Sharing Time January 2013, Week 2. Heavenly Father s Plan is a Plan of Happiness

Transcription

1 Sharing Time January 2013, Week 2 Heavenly Father s Plan is a Plan of Happiness Purpose: To help the children realize that God s Plan is one of happiness Materials: Jolly Jenn flipcarts for songs ( I Lived in Heaven & I Will Follow God s Plan for Me ) Gift with a strip of paper inside that says: Heavenly Father s plan is a plan of happiness Signs to put on board ( Heavenly Father s Plan is a Plan of Happiness & Moses 1:39 scripture) Life Cereal Box with Eternal written on it. Scriptures that are put in Life Cereal Box Pictures & Labels that correspond to parts of the Plan of Happiness (Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Gain a Body, Earth Life, Gospel (Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, Endure to the End), Agency, Families, Temple Ordinances, Death, Resurrection, Judgment, Eternal Life) Before Lesson Preparation: Put pictures up on board that correspond to the parts of the Plan of Happiness in the following order: Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Gain a Body, Earth Life, Gospel (Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, Endure to the End), Agency, Families, Temple Ordinances, Death, Resurrection, Judgment, Eternal Life. Put the label of each picture above corresponding picture, turned over so the children can t see the label yet. Song: I Lived in Heaven (use pictures from Jolly Jenn flipcharts) (I m going to use this as our rest song before the lesson) Object Lesson: Present a gift. Tell the children that inside this gift is something that will bring them happiness. Ask, What do you think it could be? Have a child open the gift and read the sentence inside of the gift that says, Heavenly Father s plan is a plan of happiness. Put a sign of this up on the board above the pictures already on the board. Story: (Tell about how Heavenly Father s plan came about parts taken from Sharing Time: I Shouted for Joy! By Sydney Reynolds) We lived in Heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus and other people we loved. We learned a lot in Heaven and loved it there. Heavenly Father realized that we had learned as much as we could there with Him. He wanted us to grow more and become more like Him so we could be as happy as He was. So He created a plan for us called The Plan of Happiness. He gathered us all together in a big meeting, called the Council in Heaven. He told us about this Plan of Happiness. In this Plan of Happiness, Jesus was chosen by our Heavenly Father to create a beautiful earth for us. On earth we could gain a body. With the gift of agency 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 so excited to be able to come to earth. But there was a problem. Once we had bodies, we could get sick and die. We would make mistakes on earth. No one who sinned could live with Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father knew that someone would have to pay the

2 price for our sins so that we could be clean again and free from sin. Jesus volunteered to do whatever Heavenly Father wanted Him to do to help us. Satan wanted to take away our agency and force us to follow him. Heavenly Father chose Jesus to be our Savior. Some people didn t like Heavenly Father s Plan, but a lot of people did. When we heard that Jesus would be our Savior, we were so grateful and so happy that we shouted for joy! We got to choose if we would follow Heavenly Father s Plan of Happiness. Those that said they would follow Heavenly Father s Plan got to have bodies and come to earth. o? Who created the Plan of Happiness? (Heavenly Father) o? Who is the Plan of Happiness for? (Us) o? Where were we told about this Plan of Happiness? (In heaven in the Council in Heaven) o? Why did Heavenly Father create the Plan of Happiness for us? (because he wants us to grow and learn and become like Him, He wants us to be happy because He loves us, He wants us to have Eternal Life) o? Who did Heavenly Father choose to be a Savior for us? (Jesus Christ) o? Did we get to choose if we wanted to follow Heavenly Father s Plan of Happiness? (yes) o? Raise your hand if you chose to follow Heavenly Father s Plan of Happiness. (everyone) How do you know that you chose to follow Heavenly Father s Plan of Happiness? (because you are here on this earth with a body; those that didn t not choose to follow Heavenly Father s Plan did not get to have a body and come to earth). Lesson: (learning about what the Plan of Happiness entails) Have a Life cereal box and write Eternal on it, so it says Eternal Life. Explain that the Plan of Happiness allows us to have Eternal Life, which means living with God and living a life like He does. The point of the Plan of Happiness is to one day gain Eternal Life. We are going to learn about what is part of the Plan of Happiness, which, if we follow it, will help us have Eternal Life one day. Have scriptures in the Life box that correspond to the pictures of the Plan of Happiness (that are already on the board). Have children pull out a scripture and read it. Have them guess which picture they think this scripture is talking about. Turn over the label that corresponds with that picture (the label is already on the board). Ask the Primary children, How does this part of the Plan of Happiness bring you happiness? Scripture: Do you know what makes Heavenly Father the happiest? Us. (Put up this scripture on board) In Moses 1:39, it says: For behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Heavenly Father has created this Plan of Happiness for us and is doing all He can to help us return to live with Him someday and to have the greatest joy there is, which is a life like His and with our families. We just have to do our part and try our very hardest to keep the commandments and repent when we make mistakes. Song: I Will Follow God s Plan for Me (use pictures from Jolly Jenn Flipcharts) (I m going to have the chorister do this song for us after the lesson) Testimony: If we follow Heavenly Father s Plan, we will be happy. It is the only way we can have the most joy and happiness. It is the only way to achieve Eternal Life. I know Heavenly Father loves me and you. I know that we each have a unique purpose here on earth. I hope we can all follow Heavenly Father s Plan of Happiness.

3 Scriptures for Plan of Happiness The Creation 2 Nephi 2:14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. The Fall 2 Nephi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. The Atonement of Jesus Christ 3 rd Article of Faith We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. Isaiah 53: 3-5 (one of my favorite scriptures about the Savior) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Doctrine & Covenants 19: (description of the Atonement) For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit Temple Ordinances Doctrine & Covenants 109:8 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; The Family: A Proclamation to the World Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally. Doctrine & Covenants 124:41-41 And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein unto my people; For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times.

4 Earth Life Abraham 3: We will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; Alma 37:35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. Gospel 4 th Article of Faith We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Agency 2 Nephi 10:23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. Gain a Body Moses 2:27 And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them. Death Mosiah 16:8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. Mosiah 15:20 But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead. Families The Family: A Proclamation to the World The family is central to the Creator s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. The family is ordained of God. Doctrine & Covenants 130:2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

5 Resurrection Mosiah 15:21 And there cometh a resurrection, even a first resurrection; yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who are, and who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ for so shall he be called. Judgment Mosiah 16:10 Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil Eternal Life Doctrine & Covenants 14:7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

6 Labels for Pictures CREATION THE FALL THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST GAIN A BODY EARTH LIFE

7 GOSPEL (Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, Endure to the End) AGENCY FAMILIES TEMPLE ORDINANCES DEATH RESURRECTION

8 JUDGMENT ETERNAL LIFE For Gift Heavenly Father s Plan is a Plan of Happiness Pictures for each part of Plan of Happiness (most taken from Gospel Art Book) Creation- The Lord Created All Things pg 2 The Fall- Adam and Eve Kneeling at an Altar pg 4 The Atonement of Jesus Christ- Christ in Gethsemane pg 56 Gain a Body-Baby picture of my son Earth Life- The Earth pg 3 Gospel- Girl Being Baptized pg 104 Agency- Lehi s Dream pg 69 Families-The Family: A Proclamation to the World sheet Temple Ordinances- Salt Lake Temple pg 119 Death-Christ Raising the Daughter of Jairus pg 41 Resurrection- Why Weepest Thou? pg 59 Judgment- The Second Coming pg 66 Eternal Life-Heaven picture below

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