For the STRENGTH OF YOUTH

APRIL – PSALM 147:3

“JESUS CHRIST WILL HELP YOU”

CHURCH & HOME – LESSON PLAN

(In 20 minutes you can review the lesson (that YOUTH CAN TEACH). Then send youth home with a handout to place in their journal/notebook to reinforce gospel learning. Use one per week (printing all fro the bundle or individually below.  

YOU’LL FIND:

#1 Activities BUNDLE For Lesson-Match Activities (shown right)

#2 “Strength of Youth” JESUS CHRIST WILL HELP YOU lesson (below or here) 

#3 Mutual Night ACTIVITIES (shown below)

BUNDLE Includes:
Lesson-Match Activities:
1. Temptation Traps & Escapes brainstorm
2. It’s Time For a Change! goals in diaper envelope
3. Apply Principles of Repentance (Youth Goal Planner)
4. Heavenly Father Forgives … D&C 88:86 memorize & plan (poster)

LESSON LIFESAVER Lessons and Activities

Jesus Christ will help you.

PSALM 147:3 “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

Jesus Christ is your strength. He has done everything necessary for you to have joy in this life and forever. By choosing Him and His gospel, you are choosing eternal happiness and joy.

Even when you try to do your best to make good choices, sometimes you will make mistakes. You’ll do things you wish you hadn’t. Everyone does. When this happens, it’s easy to feel discouraged or wonder if you will ever be good enough. But there is good news—wonderful, hopeful news! Because God loves you, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself your sins so you can repent, be forgiven, and keep progressing.

Jesus Christ will strengthen you. He will help you change your desires, your thoughts, and your actions. When you are worried, afraid, or struggling in any way, He will comfort you. He will help you in all aspects of your life. You can trust Him.

Repentance isn’t punishment for sin; it is the way the Savior frees us from sin. To repent means to change—to turn away from sin and toward God. It means to improve and receive forgiveness. This kind of change is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process.

YOUTH GOAL ACTIVITY. TEMPTATION TRAPS AND ESCAPE ROUTES Brainstorm. Youth can realize how the Atonement and God’s words can keep us on His path. This brainstorm helps them view sticky tempting situations and their escape routes. They can prepare just as Joseph was prepared to escape the temptation of Potiphar’s wife.  SEE MORE . . .

YOUTH GOAL ACTIVITY. IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE! goals in diaper envelope. Tell youth when you present this that they are NOW OLD ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE GOALS. They don’t need to be “babied” around or be a cry “baby” when asked to change. They simply write on the “What to change” card, post them, and achieve! Extra cards might be nice to keep those goals “moving” right along.  SEE. MORE . . .

YOUTH GOAL PLANNER. APPLY PRINCIPLES OF REPENTANCE IN YOUR LIFE. Youth can SEARCH AND PONDER these scriptures and write what repentance means to them. Then, study the process of repentance (the steps leading to true repentance). Then, pray for guidance and note how they applied the principles of repentance. Remember repentance starts with knowing forgiveness is possible.  SEE MORE . . .

YOUTH GOAL ACTIVITY. HARVESTING MY DESTINY GARDEN habit changer. Youth can learn that each thought can reap an action, habit, character, and destiny. Here they can:
#1 Write three bad habits they wish to change.
#2 Sow a good thought. Write a positive thought that will help change a bad habit.
#3 Harvest your destiny garden. Write what each thought reaps. 
SEE MORE . . .

MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE. HEAVENLY FATHER FORGIVES All Who Truly Repent D&C 88:86 scripture poster journal. Youth can memorize this scripture and write in the journal how to untie the ropes of wrongdoings. “Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes.”  SEE MORE . . .

POST-AND-PRESENT: Butterflies Are Free–Repentance Garden. Youth can compare themselves to a butterfly that wants to be free from the weight of sin (place butterfly visual under a rock) with this Butterflies Are Free—Repentance Garden activity.    
      By saying we are sorry and making amends, and by not repeating the mistake, we become free to spread our wings and be happy (place a butterfly visual on the flower). We can taste the sweet nectar of the gospel and follow Heavenly Father’s plan.  SEE MORE . . .

PROGRESS PATH:
Set up a game in the ward building or a park with a path. Have adult leaders or priesthood helpers, like the bishopric or dads, stand along the path. Create situation cards to be held by the helpers along the path. Have each youth carry a sturdy sack or backpack (they can have 5 or more packs and take turns going
down the path). Have them go along the path slowly, picking cards held by the path helpers. For example, the first helper might give a sin card like “Lied to parents about where you were going.” The second card might be a repentance card like “Felt feelings of remorse,” or “Bore my testimony to a friend.” Have helpers put the sin stones (stones with the word “sin” written on them) in their pack as they pass the post. At the few repentance posts, they can take out a stone. The last eight stops are the eight steps of repentance cards, followed by a card with a quote by Spencer W. Kimball (below). Take out stones as they pass. Roast marshmallows or have toast and cocoa, and discuss how it feels to get rid of mistakes and recommit, staying on the path that leads to eternal joy.

President Spencer W. Kimball stated: “Since all of us sin in greater or lesser degree, we are all in need of constant repentance, of continually raising our sights and our performance. One can hardly do the commandments of the Lord in a day, a week, a month or a year. This is an effort which must be extended through the remainder of one’s years” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969], p. 202).

BRING SUNSHINE INTO YOUR LIFE WORKSHOP:
Have youth share ideas on how they can repent and find happiness.

These Mutual Night Activities were written by Fern Law, a Young Women leader of six years – these are her experiences with the YOUTH. Collect them all; there are over 200 in this series.

LESSON LIFESAVER ACTIVITY. SUNSHINE REPENTANCE doorknob reminder (Mosiah 27:29).  Youth can learn from Alma the Younger’s experience that they can move from darkness into light and feel the warmth and peace that true repentance brings. Then write the eight steps to repentance on the back: recognize, promise, recommit, restitution, feel repentance, prove, forgive, and commit.  SEE MORE . . .

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