Nephi Prophesies

Purpose

To teach the children that Heavenly Father sends prophets to teach us about the Savior, help us repent, and warn us of things to come.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Helaman 6:18–23 and 7–9. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.)
Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
Materials needed:
1. A Book of Mormon for each child.
2. Seven copies of the footprint at the end of the lesson. Write one of the following words on each footprint: Follow, the, prophet, he, knows, the, way.
3. A copy of an address given by the living prophet (from a conference issue of the Ensign or one of the international magazines).
4. A picture of the living prophet.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Before class, tape the paper footprints, blank side up in any order, to the classroom floor. Have the footprints lead to the picture of the living prophet. Ask the children to follow the path of the footprints; then gather the footprints and assemble them in the correct order. Have the class read aloud the words written on them. Explain that if we obey these words, we can know the truth and avoid being deceived. Explain that this lesson is about the prophet Nephi, the son of Helaman. Nephi knew a murder had been committed and who the murderer was without being at the scene of the crime. Tell the children that as they learn more about the prophet Nephi, they can strengthen their confidence in the words of the living prophet.

Scripture Account

Teach the children the account of Nephi’s warning and experiences from Helaman 7–9. (For suggested ways to teach the children the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Emphasize that Heavenly Father sends prophets to teach us about the Savior, help us find happiness, help us repent, and warn us of things to come.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.

Who were the Gadianton robbers? (Helaman 6:18.) What oaths had this band taken? (Helaman 6:21–22.) What wicked things had the Gadianton robbers done? (Helaman 6:23.)
What did Nephi do because of the wickedness of the people? (Helaman 7:6–7, 10.) What did the people do when they saw him on the tower? (Helaman 7:11–12.)
What did Nephi say to the people? (Helaman 7:13–18.) Why do you think he talked about repentance? What must we do to repent?
What did Nephi say would happen to the people if they did not repent? (Helaman 7:19, 22.) How did Nephi know these things would happen? (Helaman 7:29.) What have other prophets said will happen to us if we do not repent? How can listening to the living prophet help us in our lives? (D&C 21:4–6.)
How did the judges respond to Nephi’s teachings? (Helaman 8:1.) How did some of the people defend Nephi? (Helaman 8:7–9.) Why does it sometimes take courage to stand up for the truth? What can we do to sustain the living prophet?
What have all the holy prophets testified of? (Helaman 8:14–16.) What has the living prophet taught us about Jesus Christ? (You may want to share a brief talk given by the living prophet about Jesus.)
What did Nephi tell the people about their chief judge? (Helaman 8:27–28.) How did Nephi know what had happened?
What were the five men thinking about as they ran to the judgment seat? (Helaman 9:2.) How do we know that the five men eventually believed all of Nephi’s words? (Helaman 9:4–5, 39.) What can we do to strengthen our testimonies of the living prophet?
How did the other judges try to convince the people that Nephi was a false prophet? (Helaman 9:16.) What was Nephi’s response to their accusations? (Helaman 9:25–35.)
What effect did Nephi’s revelation have on some of the people? (Helaman 9:39–41.) How have you been blessed by following the prophets? You might use enrichment activity 3 to help the children understand the role of a prophet.

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

Have the children role-play the account from Helaman 8–9.
Read and discuss the following statement from Elder James E. Faust:

“We have been promised that the President of the Church will receive guidance for all of us as the revelator of the Church. Our safety lies in paying heed to that which he says and following his counsel” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1989, p. 11; or Ensign, Nov. 1989, p. 10; see also D&C 21:4–6).
Discuss how latter-day prophets continue to reveal knowledge from Heavenly Father. Give some examples of latter-day revelations, such as the Word of Wisdom (see D&C 89), and how they have blessed the lives of those who have followed them. Share the words of the living prophet from a recent conference talk (see the Ensign or one of the international magazines). Ask the children how they can be blessed by following the prophet’s counsel.
Review the ninth article of faith and help the children memorize it.
Sing or read the words to “The Still Small Voice” (Children’s Songbook, p. 106) or “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, p. 110).

Conclusion

Testimony

Share your testimony about the living prophet and the truth of what he has taught. Tell the children how you have been blessed by following the prophet’s teachings.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”