1998
Sharing Time: ‘Trust in the Lord’
June 1998


“Sharing Time: ‘Trust in the Lord’” Friend, June 1998, 12

Sharing Time:

“Trust in the Lord”

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Prov. 3:5–6.)

When we trust someone, we believe in him. We feel sure that he will do what he says he will do. There is One we can always trust. We can always trust the Lord.

The scriptures are full of stories of men and women whose lives were blessed because they trusted Heavenly Father. Many faced difficult choices or strange situations. Often their own experiences were not enough to help them know what they should do.

In the Old Testament story of Joseph, his beautiful coat was stripped from him, and he was sold by his brothers to slave traders going to Egypt (see Gen. 37). Would you know what to do if you were sold as a slave and taken to a strange country all alone like Joseph was?

When Abraham’s servant prayed mightily about finding the right woman for Isaac to marry, the Lord sent Rebekah to the well (see Gen. 24). Would you know what to do if you were Rebekah and were asked to marry a man you had never met?

Would you know what to do if you were told to eat and drink things that were against the Word of Wisdom? That happened to Daniel and his friends (see Dan. 1).

When these people had difficult challenges, each of them knew something very important: He or she could trust the Lord. They all knew that He would direct their paths (see Prov. 3:6).

Joseph trusted the Lord and kept His commandments even when faced with great temptation. Later, Pharaoh made Joseph a ruler over all of Egypt (see Gen. 39–41:41). Rebekah trusted the Lord and went to marry Abraham’s son Isaac because she knew that Abraham and Isaac loved and served God. She became a great mother in Israel (see Gen. 24; Gen. 25:21). Daniel trusted the Lord’s counsel to eat and drink only those things that would not harm him. He became wise and was appointed “ruler over the whole province of Babylon” (see Dan. 1; Dan. 2:48).

When we trust in the Lord, He can direct our paths. Heavenly Father loves each girl and boy just as He loved Joseph, Rebekah, and Daniel. Every day as we keep the commandments, pray, and humbly seek Heavenly Father’s direction for the choices we have to make, He will help us. When we trust in the Lord, He will direct our paths.

Instructions

Complete the dot-to-dot puzzle to discover a great heroine who trusted in the Lord to direct her paths. Read about her in the scriptures, then write her name in the box and color the picture.

Image
Dot-to-dot puzzle

“He Shall Direct Thy Paths”
Genesis 24
Illustrated by Tadd R. Peterson

Sharing Time Ideas

(Note: CS=Children’s Songbook)

1. To help the children memorize Proverbs 3:5–6 [Prov. 3:5–6], divide them into four groups and assign each group their own portion of the scripture to memorize. Let them practice repeating their part of the scripture quietly in unison. Then (in order) ask each group to stand and recite its part. Repeat once or twice more. Try the whole recitation again, asking one group to remain silent while everyone else repeats the silent group’s portion. Repeat until each group has remained silent. Then have the groups repeat their parts, starting with the last group. End with everyone saying the scripture in the correct order.

2. Ask four adults to briefly tell the following stories: Nephi (1 Ne. 3–4), Rebekah (Gen. 24; Gen. 25:21), Ruth (Ruth), Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 39–41:41). Give each teller his/her own area in the room, provide pictures for them from the library, and ask them to bring a simple headdress or costume, such as a shawl or robe (optional). Help the children understand that we can be like the people in the scriptures when we trust in the Lord.

3. Discuss why Helaman named his sons Nephi and Lehi (see Hel. 5:4–8). Read verse 6 to the children. Remind them briefly about the wonderful experiences Nephi and Lehi had as they preached to the people (see Hel. 5). Write on slips of paper the names of several people whom the children know and respect, such as President Hinckley, their bishop, heroes/heroines from the scriptures or early Church history, and put them into a container. Have the children form a circle. Ask a child to pick a number between 1 and 5. Have each child repeat his or her own name in turn, stopping at the child representing the number chosen. (E.g., if number 3 had been picked, stop at the third child.) That child then draws a name from the container and reads it out loud. Ask who can tell one good thing about the person whose name was read. Repeat the procedure until all the names in the container have been selected. Then ask the children: What would you like people to think when they hear your name? Tell them that if we choose the right, we will feel good about ourselves and others will think good things about us. Tell the story of George A. Smith’s dream of his grandfather (see Primary 4 manual, p. 41). Explain that besides our own names, we take another name upon ourselves when we are baptized. We should always honor the name of Jesus Christ and remember that we have promised to keep His commandments.

