Campfire on the Missouri, by Bryan Mark Taylor

May 31–June 6

Doctrine and Covenants 60–62

“All Flesh Is in Mine Hand”

Remember that your best preparation to teach Doctrine and Covenants 60–62 will come through your personal and family study of these sections.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Give each child a chance to share something he or she learned from the scriptures during the past week or from last Sunday’s Primary class. After each child shares, ask another child in the class to summarize what he or she said.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Doctrine and Covenants 60:4; 61:1–2, 36; 62:1

The scriptures teach me about Jesus Christ.

Doctrine and Covenants 60–62 contains many statements that can help the children you teach understand who Jesus Christ is and increase their love for Him.

Possible Activities

• Display a picture of Jesus Christ, and ask the children to share why they love Jesus. Pick a few phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 60–62 that teach you about the Savior, and share them with the children (see, for example, Doctrine and Covenants 60:4; 61:1–2, 36; 62:1). Help the children repeat the phrases with you. Share how you feel about Jesus Christ.

• Show a few pictures of Jesus from His earthly ministry (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 34–61). Let the children help you explain what Jesus is doing in the pictures. How is He showing His love for Heavenly Father’s children? Tell the children about one of your favorite scriptures that teaches about Jesus.

• Sing with the children “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78–79; see also the sing-along video at ChurchofJesusChrist.org). As you sing about ways to be like Jesus, stop occasionally and ask the children to complete the sentence “I can be like Jesus by …”

  I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus

  A musical montage and sing-along featuring the primary song, "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus".

  

  For This Purpose I Have Come, by Yongsung Kim

Doctrine and Covenants 62:3

Jesus Christ wants me to share His gospel.

Children love to share what they know with others. Help them understand that when they share what they know about the gospel, Heavenly Father is pleased with them.

Possible Activities

• Explain that the Lord asked the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to travel from Kirtland, Ohio, to Jackson County, Missouri. He asked them to preach the gospel along the way and as they returned home. Read Doctrine and Covenants 62:3, and ask the children to listen for what the missionaries did that pleased the Lord. Testify that the Lord is pleased with us when we share the gospel with others.

• Help the children make badges that show they want to be missionaries of the Church. Let them wear their badges and practice sharing their testimonies with each other.

• Sing together a song about sharing the gospel, such as “I Want to Be a Missionary Now” (Children’s Songbook, 168). Help the children think of what they could say if someone asked them what they love about Jesus Christ and His Church. Invite them to draw pictures of things they love about Christ’s gospel.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Doctrine and Covenants 60:7, 13; 62:3, 9

I can open my mouth to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A child’s testimony can be as powerful as an adult’s, because the power of testimony comes not from a person’s age or experience but from the Holy Ghost. Help the children gain confidence that they can open their mouths and share with others what they know is true.

Possible Activities

• What blessings did the Lord promise in Doctrine and Covenants 60:7; 62:3, 9 to those who share His gospel? How does sharing the gospel bless others? Consider sharing an experience from your life when you shared the gospel—what blessings came from your efforts? Invite the children to share any experiences they have had. You could also sing a song about missionary work, such as “Go Forth with Faith” (Hymns, no. 263), and talk about the blessings mentioned in the song.

• Help the children role-play situations in which they might share the gospel with their friends. For example, what would they say if someone asked them why they go to church? Or what if a friend saw them wearing a CTR ring or reading the Book of Mormon and asked questions? What would they say?

Doctrine and Covenants 60:7; 61:1–2, 36; 62:1

The Lord is willing to forgive me if I repent.

Joseph Smith and other leaders of the Church were not perfect. Sometimes they argued and were impatient (see “Ezra Booth and Isaac Morley,” Revelations in Context, 133). But the Lord was merciful to them and always offered forgiveness if they repented.

Possible Activities

• Read with the children Doctrine and Covenants 60:7; 61:2, and ask them to find words that these verses have in common. Remind the children that these revelations were given to Joseph Smith and other Church leaders. What did the Lord want them to know? What do we learn from these verses about how the Savior feels about us when we make mistakes?

• Write What is Jesus Christ like? on the board. Read together Doctrine and Covenants 61:1–2, 36; 62:1, and make a list of answers to this question that the children find in the verses. How do the attributes on the board help us understand why the Savior is willing to forgive us? What are ways we can follow His example?

Doctrine and Covenants 60:5; 61:22; 62:5–8

The Lord wants me to use my agency and His Spirit to make good choices.

How can you use these verses to teach the children how the Lord helps them to make good choices?

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to talk about a time when they had to make a decision. How did they decide what to do? Read together Doctrine and Covenants 62:5, 7–8 to learn about what the Lord said to the elders who were about to journey from Missouri to Kirtland, Ohio. What choices did they need to make about their journey? What has the Lord given us to help us make choices? Tell the children about how you have used the guidance of the Spirit and your own best judgment to make decisions.

• Divide the class into three groups, and ask each group to read one of the following verses, in which the Lord instructed some missionaries about how to fulfill their missions: Doctrine and Covenants 60:5; 61:22; 62:5. What do we notice about the Lord’s instruction in these verses? Why is it sometimes good for us to use our own judgment instead of waiting for specific instruction from God on every matter?

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to practice sharing the gospel with a family member. For example, they could share something they learned in Primary.

Improving Our Teaching

Bear testimony to your class. Bearing your testimony often will help the children you teach gain their own testimonies. A testimony can be as simple as “I know that Heavenly Father loves each of you” or “I feel good inside as I learn about Jesus Christ.”