Use for COME FOLLOW ME: Young Women, Young Men, Youth, Seminary Family Home Evening
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
CAUTION! It’s a Jungle Out There!
quicksand word find puzzle
Have youth complete this puzzle to identify dangers. Tell them that the quicksand in the jungle of life is not easily seen. Satan camouflages evil, making it appear good and right. He sets traps and pits, like quicksand, all around us. If we get too close we can fall into them (see VIDEO Chastity: what are the limits? (below).
Sometimes youth want to try something for themselves to see what it feels like, or they feel they can handle a situation and just go in part way. But even putting a toe into the deadly sand, letting down one’s guard, can pull them in deeper until they are trapped in his powerful quicksand trap.
TO COMPLETE PUZZLE: Have youth color and complete the puzzle to avoid Satan’s traps and stay on the right trail by crossing through the Quicksand Traps and circling the Chastity Trail choices. ANSWERS starting top to bottom:
• Quicksand Traps: NECKING, DIRTY JOKES, STAYING OUT LATE, PETTING, PORNOGRAPHY, IMPURE THOUGHTS, IMMODESTY, FORNICATION, HOMOSEXUALITY, R-RATED MOVIES
• Chastity Trail: GROUP ACTIVITIES, LISTEN TO LEADERS’ COUNSEL AND UPLIFTING MUSIC, HAVE VIRTUOUS THOUGHTS, SAY PRAYERS, SEEK TRUE FRIENDSHIP, READ SCRIPTURE, SAY NO, USE CLEAN SPEECH, OBEY PARENTS
THERE’S MORE: See IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE! QUICKSAND TRAPS* activity (below).
TO MAKE Print activity in color or black and white. Cut out circles and glue back to back on left and right, leaving top and bottom open to slide lollipop inside. Tie a pretty ribbon at the bottom (“tie a knot,” indicating an honorable marriage). Option: Tie two lifesavers in ribbon/knot to represent wedding rings.
TESTIMONY SHARING: Ask youth to share their testimony on the following. Click on the following website objective to introduce the testimony sharing (that follows): Why is chastity important? “Chastity is sexual purity and involves being morally clean in thoughts, words, and actions. Sexual intimacy is ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife. God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage. When we are sexually pure, we qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and we are protected from the emotional and spiritual damage of sexual sin.”
TESTIMONY SHARING: Ask youth to share their testimony on the following. Click on the following website objective to introduce the testimony sharing (that follows): How do I guard my virtue? “Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It includes chastity. We live in a world in which virtue is belittled and attacked. We can guard our virtue by avoiding impure thoughts, language, and actions. Pornography is especially dangerous. As we “put on the whole armour of God” (see Ephesians 6:11–17) and rely on the strength of the Lord, we can protect ourselves against the adversary’s attacks on virtue and keep our thoughts and actions pure.”
THOUGHT TREAT: Eternal Companion “Chew”sing Choices. Give each youth a piece of chewing gum. As they chew have them close their eyes and think of the “chew”sing they will do to find their eternal companion. Each choice they “chews” will either guide them to their eternal companion or further away.
MUTUAL NIGHT ACTIVITIES
*IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE! QUICKSAND TRAPS: Set up a jungle scene with brown wrapping paper in the center to represent quicksand. Place a nice lounge chair with an umbrella with an intriguing drink on top of the quicksand. Take youth through the jungle scene and end up focusing on the lounge chair scene. Tell them that below the chair is quicksand. They would naturally stay away from quicksand if they knew it was there. But Satan’s traps are often disguised by trees in the jungle or in our lives by attractive objects or words that entice. Talk about Satan’s quicksand traps to pull you under into looking at pornography, necking, petting, intimacy, and sex. If we put our toes in the quicksand, we are tempted to go further until our feet and legs are stuck, and soon we are sitting in the quicksand. Before we realize it, we are up to our necks in Satan’s trap.
Have youth sit down and write questions on slips of paper and place them in a box. Talk about the questions and how to avoid quicksand traps.
Plan what to say in situations where it may be difficult to say no (e.g., at a party if alcohol is offered and we drink, we can then easily lose control – see video LEAVE THE PARTY below).
Heavenly Father reads or knows our thoughts but Satan does not have that power. Satan can only read our actions. If we give in a little, he tempts us further. Don’t give him control by letting go of your values.
CHASTITY TALK AND CHASTITY CHOICES: Bishops are very good at talking on this subject; so are their wives. Seminary teachers are also good resources. After a guest speaker, help young women project themselves into the future to look at the choices they will make. Compare dating a boy who is good (chaste), and dating a boy who is unchaste. Talk about group dates as opposed to single dating. Talk about the daily spiritual nourishment needed to help you make chaste choices.
VIDEO: Spiritual Crocodiles – (2 Nephi 28) President Boyd K. Packer used this analogy in his April 1976 general conference address. Just as well-camouflaged crocodiles prey on unwary victims, Satan preys on unwary youth by using tactics that camouflage the deadly nature of sin.
VIDEO: Chastity: What Are the Limits? – Latter-day Saint teens are counseled to stay sexually pure, but what exactly are the limits? Using the teachings of modern prophets, this presentation shows how we can find happiness and peace through staying chaste. (3:59)
Source YW2.33
THIS ACTIVITY CAN BE USED FOR Come Follow Me
• AUGUST Lesson 3 “Why is chastity important?”
• SEPTEMBER Lesson ___ “How do I guard my virtue?”
