{Valiant} Primary 4, Lesson 27

LDS.org Primary 4, Lesson 27: Helaman and the Two Thousand Warriors

 The Anti-Nephi-Lehies, they were the Lamanites that were converted by the sons of Mosiah. When they were Lamanites they were a wicked and murderous people, to show Heavenly Father that they were sorry for their sins they made a covenant with Heavenly Father. They promised to never shed the blood of another man and they buried their swords deep in the earth.

Ammon and the other missionaries took the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to the Nephites into the land of Zarahemla. The Nephites promised them that they would defend and fight for the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

The wars that Amalickiah started was taken over by his brother Ammaron, he also wanted the same power to rule over all the land. Many people suffered and died because of the wars. The wicked Lamanites attacked and captured many Nephite cities. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies, because they had made a covenant to not fight, the Nephites were defending them and were being killed. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies wanted to help. The prophet Helaman who was also a leader in the Nephite army convinced them to not break their covenant. However their sons had not made the covenant and were willing to go to battle against the wicked Lamanites even though they had never fought in battle before. They covenanted to fight for the liberty of the Nephites and protect their land even if they had to die to keep it.

Altogether there were 2,000 stripling (youth) warriors in the beginning. They asked Helaman to be their leader and lead them to battle. The young men were righteous and full of integrity, they Lord watched over them. They were young and hadn't been to battle before but they were successful again and again and proved that they were a strength to the Nephite army. Throughout their battles, many were wounded but not one of the them was ever killed.

For this lesson, I have created a game to get the kids into the scriptures and have a "scripture chase".These are so fun with the older kids and I just love that they get to dive into the scriptures and use them to learn about these incredible young men.

Thank you to Susan Fitch for her illustrations!

You will be playing with two dice. 1) is for numbers 1-3  and 2) is for the colors on the board)
You can either 1) make your own dice using kleenex boxes (or other square boxes) or some pocket dice (I have these and use them ALL the time) Check out these fun DIY large dice!
NOTE: The cards are about 3.5 around so if you make boxes 4 inches should be perfect.

On one dice use the color circles and the "you choose" on the other put the numbers 1-3 twice.

Another item that would be helpful is a bell or just have the kids slap the table.

You can 1) print two boards one for each team OR 2) make 2 different markers to divide the teams

Each of the questions and scripture references are from the manual or ones that I could think of, feel free to exchange questions for your own for your own Primary class.

Set up the classroom so you are at one end with a table in front of you and the chairs are at the other end.

Please note that I have included 3 questions on each of the cards. There are 4 spaces of each, you my dear teacher will need to come up with that 4th question.
There is a 5th space for the red and the darker blue. I thought it would be fun to have a challenge question for them both so I have included those.

Before you begin playing make sure to review the entire story (above) or summarize yourself so that they know an overall of the stripling warriors.

How to play:
Divide the class into teams, begin at the red circle at the bottom asking a question from the red card to both teams. Both teams will look for the answer (designate a runner for each team each question) then once they have the answer have them run to the table by you and slap/ring the bell. If they answer correctly, let them roll both the number dice and the color dice, then they will move the marker of the other team to that space.
For example, rolled 1 and a darker blue, you move the marker 1 darker blue space. Roll a 3 and a red you move 3 red spaces. If you "roll" past the end begin again at the beginning. Winner is team who lands at the darker blue end, This is a unlikely thing to occur if you're playing for the hour so you can give all the kids one of these winner stickers!

 (Feel free to alternate winner to suit your Primary class)

For your own reference and study:

The Ammonites were not Pacifists
Gospel Doctrine Manual Lesson 32
Nephite vs Lamanite populations

{Sharing Time} My Body is a Temple

2016 Sharing Time Outline: August

Introduce the doctrine: Before Primary, write the phrase “Ye are the temple of God” (1 Corinthians 3:16) on the board. Show the children pictures of temples, and ask them what makes a temple so special (it is a house of the Lord, clean, well cared for, and a place where the Holy Ghost can come). Write their responses on the board. Explain that our bodies, like temples, are sacred and need to be treated with respect by ourself and others.

