1 Nephi 1–7

January 11–17

“I Will Go and Do”

Preparing to Teach in Primary

Begin your preparation to teach by reading 1 Nephi 1–7 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

Children are curious and learn in many ways.

Children enjoy learning through new and varied experiences. Use activities that help them move about, use all their senses, explore, and try new things.

Additional Ideas

Use one or more of the activities below to help children gain a testimony that God will help them keep His commandments. You may also use your own activities to teach other truths that you find in these chapters.

1 Nephi 3:19–21; 5:19–22. The scriptures are a great treasure.

• Many children find the story of Nephi and his brothers getting the brass plates to be memorable and exciting (see 1 Nephi 3–4). The story also illustrates how valuable the scriptures were to Lehi’s family—Nephi and his brothers traveled a long distance, gave up their gold and silver, and risked their lives to get the plates. As you think about the children you teach, what do you feel would help them learn from the story? Acting it out? Drawing pictures? Searching key verses? (such as 1 Nephi 3:19–21 and 5:19–22). How can the children show that they value the scriptures as Lehi and Nephi did?

1 Nephi 2:11–21. I need my own testimony.

• The children you teach are laying the foundation of their testimonies, much as Nephi did in 1 Nephi 2:11–21. How can you help them discover and learn from Nephi’s example (and from Laman’s and Lemuel’s poor example)? For example, you could let the children write Nephi’s actions on blocks or other objects and then build a structure with the objects to represent building a testimony.

1 Nephi 3:7, 15–16. God will prepare a way for me to keep His commandments.

• Like all of us, children are often faced with tasks that seem difficult—including, at times, keeping God’s commandments. Developing a Nephi-like attitude while they are young will help them throughout their lives. How could you help the children understand Nephi’s words in 1 Nephi 3:7, 15–16? Perhaps the song “Nephi’s Courage” (Children’s Songbook, 120) could help—children could draw pictures of what they hear in the song. They could also draw themselves following a commandment from God—for example, by being kind to their brothers and sisters or serving others.

See also the brass plates coloring page in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

Sharing Time

Singing Time

Help the children learn the gospel through music.

• Consider singing “Faith” or “Nephi’s Courage” (Children’s Songbook, 96 and 120) or “Scripture Power” (music.lds.org).

Sharing by Children

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

• Children could share an experience in which they kept one of God’s commandments even when it was hard. They could also share a scripture story or the experience of a family member.