AGES 8-11 FOLLOW THE PROPHET Cycle of History wheel. Share with the youth the Book of Mormon stories that tell when the people followed the prophet they became righteous and blessings and prosperity came. Then, if they do not stay humble and keep repenting and choosing the right, they get prideful. At this point, it is easy to become wicked which brings suffering and destruction. Then the cycle begins again.
USE FOR Come Follow Me, Primary and Home, family home evening, Children and Youth, homeschool
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
Listen to the Prophet to Stay in the Light cycle of history wheel
ACTIVITY: Prepare this wheel to turn as you share the Cycle of History scripture stories of times when people listened to and followed the prophet and times when they did not.
This is often called “The Pride Cycle” as people turn from prosperity to pride. Then back to wickedness again because of pride. Humility (a soft heart) is the key to safety and happiness. See “The Cycle of Righteousness and Wickedness” HERE referencing the cycle in Book of Mormon history.
• See scriptures that follow.
• TO USE WHEEL (see instructions that follow).
1. Explain that throughout history when people have been righteous, Heavenly has blessed them with prosperity. Unfortunately, this prosperity can lead to pride and then to wickedness, and sometimes suffering or destruction.
2. The Jaredites became proud and rejected the prophets. Turn the wheel arrow to “Pride,” “Wickedness,” and “Suffering and Destruction.” If the Jaredites had humbled themselves and repented before they were destroyed, they could have returned to enjoying the blessings of righteous living. Turn the arrow to “Humility” and “Repent.”
3. Explain that this cycle often happens in our personal lives as well as in the history of nations. Go through the History Wheel again starting with “Humility” and talk about each action and where it leads.
TO MAKE Print, color, and cut out the Cycle of History Wheel parts A and B for each youth. Attach A on top of part B with a paper fastener (metal brad or a button brad*) place in the center.
*To make a button brad, sew two buttons together on opposite sides of the wheel, treading thread through the same hole to attach parts – this way the wheel will turn freely.
THOUGHT TREAT: Smile and Frown Cookie. Frost a smile on one side and a frown on the other with two eyes in the center. As you turn cookie around talk about the cycle of history how when the people were righteousness they were happy, and when they were wicked, they were sad and suffered destruction. Talk about how those who repented were not destroyed and became happy again (turn the cookie around again to the smile).
TESTIMONY: Testify that if we choose to listen to and follow Heavenly Father’s prophets we will be blessed and can overcome evil.
SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE CARD: 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.
Ether 13:13 “Great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether; but they esteemed him as naught, and cast him out; and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people.”
. . . “PRIDE COMETH BEFORE THE FALL” . . .
“Let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!”
The Nephites had a problem with pride and focusing on riches (see Jacob 2:13), and that problem wasn’t unique to them or their day. How does the adversary promote the love of riches today? After reading Jacob 2:12–21, describe in your own words how God wants you to view material wealth. A hymn like “Because I Have Been Given Much” (Hymns, no. 219) could provide additional insights. What do you feel inspired to do about what you’re learning?
I can avoid spiritual blindness by focusing on the Savior.
As Jacob worked to turn his people more completely to the Lord, he warned them not to be spiritually blind and not to despise the gospel’s “words of plainness” (see Jacob 4:13–14). According to Jacob 4:8–18, what can we do to avoid spiritual blindness?
See also Quentin L. Cook, “Looking beyond the Mark,” Ensign, Mar. 2003, 40–44.
SEE THE TALK Beware of Pride by President Ezra Taft Benson, Prophet (HERE)
LESSON IDEAS (for the above activity):
- Review and present the Lesson: The Jaredites Reject the Prophets (see details below).
• See the video for this subject (below).
• Present the lesson.
• Share the Cycle of History Wheel (shown above) as you present the Testimony and ideas (below).
LESSON 41
The Jaredites Reject the Prophets
“Lesson 41: The Jaredites Reject the Prophets,” Primary 4: Book of Mormon (1997), 144–47
Purpose
To help each child want to overcome evil in his or her personal life by choosing to listen to and obey the prophets.
Preparation
- Prayerfully study Ether 2:10–12; 11:1–5; 12:1–5; 13:13–22; 14:1–2, 21; 15:1–6, 18–34; and Omni 1:20–21. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,”vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.)
- Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
- Materials needed:
- A Book of Mormonfor each child.
- Picture 4-54, Ether Recorded the History of the Jaredites.
Suggested Lesson Development
Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
Attention Activity
Ask questions similar to the following:
- What would happen if you chose to stick a pin in a fully inflated balloon?
- What would happen if your familychose to stop watering a plant in your home?
- What would happen if you chose to stay up late and not get enough sleep?
Explain to the children that all their choices have consequences. Consequences are what happen as a result of the choices we make. The scriptures and our prophets teach us the consequences of our choices because Heavenly Father wants us to make good choices. This lesson is about the Jaredites and the prophet Ether. Ether told the Jaredites that if they chose not to repent, the consequences would be that all of the people would be destroyed.
Scripture Account
Teach the children the account of the destruction of the Jaredites from the scriptures listed in the “Preparation” section. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Point out that the prophets taught the people to have faith in Jesus Christ and to repent, but because the people rejected and killed the prophets, eventually the entire Jaredite civilization was destroyed. Use the picture at an appropriate time.
Discussion and Application Questions
Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.
