early Church missionaries

April 5–11

Doctrine and Covenants 30–36

“You Are Called to Preach My Gospel”

As you prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 30–36 with the children in your class in mind, the Spirit may give you ideas about how to teach them. Look for additional ideas in this outline.

Record Your Impressions

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Invite Sharing

Hold up a picture of missionaries, and ask the children to share what they know about missionary work.

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Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Doctrine and Covenants 33:2–3, 6–10

I can share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Even young children can share their witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How can you use these verses to help inspire them to do so?

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to try to say a phrase like “God loves you” with their mouths closed. Point out that we can’t teach people about the gospel if we don’t open our mouths. Read Doctrine and Covenants 33:8–10, and invite the children to open their mouths every time they hear the phrase “open your mouths.” Why does Heavenly Father want us to open our mouths and share the gospel with others?

• Whisper something very quietly to the children, such as “Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God,” and ask them to repeat what you said. Then say the same phrase in a louder voice. Read Doctrine and Covenants 33:2. Help the children understand that “lift[ing] up [our] voices” means to not be afraid to tell others about Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and other gospel truths.

• Place paper dolls or pictures of people around the room. Invite the children to find the people and gather them to the front of the room. Read Doctrine and Covenants 33:6, and explain what it means that the Lord will “gather [His] elect.” Testify that we can help gather people to the Lord as we share the gospel.

• Sing a song about sharing the gospel, such as “I Want to Be a Missionary Now” (Children’s Songbook, 168). Help the children think of ways they can help other people learn about Jesus Christ.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–17

I can build my life on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The counsel the Lord gave to Ezra Thayer and Northrop Sweet can help the children you teach build their lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Possible Activities

• Show the children a picture of the foundation of a building, and ask them to describe it. Why does a building need a strong, solid foundation? Read with the children Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–13, and explain that the Lord wants us to build our lives on His gospel. Help the children think of some ways they can build their lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Give the children some objects that they can use to build a tower, such as blocks or plastic cups. Label each object with a picture representing things the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants 33:14–17. Invite the children to build a tower as you talk with them about how these things help us build our lives on Jesus Christ’s gospel.

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Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Doctrine and Covenants 30:1–2

I should focus more on the things of God than the things of the earth.

The Lord’s counsel to David Whitmer in section 30 can help the children you teach stay faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Possible Activities

• Read Doctrine and Covenants 30:1 together, and ask the children to summarize, in their own words, the counsel the Lord gave David Whitmer. In what ways might we sometimes “fear man,” or worry what others might think, instead of doing what we know we should?

• Ask the children to try to do two tasks at once, such as reciting an article of faith while writing down the names of all of the children in the class. Ask them why it was hard to focus on the first task. What are some “things of the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 30:2) that can distract us from remembering Jesus Christ and His gospel? How can we keep our focus on Him rather than on less important things?

Doctrine and Covenants 30–34

I can share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many children in the Church look forward to serving a full-time or service mission. The experiences of the missionaries addressed in sections 30–34 could help them prepare.

Possible Activities

• Invite a ward member to learn about one of the missionaries called in Doctrine and Covenants 30–34 and to share with the children what they learned (see “Voices of the Restoration: Early Converts” in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families or “The Faith and Fall of Thomas Marsh,” “Ezra Thayer: From Skeptic to Believer,” “Orson Pratt’s Call to Serve,” Revelations in Context, 54–69).

• Draw a large mouth on the board, and help the children find in Doctrine and Covenants 33:8–10 the Lord’s promises to us when we open our mouths to share the gospel. Let the children write these promises on the board, and help them understand what these promises mean. Ask each child to write inside the mouth a gospel truth they can share with others.

• Show a picture of a trumpet, and talk about what it means to preach the gospel “as with the sound of a trump.” How do we “lift up” our voices? (Doctrine and Covenants 33:2; 34:6).

• Ask the children to share how they are preparing to serve missions someday. If they know someone (perhaps a family member) who is serving, invite them to tell about his or her experiences. Or invite missionaries, a returned missionary, or someone preparing for a mission to share his or her enthusiasm for missionary work. Share some of your experiences sharing the gospel, including experiences in your daily life.

  boys playing

  I can share the gospel with my friends.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–17

I can build my life on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If the children can learn at an early age how to build their lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ, they are more likely to stay faithful to Him. The counsel given in these verses can help them.

Possible Activities

• Bring to class items of differing hardness, such as a stuffed animal, a sponge, clay, and a rock. Allow the children to handle each one. Ask them to look in Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–13 to find out how the Lord describes His gospel. Why is “rock” a good word to describe the gospel? How can we build our lives on the rock of the gospel?

• Help the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–17 and find things we can do to build our lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Invite the children to draw a picture of something they find, and let them guess what each other’s pictures are portraying.

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Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to be like missionaries by sharing with their families something they learned in Primary today.

Improving Our Teaching

Testify of promised blessings. When you invite children to live a gospel principle, share promises God has made to those who live that principle. For example, you can bear testimony of the blessings that the Lord gives to those who open their mouths and share the gospel.

activity page: I can share the gospel