Stories of Jesus: Jehovah Gives Commandments, by Sam Lawlor

April

Heavenly Father Gives Me Commandments Because He Loves Me

God gives us commandments because He loves us. And we keep His commandments because we love Him. If children can connect commandments with love, then obedience becomes a blessing and a joy, not a burden. As you teach the children, besides telling them what the commandments are, tell them how they help you feel God’s love. Tell them why you are happy to keep His commandments. And bear your testimony about how, through those commandments, your loving Heavenly Father has guided you to a joyful life.

See also Topics and Questions, “Commandments,” Gospel Library.

God’s commandments guide me to safety and peace.

• At the end of this lesson are pictures of things you could compare to God’s commandments. Maybe the children could take turns choosing a picture, and then you could talk about how God’s commandments are like that thing (see also “Why Does God Give Us Commandments?” [video], ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Why is it important that a cook follow the recipe, that a train stay on its tracks, or that a driver obey traffic lights? Why is it important that we follow God’s commandments? (To learn about how President Dallin H. Oaks compared keeping the commandments to flying a kite, see “Following Christ,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 24.)

  Following Christ

• You could sing “Keep the Commandments” together (Children’s Songbook, 146–47). Or read Mosiah 2:41 or Doctrine and Covenants 59:23. The children could stand up every time they hear a blessing God gives to those who keep His commandments (like “safety and peace” or “never-ending happiness”). You could also tell your children how keeping God’s commandments has helped you feel His love.

• To help your class learn about the Ten Commandments, you could read together Exodus 20:3–17 (see also “Moses on Mount Sinai,” in Old Testament Stories, 77–82). Maybe the children could pick one of those commandments and draw a picture of themselves obeying it. They could show their pictures to each other and guess which commandment they have drawn.

  Moses on Mount Sinai

• In addition to the Ten Commandments, prayerfully consider other commandments you might want to review with the children. For example:

  • Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21; “The Word of Wisdom,” in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 86–89)

    The Word of Wisdom: The Lord's law of health

  • Tithing (see Malachi 3:8–10; “The Yanagida Family,” in Doctrine and Covenants Stories, 199–201)

    The Yanagida Family

  • Sharing the gospel (see Matthew 28:19–20; “Come and See,” in New Testament Stories)

    Come and See

I keep the commandments because I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

• To emphasize the connection between love and commandments, you could read Matthew 22:37–40 and John 14:15, 21 together. Help the children notice each time they see the word “love” in these verses. Then they could talk about ways they can show love for God and for each other.

• You could give each child a piece of paper with “Because I love God, I will …” written at the top. Help them list a few ways to complete the sentence. They can find ideas in “Love God, Love Your Neighbor” (in For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, 28–32).