image of the earth and moon

January 3–9

Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5

“In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth”

As you study Genesis 1–2, Moses 2–3, and Abraham 4–5, think about the children you teach, and ponder what truths you can help them understand from these chapters.

Record Your Impressions

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Invite Sharing

Invite the children to share something that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created that they are thankful for. Showing pictures from this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families could give them ideas.

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Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Moses 2

Jesus created the earth.

Knowing about the Creation can help the children feel God’s love and increase their appreciation for the world. How can you make learning about the Creation inspiring?

Possible Activities

• Show the children pictures of things that represent different periods of the Creation (as described in Moses 2; see also “The Creation of the Earth” in Old Testament Stories), and help the children think of actions to go along with the pictures. For instance, they could make a fist to represent dry land or wave their arms like waves of water (see Moses 2:9–10). Share your testimony that Jesus Christ made these things because He and Heavenly Father love us.

• Sing a song about things Jesus Christ created for us, such as “The World Is So Lovely” (Children’s Songbook, 233). Ask the children to draw pictures of the creations described in the song.

  quilt depicting different stages of creation

  Creation, by Joan Hibbert Durtschi

Moses 2:26–27

I was created in God’s image.

When children understand that they were created in God’s image, they can develop a sense of reverence and respect for their own and others’ bodies.

Possible Activities

• Help the children repeat “I, God, created man in mine own image” several times (Moses 2:27). Explain that Heavenly Father created our bodies to look like His. Invite the children to point to parts of their bodies as you name them, or sing a song about our bodies, such as “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” (Children’s Songbook, 275).

• Invite the children to act out things they can do with their bodies, while the other children guess what they are doing. Invite the children to share why they are grateful for their bodies.

• Draw an outline of a body on paper, and make a puzzle by cutting it into parts. Pass the parts out, and let the children work together to put them together to form a body. Ask the children to share the things they can do with each of the parts. Share your testimony that our bodies are created in God’s image.

Moses 3:2–3

The Sabbath day is holy.

Children who develop a habit of keeping the Sabbath day holy when they are young are more likely to keep this commandment when life becomes busier and more demanding.

Possible Activities

• Read Moses 3:2–3, and ask the children to listen for what God did on the seventh day. Bring pictures (or make simple drawings) of things we do on Sunday to make it a holy day and things we do on other days. Let the children sort the pictures into two piles, one for Sunday and one for other days. Testify of why it is important to keep the Sabbath day holy.

• A few days before class, invite one of the children and his or her parents to come prepared to share things they do in their family to keep the Sabbath day holy. Invite the other children to share what their families do.

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Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Moses 2

Jesus Christ created the earth under the direction of Heavenly Father.

You can use Moses 2 to help the children see that the world was purposefully created as part of God’s plan. As you read these chapters, what ideas come to mind that could help strengthen the children’s testimonies of the Creation?

Possible Activities

• Help the children think of times when they made something by following another person’s directions. For example, maybe they have made a recipe with a parent or sibling guiding them. Write Who created the earth? on the board, and invite the children to find the answer in Moses 2:1. Testify that Jesus Christ created the earth under the direction of Heavenly Father.

• Assign each child verses in Moses 2 related to one of the days of creation, and ask him or her to draw a picture of the things Heavenly Father and Jesus created on that day. Ask the children to hold their pictures and stand in the order of the days of Creation, and then invite each child to teach the rest of the children what happened on the day they were assigned. What do we learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ from the story of the Creation?

Moses 2:26–27

Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.

The world will give children many false messages about their bodies. The doctrine in Moses 2:26–27 is powerful motivation to respect and care for our bodies.

Possible Activities

• Read together Moses 2:26–27. What do these verses teach us about our bodies? Show the video “God’s Greatest Creation” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), or play the game “Your Body Is a Temple” (Friend, Aug. 2019, 24–25). You could also read together related quotations from President Russell M. Nelson’s message “Your Body: A Magnificent Gift to Cherish” (New Era, Aug. 2019, 2–7) that will help the children feel gratitude to Heavenly Father for their bodies.

• Draw a figure of a body on the board, and invite the children to choose a part of the body and write next to it why they are thankful for it. Express your gratitude for your body, and testify that we were created in God’s image.

Genesis 2:2–3

The Sabbath day is holy.

Children may have to explain to their friends why they treat Sunday different from other days. Genesis 2:2–3 teaches why the Sabbath day is a holy day. What can you do to help the children better understand and explain this doctrine?

Possible Activities

• How does keeping the Sabbath day holy show our love and respect for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Help the children role-play scenarios in which they explain to a friend why they choose to do things on Sunday that honor Heavenly Father and Jesus. Suggest that they use Genesis 2:2–3 in their explanations.

• Give the children a few minutes to write a list of as many things as they can think of that they can do to make the Sabbath a holy day. Invite the children to share their lists, and encourage them to add to their lists as others share suggestions they didn’t think of. Suggest that the children take the lists home with them and refer to them when they need ideas of good things to do on the Sabbath.

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Encourage Learning at Home

Help the children think about how they can do an activity with their families similar to one you did in class. You might want to help them write a note to remind themselves.

Improving Our Teaching

Help children express their creativity. When children build, draw, or color something related to the story or principle they are learning, they often remember it better. Encourage them to use their creations to teach their families. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 25.)

activity page: Jesus Christ created the earth