53
Family Home Evening Lessons

New Testament
Coordinates with Primary Manual 7

Only Christ can still our storms.



Lesson Ideas from the Friend, Liahona, Ensign, & New Era
Additional Lessons For Easter, Christmas,
And Conferences
Opening Songs from the Children Songbook


Contents

1.  New Testament ABC’s (Becoming Familiar with the New Testament)   
2.  The Savior’s Atonement (Jesus Christ Volunteered to Be Our Savior)     
  3.  John the Baptist Followed Jesus Christ (John the Baptist Prepared the Way for Jesus Christ)     
4.  I Shouted for Joy (Jesus Christ Is the Son of Heavenly Father)     
  5.  Jesus Once Was a Little Child (The Childhood of Jesus Christ)     
  6.  Baptism (The Baptism of Jesus Christ)     
  7.  Jesus is Tempted (Jesus Christ Was Tempted by Satan)     
  8.  Jesus and Heavenly Father’s House (Jesus Christ Cleanses the Temple)     
  9.  Calling the Twelve (Jesus Christ Calls His Apostles)     
10.  He’s Talking to Me (The Sermon on the Mount)     
11.  Jesus Christ Teaches about Prayer     
12.  The Wise Man and the Foolish Man (The House Built on a Rock)    
13.  By These Names (Jesus Christ Heals the Sick)     
14.  He Hath Opened Mine Eyes (Jesus Christ and the Sabbath Day)     
15.  Power (Jesus Christ Used His Priesthood Power to Bless Others)     
16.  Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People (Jesus Christ Performed Miracles)     
17.  The Parables of the Sower and the Wheat and Tares     
18.  Jesus Christ Heals a Man Born Blind     
19.  The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son     
20.  Parable of the Good Samaritan     
21.  Were There Not Ten Healed (Jesus Christ Heals Ten Lepers)     
22.  Experiment in Forgiving (The Unmerciful Servant)     
23.  The Good Shepherd     
24. The Widow’s Mite     
25.  Parable of the Ten Virgins     
26.  Parable of the Talents     
27.  Practice Makes Perfect (Parable of the Sheep and the Goats)     
28. The Faith of Mary and Martha (Jesus Christ Raises Lazarus from the Dead)     
29.  The Atonement (Jesus Christ’s Triumphal Entry and the Last Supper)     
30.  The Atonement and Resurrection (Jesus Christ in Gethsemane)     
31.  Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ’s Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial)     
32.  The Crucifixion (The Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus Christ)     
33.  He is Not Here, But Has Risen (The Resurrection of Jesus Christ)     
34.  Heroes and Heroines: Kim Ho Jik (Feed My Sheep)     
35.  The Mission of Jesus Christ     
36.  The Day of Pentecost     
37.  Seek, Then Follow the Prophet’s Counsel (Peter the Apostle)     
38.  An Honest Man-God’s Noblest Work (Barnabas, Ananias, and Sapphira)     
39.  The First Martyr (Stephen, the Martyr)     
40.  Peter and Cornelius     
41.  Your Name is Safe in Our House (James Teaches Us to Control Our Tongues)     
42.  The Conversion of Saul     
43.  The Living Christ (Paul Testifies of Jesus Christ)     
44.  Every Day Heroes: They also Serve (Paul the Missionary)     
45.  Gifts from God (Paul’s Journey to Rome)     
What a Joyful Day (Jesus Christ Will Come Again)

The Power and Authority of God (The Priesthood Can Bless Our Lives)
Why Do We Have Fast Sunday?
Milk Money
Power of Pray
My Sister, My Example
To Hear the Angels Sing (Christmas)
The Gift of the Holy Ghost: What Every Member Should Know




1. New Testament ABC’s Janet Peterson, Friend, Jan. 1991, 24

HYMN: The Books of the New Testament p.116
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: The Eight Article of Faith
LESSON: To Play: Any number of players may participate. Each player, in turn, picks a letter from the pile, reads the clue, and has two minutes to find the answer that begins with that letter in the New Testament. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the game wins.
A. Twelve men who were chosen and ordained by Jesus (See Luke 6:13.)
B. Town where Jesus was born (See Matt. 2:1.)
C. Name given for those who believe in Christ (See Acts 11:26.)
D. Those who follow Christ (See John 8:31.)
E. Land where Joseph and Mary took Jesus when He was a baby (See Matt. 2:13.)
F. Fragrance brought by the Wise Men (See Matt. 2:11.)
G. Garden where Jesus prayed (See Mark 14:32.)
H. Wicked king who ordered all babies killed (See Matt. 2:13.)
I. Where there was no room for Mary and Joseph (See Luke 2:7.)
J. Name that the angel told Mary to call the Savior (See Luke 1:30–31.)
K. “_____ of the Jews”—part of the title on the cross (See John 19:19.)
L. Brother of Mary and Martha; raised from the dead by Jesus (See John 11:43–44.)
M. First book in the New Testament (See New Testament.)
N. Town where Jesus lived as a boy (See Matt. 2:23.)
O. The _____ Begotten Son (See John 3:16.)
P. Chief Apostle; denied Christ three times before the cock crew (See Matt. 26:69–75.)
Q. “The _____ and the dead” (those to be judged by Christ—See 2 Tim. 4:1.)
R. Last book in the New Testament (See New Testament.)
S. Name changed to Paul (See Acts 13:9.)
T. The Apostle who doubted Christ’s resurrection (See John 20:24–25.)
U. _____ room, where the Last Supper was held (See Mark 14:14–15.)
V. Drink given to Christ while He was on the cross (See Matt. 27:34.)
W. Person who gave her last two mites (See Mark 12:42–44.)
Note: No word in the Bible starts with x.
Y. What we should take upon us (See Matt. 11:29.)
Z. Father of John the Baptist (See Luke 1:5.)

Apostles, Bethlehem, Christians, disciples, Egypt, frankincense, Gethsemane, Herod, inn, Jesus, King, Lazarus, Matthew, Nazareth, Only, Peter, quick, Revelation, Saul, Thomas, Upper, vinegar, widow, yoke, Zacharias.


CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:



























2. Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice: The Savior’s Atonement Friend, Mar. 2002
HYMN: He Sent His Son p.34
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Isa. 49:26
LESSON: Christ and explains its meaning in our lives. Jesus Christ was appointed to be our Redeemer before the world was formed. With His divine Sonship, His sinless life, the shedding of His blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, His [painful] death on the cross and Resurrection from the grave, He became the author of our salvation and made a perfect Atonement for all mankind. Some years ago, President Gordon B. Hinckley told “something of a parable” about “a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them. “Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted the risk. The first day of school, the teacher asked the boys to establish their own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with ten rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’ “ ‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response. “A day or so later, the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. “As little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’ “The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, big Tom jumped to his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking. “ ‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked. “After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class was sobbing. Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’ ” President Hinckley then quoted Isaiah:“ ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. … “ ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our [sins].’ ” (Isa. 53:4–5.) No man knows the full weight of what our Savior bore. His [deep] suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He took upon Himself all the sins of all other mortals, caused Him “to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:18). The Atonement and the Resurrection accomplish many things. The Atonement cleanses us of sin on condition of our repentance. Christ’s resurrection gave us the assurance of life after death. Our Redeemer took upon Himself all the sins, pains, and sicknesses of all who have ever lived and will ever live (see Alma 7:11–12). He knows our trials by firsthand experience. Because the Savior has suffered anything and everything that we could ever feel or experience, He can help the weak to become stronger. He understands our pain and will walk with us even in our darkest hours.
We long for the ultimate blessing of the Atonement—to become one with Him, to be in His divine presence, to be called individually by name as He warmly welcomes us home with a radiant smile, beckoning us with open arms to be enfolded in His boundless love (see Alma 26:15; Morm. 5:11; Morm. 6:17; Moses 7:63).

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:

3. John the Baptist Followed Jesus Christ
HYMN: The First Article of Faith p.122
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Gal. 3:26
LESSON: “John the Baptist Followed Jesus Christ,” Friend, July 2003, 16
One time when Jesus was teaching in the temple, some chief priests and elders of the people came and asked Him, “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” (See Matt. 21:23.) They were trying to make the Savior look bad in front of the people. They didn’t want people to believe in Him. If people believed in Jesus Christ, they wouldn’t follow them (the chief priests and elders). But Jesus knew what they were trying to do, so He said, “I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?” (Matt. 21:24–25.) Now, John the Baptist believed in the Savior and knew of His mission. Before his death, John had told people that “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me [Jesus Christ] is mightier than I … : he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matt. 3:11). When the chief priests and the elders heard Jesus’ question, they were worried. They realized that if they said that John baptized people with the proper priesthood authority, Jesus would ask them why they didn’t believe John and follow Him (the Savior). But if they said that John did not have proper priesthood authority, the people wouldn’t believe them, because the people did believe John.
When the chief priests and elders refused to answer Jesus’ question, he refused to answer theirs. Then he told them a parable, or story:
“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
“He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
“And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
“Whether of them twain did the will of his father?”
The chief priests said that the first son did what his father asked. Jesus told them that those who believed John the Baptist and repented of their sins would go to heaven but that the chief priests and elders would not, because they didn’t believe John and repent of their sins. (See Matt. 21:25–32.)
When we learn the gospel, have faith in the Savior, repent of our sins, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, choose the right, and study the scriptures, we are following Jesus Christ.
Fourth Article of Faith Picture Scramble By Caroline Benzley Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. We can follow Jesus’ example by being baptized, too. To find out what two things we must do before we are baptized and what happens after we are baptized, cut out the pictures and glue them in place in the right order. For help, or to check your answer, read Articles of Faith 1:4 [A of F 1:4].
Gift of the Holy Ghost Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Repentance Baptism

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:
4. I Shouted for Joy! Sydney S. Reynolds, Friend, Feb. 1999, 46
HYMN: I Lived in Heaven p.4
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: John 6:69
LESSON: “Hurray!” we cried. “Hurray!” We shouted for joy! Have you ever been so happy in a meeting that you wanted to shout for joy? Did you know that you attended a very big meeting before you were born? It was called the Council in Heaven. All of Heavenly Father’s spirit children were there. Jesus Christ was there, and each one of us was there. Jesus was Heavenly Father’s Firstborn Son in the spirit world. We are also His spirit children. We lived with Heavenly Father and Jesus in heaven before we were born on this earth.
In the Council in Heaven, Heavenly Father told us about His wonderful plan. We call it the plan of salvation or the great plan of happiness. As part of this plan, Jesus, under the direction of Heavenly Father, would create a beautiful earth for us. Heavenly Father wanted each of His children to come to earth and receive a body. We had learned as much as we could in the spirit world. With a body and with the gift of agency (freedom to choose right or wrong) we could prove to Heavenly Father that we wanted more than anything else to keep His commandments and return to live with Him again. We were excited to be able to come to earth.
But there was a problem. Heavenly Father knew that when we became mortal and had bodies, we could get sick and die. We would make mistakes and could be tempted. We could sin, and no one who is sinning can live with Him. Heavenly Father knew that someone would have to pay the price for our sins so that we could be clean again and free from sin. We would need a savior who would give his own life in payment for our sins. Heavenly Father asked, “Whom shall I send?” Jesus said, “Here am I, send me.” Jesus said that He would do whatever Heavenly Father wanted Him to do to help us. There was another spirit person there who wanted to take away our agency and force us all to follow him. That was Lucifer, or Satan. He didn’t want to follow Heavenly Father’s plan—he wanted his own plan. Heavenly Father said, “I will send the first.” (See Abr. 3:24–27.)
When we heard that Jesus would be our Savior, we were so grateful and so happy that we shouted for joy. All the prophets from Adam’s time onward knew that Jesus would come and be our Savior. All the prophets who have lived since Jesus’ birth testify that He did come and that He is the Christ. The Apostle John, who knew Jesus personally, declared “We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). When we read that scripture, our faith can grow. Once again, we feel like shouting for joy!
Who Is He? Puzzle
Instructions: Jesus Christ has many names or titles in the scriptures (see “Christ, Names of” in the Bible Dictionary). These titles help us know more about Him. Read the descriptions in the left column, look for the correct answers in the right column, then fill in the blanks with the correct titles. Because more than one title may fit each description, the shaded blanks have the letters of His name. To make this puzzle activity into a scroll, mount this page on heavy paper or fabric and cut it out. Glue sticks or dowels along the left and the right edges of the puzzle and let them dry (see illustration). Roll the sticks toward the middle and tie a piece of string or ribbon around the scroll.





