2 Nephi 31–33

March 7–13

Following the Example of the Son of God

Preparing to Teach in Primary

Begin your preparation to teach by reading 2 Nephi 31–33 before studying any supplemental material. Prepare your teaching plan, and record your thoughts and impressions. You might also use some of the ideas on the next page or in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

Encourage Sharing

• How can you encourage the children to share the feelings and experiences they had as they studied these scriptures individually and with their families? How can you also involve children who may not have read in advance?

Teach the Doctrine

• As you teach the doctrine found in this week’s scriptures, what verses, quotations, experiences, questions, and other resources might you share with the children? How might you use these resources to help children learn gospel principles? How can you encourage children to act on the truths they learn in class?

Encourage Sharing and Learning at Home

• What can the children share at home with their families? How can you encourage them to continue to learn about the Book of Mormon at home?

My Teaching Plan

Improving Our Teaching

Engage children in gospel discussions.

You may need to think of creative ways to engage younger children in gospel discussions. As you are creative and make learning fun for the children, it will be fun for you.

Additional Ideas

Use one or more of the activities below to help children understand how they can follow the Savior’s example. You may also use your own activities to teach other truths you find in these chapters.

2 Nephi 31:4–13. Jesus Christ always obeyed Heavenly Father.

• Whether your children have been baptized or are still preparing, Jesus Christ’s obedience at the time of His baptism can inspire them. How can you help the children draw lessons from this story? Some of them may be able to share details about Jesus’s baptism (see Matthew 3:13–27). Why did Jesus need to be baptized? Children could search key verses in 2 Nephi 31 (especially verse 7) and look for an answer. Younger children might like to sing a song, such as “Baptism” (Children’s Songbook, 100–101), especially if you display pictures related to the verses. They could also share thoughts and experiences related to their own baptisms or the baptisms of family members or friends.

See also the picture of John baptizing Jesus in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

2 Nephi 32:3–5. I can feast upon the words of Christ.

• To help the children understand what it means to “feast upon the words of Christ,” you could ask them to share memories of a favorite meal. Why do our bodies need food? How do the scriptures give us spiritual nourishment? Why does Nephi use the idea of feasting to teach us about how we should study God’s word? How does studying the scriptures help us to know what to do?

2 Nephi 32:8–9. Heavenly Father wants me to pray often.

• How can you help the children understand Nephi’s counsel about prayer in 2 Nephi 32:8–9? You could quote simple phrases, like “Ye must pray always,” and let the children find them in these verses. Or you might use other creative ways to get the children engaged in Nephi’s words—unscrambling a phrase, playing a guessing game, or something else. What does it mean to the children to pray always? How can they do this? What can they do when they don’t feel like praying?

Sharing Time

Singing Time

Help the children learn the gospel through music.

• Consider singing “Baptism” or “The Fourth Article of Faith” (Children’s Songbook, 100 and 124).

Sharing by Children

Create opportunities for children to share how they are learning and living the gospel.

• Children could share thoughts and feelings about their own baptisms or the baptisms of friends or family members. They could also share experiences in which praying or reading the scriptures helped them follow Jesus Christ.