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Week 4: Come Follow Me: Book of Mormon, Teaching Ideas and Free Resources

January 27th- February 2nd

1 NEPHI 16 – 22

Questions to Ponder:

Each Come Follow Me Lesson asks important and reflective questions. When I first began my individual study these questions threw me off. Simply because many of these questions required so much depth and individual reflection in order to answer honestly. My first approach to come follow me was to get in, get out, get it done, check it off. These questions simply didn’t allow me to do so. In fact, I felt a little sick when I would read a question like, “How does the spirit speak to you?” and I wouldn’t know the answer right away. After a time, and pondering on that specific question I realized IT’S OKAY. In fact, I think these questions were meant to be set aside, thought about, and pondered. When we try and come up with the quick easy, obvious, answer, we are depriving ourselves of an opportunity to reflect, ponder, pray, and RECEIVE REVELATION. Is this not the whole reason for Come Follow Me? Are we not trying to finetune and recognize how we, and how to receive personal revelation.

So each week I will list out some of the questions issued in Come Follow Me. Maybe you pick to ponder about all of them, maybe you pick just one. Whatever you do, ponder on this for the ENTIRE week. Pray about it, discuss it with loved ones, then at the start of the new week, take the time to write down your impressions or thoughts, share them with your family, testify of powerful insights.

• What has Heavenly Father given you to provide guidance and direction?
• What do you think it means that “by small means, the Lord can bring about great things”?
• What experiences have you had where God has guided you?
• What warnings and application do you find for yourself?
• What can we learn from Nephi about having a faithful perspective?
• What are the consequences of jealousy, contention, and complaining in a family? How can we overcome these problems?

Great and marvelous events seem to motivate us, but small things often do not hold our attention. Noting that the Liahona worked by faith, Alma stated, “Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means … [the people of Lehi] were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey… Is our journey sometimes impeded when we forget the importance of small things? Do we realize that small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the direction of great ships? Are we ever like Naaman, the leper, expecting some great thing before we will pay attention to prophets? Through … small and simple things, we have the promise that our lives will be filled with peace and joy.

-M. Russel Ballard 

This week’s object lesson is all about the idea that the Lord can bring about GREAT things through simple means. This object lesson fell into my lap at a time when I was looking for a completely DIFFERENT object lesson. When this happens I can’t help but think THIS was the lesson I needed to include despite my prior efforts. I LOVE this object lesson. If you know me, you know I’m all about having a simple, low-prep, yet EFFECTIVE lesson. This one hits all the marks. Best part, all of the materials needed for this lesson can be found in your kitchen. Unless it’s time to go grocery shopping. #Beenthere.

Materials:

• Pitcher or container to hold water, preferably glass for the visual but not necessary!
• An Egg *Make sure the egg you use is fresh, meaning it will sink to the bottom of the water. If bad or old the egg will float!)
• Salt
• Spoon

This idea came from the 2015 September Ensign, by an article written by Jill Christine Hacking. She did a great job and the visuals are helpful!

Begin this lesson from an inquiry perspective. Meaning let your kiddos discover and relate the ideas on their own. Help them along when needed, but the real learning takes place from their own observations. Start by filling a pitcher or bowl full of hot tap water (The temperature of the water will aid in the solubility of the salt).** Approximately 5 cups.

Holding the egg, ask your family or students what they think will happen when you place the egg in the water. If your egg is fresh ;D the egg will sink to the bottom of the water.

“Explain to your family that the egg represents us when we feel discouraged or weighed down by the darkness of the world. We might feel like we’ve sunk into the negativity and despair around us. When that happens, it can be hard to believe we will ever feel happiness and peace again.”

Can you relate this feeling to an experience in your own life. What might your kids or students be facing that could cause this type of feeling? Discuss and ponder.

Here comes the cool part. Rising Up… But we can rise up from the world’s darkness. The righteous choices we make every day give us strength to move beyond the despair of the world. 

Then pose the question, what are the small things we can do each day to rise up? What righteous choices can we make every day?  With each suggestion add a little salt to the pitcher of water. ***If using approximately 5 cups of water, you will only need around 1/3 cup of salt. DIG DEEPER than your typical “primary answers” The primary answers are PERFECT, however, take it further by having them explain their thinking. Make it more than a 1-word answer.