  1. God of the Old Testament   a. Alpha and Omega
  2. Cares for the flock   b. King of Kings
  3. Oldest spirit child   c. Jehovah
  4. Gives good advice   d. Good Shepherd
  5. Offspring of Heavenly Father   e. Light of the World
  6. Brings calm to a troubled heart   f. Firstborn
  7. The First and the Last   g. Savior
  8. Brings us back to Heavenly Father   h. Counsellor
  9. Is above all earthly rulers   i. Son of God
10. Rescues us from sin   j. Redeemer
11. Because of Him, we can “see.”   k. Prince of Peace



  1.   J __ __ __ __ __ __
  2. __ __ __ __    __ __ E __ __ __ __ __
  3. __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __
  4. __ __ U __ __ __ __ __ __ __
  5.   S __ __   of   __ __ __
 
  6. __ __ __ __ C __   of   __ __ __ __ __
  7. __ __ __ H __   and   __ __ __ __ __
  8.   R __ __ __ __ __ __ __
  9. __ __ __ __   of   __ I __ __ __
10.   S __ __ __ __ __
11. __ __ __ __ T of the   __ __ __ __ __




CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:





5. Jesus Once Was a Little Child Friend, Dec. 1979, 2
HYMN: Jesus Once Was a Little Child p. 54
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matt. 2:13 LESSON: At this joyous Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The story of that birth is well-known; the story of His sacrifice is an inspiration to all. But, perhaps sadly for us, we do not know much about His youth; although because of our knowledge of His later life, we can picture the growing Boy. From reading the scriptures we know that as a little child Jesus was watched over by angels, and His earthly parents were divinely guided. One angelic message was delivered to them about the safety of their Son, telling them that King Herod had a murderous plan. The angel said: “Take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” (Matt. 2:13.) When the death of Herod was announced and the danger had passed, the angel came again, and in another dream he told the loving guardian Joseph: “Take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel.” (Matt. 2:20.) When the family arrived back in Palestine, there was still some fear in their minds, and the angel came again and directed them to go into Galilee. And the scriptures tell us that there “the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40.) Jesus lived in Nazareth, which is toward the top of one of the very rough hills north of the Plain of Esdraelon. This was an interesting place to grow up, and Jesus undoubtedly had all kinds of experiences that would ripen His life for His magnificent future. From the top of the hill Jesus may have seen the military and commercial routes teeming with life and movement and commerce. The rim was precipitous and from this high place, having been angered by His teachings and claims, Jesus’ fellow townsmen once tried to cast Him down headlong, but He escaped from their clutches. He lived probably not more than fifteen miles from the Sea of Galilee, where He would likely have learned much about clouds and storms and waves and sand and rocks and boats and ships. It was not much farther to the Mediterranean Sea, and here also He may have become acquainted with larger ships and tides and waves and streams and all the material that He referred to so eloquently in the sermons He gave later. As a boy, Jesus could have climbed the slopes of Mount Tabor, and He may have been familiar with the place where He led three apostles in later years. To climb Mount Tabor would be a real challenge, but one that a young, growing boy might find irresistible. Jesus also could have walked from Nazareth to the Jordan River, where there would have been numerous live animals in the brush and natural growth. He probably observed nests with bird eggs in them. Undoubtedly He had seen the foxes and had watched them escape into their holes. He also knew of the grass of the field. He knew of the barns where food was stored. He knew of the toil of men and women. Jesus grew up in a builder’s home and He knew of slivers and beams and measurements. Jesus probably went fishing by Himself many times and helped Mary make bread. He knew of thorns and probably pulled many from His feet. He knew of figs and thistles. Certainly all these experiences were part of His life. And so when He spoke of them the people knew that He had a knowledge of those things. And most surely Jesus knew sheep and their importance to the people. He had seen sheep without a shepherd wander away and become lost. He said to those who followed Him, “Ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me.” (3 Ne. 15:24.) To all of us He has declared: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11.) At this time as we open our gifts and sing happy Christmas carols, we remember that we are celebrating the birth of our Shepherd who gave us the greatest of all gifts, His life. You boys and girls are His lambs. You, who are now children as Jesus once was, have our love, our prayers, and our blessings. CLOSING PRAYER:
REFRESHMENTS:
6. Baptism October 2000 general conference address. Robert D. Hales, Friend, Jan. 2003, 7

HYMN: Baptism p.100
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3:13-16
LESSON: Did you know that Elder Robert D. Hales lived in New York State but would spend summers on his relatives’ farms in Utah? He learned how to bale hay, ride a horse, and care for sheep and cows. Here he teaches us the importance and meaning of baptism.
At baptism we make a covenant with our Heavenly Father that we are willing to come into His kingdom and keep His commandments from that time forward, even though we still live in the world.
Entering into the kingdom of God is so important that Jesus was baptized to show us “the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which [we] should enter” (2 Ne. 31:9). “Notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments” (2 Ne. 31:7).
He set the example for all of us to humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father. We are all welcome to come into the waters of baptism. He was baptized to witness to His Father that He would be obedient in keeping His commandments. He was baptized to show us that we should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (see 2 Ne. 31:4–9).
When we are baptized, we take upon ourselves the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Taking upon us His name is one of the most significant experiences we have in life.
Each week in sacrament meeting we promise to remember the atoning sacrifice of our Savior as we renew our baptismal covenant. We promise to do as the Savior did—to be obedient to the Father and always keep His commandments. The blessing we receive in return is to always have His Spirit to be with us.
I feel great gratitude for my baptism and confirmation into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am grateful for the spiritual strength and guidance the gift of the Holy Ghost has given me throughout my life.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:





7. Jesus Is Tempted Friend, Dec. 2000, 28
HYMN: The Commandments p.112
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22:35-39
LESSON:
Jesus went into the wilderness to be with God. The Savior was there for forty days, talking with God. While He was there, He did not eat anything. JST, Matt. 4:1–2; JST, Luke 4:1–2
After the forty days, the devil came and tempted Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God. First, he told Jesus to change some rocks into bread. Jesus was hungry, but He knew that He should only use His power to help other people. He did not do what the devil said. Matt. 4:2–4; Jesus the Christ, pages 128–129
When the Holy Ghost took Jesus to a high place on the temple, the devil tempted Jesus a second time, telling Him to jump off the temple. The devil said that if Jesus was the Son of God, angels would catch Him and He would not be hurt. Jesus did not jump. He knew that He was the Son of God and did not need to prove it and that it would be wrong to use sacred powers in this way. Matt. 4:5–7; JST, Matt. 4:5–6
Then the Holy Ghost took Jesus to the top of a mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms and treasures of the world. The devil came and said that Jesus could have all the kingdoms and treasures if He would obey him. Saying that He would obey only Heavenly Father, Jesus told the devil to go away. The devil left, and angels came and blessed Jesus. He was then ready to begin His mortal ministry. Matt. 4:8–11; JST, Matt. 4:8–9


CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:




























8. Jesus and His Heavenly Father’s House Friend, Feb. 2001, 8
HYMN: I Love to See the Temple p. 95
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: D. & C. 124:39-41
LESSON: Jesus went to Jerusalem to the temple. Many people went there to make a sacrifice by killing an animal and burning it on an altar. The sacrifice helped people think about the Savior, who would sacrifice Himself by suffering and dying for them. Lev. 1:3–9; Moses 5:5–7; John 2:13
Because some people did not have an animal to sacrifice, men sold animals to them in the temple. The men just wanted to get money. They did not think about God. John 2:14
Jesus saw the men selling the animals in the temple. He said that the temple was His Heavenly Father’s house, a holy place. He did not want the men to sell things there. John 2:16
Jesus made a whip, overturned the tables, threw the money on the floor, and made the men leave the temple. He would not let the men sell animals and be irreverent in Heavenly Father’s house. John 2:15–16
CLOSING PRAYER:
REFRESHMENTS:


9. Calling of the Twelve Apostles Friend, Sept. 1999, 15
HYMN: Called to Serve p.174
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Hel. 5:12
LESSON:
During His life, the Savior had many followers who believed His teachings. These followers were called disciples. One day while in Galilee, He went “up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
“And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” (Mark 3:13–15). This group of twelve disciples had been called and ordained to be Apostles.
“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
“Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphæus, and Lebbæus, whose surname was Thaddæus;
“Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” (Matt. 10:2–4.)
The word apostle means “one sent forth.” The Twelve Apostles had it revealed to them that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world. They were sent forth into the world to bear testimony of Him. The members of the Quorum of the Twelve in the Church today have this same responsibility to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Most of us will not be called to serve as “special witnesses” of Jesus Christ. However, the Holy Ghost can still reveal to each of us personally that Jesus is the Son of God and that His teachings are true. We share our knowledge of these truths by bearing our testimonies and by doing those things that are right.
Instructions
Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use them to retell the story of the calling of the Twelve Apostles and of their responsibilities.
Calling of the Twelve (Jesus with the Twelve on the hillside); Peter and John healing a lame man; Philip testifying.
(Illustrated by Beth M. Whittaker.)