Encourage understanding and application: Copy the picture on page 47 of the nursery manual, Behold Your Little Ones. Cut out the circles in the picture, and put them in a container. Ask a child to choose one of the circles. Ask the children how the picture reminds them to treat their bodies like temples. Give each child a copy of the picture, and invite them to color it. Invite older children to write one thing under each circle that they will do this week to treat their bodies like temples. Invite the children to take their pictures home to teach their family how they can treat their bodies like temples.

Encourage application: Display a copy of “My Gospel Standards.” Ask the children to identify which gospel standards teach them how to treat their bodies like temples. Invite the children to turn to someone sitting nearby and share one way they are treating their body like a temple. Then ask them to think about one way they can improve. Invite a few of the children to share their thoughts with everyone.

I have based my ideas off of this article in the Friend.
(included in the download is this to print out on LEGAL paper-8.5x14)

In this article, the author poses 5 questions and they are just so good and perfect for what we need to get across that I didn't want to change them. They are:
What's great about having a body?
Why do we have bodies?
What if there are things I don't like about my body? (I love this one!)
Why doesn't everyone look alike?
How should I treat my body?


I have created board size printouts with these questions and an "answer" box for each that are all color coded. You can play different variations with these.

1) Bring in some sticky darts and see if the kids can "dart" the pairs then discuss. Bean bags are also great for this (with the ground rules of no throwing)
These sticky darts are the ones I always have on hand but you can typically find them at party supply stores.

2) Create key words for each of the answer boxes and  have the kids try to match the key word (write or print on the back of the answer boxes) to the question.

3) Have all the questions up on the board, scatter the answer boxes around the room on walls, under chairs, etc. Have the kids find the answer box that goes with the question, then discuss.




I have also included some illustrations from different Friend magazines about some things we can do with our bodies. You can put these up with the temple pictures from the "Introduce the doctrine" and ask the kids how are our bodies the same as temples?
There are 5 in all for the illustrations.





I wanted you to be able to send the kids home with something to summarize the lesson and I just loved this illustration from Susan Fitch and knew that it'd be perfect for this handout.
(download includes 8x10 and sheet of 4x6)

Here's a Sharing Time from a few years ago!

{Sunbeams} Primary 1, Lesson 27

LDS.org Primary 1, Lesson 27: We Can Pray As a Family

I'm subbing for this week and I'm excited!! Here's my plan.

UPDATE well it went SO well! The kids asked if I'd be back next week. Success? I think so! In addition to the coloring page below we also played with blocks because just like we BUILD a big tower one at a time we also strengthen our family one prayer at a time. Not sure if they got that but they loved playing with the blocks!

This is an engineer print (18x24), print this up at Staples for about $2 and tape it to the floor or a table and let the kiddos color a massive picture.

I really loved this article from the Ensign, and one of my favorites from it is this:

As children participate in family prayer and hear their parents speak to God in humility, with faith in Jesus Christ, they can begin to learn things of the soul in a setting that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. Through family prayer... children will begin to learn that they are sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven.

YES LOVE this and have made a printable for you (download above at the top with the engineer print)!

Best wishes on your lesson!

{Valiant} Primary 4, Lesson 26

LDS.org Primary 4, Lesson 26: Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty

  Captain Moroni was a true hero. He followed the Holy Ghost and fought for the freedom of his people from evil.

When he was just 25 years old he was appointed as the chief captain over every Nephite army. He was full of faith and believed in the liberty and freedom of his country.

A man named Amalickiah wanted to be king over all the Nephites.  Amalickiah was already the leader over a group of Nephies who had become proud from all their riches. These Nephites began to hate the Church and would no longer keep the commandments or listen to the church leaders.
Amalickiah told his followers that the Nephite government of judges was wrong and that they would better off if they were ruled by a king. He told the people that if they would make him their king that he would give them powerful positions.

