YOUTH LESSON ACTIVITY. FORGIVE YOURSELF mirror message D&C 88:33. Youth can daily accept this gift of forgiveness by peering through this mirror poster and repeating this message (upon repenting): “For what doth it profit a man/woman if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.”
USE FOR: COME FOLLOW ME, Primary and Home lessons, Family Home Evening, Young Women, Activity Days, Sunday School, Bible Study
LESSON LIFESAVERS
Forgive Yourself mirror motivator
NOTES ON “What is Grace?”: Obtain quotes for this lesson from the talk The Gift of Grace by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
OBJECTIVE: Help youth memorize the D&C 88:33 on the mirror message and post this poster on their mirror to peer through to look at self to receive the gift of forgiveness and to forgive self.
MIRROR Message: Forgive Yourself “For what doth it profit a man/woman if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.”
ACTIVITY: Tell youth self-love is a gift you can give yourself through repentance and the forgiving process. Follow the steps.
1. Read Alma the Younger’s story of repentance and forgiveness (Alma 36:16-21).
2. Read the D&C 88:33 scripture on the poster.
3. Hold the poster up to your face as you look into a mirror. While peering through the poster, tell yourself that you forgive yourself for the wrong choices you have made.
4. Tell yourself how you will change.
5. Tell youth to imagine your mind is like a television set. When we put a scene or experience in our mind and run it over and over again, we are not letting the sin go. After we repent of sin, we should never have reruns!
TO MAKE Print activity in color or black and white; then color.
THOUGHT TREAT: Tear Drop Candy Kisses. Give each youth several candy kisses. Tell them that these teardrop-shaped candies remind us of the tear Jesus shed when He suffered for our sins. They remind us of the tears our parents shed when we turn away from the teachings of Jesus. They remind us of the tears we shed as we repent of our sins. Conclude with, “Now think of them as candy kisses. Let’s forgive ourselves and give ourselves a kiss as we change and forsake our sins.”
MUTUAL NIGHT OR FAMILY NIGHT ACTIVITY:
LETTING GO – Smooth Sailing:
There is a principle of “letting go” that is taught when sailing a boat. If you hold on to the rope too tight you can tip the boat over. There needs to be a certain amount of control in holding on to the rope, but when it’s time to let go and let the wind take over, you need to let go for smooth sailing. We too need to let go of our sins by repenting and forgiving ourselves.
If we really realize that Jesus Christ suffered for us so that we can repent and be forgiven, we will let go of our guilt and make a fresh start. True repentance is acknowledging the Atonement; as withholding the rope too tightly, if we do not let Christ take our sins, then we will tip or even sink under the powerful winds of depression and guilt. His Atonement, we can be forgiven and can sail back to our heavenly home. The seas of life are often rough as the waves of temptation, sin, and guilt rush over us; but we can endure if we start by forgiving ourselves.
1. Write on a piece of paper something you did that was wrong or unkind, etc. Do not include your name.
2. Fold the paper and place it on a helium balloon or around a stick or in a pinecone.
3. Then have a ceremony and talk about forgiveness and the healing power it has. Have several older youth talk about letting go of negative and unkind actions.
4. Before releasing the balloons, give youth a few moments and encourage them to have a silent prayer, asking Heavenly Father to forgive them of something they may not have repented of, to help them release these feelings.
5. Then let go of the balloons all at once, or go to a river and watch the sticks float away, or stand around a campfire and throw in your pine cones.
6. Resolve to never do that again. Take a deep breath, forgive yourself, and let it go!
SOURCE YW 3.27