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:




10. He’s Talking to Me Sydney Reynolds, Friend, May 1998, 36
HYMN: Faith p. 96
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: 1 Ne. 19:23
LESSON:
Do you know what a multitude is? A multitude is a great number. It can refer to a great number of people. When Jesus Christ taught in Judea, great numbers of people followed after Him to hear what He had to say. He taught multitudes on the shores of Galilee. He taught multitudes on the mountain. He taught multitudes in Jerusalem. He wanted each individual person in the multitude to listen, to believe, and to decide to follow Him. Moses taught a whole multitude in Old Testament times. He taught them the Ten Commandments. He told them, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5). He wanted them to keep those words close to their hearts and to teach the words to their children. Even though he was speaking to a large group, he wanted each person to hear and to do the things that he told them. And he wanted their children and their children’s children to know those things too. To the people of his day, Nephi read from the books of Moses and also from the prophet Isaiah. Nephi said, “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Ne. 19:23). What does it mean to “liken” the scriptures unto us? It means that we see how our life is like the lives of the people we are reading about. If the Lord says something to those people, we know that He is saying it to us too. We can learn from the scriptures what happens when we keep the commandments—it brings happiness and peace. We can also see the sorrow that comes when people break the commandments. The Savior’s speech called the “Sermon on the Mount” (see Matthew 5–7) is for us! We are happy and blessed when we are meek or merciful (see Matt. 5:5, 7). King Benjamin’s speech from the tower (see Mosiah 2–5) is for us! We, too, can have a mighty change in our hearts (see Mosiah 5:2). The Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89) will help us find health and great treasures of knowledge. It helped the Saints who lived in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1833, and it can help us. When the prophets speak today, their message is for us and for those who come after us. And when we liken the scriptures to ourselves and listen to the Spirit, we can hear the Lord talking to us.
Instructions: Carefully remove page 37 from the magazine, mount it on heavy paper, and color it. In the center oval, glue a small photo of yourself, a mirror, or a picture that you’ve drawn of yourself. Cut off the bottom strip along the broken black line. Cut out each box in the strip, read each title and its scripture, then glue the box under the appropriate picture. Hang the poster in your room. Illustrated by Tadd R. Peterson
PosterWhen I Liken the Scriptures to Myself … … the Lord Is Talking to Me!
Moses Teaches Israel the Ten Commandments Ex. 20:3–17
King Benjamin Preaches His Sermon Mosiah 2–5
Jesus Teaches the Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5–7
Joseph Smith Teaches the Word of Wisdom D&C 89
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:

11. Jesus Teaches about Prayer Friend, June 2001, 10
HYMN: A Child’s Prayer p. 12
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Luke 11:1
LESSON:
Jesus taught His disciples (followers) how to pray. He said that some people want others to see them praying. Jesus taught that people should say their personal prayers where they can be alone, if possible. Matt. 6:5–6
He said that some people say the same words over and over when they pray. They do not really think about what they are saying. But people should think about what they say. They should pray sincerely for what they need. Matt. 6:7–8
The Savior said a prayer as an example for His disciples. He began by saying, “Our Father … in heaven.” He thanked Heavenly Father. He asked Heavenly Father for help. He said “amen” at the end of His prayer. Later, Jesus told His disciples to pray in His name. He promised that Heavenly Father would answer their prayers and bless them. Matt. 6:9–13; Matt. 21:22; John 16:23
“Jesus Prays,” Friend, Aug. 1996, 24
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray (Matt. 19:13).
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. … (Matt. 6:9.)
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. (Matt. 26:26–27.)

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matt. 26:39). (© Seventh Day Adventist Church.)

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:
12. The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Friend, July 1999, 47
HYMN: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man p.281
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: James 2:17–18
LESSON:
While He was in Galilee, Jesus Christ gave the Sermon on the Mount.* In it, he taught His disciples the Beatitudes and to be a good example to the world. He taught them that it was wrong to be angry with or hate anyone, even their enemies. Not only should His disciples do what is right, but their thoughts should be righteous, too. He taught the principles of prayer, forgiveness, and seeking “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).
Jesus said that to live with Him in the kingdom of heaven, His disciples needed to learn the gospel and to live it. He explained: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24–27.)
We have many opportunities to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can show that we have faith that the gospel is true by choosing the right each day. If we do, we will be like the wise man—building our lives upon the solid foundation of the gospel and preparing ourselves to live again with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Instructions
Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use them to retell the story of the wise man and the foolish man.
House; Wise man; Foolish man; Fallen house; Storm: Rain, wind, floods; Rock hill; Sand hill.
(Illustrated by Beth M. Whittaker.)
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:







13. By These Names Dorothy Leon, Friend, Apr. 1995, 14
HYMN: I’ll Walk with You p. 140
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: D&C 18:23
LESSON:
In days of old, many people acquired names that told something about them.
King Richard became Richard the Lion-Hearted to tell of his fearless bravery. The name Ivan the Terrible of Russia speaks for itself, as do the names John the Baptist, Simon the Zealot, and Saint Francis of Assisi (a place in Italy).
Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth to distinguish him from others who also carried the name of Jesus in those early days. The name “Jesus” is “Joshua” in Hebrew. It means “savior,” or “he who comes to help.” In Greek, the name Jesus is “Iasathai,” and it means “healer of souls of men.”
Thus, Jesus’ name means “he who will come to save and to give eternal life.” He has many other names, such as “Creator” and “Only Begotten Son,” that tell of his good deeds and what he represents. Through his deeds and his ministry, Jesus is known by more than two hundred names. The following examples discuss a few of them.
Alpha and Omega
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Rev. 22:13; see also 3 Ne. 9:18).
Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, just as A is the first letter in our alphabet. Alpha means “the first” or “the beginning.” Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet, as Z is in our alphabet. Omega means “the last of any series,” or “the end.” When you put the two words, Alpha and Omega, together, they mean from the beginning to the end, or from the first to the last. Jesus as “Alpha and Omega” was from the beginning, and will be at the end in all things; he is eternal.
Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine (John 10:14; see also Alma 5:38).
Why is Jesus known by the name of “Good Shepherd” instead of simply “Shepherd”?
When the Savior lived upon the earth, sheepherding was a common occupation. There were three kinds of people who became shepherds. One kind of person became a shepherd because his father was one; his father taught him as he grew up.
A second kind of person became a shepherd because he loved sheep and wanted to learn how to be a shepherd. While he worked and learned, he received food and a place to sleep and was sometimes paid with a gift of a sheep or two.
The third kind of person became a shepherd solely for the money. Known as a hireling shepherd, when his day’s work was done, he went home. If during his working hours there was danger, he fled in fear of his own safety, leaving the sheep unattended and without a leader.
The first two kinds of shepherds were called good shepherds because they never left their sheep unattended, even at the risk of their own lives. They guided the sheep along rocky paths and walked in front of the sheep to make certain the paths were safe. They led them to the green pastures where they could feed. Jesus was that kind of a shepherd—a Good Shepherd—to all mankind. He gave his life for us, and if we follow him, he will lead us to eternal life.
Lamb of God
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29; see also Alma 7:14).
Baby sheep are called lambs. Lambs are known to be gentle creatures. They are pure and innocent, doing no harm to anyone.
When a person is called a lamb, it means that he is pure and innocent, gentle and kind.
In the Old Testament, a lamb was used as a sacrifice, or an offering to God, for the forgiveness of sins. Other animals were used as sacrificial animals, but a lamb was the first and most often used. (See Gen. 4:4.)
Jesus is known as the Lamb of God because he was Heavenly Father’s perfect offering for our sins (see John 1:29). He had no faults or blemishes. He had a pure heart—he was innocent, gentle, kind, and humble, and he did no harm to anyone. He was without sin.
Physician
They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick (Matt. 9:12; see also Moro. 8:8).
When the Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples why he was eating with publicans and sinners, Jesus himself answered: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matt. 9:12). Why do you think that Jesus would refer to himself as a physician?
Physicians are trained to find out what is wrong with an ill person. They can prescribe medicine and treatment for the person and tell him what to do to help recover from illness.
Physicians promise to aid the ill and the injured and to not turn away in disgust from those who seek help. They promise to train others in the art of healing.
Jesus healed people. He healed the lame, the blind, and the leper. He also healed people who were sick with sin. He did not turn away in disgust, but looked at the sinner as a sufferer needing the healing power of grace, love, and forgiveness. He suffered mightily for repentant sinners so that they might be forgiven if they would truly repent. The people who believed in him and repented would be able to live with him and Heavenly Father forever.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:


14. “He Hath Opened Mine Eyes” Friend, June 1995, 48
HYMN: My Heavenly Father Loves Me p.228
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Article of Faith 1:7
LESSON:
When Jesus Christ came to earth, he performed many miracles. Once when he was in Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day, he and his disciples came upon a man who had been blind since birth. The Savior spat upon the ground and made mud with which he anointed the man’s eyes. He then told the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man obeyed, and when he finished washing, his eyes had been healed and he was able to see. When the people around him realized that he could see, they wanted to know how it was done. After the young man explained, the people asked where Jesus was. The young man answered, “I know not” (John 9:12). The crowd took the man to the Pharisees, who were responsible for explaining Jewish law. The Pharisees questioned him. When the man told his story, the Pharisees were confused and argued with each other. According to their laws, it was a sin for anyone to heal another person on the Sabbath Day, and yet they also believed that a sinner could not heal anyone. Again they asked the man what had happened, and again he told his story. The Pharisees questioned the young man’s parents. Had the boy really been blind since birth? “Yes,” his parents answered. How had he been healed? Because the Jewish leaders had decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would not be allowed to worship in the synagogues, the parents replied, “We know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself” (John 9:21). The Pharisees told the young man that he should praise God for restoring his sight but recognize that Jesus was a sinner. They asked him again what had happened. He said, “I have told you already, and ye did not hear … “We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth … “If this man [Jesus] were not of God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:27, 31, 33.) The Pharisees became very angry and threw him out of their presence. Jesus heard what had happened to the young man and asked him, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God? “He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? “And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” (John 9:35–38.)
We still worship him today and recognize the great blessings he gives to us. In a revelation given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in 1830, the Savior said, “I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believed on my name.
“And whosoever shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick, they shall cause the blind to receive their sight and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk.” (D&C 35:8–9.)
Miracles of healing, whether it is our bodies or our spirits that are ill, are part of the blessings God gives to those who believe on him.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:
15. Power William Blair, Friend, June 1995, 12
HYMN: The Priesthood Is Restored p. 89
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: D. & C. 121:41
LESSON: “Take that!” Josh growled, jabbing the controller with his thumb and slamming a bad guy to the ground. Josh loved video games. “Better get out of your school clothes,” Dad called. “We’re due at the priesthood preview in an hour. Your mother went to get Grandpa—they’ll meet us there.” Josh switched off the game without the usual grumbling. “Great!” He was clipping on his Sunday tie when Dad laid a large hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re so excited about receiving the priesthood.” “Who wouldn’t be?” Josh exclaimed. “Sister Burke says that priesthood is the power Jesus used to make the world. When I get part of that power, nobody had better mess with me!” Dad cleared his throat. “Josh—” “My friend Devin’s a deacon already,” Josh interrupted. “He says that I’ll have more power than the president of the United States, and he can launch missiles and order whole armies around.” Dad sighed. “Josh, the power is the Lord’s. He’s given the priesthood to us so that we can serve others. We don’t use it to hurt people.” “Not even bad guys?” “Which of us is perfect?” Dad replied. “Let’s go sit at the kitchen table—I’d like you to read something in the Doctrine and Covenants.” At the table, Dad pointed to a passage and Josh read it aloud, sounding out some of the harder words. “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love un-un—” “Unfeigned,” Dad said. “It means genuine, not faked.” “What good’s power if you have to be wimpy and weak to use it?” “It doesn’t say wimpy and weak. It says gentle and meek.” “Same thing.” “Josh, will you come downstairs with me, please?” Josh followed Dad into the basement storage room, where he rummaged through some boxes and pulled out a shiny trophy with a football player on top. Josh’s eyes grew big. “An MVP award! And it has your name on it!” Dad nodded. “I received this when I was a junior—the first junior ever to earn it at our school. I thought I was the toughest, meanest, most powerful seventeen-year-old on earth. I played on both sides of the ball, but I preferred defense because I really got to unload on people. I loved to hear the crowd cheer when I made a hit.” Josh stroked the trophy lovingly. “Why isn’t this where everybody can see it?” Dad shrugged and put the trophy back into the box. “It just doesn’t seem that important anymore. Maybe that’s because my senior year I got an award that taught me a lot more.” He opened his wallet and took out a plastic bracelet. Josh looked it over. “It’s like the bracelet Mom wore in the hospital when she had Stacey. But this one has your name on it.” Dad nodded. “I earned it in the homecoming game. I’d intercepted a pass on the other team’s twenty, and only one man was between me and the end zone. He was so small, I didn’t bother putting any moves on him. I just lowered my head and charged. When I came to, I was lying on the field, and, Josh, I couldn’t move! This big, tough, proud football player was lying there eating grass—crying like a baby and scared out of his mind.”
Josh didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t imagine his strong, calm father frightened and helpless. “What happened?” he asked at last. “They strapped me to some kind of a contraption, carried me behind the stands, and put me into an ambulance. I could hear the crowd cheering, and I thought, They’re watching the game again. They’ve forgotten all about me. “My father was out of town, so my mother rode in the ambulance with me. Brother Jones got in too. Besides Dad, he was the only Melchizedek Priesthood holder in our little town. He was also the math teacher at school, and I didn’t like him much. He was small and soft-spoken, and he called the students ‘ladies and gentlemen.’ We all laughed at him behind his back. “My mother asked if he would give me a blessing, and he said, ‘I’d be honored.’ He anointed me with oil. Then he put his small hands on my head and told me that Heavenly Father knew me and loved me. He said that people in wheelchairs can still serve valiantly, but that I had some work to do on foot. He promised me that I would walk again.” “And you did!” “It turned out that my spinal cord was only bruised. My recovery took a long time, though, and it wasn’t much fun. No one was kinder or more helpful than Brother Jones. Sometimes he held me up while I learned to walk again, and I was amazed at the strength in his small hands. I began to understand that power doesn’t come just from muscles, that some heavy weights can be lifted only by kindness, gentleness, and love. Do you understand, son?” Josh looked at his feet. “A little.” Dad put the bracelet back into his wallet, and Josh followed him upstairs to the living room. Taking a picture of the Savior from the wall, Dad said, “On my last day of school, I hobbled into Brother Jones’s room and told him that I hoped to be as strong someday as he was. He smiled and handed me a graduation gift. ‘Thank you,’ he said, ‘but here’s a better example to follow.’ I unwrapped this picture. Since then I’ve studied the life of the Savior and done my best to follow his example.” Dad handed the picture to Josh and got his Bible. “When Jesus was arrested, one of his disciples tried to defend him with a sword. Jesus said, ‘Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?’ ”* Josh whistled. “Twelve legions! That’s a lot!” “According to the Bible Dictionary, each Roman legion had some six thousand foot soldiers plus cavalry. If angel legions are about the same size, that would be more than seventy-two thousand angels.” “Wow!” Josh exclaimed. “They could wipe out an army!” Dad’s voice grew very serious. “Josh, he didn’t call for those legions. He let himself be whipped and spat upon and mocked and crucified. Instead of conquering men, he conquered death itself, even for those who had hurt him.” “Wow!” Josh said again, softly this time. Dad reached out and touched the picture. “The best power of all is the power to help and heal. Jesus has that power, and he’s willing to share it with those who love him and follow him. I think you’re one of those.” Josh looked him in the eye. “I’ll try to be.” “Good!” Dad said. “So will I. And now we’d better be on our way to the priesthood preview.”
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:




16. Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People Friend, Oct. 2001, 12
HYMN: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus p.57
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:23-24
LESSON: “Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People,”
Some friends of John the Baptist came to Jesus and told Him that John had been killed. He had been killed because he had told the king to repent. Matt. 14:1–12
When Jesus heard this, He went to a place near the Sea of Galilee to be alone. Many people knew He was there and went there, too, hoping that He would teach them. More than five thousand people went to hear Him. Matt. 14:13; Mark 6:44
After He had taught them, it was time to eat, and most of the people did not have any food. His disciples wanted the people to go to the villages, where they could buy food. Mark 6:36
The Savior, however, told the disciples to see if anyone had brought food with them. They found a boy who had five loaves of bread and two small fish. Mark 6:37–38; John 6:9
Jesus told all the people to sit down. Then He blessed the bread and the fish and divided the fish and broke the bread into pieces. Mark 6:39–41
When the disciples gave the food to the people, there was more than enough for all of them! Mark 6:41–44
The Bread of Life “The Bread of Life,” Friend, Nov. 2001, 12
The day after the five thousand people had been fed with the five loaves of bread and two small fish, they tried to find Jesus. They went in boats and followed Him to Capernaum. John 6:22, 24
Jesus knew that they had come only because they wanted Him to feed them again. John 6:26
He taught them that bread would keep them alive for a while, but that there was another kind of bread that they should seek—the bread of eternal life. He told them that He is that bread. John 6:27, 30–35
He taught them that He would sacrifice His life for them. If they would follow Him and believe in Him, the Bread of Life, they would gain everlasting life. John 6:47–51
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:




17. The Wheat and the Tares Friend, Feb. 1995, 48
HYMN: I Think When I Read That Sweet Story p. 56
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Articles of Faith 1:2
LESSON: Jesus sometimes taught using parables. Parables are short stories that use familiar things to teach gospel truths. One parable that Jesus taught while he was in Galilee was about wheat and tares (a kind of weed). Jesus said that a man who had a field planted good wheat seed in it. While he slept, someone came and planted tares, which look a lot like wheat as they grow, in the same field. All the seeds started to grow, and blades of wheat and tares broke through the ground. A worker in the field noticed the tares growing with the wheat. He asked the owner, “Didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?” (Matt. 13:27). The owner of the field said that an enemy must have planted the tares. When the worker asked if the tares should be pulled up and destroyed, the owner said no. If the tares were weeded out, he explained, a lot of the wheat would be destroyed, too, since they were growing side by side. So the wheat and the tares were both allowed to grow until harvest time. Then the owner told the reapers to first gather and store the wheat safely in the barn. After that was finished, they were to gather the tares into bundles and burn them. When Jesus’ disciples were alone with him, they asked him to explain the parable. Jesus said that the sower of the good seed represented himself and the Apostles; the field represented the world; the good seed, his righteous followers; and the tares, those who follow Satan. Satan was the sower of the tares. The harvest represented the end of the world, and the reapers represented angels. Right now good and bad people are allowed to “grow” together. But at the end of the world, angels will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. The unrighteous—those who have chosen to break the commandments—will be punished and will wail and gnash their teeth. However, the righteous—those who have chosen to keep the commandments—will “shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). When we come to earth, we are given the freedom to choose between good and evil. It is up to us to choose whether we will be like the wheat or the tares.

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:











18. Jesus Christ Heals a Blind Man Friend, Oct. 1999, 15
HYMN: The Seventh Article of Faith p.126
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matt. 5:16
LESSON: One Sabbath day when Jesus Christ and His disciples were in Jerusalem, they saw a man who had been blind since birth. “He [Jesus Christ] spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, “And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. … He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” (John 9:6–7.) Many of the townspeople had seen this blind man sitting in his usual place, begging. When they discovered that he could see, they asked him how it had happened. After he told them, they took him to the Pharisees (religious leaders of the Jews) for an explanation of this Sabbath-day healing. The Pharisees asked the man many questions about the healing. They were confused and argued among themselves. The leaders thought that, according to their laws, it was a sin for anyone to heal someone on the Sabbath; they also believed that a sinner could not heal someone. Frustrated, they asked the man to repeat his story, which he did. Feeling that their leadership was being threatened by Jesus Christ, they asked the man, “What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He [Jesus] is a prophet.” (John 9:17.) Not wanting to believe that this man had ever been blind, the Pharisees questioned his mother and father. “His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind” (John 9:20). Then the Pharisees told the healed man to “Give God the praise: we know that this man [Jesus] is a sinner” (John 9:24). The man said, “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing” (John 9:33). Angry at the man’s testimony of Jesus, the Pharisees threw him out of the synagogue and excommunicated him from their church. When the Savior heard what they had done, He went looking for the man and asked him, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God? “He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? “And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” (John 9:35–38.) When our belief in the Savior is tested, we can let the light of our testimony shine brightly by sharing it with others as well as by setting a good example for others in choosing the right.
Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use them to retell the story of the healing of the blind man and of his growing testimony of Jesus Christ.


Blind man begging; Jesus Christ; Man with sight restored; Pharisees. (Illustrated by Beth M. Whittaker.)

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:


19. The Lost Sheep Friend, Mar. 2002, 15
HYMN: Little Lambs So White and Fair p. 58
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: 3 Nephi 17:11-12, 21
LESSON: The First Parable
A good shepherd had a hundred sheep, and one of them was lost. Luke 15:4
The shepherd left the other ninety-nine sheep to look for the lost one. When he found it, he was very happy. Luke 15:4–5
He picked it up, put it on his shoulders, and carried it home. Then he called to all his friends and neighbors to come and be happy with him because he had found the sheep that was lost. Luke 15:5–6
Jesus Christ told the Pharisees what the story meant. He said that sinners are like the lost sheep and that there will be great joy in heaven if a sinner repents. Luke 15:7
Just as the shepherd wanted to save the lost sheep, Jesus said that He wanted to save sinners. Mark 2:17
And just as the shepherd was very happy when he found the lost sheep, Jesus is very happy when sinners repent. Luke 15:6–7
That, He said, was why He was talking with sinners. Matt. 18:11, Joseph Smith Translation (footnote c); Mark 2:17

The Lost Coin The Second Parable Friend, Mar. 2002, 17
A woman had ten silver coins. She lost one of the coins and looked all through the house for it. Luke 15:8
At last she found the coin. She was so happy that she called her friends and neighbors to tell them. They were happy, too, that she had found the lost coin. Luke 15:9
The friends and neighbors in the story are like the angels of God. The angels are very happy when a lost Church member is found and cared for. Luke 15:10
Jesus said that Church members are like the woman in the story and that the lost coin is like a member who has become less active in the Church and is lost. He wants Church members to find the lost brother or sister and to care for them and bring them back. He is very happy when this happens. Jesus the Christ, pages 455–456
The Lost Son The Third Parable Friend, Apr. 2002, 14
A man had two sons. Each son would get some money when the father died. The younger son did not want to wait until his father’s death. He asked for his part of the money at once. The father gave it to him. Luke 15:11–12
The son took the money and left home. He went to another land, where he spent all of it. And he sinned again and again. Luke 15:13
Finally he had no money to buy food. Very hungry, he asked a man for help. The man sent him to feed pigs. Luke 15:14–15
The son was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pigs’ food. Even the servants at home had better food to eat than he did. He wanted to go home, but he thought that he was not good enough to be a son to his father. Luke 15:16–19
He decided to repent and ask to be a servant in his father’s house. When he went home, his father saw him coming. Luke 15:19–20
The father ran to meet his son and put his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20
The son told his father that he had sinned. Luke 15:21
The father told a servant to bring the best clothes and put them on the son. The servant put shoes on the son’s feet and a ring on his finger. Luke 15:22
Then the father told the servant to make a feast for the son. He wanted everyone to celebrate because the son who had gone away was now home. The son who had sinned had now repented. Luke 5:23–24
The older son had been working in the field. When he came home, he heard music and dancing and asked a servant what was happening. The servant told him that the younger son had come home and their father wanted all to celebrate. Luke 15:25–27
Angry, the older son would not go into the house. His father came out to talk with him. Luke 15:28
The father said that the older son had always stayed with him and enjoyed all that was there. And everything the father now had would belong to the older son. But his younger son had gone away. And because he had come home, it was right to celebrate. His younger son had sinned, but he had repented. Luke 15:31–32
Jesus ended the story. He had now told the Pharisees three parables to show them why He talked to sinners. The Savior wanted the Pharisees to know how much Heavenly Father loves everyone. He loves people who obey Him. He also loves sinners, but He cannot bless them until they repent. He wants sinners to repent so that they can come back to Him. John 3:16–17
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:







20. The Good Samaritan Friend, May 1999, 39
HYMN: I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus p. 78
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: John 13:34
LESSON: One day a lawyer asked Jesus Christ, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The Savior asked what the lawyer thought that the law said he needed to do, and the lawyer replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live,” Jesus said. “Who is my neighbour?” the man asked. Jesus answered by telling him a parable. A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when thieves attacked him. They took his clothes, beat him, and left him near death. When a Jewish priest came down the road and saw the wounded man, he crossed to the other side of the road to avoid him and continued his journey. Next a Levite, also a citizen of Judah, approached. He looked at the wounded man, then he, too, crossed the road and went on his way without helping the man. Finally a man from Samaria came along the road. The Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies, but the Samaritan saw that the injured man needed help. He bandaged the man’s wounds, put him on his pack animal, took him to an inn, and cared for the injured man there. When the Samaritan left the next day, he paid the innkeeper to look after the man until he got better. He promised that if caring for the man cost more, he would pay the innkeeper the next time he was there. “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” Jesus asked the lawyer. When the lawyer said, “He that shewed mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go, and do thou likewise.” (See Luke 10:25–37.)
We should each follow Jesus Christ’s example by loving and caring for one another. As we do, we will know that Jesus’ teachings are true and our faith in Him will grow.
Instructions
Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use to retell the story of the Good Samaritan.
Inn; Money; Levite; Good Samaritan; Priest; Wounded man. (Illustrated by Beth Whittaker.)

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:

21. Were There Not Ten Cleansed? David B. Haight, Ensign, Nov. 2002, 24
If we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength.
HYMN: Can a Little Child like Me? P. 9
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 25:7
LESSON:
When President Thomas S. Monson asked those new members of the Seventy and the Young Women general presidency to come up and take their places on the stand, I remembered vividly April 1970, when I was called to be an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve—which was a surprise to me. I’d only known about it for just a few hours. As I was invited to sit in one of the red chairs in the old Tabernacle, the choir started to sing “O Divine Redeemer.” As I listened to that pleading song with that wonderful melody, I silently asked the Savior to accept me as I am and remember not my failures, my shortcomings, and my sins (see Ps. 25:7). What a wonderful day that was! That flashed through my mind as President Monson made that invitation today. I’m honored to be here this afternoon to spend a few moments with all of you and bear to you my witness and my testimony and my feelings regarding this wonderful work. I told Elder Neal A. Maxwell I would come up here without my cane. He had it ready for me, but I said, “No, I can get by without it. I’ll show you I have the faith that it will happen.” As I get older and as the years roll on, I’m honored to have this opportunity and to have the ability and the desire to stand and witness to you of the blessings of the gospel that have come into my life during these past many years. I don’t know if I’m the oldest one in this great hall today, but I am now in my 97th year. When it was announced this morning that this is the 172nd semiannual conference of the Church, I thought some people in their younger years could look upon 172 as a long, long time. I would remind you of the 100th anniversary of the Church. At that time, Ruby and I were married. It was 1930. This is the 172nd anniversary of the Church, and we have been married 72 years. I’m only mentioning that to you so you mathematicians can remember 172; it comes pretty easily. I wish at this time to pay tribute and express gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the blessings I’ve received all the years of my life—for having been born of goodly parents and raised in a goodly home. And as we have moved around the country in all of the activities we have been involved in, I’m grateful to have been associated with good people. Good people influence your life and help in molding your own personality and character and help you to mingle out in society and live the way that you should live. They help you carry on worthwhile enterprises, and they lift you onto a higher plane. And so I’m grateful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings that I have had. I bear witness of Him, that I know that He is our Father and that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Creator, and the Savior of all of mankind. I am grateful for that majestic role He has played in the Creation and the establishing of the gospel on the earth and for the opportunity that brings to mankind, if they will listen, to hear and to understand and to have the blessings of heaven if they merit them and to live in such a way that the gospel becomes a great part of their life. I have gratitude for my ancestors who joined the Church back in the early days of the Church, who moved from upstate New York to join with the Saints in Nauvoo and became involved with the Nauvoo Temple and then with the exodus into the West. For all of these blessings, I’m grateful on this day, as I pronounce them to you. I must mention President Gordon B. Hinckley. He gave an outstanding talk this morning—giving us an overview of the recent years but particularly an overview of the events of Nauvoo and of the rebuilding of that majestic temple. All that has taken place there has been a blessing to the world and to mankind.
I want President Hinckley to know that I have watched carefully since he was called to be an additional counselor to President Spencer W. Kimball and as he has assumed his role in the First Presidency. How he has grown and matured and been inspired and directed in carrying out the activities that we have been a witness to! Many of us have played some small role in the vision that he had of the growth that has happened in the Church recently, including the building of the temples, where we now have 114 operating. All of these things have been the result of the inspired direction of President Hinckley. Bless his heart for what he has done in helping the Church to expand and our image to grow and improve throughout the world. We’re so grateful for what he has done, for the stature that we have today in the Church, and for his leadership. As recorded in Luke, one day the Savior entered a village where there were 10 lepers. Now, those of us who have grown up in the last few years know very little about lepers. Leprosy was a terrible, dreaded disease anciently. These 10 lepers came to the Savior and said, “Master, have mercy upon us; have mercy upon us who have that terrible ailment of leprosy.” And He said to the 10 lepers, “Go visit your priest, and he will take care of you”—which they did. They went to see their priests, and they were cleansed, all 10 of them. A short time later, one of them returned to the Savior and fell on his face and his hands and his knees, thanking the Savior for blessing him and making him well from that terrible disease. And the Savior said to that one man: “Weren’t there 10? What has happened to the other nine? Where are they?” (See Luke 17:11–19.) As I’ve read that story again and again, it’s made a great impression upon me. How would you like to be part of the “nine society”? Wouldn’t that be something—to be numbered among those who failed to return and acknowledge the Savior for the blessings He had given them? Only one returned. It’s so easy in life for us to receive blessings, many of them almost uncounted, and have things happen in our lives that can help change our lives, improve our lives, and bring the Spirit into our lives. But we sometimes take them for granted. How grateful we should be for the blessings that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our hearts and souls. I would remind all of you that if we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—because it was He who gave us life and breath. He gave us the opportunity to live as we are, to have the gospel in our lives, to have the example of good people like President Hinckley leading the Church throughout the world today and the opportunity for the young people to look to him with pride and gratitude for a leader who looks and acts the part and demonstrates what the Spirit of Christ can bring into our heart and soul. As that gratitude is magnified and developed and expanded, it can bless our hearts and our minds and our souls to where we’d like to continue to carry on and do those things that we are asked to do. We have a lot of our family scattered in at least 20 locations in the United States and England. I have suggested to them that when they have opportunities to sustain the General Authorities—particularly President Hinckley and his counselors—if they have to stand at the radio or wherever it might be, that with enthusiasm they raise their hands and say to themselves, “I’m part of sustaining the leadership of the Church.” I had in my mind’s eye today as we were raising our hands some little youngsters—children whom we love and adore—raising their hands in various parts of the world. We hope that we will implant in them along with the Spirit of the Lord a desire to learn, to know, to live and be part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope they fully enjoy their opportunities to develop their characters and to be able to reach out and help change and lift the hearts of other people. God lives. He is our Father. I testify to you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and the Prophet Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration. President Hinckley is our inspired leader over this Church throughout the world today. Bless his heart for all that he does and for the inspiration and revelation and vision that is his as he leads the work forward. I leave this witness with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
CLOSING PRAYER: REFRESHMENTS:


