Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done, by Harry Anderson

February 10–16

2 Nephi 6–10

“O How Great the Plan of Our God!”

As you read 2 Nephi 6–10, seek guidance from the Spirit about what to teach. This outline and Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families may inspire additional ideas.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Encourage the children to take turns sharing something they learned about Jesus Christ and His Atonement while studying 2 Nephi 6–10 individually or with their families.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

2 Nephi 9:7–13, 20–23

Jesus Christ saves me from sin and death.

How can you use 2 Nephi 9:7–13 and 20–23 to help the children understand that Jesus Christ saves everyone from death and makes it possible for us to repent from sin?

Possible Activities

• Tell the children a story of a person who fell into a pit so deep that he or she could not climb out. A man came along and lifted this person out of the pit. You may want to draw a picture of this story on the board or act it out with the children. Explain that this pit is like death and the man who helped the person is like Jesus Christ, who saved all people from death by giving us the gift of resurrection. Tell the children that this same person fell into another pit. This time the rescuer gave the person a ladder to use in climbing out of the pit. Explain that this pit is like sin and the ladder is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which allows us to repent and be forgiven of our sins. Read 2 Nephi 9:22–23, and bear your testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

• Sing together a song about the love of Jesus Christ, such as “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (Children’s Songbook, 74–75). Invite the children to draw pictures of things that help them know the Savior loves them.

2 Nephi 9:49

“My heart delighteth in righteousness.”

How can you encourage the children you teach to “[delight] in righteousness,” or joyfully obey the Lord? (2 Nephi 9:49).

Possible Activities

• Read 2 Nephi 9:49 to the children, and help them find and understand what Jacob said that he loves and hates. Share scenarios in which a child makes a good choice or a bad choice, and invite the children to stand up when the choice brings happiness and sit down when the choice brings sadness. Why does choosing the right bring us joy? When have you felt happy because you made the right choice?

• Sing together a song about the joy that comes from obedience, such as “When We’re Helping” (Children’s Songbook, 198), and ask the children to listen for what makes us happy. Let the children take turns pretending to be a parent asking the other children to do something. Have the other children practice obeying joyfully.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

2 Nephi 6; 7:1–2

The Lord will always fulfill His promises.

Understanding that the Lord keeps His promises can help the children build their faith in Him and their confidence in obeying His commandments.

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to talk about some promises they have made, such as a promise they made to a friend or the covenants they made at baptism. Why is it sometimes difficult to keep our promises? Why is it important to keep our promises? Read the following phrase: “The Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children” (2 Nephi 6:12). Share an example of how God kept His promises, even if the blessings did not come right away.

• Display a picture of Jesus next to a picture of a child. Read 2 Nephi 7:1, and explain that when God’s people stop obeying His gospel, it’s like they have “divorced” Him. Move the picture of the child away from the picture of Jesus to show that when we don’t keep our covenants, such as the covenant of baptism, we separate ourselves from Heavenly Father and the Savior. (To review the covenants of baptism, see Doctrine and Covenants 20:37.) How does the Savior’s Atonement allow us to move back closer to Him? As you discuss this, invite the children to move the pictures close together again.

2 Nephi 9:10–23

Jesus Christ saves me from sin and death.

How can you use 2 Nephi 9:10–23 to help the children learn that Jesus Christ is their Savior?

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to help you draw a path on the board, and invite them to add some obstacles or roadblocks along the path. Read together 2 Nephi 9:10, and invite the children to label the obstacles on the path with words from this verse that describe obstacles that could keep us from returning to God. Then talk about how Jesus Christ overcame these obstacles for us (see 2 Nephi 9:21–23), and as you do, invite the children to erase the obstacles.

• Show a picture of Adam and Eve, such as Leaving the Garden of Eden (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Explain that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit that God told them not to eat in the Garden of Eden, they brought sin and death into the world. Show a picture of Jesus Christ. To help the children understand how Jesus overcame sin and death, tell the story of the person who fell into a pit, found in the first teaching idea under “Younger Children” in this outline. Then ask the children to draw pictures of this story or act it out. Read 2 Nephi 9:21–23, and bear your testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

• Help each child find a song about the Savior’s Atonement in either the hymnbook or the Children’s Songbook (the indexes in these books can help). Invite the children to find and share phrases from the song that describe what Jesus did for us. Ask the children to share their thoughts and feelings about the Savior’s Atonement, or share your testimony.

2 Nephi 9:20, 28–29, 42–43

I will be blessed as I follow God’s counsel.

Help the children build a strong foundation of trust in God so that as their knowledge and abilities increase, they will continue to rely on Him and follow His counsels.

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to tell you about something they know a lot about, such as a favorite book or hobby. Ask a child to read 2 Nephi 9:20, and testify that God “[knows] all things.” Why is it important for us to understand that God knows everything?

• Ask the children to imagine that they heard a friend say that the commandments or teachings of the Church are foolish. What would they say to their friend? Why is it important to trust God’s counsel even if we do not completely understand it? Encourage the children to look in 2 Nephi 9:20, 28–29, and 42–43 for help with pondering and discussing these questions.

Encourage Learning at Home

Help the children think of a way they can teach their families what they have learned about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. For example, they might use this week’s activity page to explain how the Savior helps us overcome sin and death.

Improving Our Teaching

Use activity pages. As the children work on activity pages, use the time to help them see how the activity relates to the principles from the lesson and how the principles apply to their lives.