Moroni knew that if there an evil king like Amalickiah that they would destroy the freedoms that the Nephite people had fought a long time for. He knew that the people would be in danger and they wouldn't be able to worship how they wanted.

Moroni removed his coat, tore off a piece and wrote this message : "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children." He then attached it to a pole and it became the Title of Liberty. After putting on his armor, Moroni prayed for his people. He then went among his people waving the banner so everyone could see the message written and cried in a loud voice, " Whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God my bless them."  People began to gather with their armor and were ready to fight for their freedom.

Amalickiah saw that the Nephites were ready to fight with Moroni and knew that if he fought that that he would not succeed. He fled to the land of Nephi. Moroni tried to cut the people of Amalickiah off but a few of his men and Amalickiah were able to escape.

Captain Moroni had the Title of Liberty to be put on all the towers in the land of the Nephites. There was peace for 4 years!

Amalickiah got to the land of Nephi with a lot of deceit and dishonest ways he was able to become king of the Lamanites. He stirred up the Lamanites in anger to go to war with the Nephites because he wanted to be the ruler over all the land. The Lamanites got ready for battle.

While Amalickiah was ruling over the Lamanites, Captain Moroni readied the Nephites by strengthening them spiritually, more people joined the armies and they built enormous hills and high stone walls around their cities and borders.

Because the Lamanites were ready for battle with armor they thought that they would be able to beat the Nephites but when they saw what the Nephites had constructed around their cities they became afraid. They tried many different ways to get into the Nephite cities but the plan and defense that Captain Moroni created they couldn't get through. During the Lamanites attempt to get into the cities, all of the chief captains were slain and more than 1,000 of their army was killed and NONE of the Nephites were killed. The remaining Lamanite armies fled and went back to King Amalickiah who was very angry that his armies couldn't subdue the Nephites and they weren't enslaved, Amalickiah cursed both God and Captain Moroni.

The Nephites thanked God that they were delivered from the hands of the Lamanites and were safe.

{Sharing Time} God has commanded His people to build temples

So I think I've gone a little overkill for this sharing time with a whole bunch of information but I hope that you can pick and choose and you can find some help. For this lesson, I really wanted to show that even when there were temples in biblical times, the Lord was behind each one and that each is built by the direction of Jesus Christ. I've included links for the Tabernacle during the time of Moses, Solomon's Temple, Nephi's temple in Bountiful, and the Kirtland Temple. You can also add your own area's temple with facts about it.

Moses Tabernacle

Read more about the Tabernacle

*text from the Old Testament Stories

Exodus 25:1-2, 8-9, 16, 22; Exodus 31:18; 1 Kings 8:9

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Ex 31:18 ¶And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Kings 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Jesus Christ talked to Moses on Mount Sinai. Jesus said the Israelites should build a tabernacle. A tabernacle is a place to learn about God. Jesus would come to the tabernacle.
Jesus showed Moses what the tabernacle should look like. He told Moses how to build it. Jesus told Moses which men should build the tabernacle. Jesus blessed the men so they could do good work.
The Israelites obeyed Jesus. They gave gold and silver for the tabernacle. They gave animal skins for the roof. The women made beautiful cloth for the walls.
The Israelites built the tabernacle the way Jesus told them. The tabernacle was like a tent. It had a wall of curtains. There was a yard inside the wall. An altar for sacrifices was in the yard.
A small building was in the yard. It was also like a tent. It had two rooms. A gold altar was in one room.
A beautiful, big box was in the other room. It was called the ark of the covenant. The stones with the commandments written on them were kept in the ark of the covenant.
Moses was happy because the Israelites obeyed Jesus. Moses blessed the people. He blessed the tabernacle. He blessed Aaron and his sons and gave them the priesthood. Jesus chose other men to help them. Aaron and his sons burned sacrifices for the people. The other men helped take care of the tabernacle.
The tabernacle was a holy place like a temple. Jesus came there. The people went there to learn about God and to do his work. They made sacrifices there.
Jesus put a cloud above the tabernacle in the day. He put a fire above the tabernacle at night. The fire and the cloud showed the Israelites that Jesus was there.
When the cloud moved, the Israelites took down the tabernacle. They carried it with them in the wilderness. They followed the cloud.