22. Experiment in Forgiving (Based on a true story) Jane McBride Choate, Friend, Apr. 2004, 38
HYMN: Help Me Dear Father p. 99
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Mosiah 26:31
LESSON:
Jared carefully recorded the last bit of information for his sixth-grade science project—comparing the differences between plants watered with tap water and those watered with distilled water. “There,” he said in satisfaction. “All done.” He ran into the laundry room. “Mom, I finished the experiment. Do you want to see it?” Mom finished folding a towel and smiled. “Of course.” Jared led her into the kitchen, where the two sets of plants occupied a shelf by the big glass door. When he saw the plants, he stopped in his tracks. “Oh, no!” he cried. Kaitlyn, Jared’s three-year-old sister, looked up and smiled, her hands covered with dirt. Potting soil and crushed plants were strewn across the floor. “You ruined my project!” Jared wiped angry tears from his eyes. “You wreck everything I have.” “Jared, your sister didn’t mean to do anything wrong,” Mom said quietly. “Sure,” Jared said bitterly. “Just like she didn’t mean to write all over my geography homework last week. Just like she didn’t mean to spill milk on my book report. Just like she—” “That’s enough,” Mom said. Jared recognized the tone in his mother’s voice and knew he’d said too much. “Tell Jared you’re sorry,” Mom said to Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn’s bottom lip trembled. “I’m sorry.” Normally, Jared couldn’t stay angry at his little sister for very long, but this was different. He had spent a whole month caring for the plants and recording the differences between the two sets for the sixth-grade science fair. Now they were destroyed. He wouldn’t have anything to show in the fair next week. He cleaned up the mess as well as he could, but he couldn’t save the plants. He dumped them into the big trash can in the garage. In his room, he slammed his fist into his baseball mitt. All his work had been for nothing. A few minutes later, he heard a knock at his door. “Jared, can I come in?” Mom called. Reluctantly, he got up and opened the door. Mom wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “I know you’re disappointed. Is there anything I can do?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry about the experiment.” she said. “Me, too,” he said, still slamming the ball into his mitt. “Kaitlyn made a mistake. Can you forgive her?” When Jared didn’t answer, his mother turned and quietly left the room. When another knock sounded at his door, Jared ignored it. The door inched open, and Kaitlyn stood there. “I’m sorry.” Jared looked at his sister’s red eyes. For a moment, his heart softened. Then he remembered how hard he’d worked on the experiment. He had hoped to win a prize with it. “Go away.” Kaitlyn sniffled and rubbed her eyes before closing the door behind her. Jared asked to be excused from dinner. He knew his parents were disappointed in him, but he didn’t care. He tried to do his homework but couldn’t concentrate. After staring at the same page of his history book for five minutes, he gave up. He got ready for bed, then knelt down, intending to say his prayers as he did every night. The words refused to come. He didn’t sleep very well. He kept tossing and turning, remembering the hurt in Kaitlyn’s eyes when he’d refused to speak to her. He tried to push away the image. Kaitlyn had wrecked his experiment. He didn’t know if he could ever forgive her. He thought about the word forgive and recalled part of the blessing his father had given him after his baptism and confirmation. “There will be times in your life when you need to seek forgiveness. I bless you with the meekness of heart to do so. There will also be times when you must forgive others. Remember the example of the Savior when you are faced with such times. Forgiveness is a gift. Use it and you will be blessed.” The following morning, Jared trudged to school, his heart heavy. But it wasn’t the ruined experiment that filled his thoughts—it was Kaitlyn. He told himself he had nothing to feel guilty about, but he couldn’t erase the picture of Kaitlyn’s unhappy face from his mind. At school, he explained to his science teacher what had happened. Mr. MacKade laid a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “I know you’re disappointed. You put a lot of work into your experiment.” His teacher tapped a finger against the notebook he always carried. “Did you take photos of it?” Jared nodded. He’d asked his father if he could use his camera to take photos of the plants at different stages. “We’ll show the photos instead,” Mr. MacKade said. “It won’t be the same as displaying the plants themselves, but it’ll be the next best thing.” “Thanks, Mr. MacKade. I’ll do that.” Jared slipped into his seat. He should have felt better, but the ache in his heart remained. He couldn’t concentrate on his math problems or his spelling test. He could not even choke down the sandwich and cupcake his mother had packed in his lunch. All he could see was Kaitlyn’s face, her quivering lips and tear-reddened eyes. No science experiment was worth the pain he’d caused his little sister. By the end of school, Jared knew what he had to do. Kaitlyn had been wrong to ruin his plants, but that did not excuse how he had treated her. He hurried home from school. “Mom, I’m home. Where’s Kaitlyn?” he called, slamming the door behind him. Mom looked up from the Primary manual she was studying. “She’s in her room.” His mother looked like she wanted to say something else. “Don’t worry, Mom,” Jared said. “Everything’s going to be all right.” Jared raced up the stairs and knocked on Kaitlyn’s door. “Kaitlyn, it’s me.” He heard a muffled “Come in.” He pushed open the door. Kaitlyn was sitting on her bed, her arms looped around her knees. “Are you still mad at me?” she asked in a small voice. Jared crossed the room to sit beside her. “No, Kaitlyn. I’m not angry anymore. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I know you only wanted to help.” He hugged her and asked, “How would you like to go to the park with me?” Kaitlyn nodded and gave him a big smile. That evening Jared labeled the pictures he had taken of the plants. Kaitlyn played with her dolls beside him. A quiet feeling of peace enveloped him. And when he knelt by his bed that night to say his prayers, he didn’t have any trouble finding the words.
[Ask Forgiveness]
“Don’t carry the burden of offense any longer. Genuinely ask forgiveness of one that has offended you, even when you consider you have done no wrong. That effort will assuredly bring you peace.”
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “To Be Free of Heavy Burdens,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, 88.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:

23. The Good Shepherd Friend, Sept. 1995, 48
HYMN: I Feel My Savior’s Love p.74
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: John 15:10-12
LESSON:
The Savior once said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). A good shepherd will give his life to protect his sheep. He knows each sheep by name. The sheep know his voice and follow him and none other. If a sheep is lost, a good shepherd will search endlessly for it to bring it safely back to the fold. A fold is a large enclosure with only one entrance. Many shepherds shared a fold. One shepherd would be assigned to stand guard during the night to see that no wolves or thieves broke into the fold to harm or steal the sheep. The other shepherds went home. In the morning they returned for their sheep. Only those shepherds the guard recognized were let into the fold. Each sheep knew its shepherd’s voice and gathered around him to be led out of the fold into the pasture to feed. A good shepherd is different from a hired shepherd, who is paid to look after someone else’s sheep. A hired shepherd “seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. “The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. … “I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:12–15.)
How do we become the Savior’s sheep? The Lord said, “He that will hear my voice shall be my sheep” (Mosiah 26:21). Even after we become His sheep, we have to continue to follow Him. Moroni said that the Lamanites, “were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father” (Morm. 5:17). But when they stopped following the teachings of the Lord, “behold, they [were] led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so are they” (Morm. 5:18). The Savior has laid down His life for us. He will protect us from spiritual dangers if we follow His voice. If we do what is wrong and stray from His word, He through the aid of His servants will find us and try to bring us back to safety. He knows each of us by name. And if we learn to recognize His voice and follow it, He will lead us back to Heavenly Father’s presence. The Lord has revealed that in the last days He will gather all His sheep from the nations of the earth, “and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. …
“And the Holy One of Israel reigneth.” (1 Ne. 22:25–26.)
Instructions Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use them to retell the story of the Good Shepherd.

Hired shepherd; Wolf; Sheep; Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd; Thief, who doesn’t enter by the door.
(Illustrated by Beth Whittaker.) CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:

24. The Widow’s Mites Chapter 45 Friend, Oct. 2002, 18
HYMN: I Want to Give the Lord My Tenth p.150
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3:10
LESSON:
While Jesus was near the temple in Jerusalem, He watched people put money for the Church into big boxes. Many rich men put a lot of money into the boxes. Mark 12:41
A poor widow, a woman whose husband had died, went to the boxes and put in two pieces of money called mites. Two mites were not very much money, but they were all the money she had. Mark 12:42, 44
Jesus saw her. Wanting to teach His disciples a lesson, He told them about her. Mark 12:43
He also told them about the rich men who had given lots of money. The rich men had more money at home. Mark 12:43–44
The widow had no money at home. In a way, she had given more to the Church than all the rich men, because she had given all that she had. Mark 12:44
Special Witness: Tithing
Dallin H. Oaks, “Special Witness: Tithing,” Friend, Sept. 2002, 7
Did you know that Elder Dallin H. Oaks was once a judge and the president of a university? He has shared what he was taught as a young boy about the importance of paying tithing:
When the risen Lord appeared to the faithful on this continent, he taught them the commandments the prophet Malachi had already given to other children of Israel. The Lord commanded that they should record these words (see 3 Ne. 24:1). “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. … “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (3 Ne. 24:8, 10; see also Mal. 3:8, 10). … During World War II, my widowed mother supported her three young children on a schoolteacher’s salary that was meager. When I became conscious that we went without some desirable things because we didn’t have enough money, I asked my mother why she paid so much of her salary as tithing. I have never forgotten her explanation: “Dallin, there might be some people who can get along without paying tithing, but we can’t. The Lord has chosen to take your father and leave me to raise you children. I cannot do that without the blessings of the Lord, and I obtain those blessings by paying an honest tithing. When I pay my tithing, I have the Lord’s promise that he will bless us, and we must have those blessings if we are to get along.” … The law of tithing and the promise of blessings to those who live it apply to the people of the Lord in every nation. I hope our members will qualify for the blessings of the Lord by paying a full tithing. (Ensign, May 1994, pages 33–34.) CLOSING PRAYER:
REFRESHMENTS:








25. The Ten Virgins
HYMN: Seek The Lord Early p.108
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: John 14:3
LESSON: “The Ten Virgins,” Friend, Jan. 2003, 10
Jesus told a story about ten young women who went to a wedding. They waited at the door for the bridegroom (the Son of man) to come and let them in. They didn’t know just when He would come. Matt. 25:1, 13
The ten women had oil-burning lamps. Five of the women were wise. Besides the oil in their lamps, they had extra oil with them. Matt. 25:2, 4
The other five women were foolish. They had only the oil that was in their lamps. Matt. 25:3
The bridegroom did not come for a long time. When all the oil in the lamps was gone, the five wise women put their extra oil into their lamps. The five foolish women had to go buy more oil. Matt. 25:5–9
While they were gone, the bridegroom came. He let the five wise women in the door. They went to the wedding. Matt. 25:10
When the five foolish women returned, the door was closed. They could not go to the wedding. Matt. 25:10–13
Jesus, the Son of man, is the bridegroom in this story. The members of the Church are the ten women. When He comes again, some members will be like the wise women. They follow the Spirit’s promptings and obey God’s commandments, and so they will be ready when Jesus comes again. Others will be like the five foolish women and will not be able to be with the Savior. 3 Ne. 25:1–2; D&C 88:86, 92; D&C 45:56–57; Jesus the Christ, pages 576–580
Susan L. Warner, “Sharing Time: I Believe That Jesus Will Come Again,” Friend, Sept. 1995, 12
When Jesus died and was resurrected, He promised that He would come again. Have you ever wondered what that will be like? Jesus could not tell us when He would come, but the scriptures tell us that it will be a glorious event. He will be our King and Ruler. It will be a heavenly, happy time for us if we are prepared to meet Him. Because Jesus wanted us to know how important it is to be prepared, He told us a parable, or story. It is called the parable of the ten virgins, and it is recorded in Matthew 25:1–13. [Matt 25:1–13] There were ten young women, or virgins, who were invited to a wedding supper. They had to wait for the bridegroom to let them in, but none of them knew when he would come to open the door. The young women brought oil-burning lamps to give light so that they could see. Five of them were wise and not only filled their lamps with oil but also brought extra oil so that their lamps would burn for a long time. The other five young women were foolish. They did not bring enough oil. Before the bridegroom finally came, the oil in all the lamps had burned away. The five wise women put their extra oil in their lamps and lit them. The five foolish women had to leave to buy more oil. By the time they returned, the bridegroom had opened the door, let the wise young women in, and closed the door again. So the five foolish young women could not go in to the wedding with the bridegroom. Jesus is like the bridegroom. We do not know when He will come again. But if we prepare like the five wise women in the parable, we will be ready and happy to meet Him when He comes. How can we prepare for the Savior’s coming? President Kimball taught, “In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, … control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.” (Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 256.)
Instructions Illustrated by Jerry Harston
1. Color the picture and the drops of oil on page 13. In the drops of oil, write what you can do to prepare to meet Jesus when He comes again. 2. Remove the page and mount it on lightweight cardboard, then cut out the picture and the drops of oil.
3. Cut slits on the broken lines, as indicated, and “fill” the lamp and the jar for extra oil by placing the drops of oil in the slits.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:
26. The Talents
Prepation: Review the following lesson material and decide how much you want to share with your family.
HYMN: Every Star is Different p.142
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matt. 25:40 & Moses 1:39
LESSON: “The Talents,” Friend, Jan. 2003, 13
Jesus told His disciples a story about a man who gave his servants some talents, a kind of money. Matt. 25:14–15
The man gave one servant five talents. He gave another servant two talents. He gave another servant one talent. Then the man went on a journey. Matt. 25:15
The servant with five talents worked hard and made five more talents. Then he had ten talents. Matt. 25:16
The servant with two talents also worked hard and made two more talents. Then he had four talents. Matt. 25:17
The servant with one talent just buried it in the ground. He was afraid that he would lose it. He did not make any more talents. Matt. 25:18
When the man came home, he asked the servants what they had done with their talents. Matt. 25:19
The first servant brought ten talents to the man, which made the man happy. He made the servant a leader over many things and told him to be joyful. Matt. 25:20–21
The second servant brought four talents to the man, which also made the man happy. He made the second servant a leader over many things, too, and told him to be joyful. Matt. 25:22–23
The third servant gave the man back the talent he had buried. The man was not happy with the third servant. He said that the servant was lazy, that he should have worked hard and made more talents. Matt. 25:24–27
The man took the talent from the third servant and gave it to the first servant. Then the man sent the lazy servant away. The man in the story is Jesus, and He will judge how His disciples have used the gifts they have been given. Matt. 25:28–30
Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice: Knowing Who You Are Adapted from “Who Do You Think You Are?” Ensign, Mar. 2001, 2–7. James E. Faust, “Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice: Knowing Who You Are,” Friend, July 2004, 2
President Faust reminds us that, above all, we are children of God.
I salute you young people as chosen, special spirits who have been reserved to come forth in this generation. You have great challenges. I hope you are beginning to achieve in some special way. Perhaps it is your smile, your personality, or your ability to lift others. Perhaps you are discovering your talent as an athlete, scholar, musician, artist, or in a hundred different areas. These accomplishments may cause you to think about who you really are. Many [people] measure their self-worth solely in terms of their talent and accomplishments instead of who they really are inside. It is not always true that the more you achieve, the happier you will be. God knows you and what you can become because He has known you from the beginning when you were His spirit sons and daughters. What you become will depend in large measure upon how you follow righteous principles and do good works. If we really want to feel better about ourselves, we should do deeds of kindness. Kindness shapes our character and makes us more like our Father in Heaven. Great satisfaction can come in helping the poor, the sick, the elderly, or others who have special needs. Look around you; there are all kinds of opportunities. Being friendly to our neighbors [and] to people at school [and] at church is a great way to show the Lord that we want to keep the covenant we made at baptism “to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” (Mosiah 18:8). So many people are shy or lonely and need a kind word or smile. Lifting others is the way of the Master.
So who do you think you are? Knowing who you are—who you really are—is closely tied to knowing God, for you are His children.
Closing Prayer:
Refreshments:




27. Practice Makes Perfect Becky Rademacher Godfrey, Friend, Mar. 1999, 3 fiction
HYMN: The Things I Do p.170
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 4:12
LESSON: My name is Eric, and I love to play basketball. According to Eddy, our team’s student manager, I’m the fifth grader most likely to make a shot. Mom says I play so well because I play so often. “Practice makes perfect,” she says. Today I discovered that I could use some practice at something besides basketball. … At lunch, my friend Kurt and I were walking toward our usual table, when I saw Trevor sitting alone, picking green pepper bits off his pizza. All of a sudden, I had a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it wasn’t entirely because of green peppers. Trevor is a boy who comes to our ward sometimes. Yesterday Sister McQueiry, my Primary teacher, asked me to stay after class. She told me that the ward had set a goal to reach out to less-active members and that she needed my help. She knew that Trevor went to my school, and she asked me to invite him to Primary. I told her I would. When I saw Trevor, I knew I should talk to him right away, but I didn’t want to. I mean, what would he think if I walked over there and just started talking? What would everyone else think? If he were an OK guy, why wasn’t anybody else sitting by him? Besides, this was only Monday, and I had all week to ask him to Primary. So I sat with Kurt at our usual table. I must’ve felt a little guilty, though, because I ate my pizza, salad, corn, and chocolate cake a lot more slowly than usual. After about fifteen minutes, everyone else was out on the playground, but I was still eating my slice of pizza. The lunchroom was practically empty—except for Trevor and me. I finally went over and sat by him. He was really quiet at first, but when I asked him about Boston, where his family had moved from, he started talking. I was so busy listening to him that I missed the entire lunch recess, and I barely remembered to ask him to church the next Sunday. I felt relieved to have my “Trevor assignment” over with. I rushed home and played about ten games of one-on-one with Kurt before dinner. At family home evening, my sister, Kim, gave the lesson. It was all about the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31–46 [Matt. 25:31–46]. It compares the sheep to righteous people and the goats to wicked people. In verses 33–38 and 40, it says: “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you … “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? … “And the King shall answer and say unto them, … Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” As I listened to the parable, I thought about Trevor eating lunch all alone. Then I thought about Jesus. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Was I really ignoring Jesus when I ignored Trevor? Kim ended her lesson, and Dad asked if anybody had any questions. I raised my hand. “Eric?” asked Dad, a little surprised. “I just wanted to know,” I started, not sure how to ask my question, “if you do something good, but it takes you a while to do it and you really didn’t want to do it, but you did it anyway, would you be a sheep or a goat?” Dad gave me a look of real concern. “What are you talking about?” he finally asked. And so I told him about Trevor. “It sounds to me as if you knew the right thing to do and you did it.” I felt relieved to hear Dad’s answer. “But,” he added, “your attitude could use a little work.” “You’re a sheep,” Kim decided. “Pretty much, anyway.” “Today you were kind because you knew it was right,” Mom added. “In time, I hope you will help others because you love them as Jesus does. But it will take time and practice.” I wonder if you can be willing to practice love and service like you’re willing to practice basketball. I wonder if you can practice them while you practice basketball. I’ve decided to have lunch with Trevor tomorrow. He seems interesting. Besides, Trevor is even taller than I am. I wonder if he can hit the outside jumper.
Heavenly Father’s Plan “Heavenly Father’s Plan,” Friend, June 2003, 46
Long before we were born, we attended a council in heaven and learned of Heavenly Father’s plan. An important part of His plan was for the earth to be created, to which we could come and have physical bodies. We could not become like Him if we didn’t. Heavenly Father also placed a veil (something that hides or covers) across our minds so that we couldn’t remember our pre-earth life. That way, we could learn to have faith in Him and Jesus Christ, to control our minds and our bodies, and to obey the commandments and choose the right. Knowing that we would sin and make mistakes, Heavenly Father asked for a savior—someone to atone for us. Jesus Christ said that He would be our Savior, and He was chosen. He followed Heavenly Father’s plan: He created the earth for us. He organized His church. He taught us through the prophets, apostles, other Church leaders and teachers, and through His own words and example. He suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross for our sins. Then He overcame death so that we can overcome death, too. After we die, He will judge us according to our faith in Him and how we lived on earth. He taught about this in a story called the parable of the sheep and the goats: “When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: “And before him shall be gathered all nations [people]: and he shall separate them one from another … : “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? “Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? “And the King shall answer and say unto them, … Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Then the King told those on His left hand—those who did not try to be like the Savior and choose the right—that they would not be able to live again with Him and Heavenly Father. (See Matt. 25:31–46.) Jesus Christ will finish Heavenly Father’s wonderful plan. The Savior said to the righteous: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2–3.)
Sheep and Goats Matching Game By Kimberly Webb Instructions: Remove this page from the magazine, mount it on heavy paper, and cut out the cards. On a table or the floor, spread out the cards facedown. A player takes a turn by turning two cards over. If the cards don’t match, the cards are turned back over and it’s the next player’s turn. Pictures of sheep match with things that a person would do to follow the Savior. Pictures of goats match with things that would take one away from Him. If the two cards match, the player keeps them. His or her turn continues until he or she does not get another match. When all the cards are gone, the player with the greatest number of pairs wins.
CLOSING PRAYER:
REFRESHMENTS:

28. The Faith of Mary and Martha
(See Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–47; John 12:2–8.)
Jane McBride Choate, Friend, Apr. 1988, 48
HYMN: I Pray in Faith p. 14
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: James 1:5-6
LESSON: During the Savior’s ministry on earth, many people listened to Him and learned about His gospel of love. Two sisters, Martha and Mary, were among those who believed the words of eternal life that Jesus taught. Mary and Martha lived in Bethany with their brother, Lazarus. All three of them loved Jesus, and He loved them. Jesus often visited their home when He was in the area, knowing that He would always be welcome there. Martha and Mary would sometimes sit at His feet while He taught them. Once when He was there and Mary was sitting at His feet, Martha was busily preparing a meal for Him. Finally, feeling that Mary should be helping her, Martha asked Jesus to get Mary to help her. Jesus gently refused, explaining that Mary was doing something important by listening. He said, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Sometimes Jesus brought His disciples with Him while He visited Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. It was a practice in the hot, dusty land of Judea to wash the feet of travelers, and one time after Martha had served a meal to Jesus and his disciples, Mary anointed His feet with spikenard, an expensive ointment. Then, showing her great love for Him, she used her long hair to wipe His feet clean. Judas Iscariot, seeing this, complained that such costly ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Judas, who later betrayed Jesus, was not really concerned about the poor; instead, as keeper of the disciples’ purse, he probably wanted the money for himself. Jesus told Judas, “Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. “For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” On another occasion, while Jesus was teaching on the other side of the River Jordan, Martha and Mary sent word to Him that Lazarus was very sick. Jesus waited two days, however, before going to Bethany. By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. When Martha learned that the Lord was coming, she went out to meet Him, saying, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” So strong was her faith in Jesus that she knew that He could have performed a mighty miracle and saved her brother’s life. “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” Jesus told Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha believed in eternal life and, thinking that Jesus was referring to it, said, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Teaching her further, Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” Martha replied, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Jesus asked Martha to send Mary to him. And when Mary came, weeping, she fell down at His feet and said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died,” showing her faith in the Savior too. Jesus asked simply, “Where have ye laid him?” He was led to the small cave where Lazarus was buried. A stone covered its entrance. When Jesus directed that the stone be removed, Martha was concerned. “Lord,” she said, “by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” Jesus comforted her, saying, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Then, as the stone was removed, Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. “And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the many people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” Then, in a loud voice, He commanded, “Lazarus, come forth.” When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was still wearing his burial clothes, but he was very much alive. Martha and Mary and their friends rejoiced greatly.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:














