Primary
Lesson 33: The Sacrament Reminds Us of Our Covenants

“Lesson 33: The Sacrament Reminds Us of Our Covenants,” Primary 3 (1994), 161–65

“Lesson 33,” Primary 3, 161–65

Lesson 33

The Sacrament Reminds Us of Our Covenants

Purpose

To help the children realize that taking the sacrament can help them remember the baptismal covenants.

Preparation

  1. Read Moroni 4:3 and 5:2.

  2. Prepare to help the children say and learn the third article of faith.

  3. Materials needed:

    1. A Book of Mormon.

    2. CTR shield and ring.

    3. Picture 3-13, Boy Being Baptized (62018); picture 3-59, Passing the Sacrament (62021); picture 3-9, Jesus the Christ (62572; Gospel Art Picture Kit 240).

  4. 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.

The Sacrament Prayer Reminds Us of Our Baptismal Covenants

Attention activity

Tell the children to listen carefully. If you say something that they should do or think about during the sacrament, they should stand up tall. If you say something they should not do or think about during the sacrament, they should bend over.

Read the following statements one at a time, giving the children time to respond.

  1. Remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us. (Stand)

  2. Think about going on a picnic. (Bend)

  3. Remember that Jesus Christ made sick people well. (Stand)

  4. Whisper and talk to your neighbor. (Bend)

  5. Wiggle and move around in your seat. (Bend)

  6. Say a prayer to Heavenly Father. (Stand)

  7. Draw pictures or play with a toy. (Bend)

  8. Remember stories about Jesus Christ. (Stand)

Picture activity

Display picture 3-13, Boy Being Baptized, and picture 3-59, Passing the Sacrament. Ask the children to think of the last time they took the sacrament. Have them try to remember what they thought about and did during the sacrament. Tell them to answer the following questions to themselves, not aloud:

  • Were you reverent during the sacrament?

  • Did you think about the Savior during the sacrament?

  • Did you listen to the words of the sacrament prayers?

Scripture and discussion

Read Moroni 4:3 aloud and have the children listen for two promises they make to Heavenly Father when they take the sacrament. Emphasize the words, as necessary, to help them pick out these two promises.

We promise to—

  1. Always remember Jesus Christ. (Have a child display picture 3-9, Jesus the Christ.)

  2. Obey the commandments. (Have a child display the CTR shield and ring. Review with the children what CTR stands for.)

Encourage the children to listen carefully to the sacrament prayers each week to hear the two promises they make:

  1. Always remember Jesus Christ.

  2. Obey his commandments.

Explain that these are the same promises that we make when we are baptized. Have the children repeat these two promises aloud. Emphasize that Heavenly Father trusts us to keep our promises to him, and we know Heavenly Father will always keep his promises to us.

Explain that it isn’t always easy to remember our promises. Partaking of the sacrament every Sunday and listening to the sacrament prayers helps us to remember to keep our promises to Heavenly Father.

Article of faith

Help the children recite the third article of faith. Emphasize that we may return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ only if we obey their commandments.

Story

Tell in your own words the story of Jonathan, a boy who felt the importance of the sacrament:

Jonathan lived with his parents on a large ranch. He had a pony of his own, and he often helped his father care for the ranch horses. One day Jonathan fell from his pony and injured his back. After examining him, the doctor told Jonathan and his parents that Jonathan would be all right but that he would have to stay in bed for many weeks.

Jonathan had been baptized a member of the Church just two months before the accident. He had made a covenant, or promise, with Heavenly Father that he would obey the commandments. Taking the sacrament had helped to remind Jonathan of his covenant. He had listened carefully to the sacrament prayers and sat reverently as the sacrament was being passed. Each time, Jonathan listened for the words that told of his covenants—to always remember Jesus and to keep his commandments. Jonathan knew that when he said “amen” and took the sacrament, it meant that he would try his best to keep his covenants with Heavenly Father.

