Allegory of the Olive Tree, by Brad Teare

March 16–22

Jacob 5–7

The Lord Labors with Us

Study, ponder, and pray to know how you can best teach the children the truths found in Jacob 5–7. Record any impressions you receive.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

To begin a discussion about the messages found in Jacob 5–7, invite the children to talk about things in their lives that help them feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. How do we show our love for others?

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Jacob 5

Missionaries serve Heavenly Father’s children.

Ponder how you can share the allegory of the olive trees in a way that the children can understand.

Possible Activities

• Show a picture of a tree, or take a walk outside to look at a tree, and briefly review the main points of the allegory of the olive trees in Jacob 5. For example: the Lord of the vineyard (who could represent Jesus) worked very hard to look after his olive trees (which could represent the people on earth) because He cared so much about them. He called laborers (who could represent missionaries) to help care for the trees. Pick one or two verses from Jacob 5 to read to the children (such as verses 71–72).

• Ask the children if they know someone who has served a mission, or talk about someone you know. Help the children locate on a map the places where those missionaries are serving. Explain that Jacob compared the world to a group of olive trees. The trees are like the people on earth, and caring for those trees is like what missionaries do for God’s children. What do missionaries do to bless Heavenly Father’s children? Look together for some answers to this question in a song such as “Called to Serve” (Children’s Songbook, 174–75). How can we be like missionaries?

Missionary work is one way we can help God’s children return to Him.

Jacob 6:5

Heavenly Father loves me.

How can you teach your class that God loves all of His children and extends His “arm of mercy” toward them?

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to give themselves a hug. How do we feel when someone we love gives us a hug? Read Jacob 6:5 to the children, and explain that the phrases “[God] cleaveth unto you” and “his arm of mercy is extended towards you” teach that Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to come back to Him someday.

• Sing together a song about love, such as “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (Children’s Songbook, 74–75). Invite the children to name things that help them feel the Savior’s love.

Jacob 7:1–23

I can stand up for what I know is true.

Jacob is an excellent example of someone whose firm testimony helped him defend the truth in the face of opposition.

Possible Activities

• Tell the story of Jacob and Sherem (Jacob 7:1–23) in a way the children can understand. You could use “Chapter 10: Jacob and Sherem” (Book of Mormon Stories, 27–29, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Then tell the story again, but this time allow the children to help fill in details. Ask them what they learn from Jacob. How can we follow his example?

• Invite the children to sing a song about choosing the right, such as “Dare to Do Right” or “Stand for the Right” (Children’s Songbook, 158, 159). Ask them to stand whenever they sing words like right or true.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Jacob 5

The Lord cares for His people.

Jacob shared the allegory of the olive trees to help invite His people to come unto Christ. It can accomplish this same purpose for the children you teach.

Possible Activities

• Read and explain to the children key verses summarizing the allegory of the olive trees, such as Jacob 5:3–4, 28–29, 47, and 70–72, and invite the children to draw pictures of what these verses describe. What do we learn from these verses about how the Lord feels about His people? Ask the children to pretend to take care of an olive tree as you briefly summarize verses 61–71 (they might act out digging, watering, and so on). Invite a few children to read Jacob 5:11, 41, 47, and 72, looking for things that show how much the Lord of the vineyard (Jesus Christ) cared about the trees. What does the Savior do to show He cares about us? The video “Old Testament Olive Vineyard” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) can help with this activity.

• List some of the symbols in Jacob 5 on the board, such as the vineyard, the lord of the vineyard, the servant, and the olive trees. Then make another list, in random order, of the things these symbols might represent, such as the world, the Savior, Church leaders or missionaries, and God’s people. Read together verses from Jacob 5 that mention these symbols, and help the children draw lines on the board connecting the symbols with their possible meanings (see, for example, verses 3–4, 28–29, 47, 70–72).

Jacob 6:4–5

Heavenly Father loves me and will forgive me when I repent.

It is important to help the children you teach understand that God loves them and will always forgive them as they sincerely repent.

Possible Activities

• Make a chart on the board with two columns labeled Heavenly Father and Us. Read together Jacob 6:4–5, and ask half of the class to look for phrases that apply to God and the other half to look for phrases that apply to us. Record what they discover in the appropriate column. Help them define words they do not understand.

• Share Elder Allen D. Haynie’s story about getting dirty in a mud pit in his message “Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 121–22). What does this story teach us about what we need to do to be saved in the kingdom of God? What else do we learn from Jacob 6:4–5?

Jacob 7:1–23

I can stand up for what I know is true.

How can you inspire the children to stand for truth like Jacob did?

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to act out the interaction between Jacob and Sherem, using Jacob 7:1–23 as a guide. Or show the video “Jacob and Sherem” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Ask the children to talk about their favorite parts of the story. How did Jacob stand for what he knew was right? Invite the children to share experiences when they stood for the right, or share your own.

• Invite the children to sing a song about choosing the right, such as “Dare to Do Right” or “Stand for the Right” (Children’s Songbook, 158, 159). Divide them into groups, and invite them to create an inspirational banner or poster that represents something that they stand for or believe in.

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to think of a way they can help their families feel the Savior’s love—for example, by explaining what they learned about how the lord of the vineyard cared for his olive trees.

Improving Our Teaching

Children like to share what they are learning. Although they are young, children can strengthen their family members. Encourage them to share with their families the things they learn in Primary. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 30.)