29. The Atonement Friend, Mar. 1995, 48
HYMN: The Sacrament p. 72
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: A of F 1:3 & John 3:16
LESSON: Jesus Christ was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, a Jewish celebration to remember when the angel of death passed over the children of Israel just before pharaoh let Moses lead them out of Egypt. Jesus’ disciples arranged for an upper room for the celebration feast, and Jesus and his Apostles gathered there for what would be his last supper with all of them. He taught them the ordinance of the sacrament. They sang together, and then the Savior offered a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to protect and strengthen his followers, since he knew that soon he would no longer be with them. After the prayer, Jesus and his disciples left the upper room and walked across the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Jesus asked his disciples to “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder” (Matt. 26:36). Jesus knew that he was about to face great suffering. The time of the Atonement had come. He went a short distance from his disciples and began to pray. As he made payment for all our sins, his pain was so great that he pleaded, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). More than one hundred years before Christ’s birth, King Benjamin prophesied that during the Atonement Jesus would “suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and abominations of his people” (Mosiah 3:7). Following the Atonement, Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified. After hanging on the cross for six hours, he said, “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost [died]” (John 19:30). Jesus was buried in a tomb. On the third day, he rose from the dead, a resurrected being. He had broken the bands of death. The Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, who lived before Jesus was born, prophesied of his Atonement, saying, “He cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. “And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great judgment day.” (2 Ne. 9:21–22.) The Atonement accomplished two things. First, all mankind will be resurrected. Second, those who repent of their sins can be forgiven. Christ revealed to Joseph Smith that “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent” (D&C 19:16).
In Remembrance of Jesus
(Adapted from an October 1997 general conference address. See Ensign, November 1997, pages 24–26.)
Robert D. Hales, “In Remembrance of Jesus,” Friend, Apr. 1998, inside front cover
The time had come for Christ’s ministry on earth to end. It was the Passover season. The people were celebrating and rejoicing in the goodness of God for having saved their forefathers from the plagues that had come upon Egypt in the days of Moses. Jesus had assembled His Apostles in the Upper Room for the Last Supper. Soon He would make His atoning sacrifice so that all mankind—those who had lived before that time, those who were then living, and all those who would yet live on earth—would be able to return to Heavenly Father’s presence if they would repent from their sins and be obedient to His commandments. For all who come unto Christ and take His name upon them through baptism, there is great responsibility to be worthy to participate weekly in the sacrament to renew their baptismal covenant, take His name upon them, renew their promise to keep all of His commandments, remember Him, know Him, and understand His greatness. When we are baptized in His name and always remember Him and keep His commandments, He gives us the greatest blessing He can give us: to always have His Spirit to be with us. We are not left alone. We have the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost to lead and guide us in an otherwise very dark and dreary world. Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Where the light of Christ is found, the darkness of Lucifer, even Satan, must depart, defeated. May we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ, and always remember Him in all that we do and all that we say—may we follow His light and choose the right.
Jesus Christ’s Atonement Is the Greatest Gift of Love
He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him (2 Ne. 26:24).
Karen Ashton, “Sharing Time: Jesus Christ’s Atonement Is the Greatest Gift of Love,” Friend, Feb. 1996, 36
Do you know that you lived with Heavenly Father before you were born? When Heavenly Father presented His plan for your life on earth and your return to Him, you shouted for joy! You wanted to receive a body and to make important choices and covenants. Heavenly Father knew that our earthly bodies would die and that we would make some wrong choices and sin. He loved us and wanted to make it possible for us to repent. He knew that someone would have to come to earth to free us from death and pay for our sins. To do this would be so difficult and so painful that only a perfect being could do it. We could not do it for ourselves. Jesus loved us so much that He asked Heavenly Father to send Him. He was willing to suffer pain for the sins of all people. He was also willing to give up His life to overcome death. He did not offer to do this because He wanted glory or honor but because He loved us and Heavenly Father. How do we feel when we do something that we know is wrong? Sorrow and suffering result when we disobey the commandments or when we don’t do something we know we should. Heavenly Father chose Jesus to save us from our sins and our sorrows. To do this, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to be alone and to pray. As He prayed, He felt the sins and the sorrows and the pain of all the people who would ever live on the earth. He felt the pain and sorrow for the sins of each one of us. Jesus’ suffering was so great that blood came out of every pore of His body. We cannot imagine how great that suffering must have been. Because He suffered, we can repent. Jesus chose to do this for us so that if we repent, we can live with Heavenly Father again. After suffering in Gethsemane, Jesus was arrested, bound, mocked, spit upon, scourged, and put to death on a cross. He suffered hours of intense physical pain, then gave up His life. Because He was a God and had power over death, He did not have to die. He chose to do it for our sakes, His spirit left His body. His body was taken down from the cross, wrapped in a clean linen cloth, and placed in a tomb. A huge stone was rolled in front of it. On the following Sunday, when women came to anoint Jesus’ body, the stone had been rolled away and His body was not there. He had risen! He had taken His body again. Because Jesus broke the bands of death, after we die, we will also have our bodies again. This is called resurrection. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be saved from our sins if we repent. Because of Jesus Christ, we will be resurrected and can return to live with Heavenly Father again. Jesus Christ loved us and gave His life for us. It was the greatest gift that has ever been given to us.

CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:


The Atonement and Resurrection Corliss Clayton, Friend, Mar. 1991, 24
HYMN: Our Savior’s Atonement provided
OPENING PRAYER:
LESSON: Read the following scriptures and when a location is mentioned, find that place on the map.

1 Luke 20:9–19 Temple
2 Mark 14:1–2; John 12:1–5; Matt. 26:14–16 Bethany
3 Luke 22:7–14 Upper room
4 John 13:1–17, 20 Upper room
5 John 13:21–30 Upper room
6 Matt. 26:26–29 (Read also footnotes 26b and 28a.) Upper room
7 John 13:34–35; John 15:9–17 Upper room
8 John 17 Upper room
9 Matt. 26:30–35 Mount of Olives
10 Luke 22:40–46; Mark 14:39–42 Garden of Gethsemane
11 John 18:3–11; Luke 22:47–51 Garden of Gethsemane
12 John 18:12–14, 19–24; Matt. 26:57–68 Caiaphas’s Palace 1
13 John 18:15–18, 25–27 Caiaphas’s Palace
14 Mark 15:1; John 18:29–38 Judgment Hall 2
15 Luke 23:6–11 Herod’s Palace 3
16 Matt. 27:15–25 Judgment Hall
17 Mark 15:15–20 Judgment Hall
18 John 19:4–16 Judgment Hall
19 John 19:17–22 Golgotha
20 Luke 23:34 (Read also footnote 34c.); John 19:23–24 Golgotha
21 Matt. 27:39–44; Luke 23:39–43 Golgotha
22 John 19:25–27 Golgotha
23 Matt. 27:45–46, 50–54 (Read also footnote 50a.) Golgotha
24 John 19:31–37 Golgotha
25 John 19:38–42 Garden Tomb
26 Matt. 27:62–66 Garden Tomb
27 John 20:1–18 Garden
28 Luke 24:12–33  
29 John 20:19–31  
30 John 21:1–17  
31 Acts 1:1–11 Easter




31. Jesus of Nazareth

HYMN: The Third Article of Faith p. 123
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: D&C 19:16
LESSON: David B. Haight, “Jesus of Nazareth,” Friend, Apr. 1997, inside front cover
The Thursday before His death, Jesus met with the Twelve in an upper room to celebrate the Passover. During the meal, He said that one of them would betray Him, and a deep sadness fell over all of them. Then Jesus told Judas, “That [which] thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:27). Judas left the room to do his awful deed. Jesus taught His disciples many things that night as He tried to prepare them for what He knew was coming. Then they got up from the table, sang a hymn, and walked together to the Garden of Gethsemane. “The awful hour of His deepest [suffering] had arrived: … nothing remained … but the torture of physical pain and … mental anguish. … And He must face that hour alone.”* Then came Judas with his betraying kiss; Christ’s surrender to His enemies; the insults and scorn of the multitudes; His appearance before Pontius Pilate, then Herod, then Pilate again. Then Pilate delivered Jesus to be scourged (whipped with leather straps that have sharp pieces of bone or rock embedded in them). Jesus was nailed to the cross on that fateful Friday morning, probably between nine and ten o’clock. At noon, darkness spread over the whole land for three hours. At about the ninth hour, Christ cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46.) In that bitterest hour, the dying Christ was alone. Later Christ exclaimed in triumph: “Father, it is finished” (Matt. 27:50—see footnote) and “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Then He bowed His head and voluntarily gave up His life. Christ’s body was lovingly carried to a nearby garden, where a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathaea was located. On the dawn of that first-ever Easter morning, the two Marys and other women carried their precious spices and ointments to the tomb to finish preparing the body for burial. They wondered who would help them remove the stone that blocked the opening of the tomb. To their amazement, they found the heavy stone already rolled away, the body of Jesus gone, and two angels in white bearing witness that Christ had risen from the dead. The prophet Alma taught that an atonement had to be made by God himself “to appease [help meet] the demands of justice” that God might be a perfect, just, and merciful God. (See Alma 42:15). I bear witness that Jesus Christ lives, that He is our Savior and the pathway to true happiness.
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:




32. The Crucifixion Friend, Apr. 1982, 30
HYMN: Easter Hosanna p.68
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Matt. 27:27–50
LESSON: Fearing to go against the wishes of an unruly crowd, Governor Pontius Pilate turned Jesus over to a band of cowardly soldiers, who “stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” After these cruel indignities, the soldiers spit upon Jesus and smote Him on the head with the reed. Then tiring of mocking Him, they took off the scarlet robe and put on His own garment again. While on their way to crucify Jesus, “they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross” to a skull-like hillock (Calvary) on the outskirts of town. It was here that the soldier mob committed the cruelest punishment of all. Nailing Jesus through hands and feet to the wooden cross, these barbarians heartlessly gambled for Jesus’ garments near the foot of the erected cross, while the Son of God’s lifeblood ebbed away. “And set up over his head his accusation [was] written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Now came the passerby to take up the mocking, and the chief priest, scribes, and elders, who said, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for [Jesus had] said I am the Son of God.” Then two thieves, who had been crucified on either side of Jesus, took up the same taunt. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, … My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Some of those standing nearby thought that Jesus’ anguished call was for Elias. “And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave [it to Jesus] to drink. “The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.” And “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
President Howard W. Hunter, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve: “As one called and ordained to bear witness of the name of Jesus Christ to all the world, I testify at this Easter season that He lives. … Following his crucifixion and death, He appeared as a resurrected being to Mary, to Peter, to Paul, and to many others. He showed himself to the Nephites. He has shown himself to Joseph Smith, the boy prophet, and to many others in our dispensation. This is his church; he leads it today through his prophet, Ezra Taft Benson. Of this I testify.” (Saturday morning session) from General Conference, April 2–3, 1988
CLOSING PRAYER:

REFRESHMENTS:



33. “He Is Not Here, But Is Risen” Gordon B. Hinckley, Friend, Apr. 2000, inside front cover
HYMN: Jesus Has Risen p.70
OPENING PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Morm. 7:5
LESSON:
Jesus the Christ was born in a lowly manger. He walked the dusty roads of Palestine. His message was the gospel of peace. His teachings were those of generosity and love. He performed miracles the like of which were never performed before or since. He healed those whose sickness was of long standing. He caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk. He raised the dead, and they lived again to speak His praises. Was not all of this enough to make His memory immortal? Certainly He would have been ranked among the great prophets of all time. But all of this was but prelude to greater things to come. They came in a strange and terrible way. He was betrayed, arrested, condemned to death, to die in awful agony by crucifixion. His living body was nailed to a cross of wood. In unspeakable pain, His life slowly ebbed away. While yet He breathed, He cried out, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The earth shook as His spirit passed. The centurion who had seen it all declared in solemnity, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54). Those who loved Him took His body from the cross. They dressed it and placed it in a new tomb. The tomb was sealed with a great stone, and a guard was set. His friends must have wept. The Apostles He loved and whom He had called as witnesses of His divinity wept. The women who loved Him wept. None had understood what He had said about rising the third day. How could they understand? This had never happened before. It was unbelievable, even for them. There must have been a terrible sense of dejection and hopelessness and misery as they thought of their Lord taken from them in death. But that was not the end. On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary returned to the tomb. To their utter amazement, the stone was rolled away and the tomb was open. They peered inside. Two beings in white sat at either