January 2–8

Matthew 1; Luke 1

“Be It unto Me according to Thy Word”

Start by reading Matthew 1 and Luke 1. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families can help you understand these chapters, and this outline can give you teaching ideas. If you need additional help teaching younger children, see “Meeting the Needs of Younger Children” at the beginning of this resource.

Invite Sharing

Ask the children to sit in a circle, and then ask one child to share something he or she has recently learned from the scriptures. That child could roll a ball to or point to another child in the circle, who then takes a turn to share.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38

Angels announced the birth of Jesus.

Mary and Joseph were each visited by an angel who announced the birth of Jesus Christ. These experiences can help the children see how important Christ’s birth was.

Possible Activities

• Invite a child’s parents to come to class dressed up as Mary and Joseph. Ask them to share the experiences recorded in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26–38.

• Tell the stories of angels appearing to Mary and Joseph, as recorded in these verses. (See also “Chapter 2: Mary and the Angel” and “Chapter 4: Joseph and the Angel,” in New Testament Stories, 8–9, 12, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) You could show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Invite the children to repeat the stories back to you.

  Chapter 2: Mary and the Angel

  Chapter 4: Joseph and the Angel

• Invite the children to draw pictures of the stories found in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26–38.

The Annunciation, by John Scott

Luke 1:5–25, 57–63

Heavenly Father answers my prayers.

Zacharias and Elisabeth had probably been praying for a child for many years. Eventually Heavenly Father answered their prayers by sending them a son, John the Baptist. How can you use this story to teach the children that Heavenly Father answers prayers?

Possible Activities

• In your own words, share the story from Luke 1:5–25, 57–63. You may want to repeat the story a few times. Assign children to play the parts of Zacharias, Elisabeth, and the angel and act out the story. Emphasize the angel’s words to Zacharias: “Thy prayer is heard” (Luke 1:13). Share an experience in which Heavenly Father answered your prayer.

• Use “We Bow Our Heads” (Children’s Songbook, 25) or another song to teach the children how to pray. Every time the children sing the words “pray” or “prayer,” invite them to bow their heads and fold their arms.

• Ask each child to do actions that represent something he or she can pray for. Let the other children guess what the actions represent. They can find ideas on this week’s activity page.

Luke 1:30–35

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the Son of Heavenly Father and Mary. What can you do to help the children learn more about Him?

Possible Activities

• Tell the children that the angel told Mary that her baby would be called the Son of God (see Luke 1:35). Help the children repeat the phrase “Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Help the children understand who Jesus’s parents were by inviting them to draw pictures of their own parents. As they do this, tell them that Jesus had parents too—Mary and Heavenly Father. In addition, Joseph was asked to protect and take care of Jesus while He lived on earth.

• Share your testimony that because Jesus was the Son of God, He could die for our sins and come back to life. Show pictures of Jesus’s Crucifixion and Resurrection (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 57, 59).

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:5–37

With God nothing is impossible.

The births of Jesus and John the Baptist were possible only through the power of God. Learning about these miracles can strengthen the children’s faith that God has the power to work miracles in their lives.

Possible Activities

• As you and the children review Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:5–37, ask the children questions like “What would you say if you were Mary?” or “How would you feel if you were Zacharias?”

• In simple terms, tell the stories described in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:5–37. Ask the children to raise their hands when they hear something that might seem impossible without God’s power. What other stories can the children share in which God did something that seemed impossible?

• Help the children memorize Luke 1:37. To do this, you could write the verse on the board and invite the children to recite it several times. After each time, erase one word.

Matthew 1:21–25; Luke 1:30–35, 46–47

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the Son of Heavenly Father and Mary. How can you help the children learn this truth?

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to read Luke 1:30–35, looking for answers to these questions: “Who is Jesus’s mother?” and “Who is Jesus’s Father?” Help them understand that Jesus Christ is the only person who had a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal Father, Heavenly Father (see also 1 Nephi 11:18–21).

• As you read these verses, invite the children to search for names or titles of Jesus Christ. What do these names mean, and what do they teach us about Jesus?

• Share your testimony of Jesus Christ, and invite the children to share their testimonies as well.

Luke 1:5–25, 57–66

Heavenly Father hears and answers my prayers.

God answers prayers but not always in ways we might expect. How can you use the account of Zacharias and Elisabeth to teach the children this truth?

Possible Activities

• Ask the children what they would say to someone who had prayed for a blessing but had not received it yet. Invite them to think about this question as they read together Luke 1:5–25, 57–66. (See also “Chapter 1: Elisabeth and Zacharias” and “Chapter 3: John the Baptist Is Born,” in New Testament Stories, 6–7, 10–11, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) What might Zacharias and Elisabeth tell someone who felt their prayer wasn’t being answered?

  Chapter 1: Elisabeth and Zacharias

  Chapter 3: John the Baptist Is Born

• Invite several children ahead of time to share experiences when Heavenly Father answered their prayers. Share a time in which you felt your prayers were answered in an unexpected way.

• Invite the children to draw a picture of a time when Heavenly Father answered a prayer—especially one of their own. Let them share their drawings with the class.

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to share with their families any pictures they drew during class. Encourage them to ask their family members about times when God answered their prayers.

Improving Our Teaching

Help young children learn from the scriptures. To help young children learn from the scriptures, focus on a single verse of scripture or even just a key phrase. You might invite the children to stand up or raise their hands when they hear that word or phrase. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 21.)