May 1–7

Genesis 6–11; Moses 8

Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Start by reading Genesis 6–11 and Moses 8 and recording your spiritual impressions. Think about the children you teach. What will be meaningful to them? Come, Follow Me for individuals and families and the ideas below can help.

Record Your Impressions

Improving Our Teaching

Seek to understand the children you teach. The ideas in these outlines may not work best for your class. You know the children you teach. Ask Heavenly Father to guide you in the best way to help them learn gospel doctrines and build their faith. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 7.)

Invite Sharing

One of your objectives as a teacher is to help the children learn from the scriptures on their own and with their families. You can do this at the beginning of class by letting them take turns sharing something they know about Noah or the tower of Babel.

Teach the Doctrine

Younger Children

Genesis 6:14–22; Genesis 7–8; Moses 8:16–30

Following the prophet will bless me and my family.

As children learn to follow the prophet, they will be blessed and kept spiritually safe, just as Noah’s family was kept safe from the flood.

Possible Activities

• Tell the story of Noah from these chapters or from chapter 6 of Old Testament Stories (26–29). Invite each child to draw a picture of his or her favorite part of the story and share it.

• Sing the third verse of “Follow the Prophet” with the children (Children’s Songbook, 110–11). Help the children act out parts of the story, like pretending to use a tool to build the ark or walking like animals entering the ark.

• Help the children understand that Noah was a prophet long ago who taught about Jesus Christ (see Moses 8:24) and that we have a prophet today. Show a picture of the prophet and have the children repeat his name.

Genesis 11:1–9

Following Jesus Christ is the only way we can get to heaven.

The people of Babel thought they could reach heaven by building a tower rather than by living the gospel of Jesus Christ. How can you help the children trust the Savior as the only way back to our Heavenly Father?

Possible Activities

• Introduce the story of the tower of Babel by letting the children see who can build the tallest tower out of blocks.

• Tell the story of the tower of Babel in your own words, or read chapter 7 of Old Testament Stories (30–32). Ask the children to tell the story back to you. Make sure they understand that the only way to return to Heavenly Father is by following Jesus Christ.

• Show a picture of the Savior and invite the children to share ways they can follow Him.

Teach the Doctrine

Older Children

Genesis 6–8; Moses 8:16–30

Following the prophet protects me and my family.

Children are growing up in a world that is very wicked, just as the world was during Noah’s time. Noah’s experience can give them confidence that they can find spiritual safety as they follow the prophet and apostles, all of whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators.

Possible Activities

• Write key events in Genesis 6–8 on strips of paper. Chapter headings might help with this. Invite the children to use their scriptures and put the strips of paper in order.

• Ask children to share what they know about the story of Noah. Then read together scripture verses that tell important parts of the story, and ask them to find things they didn’t know before.

• Ask each child to draw a picture illustrating part of the story of Noah. Help the children pick scripture verses to write on their pictures. Then tell the story of Noah using the pictures.

• Show pictures of Noah and the current prophet. Help the children search Moses 8:16, 19–20, 23–24, looking for things Noah taught. Share something that the current prophet has recently taught. How does following the prophet keep us safe?

Genesis 9:15–17

We need to remember our covenants.

Most of the children you teach will have made baptismal covenants. You can teach them the importance of remembering their covenants by referring to the rainbow—a reminder of God’s covenant with Noah (see Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 9:21–25 [in the Bible appendix]).

Possible Activities

• Remind the children that they made covenants when they were baptized, and ask them if they remember the promises they made (see Mosiah 18:10; D&C 20:37). When have they seen examples of someone keeping these promises?

• Just as the rainbow reminded Noah of his covenant, we can think of things to remind us of our covenants. Let the children create something to remind them of their baptismal covenants.

Genesis 11:1–9.

Following Jesus Christ is the only way we can get to heaven.

The people of Babel built a tower to reach heaven, but the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ and His Atonement. How can you teach the children the importance of following Jesus Christ?

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to read these verses aloud. Let them act out the story, including building a small tower.

• Invite a child to read Genesis 11:4. Why can’t we reach heaven by building a tower? What do we need to do to reach heaven? Show a picture of the Savior, and help the children memorize John 14:6.

• Give each child a copy of this week’s activity page, and ask them to fill it out, color it, and share what they wrote.

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to share with something their families, such as what they plan to do to remember their covenants.

Sharing Time

Singing Time (25 minutes)

Singing time is the most important part of sharing time. Select a variety of songs that reinforce principles the children are learning this month, such as love, obedience, following the prophet, covenants, and prayer. Here are some examples:

• “Love at Home,” Hymns, no. 294

• “Keep the Commandments,” Children’s Songbook, 146

Draw the children’s attention to phrases that reinforce principles in the story of Noah, such as “in this there is safety and peace” in the song “Keep the Commandments.”

Sharing by Children (10 minutes)

Create opportunities for children to share how they are learning and living the gospel.

Younger Children

• Invite one of the children to share the story of Noah’s ark. Draw an ark on the board. Bring pictures of a variety of animals, and let the children take turns picking an animal to put on the ark.

• Bring pictures or objects that represent stories that the current prophet has told over the years. Let the children take turns selecting a picture or object. Then tell the story that relates to it.

Older Children

• Invite the children to write down something they can do to remember their baptismal covenants. Gather their answers, and share some of them.

• Ask the children to help you prepare strips of paper containing counsel from the current prophet. Have the children attach the strips to the board in the shape of an ark. How do these teachings keep us safe?