Noah and the Flood

Purpose

To strengthen each child’s desire to listen to and follow the counsel of the living prophet.

Preparation

Prayerfully study:
- Genesis 6:1–22—The people become wicked. The Lord tells Noah to build an ark.
- Moses 8:13–22—Noah preaches the gospel and is ordained to the priesthood.
- Genesis 7:1–24—Noah’s family and animals enter the ark and the Flood comes.
- Genesis 8:1–22—The Flood ends and Noah offers sacrifice to the Lord.
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 best help the children achieve the purpose of the lesson.
Prepare three signs such as the following:

Write Listen on the back of the first sign, Believe on the back of the second sign, and Obey on the back of the third sign (see the attention activity).
Materials needed:
1. A Bible and a triple combination for each child.
2. A picture of the living prophet.
3. Pictures 6-7, Building the Ark (Gospel Art Picture Kit 102; 62053), and 6-8, Noah and the Ark with Animals (Gospel Art Picture Kit 103; 62305).

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Display the three signs you have prepared. Have class members tell what each sign means.

What could happen if people did not obey each of these signs?
How do these signs help us? (They warn us of possible danger and tell us what to do to be safe.)

Explain that Heavenly Father wants us to be safe from the evils and temptations of the world. He has given us someone to warn and teach us. Display the picture of the living prophet and discuss how he warns and teaches us. Turn over the three signs to display the words Listen, Believe, and Obey, and explain that if we will listen, believe, and obey the prophet, Heavenly Father will bless us.

Scripture Account

Using the pictures at appropriate times, teach the children the account of the prophet Noah and the Flood from the scriptures listed in the “Preparation” section. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Emphasize that Noah was obedient to the Lord in spite of the ridicule of his friends and neighbors. Help the children understand that because Noah’s family listened and obeyed his teachings, they were saved from the Flood, but the wicked people who would not listen and obey were drowned.

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 and discussing the scriptures with the children in class will help them gain personal insights.

What kind of a man was Noah? (Genesis 6:9, 22.) What characteristics must he have had to respond to the assignment to build an ark? What qualities can you develop that will help you do what Heavenly Father wants you to do?
How did Noah try to help the people before the Flood? (Moses 8:20.)
How did the people react to Noah’s teachings? (Moses 8:21–22.) Why do you think the people wanted to kill Noah? (Moses 8:18.)
What were the consequences for those who obeyed Noah? (Genesis 7:1, 7.)
What were the consequences for those who didn’t obey Noah? (Genesis 7:23.) What are the consequences if we don’t obey the living prophet?
What did Noah do after he was able to leave the ark? (Genesis 8:20.) Why should we express gratitude to Heavenly Father even when we have been through a difficult experience?
What messages have our modern-day prophets given us? (Write the children’s responses on the chalkboard.) How can each of these messages help us? (See enrichment activities 1, 3, and 5.)

Enrichment Activities

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

Show a picture of the living prophet and tell a little about his life. Discuss a message that he has given in general conference.
Conduct an interview with Noah, his wife, and his family. (You could use scarves and robes for the children to dress up in as these characters or make signs for them to hang around their necks.) Ask questions similar to the following ones:
- What did God tell you to do?
- How did you feel when the wicked people laughed at you and did not listen to you?
- How did you feel during and after the Flood?
Discuss the phrase, “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 1:13), and apply it to the books we read and the movies and television programs we watch. Explain that inappropriate movies, television programs, and books are offensive to our Heavenly Father. Read the following quotation from President Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of the Church: “Your thoughts will determine your actions, and so they must be controlled. It’s difficult to control those thoughts if you submit yourself to temptation. So you will have to carefully select your reading material, the movies you see, and the other forms of entertainment in order to have good thoughts rather than unwholesome desires” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1985, pp. 47–48; or Ensign, May 1985, p. 36). Discuss how we can avoid exposure to negative influences and fill our minds with virtuous and lovely thoughts.
Write on slips of paper temptations or difficulties the children in your class may have to face, such as cheating in school, being unkind to others, or taking something from a store without paying for it. Put the slips of paper in a container. Have the children each choose a slip of paper and tell what the prophets have taught us about handling the situations.
Choose a teaching from the prophets, such as keeping a journal (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Dec. 1980, pp. 60–61) or preaching the gospel (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, pp. 57, 59; or Ensign, May 1986, pp. 44–45). Prepare a simple class activity centered on the teaching, such as writing in a journal or planning a class activity to friendship a less-active class member.
Discuss the significance of the rainbow (see Genesis 9:12–15 and “Rainbow” in the LDS Bible Dictionary [p. 759]).
Put the following review on the chalkboard or make copies for each child. Have them match the letters to the appropriate statements.
1. How many of each clean beast were taken on the ark? (Genesis 7:2.) (Note: A clean beast was one that the people were allowed to eat.)
2. How many days and nights did it rain? (Genesis 7:12.)
3. How old was Noah when the flood came? (Genesis 7:6.)
4. How many of each unclean beast were taken on the ark? (Genesis 7:2.) (Note: An unclean beast was one that the people were forbidden to eat.)
5. How many days did the waters prevail on the earth? (Genesis 7:24.)
6. How many days was Noah on the ark before it started to rain? (Genesis 7:10.)
  
  a. 600; b. 150; c. 7; d. 2; e. 40; f. 7.
Sing or read the words to “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” (Hymns, no. 19) or “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, p. 110).

Conclusion

Testimony and Challenge

Express your gratitude for the teachings of the prophets found in the scriptures and for modern-day prophets who warn, teach, and guide us. Challenge the children to listen to the next general conference, give special attention to the teachings of the prophet, and discuss these teachings with their families.

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.”