COME FOLLOW ME Doctrine and Covenants – SEPTEMBER (week 1) Lesson 36 “For the Salvation of Zion” D&C 94-92 (August 30 – September 5, 2021) – Activities and Song Visuals for Primary and Home, family home evening (individual families), Sunday School, Seminary

Show a picture of the Kirtland Temple (see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families). Use phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 95:8 to teach the children about the Lord’s commandment to build this temple. Let the children take turns holding the picture and saying “The temple is the house of the Lord.”

Tell the children that on every temple is written “Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord.” If possible, show them a picture of these words on a temple. Why is the temple a special place? Read phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 97:15–16 that teach about the temple being the Lord’s house, and share your feelings about the temple.

Invite the children to pretend they are helping to build a temple (cutting wood, hammering nails, painting walls, and so on). Explain how important the temple is to the Lord, how hard the Saints worked to build the Kirtland Temple, and how much they sacrificed for it (see Saints, 1:210).

Sing together a song to help children feel reverence for the Lord’s house, such as “I Love to See the Temple” (Children’s Songbook, 95). Let the children share their feelings about the temple.
DOWNLOAD I Love to See the Temple song visuals (HERE or below)

OLDER CHILDREN/YOUTH

Ask the children to talk about times when they were supposed to do something but didn’t do it immediately. Help a child read Doctrine and Covenants 95:3, 8, and ask the children what commandment the Lord said the Saints hadn’t obeyed. Read together verse 11. What did the Saints need to do so they could build the temple? What can we learn from the Lord’s promise to them?

On cards, write principles about the temple found in Doctrine and Covenants 95 and 97, along with the corresponding scripture references, and place the cards in a bag. For example: Building temples requires sacrifice (Doctrine and Covenants 97:11–12) and We must be worthy to enter the temple (Doctrine and Covenants 97:15–17). Divide the children into pairs. Let each pair draw a card from the bag and then work together to read the scripture on the card and talk about what the principle means to them. Help the children understand what they are reading as needed.

Invite a young person from your ward or branch who has been to the temple to share his or her experience and tell the children what they can do to prepare for the temple.

Use the article “Your Path to the Temple” (in Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [special issue of the Ensign or Liahona, Oct. 2010], 72–75) to help the children understand what happens inside temples and how they can prepare. Consider giving each child a section of the article to read and letting them share what they learn.

Share the video “Two Apostles Lead a Virtual Tour of the Rome Italy Temple” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), and invite the children to share how they feel about going to the temple someday.

MORE LESSON IDEAS FOR YOUTH (HERE) In the temple God blesses His people.

DOWNLOAD lesson-match activities and song visuals (below)

Explain to the children that God taught that when we are honest, He accepts us (see Doctrine and Covenants 97:8). Share with them a few brief stories that help them understand what it means to be honest. These stories could come from your own life, from the life of someone you know, or from the Friend or Liahona. Help the children retell the stories to you or share experiences with honesty from their lives.

Help the children learn the first phrase of the thirteenth article of faith: “We believe in being honest.” Help the children act out examples of being honest and dishonest. For example, the children could act out taking something from a sibling and telling their parents that they didn’t take it. Then help the children act out the same scenario in which they tell the truth to their parents. Explain that this is being honest.

Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 97:21, and ask them what the word “pure” means. To illustrate, show them a glass of clean water, and discuss why it is important to have clean water. Add something to the water that makes it impure (such as dirt or pepper). Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 97:21 again and put their finger on the word “pure.” What does it mean for our hearts to be pure? Help the children understand that being pure in heart doesn’t mean we never make mistakes. What can we do to become more pure in heart? How does the Savior help us?

Help the children search Doctrine and Covenants 97:1–2, 8–9, 21, looking for words or phrases that describe how to become pure in heart. Ask them to pick a word or phrase, write it on a slip of paper, and place it in a container. Draw out one slip at a time, and ask the children to suggest things they can do to use that idea in their lives. For example, what can we do to “find truth” (verse 1) or be more “honest” (verse 8)? For “find truth” see TESTIMONY Index to find activities (HERE).  For “honest” see HONESTY Index (HERE) or ideas in the lesson above.

• To help your class members think about what Zion is, you might write on the board What is Zion? and invite them to look for answers in Doctrine and Covenants 97:19 and 21 (see also Moses 7:18; Gospel Topics, “Zion,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). It might be helpful to discuss how the Savior helps us become “pure in heart.” What do we feel inspired to do to build Zion in our lives? in our ward or branch? in our community?

• The Lord taught about Zion after first commanding the Saints to build a temple “for the salvation of Zion” (see Doctrine and Covenants 97:12, 18–28). Why is the temple an important part of building Zion? How are the promises the Lord made about Zion in verses 18–28 being fulfilled in our day?

  MORE IDEAS ON ZION (from Come, Follow Me youth lesson): The Lord commands us to “seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion” (D&C 6:6). Zion refers to the Lord’s people who are of one heart and one mind and dwell together in righteousness. We can establish Zion by building unity and spiritual strength in our homes, wards or branches, and communities.
  Discussion:
  • How do you strive to live the principles of Zion in your life and family?
  • When have you felt a spirit of unity in a ward or in your family?