      King Solomon  Temple

Read more about the Temple of Solomon

*text from the Old Testament Stories

1 Chronicles 22:6-11

6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel.

 7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:

 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

 9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

 10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

 11 Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.

There was peace in the land of Israel. God said King Solomon should build a temple in Jerusalem. It would be the house of God. The ark of the covenant would be in the temple. The people would not need the tabernacle anymore because they would have the temple.

Thousands of people helped build the temple. It was made of stone and wood. Men brought the best wood from far away. They cut large stones for the walls of the temple.

Another room had a pool filled with water. The pool was on the backs of twelve oxen. The oxen were made of brass.

It took seven years to build the temple. At last it was finished. Then Solomon put beautiful gold and silver bowls in the temple.

The priests brought the ark of the covenant from the tabernacle. They put the ark in the temple. The two stones with the commandments written on them were in the ark.

The priests of Israel came to the temple. They sang songs and thanked God for the temple. The cloud that had been over the tabernacle filled the temple. The temple was the house of God.

Solomon spoke to the Israelites. He told them to obey God’s commandments. Then Solomon prayed to God. He asked God to forgive the people when they had repented.

Solomon made sacrifices to God. Fire from heaven came down to the altar. The fire burned the sacrifices.

The people worshiped God. They thanked him for the temple.

God spoke to Solomon. He said Solomon and the Israelites should be righteous. Then he would bless them forever.

Nephi Temple in Bountiful

2 Nephi 5:16
 16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.

After Nephi and his family reached the promised they built a temple.The temple they built resembled the temple that King Solomon built. King Solomon's temple was the temple that Nephi and his family knew before they left Jerusalem. There were many blessings that the Nephites enjoyed because of the temple. King Benjamin's address from the tower so all could hear him and the Savior appeared to the Nephites who were gathered at the temple.

Kirtland Temple

D&C 42:36 

That my covenant people may be gathered in one in that day when I shall come to my temple. And this I do for the salvation of my people.

God commanded Joseph Smith in December 1832 to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. The Prophet and several others saw the Kirtland Temple in a vision, which provided its design. Construction began in June 1833, at a time of great poverty in the Church. Work slowed in 1834 because many brethren were absent with Zion's Camp. When they returned, Joseph Smith labored with others in the sandstone quarry, and vigorous efforts to build the temple resumed. The Prophet Joseph dedicated the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836... Many church members witnessed heavenly manifestations during this glorious season, culminating in Jesus Christ's appearance to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to accept the temple. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared to Joseph and Oliver to restore priesthood keys for the salvation of all mankind. (source)
The Saints moved from Kirtland and the temple fell into the hands of another Church.



Both modern and biblical temples were built under the direction of Jesus Christ but there is a difference between the two.

The law of Moses temples were operated by men born to the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood and were led by a high priest, who was a literal descendant of Aaron. That high priest was the only person who entered the most sacred room on only one day a year—the Day of Atonement. It was just outside of the temple on an altar that sacrifices prescribed in the law of Moses were offered.

Modern temples operate under the direction of a living prophet who holds the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood that were first restored to Joseph Smith. All worthy men, women, and children over the age of 12 are able to enter on a regular basis. (source)


Here's a really awesome video that is well worth the time to at least watch if not to share with your Primary.

I love this scripture and wanted to share a poster for it.
Why do we build temples?
After all the ordinance work, because it is a place for the spirit to dwell, I just love to be there and pray of things that are troubling and really get an eye opening experience and help to face the troubles.




Other resources:
A History of Temples
Temples-The Gates of Heaven
Ancient Temples and Their Functions