“Lesson 16: The Saints Gather to Kirtland, Ohio,” Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History (1997), 80–85
“Lesson 16,” Primary 5, 80–85
Lesson 16
The Saints Gather to Kirtland, Ohio
Purpose
To help the children desire to strengthen the feelings of unity and love within their families and within their Primary class.
Preparation
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Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 37, 38:24–42, 39:15, and the historical accounts given in this lesson. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scriptural and historical accounts. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” pp. vi–vii, and “Teaching the Scriptural and Historical Accounts,” pp. vii–ix.)
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Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
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Materials needed:
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A Doctrine and Covenants for each child.
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Two pieces of string (or other material that will break or tear easily, such as paper or thin wooden sticks) for each child.
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Map of the New York–Ohio Area, found at the end of lesson 1.
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Suggested Lesson Development
Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
Enrichment Activities
You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
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Help the children understand that we need to work together to help everyone feel comfortable at church. Ask the children to suggest ways to develop unity within your ward (branch) or class. Write their suggestions on the chalkboard. Encourage each child to choose one or two ideas to work on during the coming weeks.
Possible suggestions:
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Take care of the church building.
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Treat others kindly.
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Listen to the speakers.
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Pray for one another.
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Speak kind words.
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Listen and participate in Primary class.
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Attend ward (branch) activities.
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Help everyone feel welcome at Church meetings and activities.
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Be cheerful.
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Express gratitude for Church leaders and teachers.
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Participate willingly when asked to give a talk, pray, or sing.
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Write on separate pieces of paper some activities, traditions, and actions that can help develop unity within a family, such as family home evening, family prayer, family scripture study, mealtime, holiday celebrations, birthday celebrations, being kind to each other, and being unselfish.
Discuss with the children what unity means and how unity can be developed within a family. To help the children identify ways that their families can develop feelings of love and unity, let each child choose a piece of paper and give clues to the other children about the activity or action described on his or her paper. Have the other children guess the activity or action. Then invite the children to tell about how that activity or action has blessed and strengthened their families.
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Ask the children to share an experience when they have felt love and support from their family or from ward or branch members. Ask them how they feel when they receive this kind of support. You may want to share an experience of your own.
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Show the children an item used in a skill (such as a set of knitting needles or a musical instrument). Give the item to a child and ask him or her to perform the skill. If you have the particular skill, demonstrate how to use the item properly after the child has attempted to use it. Discuss how difficult it is to do something for the first time without a teacher’s instruction or direction.
Relate this to the newly organized Church in 1830. The members were living in various places without any leaders nearby to direct the Church and help the members understand Church teachings. It often took a long time to receive communication from the Prophet. The Church members were anxious to go to Ohio, where they could be instructed by the Prophet and other Church leaders.
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Read or have a child read the following quotation from Sister Patricia P. Pinegar, ninth general president of the Primary, about how Church members need and help each other:
“The giant redwood trees that grow in northern California [USA] … have a very shallow root system. But when they are surrounded by other redwood trees, the strongest, fiercest wind cannot blow them over. The roots of the giant redwood trees intertwine and strengthen each other. When a storm comes, they actually hold each other up” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, p. 103; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 78).
Draw on the chalkboard several trees with their root systems intertwined (see illustration). Ask the children to suggest strengths and qualities they see in others. Label some of the roots with their ideas, and discuss how each individual’s strengths can help strengthen the whole group.
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Have the children stand. Demonstrate how easy it is for you to move one child alone. Then have the children wrap their arms around each other’s shoulders. Show how much more difficult it is for you to move all the children at once. Help the children understand that when we stand together and support each other, as members of families or members of the Church, it is easier for us to remain firm in our beliefs and do the right things.
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Demonstrate the importance of working together by doing the following activity:
Cut some strong string or cord into two-yard [two-meter] lengths, one for each child in the class. Have each child tie his or her string a little above midway on a stick about four or five feet [one and a half meters] long, such as a broom or mop handle or a yardstick.
Lay the stick in the middle of the classroom with the children sitting around it in a circle. Ask one child to see if he or she can raise the stick to a vertical position by pulling only his or her string. Ask another child to join the first and see if two strings can keep the stick standing. Then ask all the children to pull their strings to hold the stick in a vertical position. (You may have to slightly adjust the places where the strings are tied.)
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What happened when one person pulled on the stick? What happened when someone else helped?
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What needed to be done in order to make the stick stand upright?
Explain that just as everyone needed to work together to make the stick stand upright, Heavenly Father knew the early members of the Church needed to be gathered together in order to strengthen and help each other. We can experience the same strength and support in our own ward (or branch).
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Conclusion
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.