June

I Choose the Right by Living Gospel Principles

“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7).

Song: “Nephi’s Courage”

(CS, 120–21)

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: I pray to Heavenly Father for strength to do what is right.

Encourage understanding (discussing prayer): Show the children a telephone or another form of communication. Discuss how it is used. Ask the children how we can communicate with Heavenly Father. Explain that just as we dial a number to talk to someone on the phone, we can pray to communicate with Heavenly Father; we can ask Him for strength to do what is right. Give each class a picture of a different kind of prayer (for example, personal prayer, family prayer, blessing on the food, or class prayer). Ask each class to show their picture to the other children and tell them what type of prayer is shown and when, where, and why this type of prayer is said.

Encourage application (playing a game): Punch a small hole in the end of two empty aluminum cans, and connect the cans with a string. Pull the string tight, and let the children take turns quietly saying into one can something they could pray to Heavenly Father for as they try to do what is right (for example, to tell the truth, to be reverent, or to be kind). Let another child listen in the other can. Share (or ask a child to share) an experience when Heavenly Father has given you strength to do what is right. Testify that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers and will give us strength to do what is right.

Invite the Spirit: As you teach with the Spirit, the Holy Ghost will bear witness of the truthfulness of the gospel principles you are teaching (see TNGC, 45–46).

Week 2: When I pay my tithing, Heavenly Father will bless me.

Identify the doctrine and encourage understanding (seeing a demonstration): Explain that tithing is giving one-tenth of the money you earn to the Lord through His Church. Show the children 10 coins. Ask them how many of the coins should be used to pay tithing. Show a tithing envelope and a donation slip, and explain that we pay tithing by filling out the donation slip, putting it in the envelope with our tithing, and giving it to the bishop or one of his counselors.

Encourage application (playing a game and hearing testimonies): Display pictures and objects that represent blessings that come from paying tithing, such as temples, meetinghouses, a hymnbook, the Children’s Songbook, a Primary manual, and the scriptures. Tell the children that because of tithing funds the Church can provide these things. Cover the pictures and objects. Take away one or two. Remove the cover and ask the children to guess what is missing. Repeat several times. Explain that there are other blessings that come from paying tithing that cannot be seen (see 3 Nephi 24:10). Have one or two adults tell about blessings they have received from paying tithing.

Visuals: Children will learn better and remember longer when you present ideas using pictures and other visuals (see TNGC, 176, 182–83).

Week 3: I obey the Word of Wisdom by eating and drinking that which is good and avoiding that which is bad.

Encourage understanding (reading scriptures and playing a game): Read together 1 Corinthians 3:16–17. Invite the children to share what this scripture means to them. Explain that Heavenly Father wants us to take care of our bodies. Place pictures of various foods, drinks, and other items that are either good or bad for the body (such as fruits, vegetables, bread, alcohol, and tobacco) in a container. Make a copy of page 43 in the nursery manual, and cut it into puzzle pieces. Have the children take turns taking pictures from the container. If the item in the picture is good for us, have a child place a puzzle piece on the board. If the item is bad, remove a puzzle piece. Continue playing until the puzzle is complete (you will need to have more good things in the container than bad things). Ask an adult or child to share some of the blessings that he or she has received by obeying the Word of Wisdom (see D&C 89:18–21).

Nursery manual available at sharingtime.lds.org

Click here for nursery manual page.

Week 4: When I dress modestly, I respect my body as a gift from God.

Identify the doctrine (seeing a picture and reading scriptures): Write the following on the board: “My is a .” Show a picture of a temple. Ask, “Why are temples so special?” Have the children turn to 1 Corinthians 6:19. Ask them to look for what it says about their bodies as they read the scripture out loud with you. Ask the children what words will complete the sentence on the board (body, temple). Invite the children to stand and say the sentence together.

Encourage understanding and application (singing a song and discussing): Tell the children that our bodies are temples where the Holy Spirit can dwell. Sing the first verse of “The Lord Gave Me a Temple” (CS, 153). Invite the children to share how Heavenly Father wants us to dress and why. Explain that prophets of God have always counseled His children to dress modestly. Invite the children to listen for what parts of their body should be covered as you read from the “Dress and Appearance” section in For the Strength of Youth. Ask the children to think of one way they can dress modestly. Toss a soft object to a child and invite that child to share his or her idea. Ask that child to toss the object to another child, who will share his or her idea. Continue with other children.