Refuge, by Shaelynn Abel

July 5–11

Doctrine and Covenants 76

“Great Shall Be Their Reward and Eternal Shall Be Their Glory”

As you study Doctrine and Covenants 76, ponder what Heavenly Father wants the children in your class to know about Him, the Savior, themselves, and their eternal destiny.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Show the children pictures or activity pages from this week’s outline or previous outlines. Let them tell you what they see in these pictures and what they remember learning from them.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Doctrine and Covenants 76:24

We are all children of God.

President Dallin H. Oaks said that if we teach “a young person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God,” we can give him or her the “self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life” (“Powerful Ideas,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 25).

Possible Activities

• To help the children understand their potential to become like God, find ways to show them that baby animals grow to become like their parents—perhaps the children could match pictures of animals with pictures of the animals’ babies. Open the scriptures to Doctrine and Covenants 76:24, and tell the children that we are all “sons and daughters unto God.” Bear your testimony that God is our Father and that we can grow to be like our Heavenly Parents.

• Sing together “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3), and invite the children to point to themselves when they sing “I.” Ask them to sing the song again, replacing “I am” with “you are” and pointing to someone else in the class.

Doctrine and Covenants 76:40–42

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

The word gospel means good news. The good news that the gospel brings is that Jesus Christ “came into the world … to cleanse it from all unrighteousness” (verse 41).

Possible Activities

• Tell the children about some good news you heard recently. Ask them to share good news they have heard. Then share with them the good news of the gospel by reading Doctrine and Covenants 76:41–42. Ask the children how this good news makes them feel. Share with them the joy this good news brings to you.

• Show a picture of Jesus Christ. Ask the children if they know what Jesus Christ did for us. Show the children something dirty and something clean (like a white handkerchief or sheet of paper), and explain that sin is like dirt on our spirits, but Jesus Christ came to help us become clean again.

  

  Suffer the Children, by J. Kirk Richards

Doctrine and Covenants 76:62

Heavenly Father wants me to return to live with Him forever.

Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon’s vision of the celestial kingdom revealed the great blessings God has prepared for His children, as well as the things we must do to receive those blessings.

Possible Activities

• Tell the children about the three kingdoms of glory that Joseph and Sidney saw in their vision. (You might read to the children part or all of “Chapter 26: The Three Kingdoms of Heaven” [Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 97–103] or show the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) Ask the children what they like about the vision. Focus in particular on describing the celestial kingdom, and testify that this is where Heavenly Father wants each of us to be.

• Read to the children Doctrine and Covenants 76:62, and invite the children to draw pictures of themselves with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Doctrine and Covenants 76:5, 41–42, 69

Jesus Christ is my Savior.

Help the children understand that the glorious blessings God promises to the faithful in the next life are possible only because of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Possible Activities

• Write on the board What has Jesus Christ done for me? Ask each child to silently read verse 5, verses 41–42, or verse 69 in section 76, looking for possible answers to the question on the board. Let them share their answers (see also “He Sent His Son,” Children’s Songbook, 34–35). How can we show our gratitude for what the Savior has done for us?

• Write the third article of faith on the board, leaving blanks in place of key words. Give the children these missing words on slips of paper, and invite them to put their words in the correct places on the board. What does this article of faith teach us about why we need Jesus Christ? (see also the video “Why We Need a Savior,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Doctrine and Covenants 76:12, 15–19, 114–16

Studying the scriptures can help me “understand the things of God.”

Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon received Doctrine and Covenants 76 when they were pondering the scriptures. Help the children see how studying the scriptures can invite revelation through the Holy Ghost.

Possible Activities

• Ask the children if they know what Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were doing when they saw the vision in Doctrine and Covenants 76. Invite them to read verses 15–19 to find out. Share a time when you received inspiration while reading the scriptures, and ask the children to talk about the spiritual feelings they have when reading the scriptures.

• Ask the children to close their eyes and try to perform a task, like coloring a picture or opening the scriptures to a specific verse. What are some things that are difficult to do when our eyes are closed spiritually? Read together Doctrine and Covenants 76:12, 15–19, 114–16 to find out what we need to do to have our eyes opened spiritually.

Doctrine and Covenants 76:50–70

Heavenly Father has prepared a kingdom of celestial glory for me.

Knowing about the celestial glory God has prepared can inspire the children to “overcome by faith” (verse 53) the trials and temptations they face.

Possible Activities

• If someone asked us, “Why should I follow Jesus Christ and keep His commandments?” what would we say? Invite the children to look for answers in Doctrine and Covenants 76:50–70, which describes those who receive eternal life in the celestial kingdom. Let the children role-play answering the question. Bear your testimony of the great blessings Heavenly Father has prepared for us if we follow Jesus Christ.

• Draw a large picture of the sun on a piece of paper, and cut it into several puzzle pieces. Give each child a piece, along with one of the following scripture passages to read: Doctrine and Covenants 76:51; 76:52; 76:53; 131:1–2. Ask the children to find in their verses something that we must do to receive eternal life in the celestial kingdom (some verses include more than one answer), and write it on their piece of the sun. As they work together to assemble the puzzle, express your confidence in them that with the Savior’s help, they can qualify for the celestial kingdom.

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to use this week’s activity page to teach their families what they learned about the vision Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had.

Improving Our Teaching

Use the scriptures. Even if the children you teach are not able to read yet, use the scriptures often as you teach them. Let them see that the truths you are sharing come from the scriptures.