Saints running from mob

C. C. A. Christensen (1831–1912), Saints Driven from Jackson County Missouri, c. 1878, tempera on muslin, 77 ¼ × 113 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of the grandchildren of C. C. A. Christensen, 1970

September 6–12

Doctrine and Covenants 98–101

“Be Still and Know That I Am God”

What messages do the children in your class need to hear this week? How might the principles in Doctrine and Covenants 98–101 help them be better disciples of Jesus Christ?

Record Your Impressions

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Invite Sharing

Encourage the children to share something they have learned from the Doctrine and Covenants at home or in Primary. Ask them what they enjoy most about learning from the Doctrine and Covenants.

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Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Doctrine and Covenants 98:39–40

I can forgive those who are unkind to me.

The Lord asked the Saints who were being persecuted in Jackson County, Missouri, to forgive those who had harmed them. As you teach the children the importance of forgiveness, make sure they also understand that if someone hurts them, they should always tell a trusted adult.

Possible Activities

• To help the children understand the challenges the Saints in Zion were facing, share with them “Chapter 34: God Warns the People of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 128–31, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Read Doctrine and Covenants 98:39–40, and ask the children to listen for what the Lord told the Saints to do when their enemies asked for forgiveness. Why does Jesus want us to forgive people, even those who are not nice to us?

• Place a picture of a happy face on one wall and a sad face on the opposite wall. Share with the children different situations in which someone is unkind (you might find some stories in the Friend or Liahona). Suggest ways we could respond to the unkind actions, and help the children decide if each response would make them happy or sad. Invite the children to point to the corresponding face on the wall.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:16

Jesus Christ can bring me peace.

When the Saints were facing persecution, the Lord comforted them by saying, “Be still and know that I am God.” Consider how this counsel might help the children you teach.

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to wiggle in their chairs. Then ask them to stop moving when you hold up a picture of the Savior and say the phrase “Be still and know that I am God” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16). Repeat this activity a few times. Explain that when life was hard for the Saints in Joseph Smith’s time, Jesus wanted them to be still and trust Him instead of worrying. How can Jesus help us when we are having a hard time?

• Sing together a song about reverence, such as “Reverently, Quietly” or “To Think about Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 26, 71). Help the children recognize the peaceful feelings that come when we are being still and thinking about Jesus—for example, when we are praying or taking the sacrament.

• Help the children work on this week’s activity page. While they color, tell them how thinking of Jesus Christ has helped you feel peace, even during difficult times.

  Jesus Christ

  Detail from Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann

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Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Doctrine and Covenants 98:1–3, 11–14; 101:16

My trials can help me become more like Jesus Christ.

As children face challenges throughout their lives, they will need faith that the Savior can help them during their trials and that those trials can “work together for [their] good” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:3).

Possible Activities

• Ask the children to help you make a list on the board of some challenges that a child their age may face. Tell the children about some of the challenges of the Saints living in Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833 (see chapters 34 and 35 in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 128–34). What advice would they give to a child experiencing these challenges? Ask the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 98:1–3, 11–14, looking for the guidance the Lord gave. How can they follow this counsel as they face challenges like the ones listed on the board?

• Invite the children to be as still and quiet as possible for a few minutes while looking at a picture of the Savior or listening to a song about Him. Then invite them to share what they felt and experienced during the stillness. Read Doctrine and Covenants 101:16. How does being still and thinking of Jesus help us? Help the children understand the connection between reverent stillness and our ability to feel the Spirit and think about Jesus.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:23, 39–40

Jesus wants me to forgive those who are unkind to me.

We are commanded to love one another, to forgive others “seventy times seven,” and to turn the other cheek (see Matthew 5:39, 43–44; 18:21–22). How might you use these verses to teach the children these truths?

Possible Activities

• Tell the children about the persecutions that occurred in Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833 (see chapters 34 and 35 in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 128–34). Ask the children how they would feel if they were members of the Church at that time. Invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 98:23, 39–40 to find out what the Lord wanted the Saints to do. Why can it be hard to forgive those who hurt us? How are we blessed when we do?

• Ask the children if they can think of a time when Jesus Christ or someone else in the scriptures did what Doctrine and Covenants 98:23 teaches. To give them one example, show a picture of the Crucifixion (such as Gospel Art Book, no. 57). Ask the children to share what they know about the Savior’s Crucifixion (see Luke 23). Invite them to read Luke 23:34. How can we follow the example of Jesus Christ?

Doctrine and Covenants 101:23–32, 36, 38

Through Jesus Christ I can find joy.

Life is not meant to be free from difficulty, but you can help the children discover that they can still find a fulness of joy through Jesus Christ.

Possible Activities

• Put water in a cup. Ask the children to name things the Savior has done for us so that we can have joy, and invite them to drop a pebble in the cup for each thing they name until the cup is full. Read with the children Doctrine and Covenants 101:36, and ask them to look for how we can have a fulness of joy. What are some things we can do to “seek … the Lord” (verse 38) so we can have the joy that He wants to give us?

• Explain that Doctrine and Covenants 101:23–32 teaches about what life will be like when Jesus Christ comes again. As you read these verses together, talk about things the children find that will bring us joy when He comes. Why is it helpful to know about these things when we are having a hard time?

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Encourage Learning at Home

Help the children pick a verse from Doctrine and Covenants 98–101 that they would like to share with their families. Help them plan how they will share what they like about that verse.

Improving Our Teaching

Improve as a Christlike teacher. Ponder ways you can become a more Christlike teacher. Consider using the personal evaluation questions on page 37 of Teaching in the Savior’s Way to help you improve.

activity page: Jesus brings me peace