrips to half of the children, and ask them to act out the word for the other children to guess. Read the corresponding scripture together, and help the children understand what Christ taught and how we can follow His example. Repeat with the other words and scriptures.

Wordstrips available at sharingtime.lds.org

Click here for wordstrips.

Encourage application (discussing case studies): On four pieces of paper write the following teachings of Jesus: (1) Hunger and thirst after righteousness, (2) Let your light shine, (3) Love your enemies, (4) Pray to Heavenly Father. (Consider using pictures that illustrate these teachings for younger children.) Display the papers in different areas of the room. Prepare case studies (see TNGC, 161–62) that help the children understand how to apply these teachings. For example, “Someone at school is teasing you and calling you names. What would you do?” Review the scriptures from the guessing game described above, and point out that the papers displayed around the room correspond to the scriptures. Read a case study to the children, and invite them to stand and face the paper with the teaching that would help them choose the right. Ask a few children to share what choice they would make.

Week 4: I feel my Savior’s love when I try to be like Jesus Christ.

Encourage understanding (singing a song and making choices): Sing “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (CS, 74–75). Write several case studies that illustrate how a child could follow one of Christ’s teachings. Also include a scripture reference where that teaching can be found. Below are some examples.

Sara had asked her younger sister not to use her crayons, but her sister used them anyway. To be like Jesus, Sara could:

1. Get angry with her sister.

2. Hide her crayons.

3. Forgive her sister.

   Matthew 18:21–22.

John is playing soccer with his friends, and he notices another boy standing by himself watching the game. To be like Jesus, John could:

1. Make fun of the boy for being alone.

2. Ignore the boy and continue playing with his friends.

3. Invite the boy to play soccer with them.

   John 13:34.

Ask a child to read one of the case studies. Then ask him or her to read the answers one at a time. Invite the other children to stand when they hear the answer that would be following Jesus’s example. Invite a few children to read the scripture out loud, and discuss what Jesus taught. Discuss how following Jesus’s example in these situations can help us feel the Savior’s love. Repeat with each case study.

Have children read aloud from the scriptures. Be aware of each child’s ability, and help each participate successfully.

Encourage application: Invite the children to do what Jesus would want them to do this week. Tell them that next week you will ask some of them to share what they did and how they felt the Savior’s love.

Helps for the music leader

To help the children learn a new song, consider the following:

• Invite the children to signal when they sing a specific word or to count on their fingers how many times they sing a word. For example, sing “He Sent His Son” (CS, 34–35), and ask them count on their fingers how many times they sing the words “His Son.”

• Choose a picture and a word that represent each phrase in a song, and put them on a piece of paper. For example, when you sing “He Sent His Son” (CS, 34–35), illustrate the phrase “How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?” with a picture of a heart and the word tenderness. For the phrase “He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness,” show a picture of the nativity and the word peace. You could involve the children by having them hold the pictures while they sing.