Lesson

Our Parents Help Us Learn

28
Purpose To help the children understand how their parents or guardians can help them
learn to obey the commandments.

Preparation 1. Prayerfully study Alma 53:1022; 56:310, 4648, 5556; 57:2425; Doctrine
and Covenants 93:40; and Moses 6:58.
2. Prepare to sing or say the words to Teach Me to Walk in the Light
(Childrens Songbook, p. 177). You might ask a child to sing the first
verse if appropriate for your class.
3. Invite a mother to bring her baby to the first part of class. (If this is not
possible, you may want to use a picture of a mother and baby.)
4. Throughout this lesson, be sensitive to those children who might not
live with both parents or whose parents do not teach them to obey the
commandments.
5. Materials needed:
a. The standard works.
b. A bean bag, small ball, or other soft object.
c. Picture 3-38, Two Thousand Young Warriors (62050; Gospel Art Picture
Kit 313); picture 3-5, Adam and Eve Teaching Their Children.
6. Make the necessary preparations for any enrichment activities that you will
be using.

Suggested
Lesson
Development Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
Follow up with the children if you encouraged them to do something during
the week.

We Have Parents to Help Us Learn

Attention activity Introduce the mother and baby to the children. Have the children watch the
baby briefly and then ask:
What can the baby do for himself?
What does the mother do for the baby?
How does the baby learn to talk?
How does the baby learn to walk?
Explain that someone has to care for the baby. He depends on his parents for
everything. They love the baby, and they spend their days and sometimes their
nights watching over him.

134
 What are some things you have learned since you were a baby?
Who taught you and cared for you?
Thank the mother for coming into the class with her baby, and excuse her at
this time.

Our Parents Help Us Learn to Obey the Commandments

Picture and story Show picture 3-5, Adam and Eve Teaching Their Children.
Adam and Eve, the first man and woman on the earth, were taught the gospel
of Jesus Christ and told to teach it to their children. Read aloud Moses 6:58,
omitting the last word.
What commandment does Jesus Christ give to parents? (To teach their
children. The things parents should teach are the truths of the gospel; see
D&C 93:40.)
Song Sing or say the words to Teach Me to Walk in the Light. Ask the children to
listen to see if they can figure out what walk in the light means.
Teach me to walk in the light of his love;
Teach me to pray to my Father above;
Teach me to know of the things that are right;
Teach me, teach me to walk in the light.
Come, little child, and together well learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight
Always, always to walk in the light.
Father in Heaven, we thank thee this day
For loving guidance to show us the way.
Grateful, we praise thee with songs of delight!
Gladly, gladly, well walk in the light.
What does it mean to walk in the light? (To obey our Heavenly Father.)
Explain that we were born on this earth to learn, and Heavenly Father placed
us in families so that we could learn from our parents. Parents are commanded
to help prepare us so that we can one day return to live with our Heavenly
Father.
Scripture story Explain that the Book of Mormon tells a story about some young men whose
and picture parents taught them to obey the commandments. Tell the following in your own
words:
Remind the children that the Lamanites who were converted to the Church
called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies so that they would not be confused with
the rest of the Lamanites. When the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were converted, they
made a promise or covenant with Heavenly Father that they would not use their
weapons to fight. They buried their weapons to show that they would keep
their covenant.
The Nephites provided land for the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to live on and protected
them from the Lamanites. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies became known for their righ-
teousness and honesty. They gave food and clothing to help the armies of the
Nephites.

135
 Many years passed. The wicked Lamanites began to attack the Nephite lands
again and take possession of some of the Nephite cities. The Nephites had
trouble protecting their cities. When the Anti-Nephi-Lehies saw how hard the
Nephites were fighting to protect the cities and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, they
were very worried. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies wondered if they should break their
covenant and help the Nephites fight.
A brave Nephite leader named Helaman told them not to break their covenant.
He knew that it was important to keep covenants. He also knew that these
righteous people had many sons who were very young at the time the
covenant was made. These boys had not made the covenant with Heavenly
Father, so they could help the Nephites fight to protect the cities and their
parents. Two thousand of these strong young men volunteered to fight with
Helaman.
Display picture 3-38, Two Thousand Young Warriors. Then continue with
the story.
Explain that these young men were honest and could be trusted. Their
mothers had taught them to trust in Heavenly Father and obey his com-
mandments. These young warriors knew that if they did so, Heavenly Father
would protect them. Because they believed and followed the teachings of
their mothers, they were not afraid to follow Helaman. They fought in many
battles for the Nephites. They fought bravely and were a great help to the
Nephite armies.
Read aloud for the children Alma 56:47, beginning with they had been taught
by their mothers and continuing through verse 48.
Explain that Helaman loved these young men as much as parents love their
children. After one great battle, many people had been killed. Helaman was
worried that some of these young men might have been killed. When they were
counted, he was happy to find that not one of them had died. Because the
young men trusted in Heavenly Father and followed the teachings of their
mothers, Heavenly Father had protected them from the Lamanites.
Discussion Point out that we can learn the commandments from our parents just as these
young men did. Then we should obey what we have been taught. By teaching
us about Heavenly Fathers commandments, our parents help us know what
we must do to keep the covenants we make when we are baptized.
What are some of the commandments we are taught by our parents and
others? (Let the children respond. In your discussion, emphasize the
commandments to love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, love one another,
honor our parents, forgive others, be baptized, pray, pay tithing, fast, obey
the Word of Wisdom, be honest, keep the Sabbath day holy, attend Church
meetings, and study the scriptures.)

Summary
Invite the children to listen when their parents teach them and to obey the
commandments. Encourage the children to thank their parents when they
teach about the commandments.

136
 Lesson 28

Teacher testimony Bear your testimony that Heavenly Father loves each of us. Because of this
love, he has commanded our earthly parents to watch over us, care for us, and
teach us the right way to live. As our parents try to live the way Heavenly Father
wants them to, we can learn from them to always choose the right way.
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Enrichment
Activities Choose from the following activities those that will work best for your children.
You can use them in the lesson itself or as a review or summary. For additional
guidance, see Class Time in Helps for the Teacher.
1. Have the children think of some things that their parents have taught them to
do. Then play the following game with them:
Say, My (mother, father, or parents) taught me to (example: bake a cake).
Then call a child by name, toss a beanbag to him or her, and ask, What
have your parents taught you to do?
The child responds by saying, My (mother, father, or parents) taught me to
(example: write my name). Then the child tosses the beanbag back to you.
Repeat the game until each child has had one or two turns.
2. Read the following poem to the children. Have the children stand and then
read the poem to them again, having them put their hands on their heads
every time they hear the words heaven or home.
I Had a Home in Heaven
I had a home in heaven;
My mother told me so;
I lived with Heavenly Father
Not very long ago.

I used to live in heaven;

My daddy said tis true
That Heavenly Father sent me here
To grow, and learn, and do.

I liked my home in heaven,

But now Im glad Im here
To live with my own family,
And friends and neighbors dear.
3. Sing or say with the children the words to A Happy Family (Childrens
Songbook, p. 198); the words are included at the back of this manual.
Choose a child to be the mother and one to be the daddy. When you sing or
say mother, the child representing the mother stands up. When you sing or
say me, each child points to himself. When you sing or say daddy, the
child representing the daddy stands up.

137