Possible Choices to Explore: (Prayer, scripture study, church attendance, family prayer, seminary, institute, temple attendance, making time to ponder, service, Come Follow Me, Gospel conversations, Bearing of Testimony, fasting, paying tithes, being a friend, being honest, avoiding gossip, avoiding harmful media, doing things that aid physical and emotional well-being, repentance, acknowledging the Lord’s hand, expressing gratitude…etc.)

Once the salt has been added, use a spoon or a whisk to stir the water thus dissolving the salt.

While you wait take the opportunity to testify of the importance of those small and simple things and the difference you have noticed in your own life.

“The results of the experiment aren’t instantaneous. It’s the same with us. When we make good choices, we don’t always see immediate results. But consistently doing these things will bring us closer to God. And when we continue to do them, we’ll continue to be blessed.” 

Once the water and salt become a solution the egg will float to the surface or RISE UP. This happens because of the density of the water, the egg is now less dense than it’s surroundings. Consider the quote by Sister Jean A. Stevens, former first counselor in the Primary general presidency, said: “The gospel ‘is not weight; it is wings.’ It carries us”

Tie it all together. Place a single granule of salt in each family member or student’s hand. Have them think aloud and make observations. Try and lead them to essentially state the objective by noticing HOW small the salt is. Ask your family to look at the size of the egg and the size of the salt grain. How is it possible that tiny grains lifted up the much larger egg? In answer, you could share Nephi’s words: “And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:29). Even with the weight of the world pressing down on us, we can be carried. We can be lifted. With God, anything is possible.

Reinforce the lesson with this awesome 5-minute video based on Elder Oaks, Small and Simple Things  Conference Address.

If you do this activity PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take pictures and tag me! Post to the Facebook group, or tag @livingonlemonlane on Instagram! If you appreciate these object lessons or resource ideas, don’t forget to pin these images to your Pinterest. This is a SMALL and SIMPLE way to support the efforts of Living on Lemon Lane and sharing these ideas with your friends and family.

To stay up to date, and show your support make sure to follow @livingonlemonlane on Instagram!

Make sure to tag a friend to help spread the word. 

Watch or Listen To:

With a 2-year-old and 4-year-old, I understand the STRUGGLE and the attention span you are dealing with. Below are some of my favorite videos or audio recordings|podcasts you can listen to and watch with your children. My favorites right now are the Book of Mormon Story videos.**Different from the newly released B.O.M. videos. These are illustrated and READ stories to your children. THESE are PERFECT for when everyone is strapped in the car seat. My 4-year-old now requests these over the radio. Each segment is only 2-4 minutes long. This allows us to listen, review and discuss together, and listen again throughout the week.  Many of the videos I share can be found on the Saint’s Radio Channel App. (Formerly Mormon Channel App, If you don’t already have this, DOWNLOAD NOW.)

• Scripture Stories PODCAST- A podcast meant for young children. (Episode 4 Building the Ship)
• Scripture Stories PODCAST- A podcast meant for young children. (Episode 5 Crossing the Sea)
  • These Podcasts are PERFECT for when your driving in the car!

Read:

• Book of Mormon Stories Chapter 7 & 8: Same text and illustrations used in the video above

Read this article from the June 2010, Friend. “The Holy Ghost Testifies of the Truth of All Things,” Then do the corresponding Liahona Activity below. Page 40-41

• Nephi’s Broken Bow: Illustrated Story from the Friend

Activity Suggestions:

I LOVE this cutout|foldable from the 2010 June issue of The Friend. Simply print the page on cardstock and cut out the two pieces. Carefully cut around the dashed sections of the Liahona so the two flaps can fold up. Attach the two pieces together using a metal fastener. ***Article is on page 40, and the Liahona is on page 41. 

Compass of Faith Activity: Includes some fun cut-outs of Lehi’s family for your kids to color as well as a Liahona dot to dot

• Shipbuilding: A fun activity suggestion fro the Ensign, would work as a GREAT attention getter before a lesson, or scripture reading.