TWO SCENES – TWO BOOK OF MORMON STORIES:
The Prophet Lehi and His Family Travel:
. From Jerusalem to Wilderness
. From Wilderness to Jerusalem to Obtain the Brass Plates
1 Nephi 1-4 (includes scenes and figures to tell the stories)
TWO SCENES – TWO STORIES
From Jerusalem to Wilderness
From Wilderness to Jerusalem (Obtain the Brass Plates):
PART 1 We can Show Our Faith by Being Obedient
• Story 1. Tell the story found in 1 Nephi 1-2 by placing Nephi’s family first in the “Jerusalem” scene and then in the “Wilderness” scene to tell of their journey.
PART 2 We Believe the Book of Mormon to Be the Word of God
Use scenes and figures to review the following stories:
• Story 2. Tell the story found in 1 Nephi 3-4 where Nephi and his brothers return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates.
LESSONS ARE FOUND IN THE MANUALS (click on these links to find them:
• STORY 1
1 Nephi 1-2 (HERE)
INSTRUCTIONS: Prayerfully study the account of Lehi and his family in 1 Nephi 1–2. SEE LESSON DETAILS (below**).
• STORY 2
1 Nephi 3-4 (HERE)
INSTRUCTIONS: Prayerfully study 1 Nephi 3–4; 3 Nephi 18:19; and Mosiah 23:15. Be prepared to tell the story of Nephi and the brass plates. SEE LESSON DETAILS (below**).
TO MAKE Print on cardstock in color (or color) and cut out Jerusalem and Wilderness scenes, figures, and brass plates. Clip bottom tags with scissors where indicated, and fold and hook them together to stand-up images.
THOUGHT TREAT #1: Desert Honey. Make cornbread to eat with honey. Tell the youth that Lehi and his family also ate honey in the wilderness.
THOUGHT TREAT#2: Wilderness Snacks. Mix granola, fruit, and nut traveling trail mix in a sack youth can munch on as they pretend they are traveling back and forth from Jerusalem (to flee as Lehi saw in the vision) to Wilderness and from Wilderness to Jerusalem (to obtain the brass plates).
MORE ACTIVITIES:
DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING TO CONTINUE THE STORIES ABOVE WITH STORY #3 Heavenly Father Helps Us Obey: Nephi’s Ship Puzzle Scene (HERE or below). Most of the figures above are in this activity. Only now the figures are placed in the boat pocket (without the tabs) to tell how they sailed to the Promised Land (1 Nephi 3:7; 17; 18:1-4). SHOWN in the slide-show below.
** LESSON DETAILS (PART 1) “We Can Show Our Faith by Being Obedient”
Lehi Showed His Faith by Being Obedient
Scripture story and picture
Explain that we are Heavenly Father’s children and can show that we have faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Lehi showed his faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus by being obedient.
Tell the following scripture story in your own words:
A long time ago, six hundred years before Jesus was born, a prophet named Lehi lived in Jerusalem with his family. Lehi’s wife was named Sariah. They had four sons named Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi.
Lehi and his family were prosperous and comfortable. Lehi loved Heavenly Father and Jesus. He tried to teach his family to love them and obey their commandments.
Display picture 3-39, Lehi Prophesying to the People of Jerusalem.
At that time the people who lived in Jerusalem were very wicked. Lehi tried to teach them about Heavenly Father and Jesus and the commandments, but the people would not listen to him.
One day as Lehi was praying, he had a dream or vision. He saw many wonderful things. He also saw that Jerusalem would be destroyed unless the people repented. Lehi praised Heavenly Father because he knew that Heavenly Father wanted to warn the people of Jerusalem. Heavenly Father told him to tell the people about what he had seen. Lehi did as he was commanded. He told the people that Jerusalem would be destroyed unless they repented.
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What did Lehi see in his vision? (Many things, including the destruction of Jerusalem; see 1 Nephi 1:13.)
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How did Lehi feel after his vision? (He praised Heavenly Father; he was happy; see 1 Nephi 1:14–15.)
Telling the people to repent of their wickedness took courage. However, Lehi had faith that Heavenly Father would protect him, so Lehi did as he was commanded. The people would not listen to him and made fun of him and tried to kill him because they didn’t like hearing that they were wicked.
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What did Lehi do to show his faith in Heavenly Father? (He obeyed and told the people to repent; see 1 Nephi 1:4, 18.)
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What did the people do after Lehi told them to repent? (They made fun of him and wanted to kill him; see 1 Nephi 1:19–20.)
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How do you think Lehi felt when the people wouldn’t listen to him?
Scripture discussion
Some time later, Heavenly Father spoke to Lehi. Have the children listen for what he commanded Lehi to do. Read 1 Nephi 2:1–2.
