YOUTH LESSON ACTIVITY. TRIALS STRENGTHEN FAITH: Premortal Life/Earth Life quiz. Here youth learn about PREMORTAL LIFE (their first estate) and how they passed the first test by choosing to follow Jesus. EARTH LIFE (their second estate) gives them the opportunity to pass the test again – to follow Jesus (to reach their glory – Abraham 3:26).
FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH
Come Follow Me: Primary, Sunday School, Seminary, family home evening, and daily devotionals
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
TRIALS STRENGTHEN FAITH premortal life/earth life quiz
OBJECTIVE: To help youth understand that trials and tests of faith can strengthen us if we are faithful and obedient.
SHOW IMAGES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Where did we come from?
(Show premortal life circle.) Heaven was our first estate (show plastic spirit). There we passed a test to come to earth and receive a physical body.
What test did we pass to come to earth?
We chose to follow Jesus and keep all of Heavenly Father’s commandments (place plastic spirit over body and place on earth circle). Our spirit was given a chance to come to earth to live in a body to be tested.
What do we need to do to pass the earth life test?
If we keep the commandments, we will pass the test and will receive our reward (read Abraham 3:26), to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus again (in the second estate earth circle, write what you will do).
Abraham 3:26 “And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.”
TO MAKE Print, color, and cut out the activity on cardstock paper. Cut out a plastic spirit with ahead on the fold-line of a plastic sheet protector to slide over the doll’s head.
THOUGHT TREAT: Gingerbread Boy/Girl.
SCRIPTURE CARDS: Help children Search and Ponder this scripture card by filling in the blanks. PRINT this 5 x 7 scripture card from the pdf included with the above activity. You can punch the two holes on the left and tie a ribbon to attach cards or use two metal rings to connect cards.
D&C 105:6 “And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer.”
LESSON IDEAS (for the above activity):
Present Lesson 28 – Primary 5 Manual – Doctrine and Covenants-Church History: Zion’s Camp Marches to Missouri. Review enrichment activity 2 in the manual for which the following activity illustrates.
ENRICHMENT IDEAS from D&C/Church Manual Primary 5 (to match the above activity)
Draw two large circles on the chalkboard. Label one Premortal Life and the other Life on Earth. Read with the children Abraham 3:24–26. Explain that our first estate was our premortal life, our life before we were born on earth.
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- How do we know that we passed our test there? (We kept our first estate—we were born on earth.)
Explain that our second estate is our life on earth.
- What do we have to do to pass our test here and “prove [that we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command [us]”?
Help the children make a list on the chalkboard of the things God has asked them to do (such as pay tithing, go to church, and love each other). Have each child choose one or two things to work on during the week and write them on the back of his or her test paper from the attention activity.
Help the children understand that we will be tested throughout our lives—we cannot keep the commandments for a day or a week and think that we have passed the test. On the other hand, if we break a commandment we have not permanently failed; if we repent and keep the commandment in the future, we will still be worthy to return to Heavenly Father.
Tested, Proved, and Polished | Henry B. Eyring | October 2020
QUOTE FROM TALK Tested, Proved, and Polished By President Henry B. Eyring Second Counselor in the First Presidency
“I read of Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son speaking of Their purpose in creating this world and giving spirit children the opportunity of mortal life:
‘And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
‘And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.’ (Abraham 3:25-26)
You and I accepted that invitation to be tested and to prove that we would choose to keep the commandments of God when we would no longer be in the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Even with such a loving invitation from our Heavenly Father, Lucifer persuaded a third of the spirit children to follow him and reject the Father’s plan for our growth and eternal happiness. For Satan’s rebellion, he was cast out with his followers. Now he tries to cause as many as he can to turn away from God during this mortal life.
Those of us who accepted the plan did so because of our faith in Jesus Christ, who offered to become our Savior and Redeemer. We must have believed then that whatever mortal weaknesses we would have and whatever evil forces would be against us, the forces of good would be overwhelmingly greater.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know and love you. They want you to return to Them and become like Them. Your success is Their success. You have felt that love confirmed by the Holy Ghost when you have read or heard these words: ‘For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.’ (Moses 1:39)”
