January 25–31

Doctrine and Covenants 6–9

“This Is the Spirit of Revelation”

Begin preparing to teach by reading Doctrine and Covenants 6–9. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and this outline can spark ideas about how to teach the children in your class.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Do the children know Oliver Cowdery’s story about receiving an answer to prayer? (see Saints, 1:58–60). Perhaps they too have had an experience with prayer that they could share.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Doctrine and Covenants 6:5; 8:2; 9:7–9

Heavenly Father can speak to us through the Holy Ghost.

Help the children understand that they have a loving Father in Heaven who listens to their prayers and answers them through His Spirit.

Possible Activities

• Use “Chapter 5: Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery” (Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 22–25, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org) to tell the children about Oliver Cowdery and what he learned about how Heavenly Father speaks to us. Ask the children to tell you their favorite parts of the story, and let them take turns telling you about Oliver Cowdery.

• Tell the children that Oliver Cowdery tried to translate the Book of Mormon but couldn’t, so Joseph asked the Lord why. Read to the children the Lord’s answer: “You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8). Invite them to pretend to study and pray. Help the children understand that this is how we can receive answers from the Lord too—by studying and asking for His help.

  

  Oliver Cowdery, by Lewis A. Ramsey

• Invite the children to touch their heads and their chests as you read the words “mind” and “heart” in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2. Help them understand that Heavenly Father speaks to us through the Holy Ghost, who gives us thoughts and feelings. Sing together a song about the Holy Ghost, such as “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 105). What does the song teach about how the Spirit speaks to us? Share an experience when you felt the Holy Ghost in your mind and heart.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:33–36

With the Savior’s help, I don’t need to be afraid.

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery had many reasons to be afraid—persecution and poverty were just some of the challenges they faced. The Lord’s message to Joseph and Oliver can also encourage the children when they feel afraid.

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to repeat the phrase “fear not, little flock” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:34) several times. Explain that a flock is a group of animals, like sheep. Show a picture of the Savior as a shepherd (see Gospel Art Book, no. 64), and testify that He is watching over us like a shepherd watches over His sheep. Because He loves us, we don’t need to be afraid.

• Let the children pretend to be a flock of frightened sheep. What might sheep sometimes be afraid of? Let one child pretend to be the shepherd keeping the sheep safe. What are we sometimes afraid of? Bear your testimony that Jesus Christ is like our shepherd and that He can calm our fears. Sing together a song about the Savior, such as “Little Lambs So White and Fair” (Children’s Songbook, 58).

• Read Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 to the children, and invite them to repeat the phrase “doubt not, fear not.” Help the children think of ways that they can “look unto,” or remember, the Savior during the coming week (see also this week’s activity page).

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Doctrine and Covenants 6:5, 15–16, 22–23; 8:2; 9:7–9

The Holy Ghost speaks to my mind and my heart.

The children you teach may have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Do they understand how to recognize personal revelation from the Spirit?

Possible Activities

• Draw on the board a head and a heart. Help the children read the following verses and determine which describe the Holy Ghost speaking to our minds, to our hearts, or to both: Doctrine and Covenants 6:15, 23; 8:2; 9:8; 9:9. Tell the children, from your experiences, what it’s like when the Holy Ghost speaks to your mind and heart.

• Read together Doctrine and Covenants 6:5, and invite the children to share experiences they have had with praying and receiving answers. Help them think of examples of someone in the scriptures who prayed and received an answer to a question (see 1 Nephi 2:16; Enos 1:1–6; Ether 2:18–3:6).

• Write on the board How does the Holy Ghost speak to us? Invite the children to search in Doctrine and Covenants 6:15–16, 22–23; 8:2; 9:7–9 for answers to the question. Share experiences in which you felt the Holy Ghost speaking to you.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:33–37

“Fear not to do good.”

The children you teach may at times feel afraid to stand for the right. Doctrine and Covenants 6:33–37 can inspire them to be courageous, even in difficult circumstances.

Possible Activities

• Read together Doctrine and Covenants 6:33, and discuss why someone might fear to do good (see also verses 28–29). Help children find words or phrases in verses 33–37 that help give them the courage to do good.

• Help the children make drawings they can display in their homes to remind them to “look unto [Jesus Christ] in every thought” (verse 36). As they make their drawings, discuss what looking to the Savior means and how it can keep them safe.

• Sing together a song about courage, such as “Dare to Do Right” (Children’s Songbook, 158) or “Let Us All Press On” (Hymns, no. 243). Ask the children to find in the song some reasons why we should “fear not” (verse 36).

Doctrine and Covenants 8:10

I can ask in faith.

Throughout the scriptures, the Lord reminds us to have faith in Him. How can you help the children you teach to have greater faith in Jesus Christ?

Possible Activities

• Write on the board Without you can do nothing; therefore ask in . Invite the children to try to think of a word that fits in both blanks. Then read together Doctrine and Covenants 8:10 to find the answer. What are some things we can do if we have faith?

• After reading together Doctrine and Covenants 8:10, help the children think of things they could ask the Lord to help them with. Invite them to draw a picture that represents something they should ask for. As they show the class their pictures, let the other children guess what the picture represents.

Encourage Learning at Home

Help the children select a short phrase from Doctrine and Covenants 6–9 that they would like to share with someone at home, such as “fear not to do good” (6:33), “doubt not, fear not” (6:36), or “without faith you can do nothing” (8:10).

Improving Our Teaching

Use stories. Stories help children understand gospel principles because they demonstrate how others live those principles. As you teach, find ways to include stories—from the scriptures, from Church history, or from your own life—that illustrate the principles in the scriptures.