Our Parents Help Us Learn

Purpose

To help the children understand how their parents or guardians can help them learn to obey the commandments.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Alma 53:10–22; 56:3–10, 46–48, 55–56; 57:24–25; Doctrine and Covenants 93:40; and Moses 6:58.
Prepare to sing or say the words to “Teach Me to Walk in the Light” (Children’s Songbook, p. 177). You might ask a child to sing the first verse if appropriate for your class.
Invite a mother to bring her baby to the first part of class. (If this is not possible, you may want to use a picture of a mother and baby.)
Throughout this lesson, be sensitive to those children who might not live with both parents or whose parents do not teach them to obey the commandments.
Materials needed:
1. The standard works.
2. A beanbag, small ball, or other soft object.
3. Picture 3-38, Two Thousand Young Warriors (62050; Gospel Art Picture Kit 313); picture 3-5, Adam and Eve Teaching Their Children.
Make the necessary preparations for any enrichment activities that you will be using.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Follow up with the children if you encouraged them to do something during the week.

We Have Parents to Help Us Learn

Attention activity

Introduce the mother and baby to the children. Have the children watch the baby briefly, and then ask:

What can the baby do for himself?
What does the mother do for the baby?
How does the baby learn to talk?
How does the baby learn to walk?

Explain that someone has to care for the baby. He or she depends on his or her parents for everything. They love the baby, and they spend their days and sometimes their nights watching over him.

What are some things you have learned since you were a baby?
Who taught you and cared for you?

Thank the mother for coming into the class with her baby, and excuse her at this time.

Our Parents Help Us Learn to Obey the Commandments

Picture and story

Show picture 3-5, Adam and Eve Teaching Their Children.

Adam and Eve, the first man and woman on the earth, were taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and told to teach it to their children. Read aloud Moses 6:58, omitting the last word.

What commandment does Jesus Christ give to parents? (To teach their children. The things parents should teach are the truths of the gospel; see D&C 93:40.)

Song

Sing or say the words to “Teach Me to Walk in the Light.” Ask the children to listen to see if they can figure out what “walk in the light” means.

Teach me to walk in the light of his love;
Teach me to pray to my Father above;
Teach me to know of the things that are right;
Teach me, teach me to walk in the light.

Come, little child, and together we’ll learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight
Always, always to walk in the light.

Father in Heaven, we thank thee this day
For loving guidance to show us the way.
Grateful, we praise thee with songs of delight!
Gladly, gladly, we’ll walk in the light.

What does it mean to “walk in the light”? (To obey our Heavenly Father.)

Explain that we were born on this earth to learn, and Heavenly Father placed us in families so that we could learn from our parents. Parents are commanded to help prepare us so that we can one day return to live with our Heavenly Father.

Scripture story and picture

Explain that the Book of Mormon tells a story about some young men whose parents taught them to obey the commandments. Tell the following in your own words:

Remind the children that the Lamanites who were converted to the Church called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies so that they would not be confused with the rest of the Lamanites. When the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were converted, they made a promise or covenant with Heavenly Father that they would not use their weapons to fight. They buried their weapons to show that they would keep their covenant.

The Nephites provided land for the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to live on and protected them from the Lamanites. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies became known for their righteousness and honesty. They gave food and clothing to help the armies of the Nephites.

Many years passed. The wicked Lamanites began to attack the Nephite lands again and take possession of some of the Nephite cities. The Nephites had trouble protecting their cities. When the Anti-Nephi-Lehies saw how hard the Nephites were fighting to protect the cities and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, they were very worried. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies wondered if they should break their covenant and help the Nephites fight.

A brave Nephite leader named Helaman told them not to break their covenant. He knew that it was important to keep covenants. He also knew that these righteous people had many sons who were very young at the time the covenant was made. These boys had not made the covenant with Heavenly Father, so they could help the Nephites fight to protect the cities and their parents. Two thousand of these strong young men volunteered to fight along with Helaman.

Display picture 3-38, Two Thousand Young Warriors. Then continue with the story.

Explain that these young men were honest and could be trusted. Their mothers had taught them to trust in Heavenly Father and obey his commandments. These young warriors knew that if they did so, Heavenly Father would protect them. Because they believed and followed the teachings of their mothers, they were not afraid to follow Helaman. They fought in many battles for the Nephites. They fought bravely and were a great help to the Nephite armies.

Read aloud for the children Alma 56:47, beginning with “they had been taught by their mothers” and continuing through verse 48.

Explain that Helaman loved these young men as much as parents love their children. After one great battle, many people had been killed. Helaman was worried that some of these young men might have been killed. When they were counted, he was happy to find that not one of them had died. Because the young men trusted in Heavenly Father and followed the teachings of their mothers, Heavenly Father had protected them from the Lamanites.

Discussion

Point out that we can learn the commandments from our parents just as these young men did. Then we should obey what we have been taught. By teaching us about Heavenly Father’s commandments, our parents help us know what we must do to keep the covenants we make when we are baptized.

What are some of the commandments we are taught by our parents and others? (Let the children respond. In your discussion, emphasize the commandments to love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, love one another, honor our parents, forgive others, be baptized, pray, pay tithing, fast, obey the Word of Wisdom, be honest, keep the Sabbath day holy, attend Church meetings, and study the scriptures.)

Summary

Invite the children to listen when their parents teach them and to obey the commandments. Encourage the children to thank their parents when they teach about the commandments.

Teacher testimony

Bear your testimony that Heavenly Father loves each of us. Because of this love, he has commanded our earthly parents to watch over us, care for us, and teach us the right way to live. As our parents try to live the way Heavenly Father wants them to, we can learn from them to always choose the right way.

Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Enrichment Activities

Choose from the following activities those that will work best for your children. You can use them in the lesson itself or as a review or summary. For additional guidance, see “Class Time” in “Helps for the Teacher.”

Have the children think of some things that their parents have taught them to do. Then play the following game with them:

Say, “My (mother, father, or parents) taught me to (example: bake a cake).” Then call a child by name, toss a beanbag to him or her, and ask, “What have your parents taught you to do?”

The child responds by saying, “My (mother, father, or parents) taught me to (example: write my name).” Then the child tosses the beanbag back to you.

Repeat the game until each child has had one or two turns.
Read the following poem to the children. Have the children stand, and then read the poem to them again, having them put their hands on their heads every time they hear the words heaven or home.

I Had a Home in Heaven

I had a home in heaven;

My mother told me so;

I lived with Heavenly Father

Not very long ago.

I used to live in heaven;

My daddy said ‘tis true

That Heavenly Father sent me here

To grow, and learn, and do.

I liked my home in heaven,

But now I’m glad I’m here

To live with my own family,

And friends and neighbors dear.
Sing or say with the children the words to “A Happy Family” (Children’s Songbook, p. 198); the words are included at the back of this manual.

Choose a child to be the mother and one to be the daddy. When you sing or say “mother,” the child representing the mother stands up. When you sing or say “me,” each child points to himself. When you sing or say “daddy,” the child representing the daddy stands up.