“Lesson 22: The Latter-day Revelations Are Published,” Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History (1997), 115–20
“Lesson 22,” Primary 5, 115–20
Lesson 22
The Latter-day Revelations Are Published
Purpose
To help the children gain a testimony of the importance of the Doctrine and Covenants and continuing revelation through the living prophet.
Preparation
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Prayerfully study the historical accounts given in this lesson, the “Explanatory Introduction” to the Doctrine and Covenants, and Doctrine and Covenants 43:8, 67:4–9, 69:1–2, and 70:1–4. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scriptural and historical accounts. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” pp. vi–vii, and “Teaching the Scriptural and Historical Accounts,” pp. vii–ix.)
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Additional reading: Doctrine and Covenants 28:2.
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Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
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Materials needed:
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A Doctrine and Covenants for each child.
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Picture 5-24, Saving the Book of Commandments (Gospel Art Picture Kit 409; 62605).
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Suggested Lesson Development
Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
Enrichment Activities
You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
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Discuss with the children why we need all four of the standard works. Write the following statements on four separate cards and have a child read each one aloud to the class:
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The Bible tells us about prophecies of Jesus Christ and about the Savior’s life and teachings when he was on the earth.
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The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and tells us about the Savior’s dealings with the people on the American continent.
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The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations from Jesus Christ for the latter days, or our times.
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The Pearl of Great Price gives us teachings and testimonies of Jesus Christ from ancient prophets as well as Joseph Smith’s history and testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Give each child four small pieces of paper, and show the children how to fold each piece in half so it resembles a book. Help the children label their “books” Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
Ask the following questions and have the children hold up the appropriate paper “book” to answer each question:
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Which book tells the most about the dealings of the Lord with his people in the Holy Land, beginning with the creation of the earth? (Bible.)
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Which book tells about Jesus Christ’s visit to the American continent? (Book of Mormon.)
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Which book tells the most about Jesus Christ’s birth and life on earth? (Bible.)
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Which book contains a record of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s appearance to Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove? (Pearl of Great Price.)
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Which book contains revelations on how the Church should be established in the latter days, given by Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith? (Doctrine and Covenants.)
Remind the children that each of the standard works is a testament of Jesus Christ and that we should study all of the scriptures.
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To help the children learn what some of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants contain, list the following in a column on the chalkboard:
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Word of Wisdom
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Sacrament prayers
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Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist
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Qualities of a missionary
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The prophet receives revelation for the whole Church
List the following sections of the Doctrine and Covenants on the chalkboard in a second column:
Have the children find each section and read the short summary at the beginning of the section to determine which section matches each topic in the first column. (You may want to have younger children read the verses in parentheses as well as the summaries if it is too difficult for them to determine the section topics from the summaries.)
Write the references next to the topics as the children match them. Then erase the references and see how many the children can remember. Review until most of the children can tell you which section of the Doctrine and Covenants teaches us about each of the listed topics.
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On cards or small pieces of paper, make two copies each of simple pictures or words representing principles or events discussed in the Doctrine and Covenants, such as baptism, hymn singing, translation of the Book of Mormon, Aaronic Priesthood, organization of the Church, and sacrament. Place the cards or papers face down in a grid on the floor or table. Let the children take turns turning over a pair of cards to try to make a match. If a child makes a match, have him or her give one reason why it is important for that principle to be part of the restored church. If a child does not make a match, have him or her return the cards to their original positions so another child can have a turn.
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Ask the children to name things they have in their lives that people in Joseph Smith’s time did not have, such as radio, telephone, television, computers, or cars. Explain that even though we have the scriptures, we still need continuing revelation to help us know what to do in a changing world. Help the children think of some things that the Lord might reveal to the living prophet today, such as where to build temples, whom to call when new apostles are needed, where to send missionaries, and what to teach people in general conference.
You may also want to discuss with the children how some of the modern conveniences they named help members of the Church learn and share the gospel. For example, many members of the Church learn what the Lord wants them to do by listening to general conference on the radio or watching it on television or via satellite.
Conclusion
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.