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What did Heavenly Father command Lehi to do? (Leave Jerusalem and go into the wilderness.)
Explain that a wilderness is usually a place where no one lives and where there are no houses, buildings, or roads. Heavenly Father commanded Lehi and his family to leave everyone behind and go to a place where they would have to live by themselves.
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Why was Lehi commanded to take his family out of Jerusalem? (Wicked men were planning to kill Lehi, and the city was going to be destroyed.)
Ask the children to listen to what Lehi did; then read 1 Nephi 2:3–4.
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What did Lehi do? (He packed the things he needed to live in the wilderness and took his family out of Jerusalem.)
Scripture story and picture
Show picture 3-40, Lehi’s Family Leaving Jerusalem.
Although Lehi had lived in Jerusalem for a long time, he promptly obeyed the commandment to leave his home. Lehi and his family left their home, their land, most of their clothing, their gold and silver, and other belongings. They took only food, some clothing, tents, and other necessary items that they may have carried on camels or donkeys. Then they left and went into the wilderness.
Point out that it was not easy for Lehi to leave, but he was willing to obey this commandment.
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What did Lehi do that showed he had faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? (He was obedient. He warned the wicked people, and he left his home and belongings and went into the wilderness because he was commanded to do so.)
** LESSON DETAILS (PART 2) “We Believe the Book of Mormon to Be the Word of God”
Nephi Obtained the Scriptures
Pictures, scripture story, and discussion
Explain that the Book of Mormon contains a story that shows how important the scriptures were to Nephi and his family.
Tell the children that Lehi told his sons—Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi—that the Lord wanted them to go back to Jerusalem and get some brass plates from a man named Laban. The brass plates were a book of scripture made from metal (brass) pages. Laman and Lemuel did not want to go back to Jerusalem and were very angry, but Nephi and Sam were willing to go.
To show the children how Nephi felt about going to get the brass plates, read aloud 1 Nephi 3:7 and discuss it with the children.
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Why was Nephi willing to go? (He knew that the Lord would prepare a way for him to fulfill the commandment he had been given.)
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What promise did Nephi make? (That he would do what the Lord had commanded him to do.)
Explain that Nephi convinced his brothers to go with him.
Laman was the first to go to Laban’s house. He asked Laban for the brass plates. Laban would not give Laman the plates and threatened to kill him. Laman was afraid and ran back to his brothers. Show picture 3-41, Laman Fleeing. He wanted to go back to their father in the wilderness.
Nephi said they must obey the commandment to get the brass plates. Nephi and his brothers went back to their former home in Jerusalem and got their gold and silver. They planned to trade their riches for the brass plates.
Laban took their gold and silver but would not give Nephi and his brothers the brass plates. He ordered his men to kill them. Nephi and his brothers ran away and hid.
Laman and Lemuel were angry. They beat Nephi and Sam with a stick. An angel appeared and commanded them to stop. The angel said that the Lord would help them get the brass plates and told them to obey Nephi.
Display picture 3-42, Nephi Near Laban’s House.
This time Nephi went to get the plates. His brothers waited outside the city wall as he crept up to Laban’s house. Nephi saw Laban lying drunk on the ground. The Holy Ghost told Nephi to kill Laban. Nephi hesitated because he did not want to kill anyone.
Nephi remembered the great importance of the scriptures, and he knew that he could not obtain the brass plates unless he killed Laban. So he did what the Holy Ghost told him to do. He killed Laban and dressed in Laban’s clothes.
He then pretended to be Laban.
Display picture 3-43, Nephi and Zoram.
Nephi told Laban’s servant Zoram to bring the brass plates to him and to follow him. Zoram obeyed, thinking Nephi was Laban. Later, Nephi explained to Zoram that the Lord had commanded him and his brothers to get the brass plates. Zoram believed him. He also wanted to obey. He went with Nephi and his brothers back to Lehi in the wilderness.
Display picture 3-44, Lehi and the Brass Plates.
Lehi read the brass plates. The plates contained the commandments and some stories about Moses and other prophets. They also contained the genealogy of Lehi’s family. Lehi was commanded to take the brass plates with him to the promised land.
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Whose writings were on the brass plates?
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What was written on the brass plates?
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Why do you think Lehi and his family needed the brass plates?
The Scriptures Help Us Obey
Scripture activity
Explain that we need to know the commandments just as much as Lehi’s family. The scriptures can help us obey Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ because they contain many of their commandments.
Ask the children to listen carefully while you read two scriptures. Ask them to raise their hands when they know what commandment the scripture is teaching. Read 3 Nephi 18:19 and Mosiah 23:15 and discuss them with the children.
Remind the children that if we did not have the scriptures, we might forget the commandments and not obey them. Then we would not receive the blessings that come from living the commandments.
