Use For: Come Follow Me, Old Testament Bible study, Primary, family home evening, Children & Youth goals
Little LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
Choose Blessings: Jacob and Esau thumb puppets
OBJECTIVE: To help the youth recognize how our values influence our choices. Review enrichment activity 3 in the lesson manual for which the following activity illustrates (below*).
ACTIVITY: Jacob and Esau thumb puppets
Using the puppets, talk about Jacob, who obeyed the commandments, making thumbs-up choices, and Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, making thumbs-down choices (Genesis 25:30–34).
To Play Game: Jacob chose the right, so place a Jacob (thumbs-up) puppet on the right hand and an Esau (thumbs-down) puppet on the left hand of each youth. Read the following actions as children vote thumbs-up for right actions and thumbs-down for wrong choices.
Thumbs Up & Thumbs Down Choices: Going to a movie on the Sabbath ➘ Saying a prayer at mealtime ➚ Cheating on a test ➘ Reading the scriptures each day ➚ Being a friend to someone who doesn’t have friends ➚ Complaining when it’s time for family home evening ➘ Cleaning up after yourself ➚ Doing your chores cheerfully ➚ Smoking ➘ Listening reverently in Primary ➚ Listening to your little brother or sister ➚ Working hard to get your homework done each day ➚ Going to a friend’s house after school without permission ➘ Forgetting to call your parents when you get to your friend’s house ➘ Making a get-well card for a sick neighbor ➚ Smiling ➚ Sweeping the garage without being asked ➚ Spending tithing money ➘ Watching a bad movie ➘ Listening to uplifting music ➚ Saying please and thank you ➚ Staying up too late ➘ Eating junk food often ➘ Repenting ➚
TO MAKE Print and cut out the Jacob and Esau thumb puppets for each youth. Tape tab ends to fit finger.
THOUGHT TREAT: CTR Cookies. Write with frosting CTR on a cookie for each youth. Tell them that as they choose the right each day they deserve a thumbs-up, which means good job. Let’s try each day to make thumbs-up choices.
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.
Genesis 25:30-34
“Esau said, … I am at the point to die and what profit shall this birthright do me? Jacob said, Swear to me this day: and he sware unto him: and [Esau] sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.”
LESSON 13
Jacob and Esau
“Lesson 13: Jacob and Esau,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 52–55
Purpose
To help the children recognize how our values influence our choices.
Preparation
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Prayerfully study:
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Genesis 25:21–28—Twins Esau and Jacob are born to Isaac and Rebekah.
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Genesis 25:29–34—Esau sells his birthright.
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Genesis 26:34–35—Esau marries out of the covenant.
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Genesis 27:1–40—Jacob receives the greater blessing.
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Genesis 27:41–46, 28:1–5—Jacob leaves home and seeks a wife in the covenant.
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Genesis 31:3, 32:3–20—Jacob returns and prepares to meet Esau.
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Genesis 33:1–16—Jacob and Esau are reunited.
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Genesis 35:9–12—Jacob is blessed.
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Study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture accounts (see “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii). Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will best help the children achieve the purpose of the lesson.
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Materials needed:
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A Bible for each child.
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The following wordstrips:
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Several items, pictures of items, or wordstrips to represent things of lasting worth—such as scriptures, temple marriage, eternal life, good health, a happy home, and so on—and things of temporary worth—such as a ball game, money, entertainment, having your own way, a toy, or candy.
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Suggested Lesson Development
Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
Enrichment Activities
You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
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Have the children tell about good experiences they have had with their own brothers and sisters. Remind the children that because families can be together forever, they should love and help their brothers and sisters.
Share the following quotation with the children:
“Your most important friendships should be with your own brothers and sisters and with your father and mother. Love your family. Be loyal to them. Have a genuine concern for your brothers and sisters. Help carry their load” (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, p. 56; or Ensign, May 1986, p. 43).
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Have the children discuss family situations such as the following (adapt these if needed and add others to suit the needs of your class):
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Your younger sister wants you to play with her instead of going to your friend’s house.
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Your older brother is preparing dinner and asks you to help even though it is not your turn.
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Your brother is studying for a test in school. You are watching a television program that is distracting him from his studies.
How many solutions can you think of for these situations? Which solutions would bring temporary pleasure? Which solutions would bring eternal happiness? Encourage the children to be forgiving and understanding at home.
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THE FOLLOWING Enrichment Activity #3 is illustrated in the above activity.
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Read the following list to the children. Have them point their thumbs up for choices that represent eternal values and down for choices that do not (adapt this list according to the needs of your class):
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Going to a movie on the Sabbath
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Saying a prayer at mealtime
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Cheating on a test
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Reading the scriptures each day
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Befriending a student at school who does not have many friends
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Complaining when your parents call you to Family Home Evening
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Cleaning up after yourself
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Doing your chores cheerfully
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Smoking
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Listening reverently in Primary
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Have a child put a large coin or cardboard circle up to one eye, close the other one, and then slowly move the object away from the eye that is open. Have the child tell what he or she could see with the coin up close and how much more there is to see when the coin is moved away.
Explain that the coin could represent an immediate desire, such as hunger, that blinds us to other things around us. Like Esau, sometimes we experience failure or unhappiness because we trade what we want most for what we want at the moment.
Present several situations such as the following for the children to discuss:
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You are tempted to miss church to watch a sports event or go hunting.
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You are tempted to buy a toy rather than pay your tithing.
Explain that temptations, like the coin, keep us from seeing the entire picture. Encourage the children not to be blinded by such temptations.
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See the entry in the LDS Bible Dictionary “Abraham, Covenant of” (p. 602). Review the blessings the Lord gave to Abraham that were recorded in Genesis 28:4, 13–15. Explain that Esau gave up these blessings when he married outside the covenant. Emphasize the importance of being married in the temple, and explain that the blessings promised to Abraham and his posterity will come to all who accept and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Review the story of Jacob and Esau with the children by having different class members tell one portion of the story. Encourage the children to share this story with their families and discuss why Esau gave up his birthright.
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Sing or read the words to “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, p. 99).
Conclusion
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.