- What is agency? (The ability to choose.) Why did Heavenly Father give us agency? Help the children understand that we grow and learn when we make choices. Heavenly Father knew that forcing us to do things would not help us learn to become like him.
- What did the Jaredites do to the prophets who prophesied of their destruction? (Ether 11:1–5.) What could the Jaredites have done to prevent their destruction? Explain that we can always choose to repent and avoid the consequences of continuing in sin.
- Who was Coriantumr? (Ether 12:1.) Who was Ether? (Ether 12:2.) What did Ether say to the Jaredites? (Ether 12:3–4.)
- How did the people react to Ether’s teachings? (Ether 13:13.) Where did Ether hide? (Ether 13:14.) What did he do while he was in the cave? Why do you think some people refuse to listen to the prophets?
- What did Jesus Christ direct Ether to tell Coriantumr? (Ether 13:20–21.) How did Coriantumr and the Jaredites respond to Ether? (Ether 13:22.)
- What great curse came upon the land because of the wickedness of the people? (Ether 14:1–2, 21; 15:2.) What do you think it would be like to live with these problems?
- What are the consequences of using our agency to make right choices? Ask the children to give examples of right choices and consequences. What are the consequences when we make wrong choices? Give examples of wrong choices and their consequences.
- What did Coriantumr write in a letter to Shiz, the opposing military leader? (Ether 15:4.) What did Shiz answer? (Ether 15:5.) How did Coriantumr and his people react to the people of Shiz? (Ether 15:6.)
- Why did the people keep fighting? (Ether 15:18–19.) What would have happened if the Jaredites had obeyed the prophet Ether? (Ether 13:20.)
- Who were the last two Jaredite warriors? (Ether 15:29.) Which one survived? (Ether 15:30–32.) Who found Coriantumr? (Omni 1:20–21.) What did the prophet Ether do with the record he wrote about the Jaredites? (Ether 15:33.) What was Ether’s final testimony? (Ether 15:34.) What should be the most important goal of our lives?
- How do you think you would have felt if you had been Ether and had seen the people destroyed because of their disobedience?
- What could the Jaredites have done to avoid this great tragedy? How can choosing to follow the living prophets help us today? What are some of the teachings of the living prophets today? What blessings will come if we follow their counsel?
You might use enrichment activity 3 as a review of this lesson.
Enrichment Activities
You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
- Share recent conference messages of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that could apply to the children in your class. Ask the children how they can follow the living prophets, and list their suggestions on the chalkboard. Have the children choose one way they can follow the prophets during the coming week.
- Before class, write the letters to the word obedienceon separate pieces of paper, and hide them around the classroom. Explain to the children that you have hidden some letters. Give specific directions for finding each letter. When all the letters have been located, put them on the floor or chalkboard to form the word Ask how they were able to find all the letters. Teach the children that Heavenly Father wants us to choose to obey. Learning to obey is one of the main reasons we are here on earth. Heavenly Father wants us to use our agency and choose to obey the counsel of the leaders of the Church. Ask the children what they think is the most important thing they can do to be happy. Refer again to the letters that spell obedience. Point out that Heavenly Father tells us in the scriptures and through his Church leaders what he wants us to do. When we use our agency to be obedient and do what he says, he will help us find happiness.
- Make the following word-strips (or use the Cycle of History Wheel activity above, shown here):
Righteousness
Blessings
Prosperity
Pride
Wickedness
Suffering or destruction
Humility
Repentance
Explain that throughout history when people have been righteous, Heavenly Father has blessed them with prosperity. Unfortunately this prosperity can lead to pride and wickedness and sometimes complete destruction.
Explain that this is what happened to the Jaredites. At first they were a righteous people and were blessed and prospered. (Draw a large circle on the chalkboard, and have the children put up the wordstrips “Righteousness,” “Blessings,” and “Prosperity” in the proper places on the circle [see the following illustration].) Then the Jaredites became proud and rejected the prophets. The people became so wicked that they were entirely destroyed. (Have the children put up the wordstrips “Pride,” “Wickedness,” and “Suffering or destruction” in the proper places on the circle.) Explain that if the Jaredites had humbled themselves and repented before they were destroyed, they could have returned to enjoying the blessings of righteous living. (Have the children put up the wordstrips “Humility” and “Repentance” in the proper places on the circle.) Help the children understand that this cycle often happens in our personal lives as well as in the history of nations.
Cycle of History
Righteousness
Blessings
Prosperity
Pride
Wickedness
Suffering or destruction
Humility
Repentance
- Have the children make their own copies of the cycle of history to take home and share with their families. The children could make their cycles more personal by including such things as “listening to the prophets,” “obeying my parents,” “praying daily,” “expressing gratitude,” “serving others,” and so on.
DOWNLOAD Cycle of History Wheel (activity above to teach) - Sing or read the words to “Follow the Prophet”(Children’s Songbook, 110), “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, p. 146), or “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” (Children’s Songbook, p. 172).
• DOWNLOAD “Follow the Prophet” song visuals (HERE or below)
• DOWNLOAD “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” song visuals HERE or below)
Conclusion
Testimony
Testify that if we choose to listen to and follow Heavenly Father’s prophets we will be blessed and can overcome evil.
Suggested Family Sharing
Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”
Suggested Home Reading
Suggest that the children study Ether 13:13–22 and Ether 15:33–34 at home as a review of this lesson.
MORE LESSON IDEAS:
