The Sacrament Helps Me Think about Jesus

Purpose

To encourage each child to think about Jesus Christ during the sacrament.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Luke 22:19–20 and 3 Nephi 18:1–11. See also Gospel Principles (31110), chapter 23.
With the approval of your Primary president, ask the bishop to arrange for a member of the priests quorum to come to your class for a few minutes at the beginning of lesson time. The member of the priests quorum should prepare to tell the children about his responsibilities in administering the sacrament and his feelings about this sacred ordinance.
Materials needed:
1. A Bible and a Book of Mormon.
2. Pictures of events from Jesus’ life, such as picture 1-16, The Nativity (Gospel Art Picture Kit 201; 62495); picture 1-17, Boy Jesus in the Temple (Gospel Art Picture Kit 205; 62500); picture 1-19, Christ and the Children (Gospel Art Picture Kit 216; 62467); picture 1-43, Jesus Healing the Blind (Gospel Art Picture Kit 213; 62145); and any others you want to use.
3. Picture 1-3, Jesus the Christ (Gospel Art Picture Kit 240; 62572); picture 1-8, Passing the Sacrament (62021); picture 1-44, Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere (Gospel Art Picture Kit 316; 62380); picture 1-70, The Last Supper (Gospel Art Picture Kit 225; 62174).
Make the necessary preparations for any Enrichment Activities you want to use.

Learning Activities

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Show picture 1-8, Passing the Sacrament. Tell the children that the meeting on Sunday where we usually meet together as families is called sacrament meeting.

Why do we call this meeting sacrament meeting?

Introduce the member of the priests quorum to the children. Have him tell about the Aaronic Priesthood’s responsibility for the sacrament. Have him express his feelings about his role in this sacred ordinance. Thank him for coming and excuse him to return to his quorum meeting or Sunday School class.

Jesus gave us the sacrament to help us remember him

Show picture 1-3, Jesus the Christ. Remind the children that Jesus is the son of Heavenly Father. Because Jesus loves us so much, he came to earth to be our Savior. He healed the sick, taught the gospel, and showed the right way to live. Then he died for us.

Story

Show picture 1-70, The Last Supper. Tell the story of the Last Supper, as found in Luke 22:19–20. Read aloud from the Bible the last phrase of verse 19: “This do in remembrance of me.” Explain that Jesus told his Apostles to meet together each Sabbath day and remember him by taking the sacrament.

Show picture 1-44, Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere. Explain that when Jesus visited the Nephites, he told them also to meet together each Sabbath day and remember him by taking the sacrament (see 3 Nephi 18:1–11).

Whom were the Apostles supposed to think of when they took the sacrament?
Whom were the Nephites supposed to think of when they took the sacrament?
Whom should we think of when we take the sacrament?
When do we take the sacrament?

Activity

Do the following activity verse with the children:

I’m Glad I Came to Church Today

I’m glad I came to church today (clasp hands and make steeple of church by putting tips of forefingers together).
I love to listen (cup hand around ear)
And to pray (fold arms and bow head).
I learn of Jesus up above (point up);
I think of Jesus and his love (hug self).

Stories

Show the pictures of Jesus’ life one at a time. If the children recognize the picture, let them tell the story. If they do not know the story, share it briefly with them. Let as many children as possible participate in telling the stories.

What stories of Jesus can you think about during the sacrament?

Let the children tell other stories about Jesus that they could think about during the sacrament. If they cannot think of any, tell them one or two stories about Jesus that you like to think about during the sacrament.

We can be reverent during the sacrament

Activity

Help the children say the following verse, using the actions described:

I’ll fold my arms (fold arms),
I’ll bow my head (bow head),
And quiet, quiet be (whisper this line).
As the sacrament is blessed,
I will remember Thee.

Explain that because Jesus gave us the sacrament to help us remember him, it is important to think about Jesus and to help others think about him, too. We can do this by being reverent during the sacrament.

Activity

Whisper one of the following statements to a child and have him or her repeat it aloud to the class. Continue with the other statements and other children.

We get ready for the sacrament by singing a reverent hymn that reminds us of Jesus.
We listen carefully as the prayer to bless the bread is said.
When the bread is passed to us, we take only one piece.
We listen carefully as the prayer to bless the water is said.
We reverently drink the water and put the cup back in the tray.
We never play with the bread or the sacrament cups.

Explain that doing these things shows we are reverent as we take the sacrament.

How can we be reverent during the sacrament?

Activity

Have the children listen carefully to the actions you describe. Tell them to stand up if you say something they should do or think about during the sacrament. Tell them to sit down if you say something they should not do or think about during the sacrament. Use the following examples or some of your own:

Listen carefully while the sacrament prayers are said.
Remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus love us.
Think about going on a picnic.
Remember that Jesus made sick people well.
Talk to your brother or sister.
Wiggle.
Think about Jesus blessing the children.

Testimony

Bear your testimony about how grateful you are to have the sacrament to help us remember Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. Explain that you are especially grateful when everyone is reverent during the sacrament so you can concentrate on thinking about Jesus.

Enrichment Activities

Choose some of these activities to use during the lesson.

Sing or say the words to “Before I Take the Sacrament” (Children’s Songbook, p. 73) or “To Think about Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, p. 71).
Have each child draw a picture of himself or herself taking the sacrament. Label each picture I can think of Jesus as I take the sacrament.
Bring to class empty sacrament trays for the bread and water. Let the children look at and hold the trays. Have the children describe what happens during the administering of the sacrament in sacrament meeting.
Have the children act out some of their favorite stories from the life of Jesus.

Additional Activities for Younger Children

Explain the sacrament in a simplified way: Show a picture of Jesus and tell the children that there is a time on Sunday when we remember Jesus in a special way. This is when we eat a small piece of bread and drink a small cup of water during sacrament meeting. Explain that during the sacrament we remember how much Jesus loves us and think about the many things he has done to help us be happy.
Sing or say the words to “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, p. 57) or “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam” (Children’s Songbook, p. 60).
Help the children do the actions to the following activity verse while you say the words:

The Creation

Jesus said the sun should shine (make a large circle above head with arms),

The rain should fall (bring hands down in front of body while wiggling fingers),

The flowers should grow (cup hands, palms facing up).

Jesus said the birds should sing (open and close fingers and thumb like a bird’s beak),

And it was so, was so (fold arms).

(Johnie B. Wood, in Sing, Look, Do, Action Songs for Children, ed. Dorothy M. Peterson [Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Co., 1965].)

Remind the children that Jesus has given us many things to make us happy. During the sacrament we can show we are thankful by thinking about Jesus.