Now that Jonathan had to stay in bed, he could not go to church and he could not partake of the sacrament. Jonathan missed those quiet, reverent moments when the sacrament was being blessed and passed. He knew how important it was to be reminded often of the covenants he had made. He wanted to have Heavenly Father’s Spirit with him. Jonathan decided to ask the bishop if the sacrament could be brought to his home on Sunday.

The bishop was pleased to know that Jonathan did not want to miss the sacrament and that he wanted to be reminded of the covenants he had made with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He arranged for two priesthood bearers to visit Jonathan at the ranch on Sundays and prepare the sacrament for him.

  • Why did Jonathan miss going to church? (He wanted to partake of the sacrament.)

  • Why did he want to partake of the sacrament? (He wanted to be reminded of his baptismal promises and the promise that he could have Heavenly Father’s Spirit with him.)

Remembering the Baptismal Covenants Helps Us Obey Jesus Christ’s Teachings

Situations and discussions

Explain that if we daily think of Jesus Christ, we are more likely to remember his teachings and the promises or covenants we have made to obey him. Invite the children to role-play the following situations, and have them decide how they could solve each one:

  1. Anna and Gretchen are sisters. Anna’s friend comes over to play. Gretchen wants to play with them, but Anna doesn’t want her to. What should Anna do?

    • How could remembering Jesus Christ help Anna obey a commandment?

    • What commandment would she be obeying?

  2. Darren wore his brother’s shirt without permission and got a stain on it. What should Darren do?

    • How could remembering Jesus Christ help Darren obey a commandment?

    • What commandment would he be obeying?

  3. Ian found a toy car outside of his house. He wanted to keep it, but he was sure it belonged to his friend Dee, who lived down the street. What should Ian do?

    • How could remembering Jesus Christ help Ian obey a commandment?

    • What commandment would Ian be obeying?

  4. Jacob is on his way outside to play. His mother is trying to clean the house. As Jacob goes out to play, he notices that his mother seems very tired. What should Jacob do?

    • How could remembering Jesus Christ help Jacob obey a commandment?

    • What commandment would Jacob be obeying?

Thank the children for their good ideas.

Summary

Remind the children that when we are baptized, we promise to always remember Jesus Christ (hold up one finger). We also promise to obey his commandments (hold up two fingers). Tell them that when they look at their hands and see their CTR ring, seeing the two fingers next to their ring finger can help them remember the two promises they will make when they are baptized.

Review the scripture stories about Jesus Christ blessing and passing the sacrament from lesson 32.

Teacher testimony

Bear your testimony to the children that Jesus Christ loves us and that he wants us to remember him. Encourage them to prepare for the covenants they will make when they are baptized by being reverent during the sacrament, thinking of the sacrament prayer, and remembering Jesus. Remind them that after they are baptized, they will show Heavenly Father that they want to keep their promises to him each time they partake of the sacrament.

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.”

  1. Tell the children that they should go to sacrament meeting ready to sit quietly during the sacrament and think about how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them.

    Teach the children the following poem:

    I’ll fold my arms, I’ll bow my head,

    And quiet, quiet be;

    As the sacrament is blessed,

    I will remember Thee.

    Say the poem for the children. Then repeat it with them, folding your arms and bowing your head as indicated.

    • What do we fold? (Our arms.)

    • What do we bow? (Our head.)

    • During the sacrament are we supposed to be quiet or noisy?

    • Who should we think about during the sacrament? (Jesus.)

    Say the poem again, letting the children fill in the words and do the actions until they know it well. Then repeat it with the children.

  2. Ask the children what they know about Jesus Christ. These are some of the things they can think about during the sacrament. Display picture 3-46, Jesus Praying in Gethsemane, and tell the children about what happened in the garden (see Matthew 26:36–46). Allow the Spirit to guide you in teaching the children about this sacred event.

  3. Hand out scissors, glue, and copies of the following handout to the children. Read the top part of the page with the class. Instruct the children to cut along the dotted lines and put the words in proper order. When the children have done this, the words should read “always remember Jesus Christ” and “obey the commandments.” Have them glue the word pieces in place to complete the sentence.

    renewing covenants