4. Invite (in advance) a class to pantomime the story of Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty (see Alma 46). After the presentation, ask if anyone can identify the story. Have the children open their scriptures to Alma 48. Move through the Primary with a pretend microphone in your hand, asking the following questions and having the child answer by reading the appropriate verse into the “microphone” as everyone follows along in his/her scriptures. Questions: Who was this Moroni? (Alma 46:11); Was he the kind of leader who sat back and let other people do the work? (Alma 46:12); How determined was Moroni to protect his rights and his religion? (Alma 46:13); What were the Nephites like? (Alma 46:14); If they didn’t like to go to war except in self-defense, how did they protect themselves? (Alma 46:15); Who helped them fight their battles and told them where to go? (Alma 46:16); In conclusion, what could you tell us about Captain Moroni? (Alma 46:17). Remind the children that we can be like him if we have faith in the Lord and keep His commandments. If time allows, have them write on their own banners (pieces of paper) a saying such as “Trust in the Lord” or “Keep the Commandments” or Moroni’s inscription from Alma 46:12. Younger children could trace around a title that has already been written on a piece of paper.

5. Peter (New Testament Apostle) and Hyrum Smith the patriarch were both strong leaders who experienced many of the same things. Make two each of the following wordstrips: Martyred for the gospel’s sake, Missionary, Preached the gospel, Defended his leader, Put in jail, Served others. Make one each of the following wordstrips: PETER, A fisherman, Lived in Galilee, Lived in the time of Christ, Chief Apostle of the Church, His name means “the Rock”; HYRUM, A farmer, Helped build two temples, Lived in America, Assistant President of the Church, Lived in the time of Joseph Smith, He was as “firm as the pillars of heaven.” Put the names and pictures of these men in two columns on a chalkboard or wall. Hold up a wordstrip and have the children guess which column it goes under by making fishing motions if they think it is Peter or digging motions if they think it is Hyrum. (Not only was Hyrum a farmer, but when the Lord chastised the brethren for their slowness in beginning the Kirtland Temple, Hyrum went right out to start digging the foundation.) Have a child who answers correctly post the wordstrip under the correct name. (Sometimes the answer is correct for both men). Ask the children what they know about that wordstrip, and add your own comments. You may want to review Primary 7 manual, Lesson 37, pp. 127–130, and “Hyrum Smith: ‘Firm as the Pillars of Heaven’” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, pp. 6–9). Use pictures instead of wordstrips where possible for younger children. Remind everyone that these men were great servants of Heavenly Father and that we can follow their example.

6. Write out Proverbs 3:5–6 [Prov. 3:5–6] on a slip of paper and hide it. Tell the children that there is a scripture that is very important for them to know. They can find it only by staying in their seats and asking questions about where it is that you can answer with a yes or a no. (E.g., “Is it higher than your head?” “Is it under someone’s chair?”) When they have “found” it, read it to them and talk to them about the times in our lives when we need someone to direct us. Our parents, the prophet, and other church leaders all help us, but sometimes there is only One we can reach. Share your own witness that when we trust in Heavenly Father, He can direct our paths. Sing “Seek the Lord Early” or “Faith” (CS, pp. 108, 96–97).

7. One way that we acknowledge Heavenly Father is by keeping His commandments (see Friend, “Sharing Time Ideas,” Mar. 1997, pp. 14, 38). For other ideas on trusting the Lord, see Friend: “Pray Often,” Aug. 1996, IFC, and “Personal Protection,” July 1997, IFC. See also “Trust in the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, pp. 16–18.