Better than Paradise, by Kendal Ray Johnson

January 17–23

Genesis 5; Moses 6

“Teach These Things Freely unto Your Children”

Your preparation to teach begins as you study Genesis 5 and Moses 6. As you do so, listen for impressions from the Holy Ghost about what the children need to learn.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

On slips of paper, write some key words that could help the children remember something they learned at home this week or in a previous Primary lesson. Let the children take turns selecting a word at random. After a word is chosen, invite any of the children to share something they have learned related to that word.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Moses 6:27, 31–34

God can help me do hard things.

When Enoch was called to preach the gospel, he worried that he would fail. But God helped him do great things.

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to share a time when they were asked to do something that was hard or scary for them. Share the story of Enoch’s call to be a prophet, found in Moses 6:27, 31–34 (see also “Enoch the Prophet” in Old Testament Stories). Emphasize that although Enoch did not feel ready to be a prophet, God promised to help him. Help the children understand some ways God helps us when we are asked to do hard things.

• Share some scriptural examples of when God helped people do difficult things—for example, Noah building the ark, David fighting Goliath, Ammon defending the king’s flocks, or Samuel the Lamanite preaching. (For pictures and scripture references, see Gospel Art Book, nos. 7, 19, 78, 81.) Share an experience when the Lord helped you do something difficult.

Moses 6:52

The gospel teaches me how to return to Heavenly Father.

God taught Adam what we need to do to return to Him—have faith, repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. How can you help the children learn more about these things?

Possible Activities

• Find or draw pictures to represent faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost (see this week’s activity page). Place the pictures in a line leading to a picture of Jesus Christ. Read Moses 6:52 to the children, and ask them to stand next to the correct picture when they hear the words the picture represents (in this verse, the word “believe” is used for “faith”).

• Sing songs that teach the principles in Moses 6:52, such as “Faith,” “Help Me, Dear Father” (verse 2), “When I Am Baptized,” and “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 96–97, 99, 103, 105). Help the children understand that doing the things taught in the songs will help us return to Heavenly Father.

Moses 6:58

Heavenly Father wants parents to teach their children.

From the time of Adam and Eve, parents have been commanded to teach their children the gospel. How can you encourage the children to listen to and follow the righteous teachings of their parents?

Possible Activities

• Read Moses 6:58 to the children, and show the picture of Adam and Eve’s family in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Help the children repeat the phrase “teach these things freely unto your children.” Explain that God wants all parents to follow Adam and Eve’s example by teaching their children about Jesus Christ and His gospel. Ask the children what they can do when their parents or others teach them the gospel.

• Help the children match pictures of themselves to their parents or pictures of baby animals to adult animals. How do parents help their children? What do they teach them? Ask the children to draw pictures of their families at times when parents teach children, such as reading the scriptures together, praying together, or eating together.

  

  Parents should teach their children the gospel.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Moses 6:26–34

God can help me do difficult things.

Even though Enoch felt inadequate, God helped him fulfill His calling as a prophet. God can also help the children you teach do difficult things.

Possible Activities

• Read Moses 6:26–34 with the children. Why did Enoch feel that he couldn’t preach the gospel? (see Moses 6:31). How did God help Enoch? (see Moses 6:32–34; 7:13).

• Invite the children to name some difficult things that children their age sometimes do (such as completing an assignment for school, being kind to someone who is unkind, or telling the truth when they have made a mistake). Help the children find phrases in Moses 6:32–34 that can help them. Ask the children to share a time when God helped them do something difficult. Share your own experiences too.

Moses 6:50–62

Faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost prepare me to return to God.

Adam and Enoch taught their people the first principles and ordinances of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (see also Articles of Faith 1:4). What can you do to help the children understand the importance of these principles and ordinances in their lives?

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to read Moses 6:52, 57 to find the principles and ordinances of the gospel mentioned in the fourth article of faith.

• Write the fourth article of faith on the board, and invite the children to read it. Then erase a word or two, and ask them to read it again, filling in the missing words from memory. Repeat this process until the children have learned the article of faith.

• Invite the children to write a short talk about faith, repentance, baptism, or receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost—something they could share with their families. Each talk could include a scripture, an experience, and a testimony. The talk could also explain how the principle helps us return to Heavenly Father.

Moses 6:57–58

Parents are responsible to teach their children.

God trusts parents to be the primary gospel teachers in their families. How can you encourage the children to support their parents in this role?

Possible Activities

• Ask a child to read Moses 6:58. What commandment did Heavenly Father give to parents in this verse? Show a picture of Adam and Eve teaching their children (see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families), and let the children talk about what they see in the picture. Encourage them to talk about important gospel truths they have learned from their families.

• Help the children write thank-you notes to their parents or plan other simple ways to express their appreciation for their parents. Sing a song about families, such as “Love Is Spoken Here” (Children’s Songbook, 190–91). How can we help our parents create a loving atmosphere in our homes?

Encourage Learning at Home

How can you help the children continue learning outside of class? You could encourage them to remember the story of Enoch when they face something difficult this week.

Improving Our Teaching

Use activity pages. While the children are coloring activity pages, review the principles from the lesson. Read the words on the page to the children if necessary.