Lesson

The Church of Jesus Christ

Has Prophets to Teach Us 8
Purpose To help the children understand the importance of listening to and obeying the
teachings of the prophets.

Preparation 1. Prayerfully study Luke 1:70.

2. Ask a Melchizedek Priesthood holder from your ward or branch to come to
class and tell the children that he is pretending to be King Benjamin. (He may
want to wear a bathrobe or something similar over his clothes to symbolize
a kings robes.) Ask him to introduce himself as King Benjamin. Have him
explain to the children that he was a righteous king who worked with his own
hands to support himself so he wouldnt be a burden to his people. Ask him
to briefly explain that he had a tower built and that the people came from
near and far to hear his message. Ask him to briefly teach the children one
of the principles that King Benjamin taught (see Mosiah 25).
3. Print each of the following teachings from the prophets and Presidents of the
Church on separate pieces of paper or have a picture representing each one.
Place the papers in a container (or place the pictures face down on a table).
Add more teachings if needed so that each child can have a turn.
Have family home evening.
Study the scriptures.
Go to church every Sunday.
Pray daily.
Dont take things that belong to others.
Honor your parents by helping them at home.
Pay tithing.
Love one another.
4. Display a copy of a Church magazine that contains a message from the
prophet on a table or somewhere in front of the class. Before class, hide
pieces of paper with clues written on them around the room, such as under
a chair, in the window, and on the chalkboard. Each clue should tell the
children where to look for the next clue. The final clue should lead them back
to the magazine on display. In the magazine, underline or mark in some way
a short message from the prophet that the children can understand.
5. Materials needed:
a. A Bible.
b. A picture of the current prophet.
c. Picture 3-19, President David O. McKay.
6. Make the necessary preparations for any enrichment activities that you will
be using.

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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.

Jesus Christs Church Is Led by a Prophet

Attention activity Tell the children that they have an important visitor in class today. Ask them to
listen closely to his message because he will tell them about a righteous king
and prophet. After your visitor has finished talking, invite the children to shake
hands with him and thank him for coming.
Scripture Ask the children to listen to a scripture and see if they can learn something
discussion about prophets. Read Luke 1:70. Help them understand that sometimes the
Lord teaches us by telling his prophets what we need to know, and the Church
always has a prophet leading it.
Who was the first prophet on this earth? (Adam.)
Who was the first latter-day prophet? (Joseph Smith.)
Who is our prophet and President of the Church now? (Show his picture
and have the children practice saying his name.)
What Bible and Book of Mormon prophets can you name?
Can anyone choose to be a prophet? (See John 15:16.)
Explain that not everyone is called to be a prophet. Jesus Christ himself
chooses who his prophet will be. When Jesus Christ chooses a prophet,
he gives him all the authority he will need to preside over the Church.
This prophet is also the President of the Church.

Heavenly Father Has Given Us Prophets to Lead and Bless Us

Activity Ask the children to listen carefully to the following statements. If they agree with
the statement, they should stand up. If they disagree, they should sit down.
Take time to explain any statements the children do not understand. (Since all
the answers to the following statements are agree, have the children sit down
between each statement. The activity is designed to give movement and large
muscle activity in the classroom.)
1. We receive messages from our prophet at general conference. (Agree.
Explain that the prophets counselors and the twelve Apostles are also
prophets.)
2. Our prophet will never tell us the wrong things to do. (Agree. Explain that we
believe that what the prophet tells us will always be the right thing to do.)
3. President (name the current prophet) is the prophet and President of the
Church. (Agree.)
4. Our prophet tells us the things that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us
to do so that we will be happy and be able to live with them again. (Agree.)
Teacher Explain that the prophet gives us messages in the Church magazines, speaks
presentation in meetings, and directs and teaches other Church leaders.

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 Lesson 8

Explain that Jesus Christ was the greatest prophet who has lived on the earth.
He taught the gospel and performed many miracles.
Picture and story Tell the children that you are going to tell them a story about President David O.
McKay, one of the latter-day prophets. Explain that latter-day prophets are
those who have lived since Joseph Smith, or close to the time that we live.
Show picture 3-19, President David O. McKay, as you tell the following story.
When President David O. McKay was the prophet, he traveled throughout
much of the world to meet and lead the members of the Church. Once when
he was in Germany, he heard about a mother who was paralyzed (she could
not move parts of her body) and could not come to the conference to hear him
speak.
This mother had two children, and she wanted them to go to the conference
and see and hear the living prophet. With great faith she said, I know if I send
my children to shake hands with President McKay, and then they come home
and take my handif I can hold their little hands in mineI know that I shall
get better.
Arrangements were made so that her two children were able to go to the
conference. The children were thrilled and excited as they traveled to see
the prophet.
At the end of the conference, President McKay shook hands with many people
who were there. He knew that these two children were coming, and when he
saw them, he shook hands with them and said, Will you take this handkerchief
to your mother with my blessing?
The children took the handkerchief back to their mother. She was very happy
and thanked the Lord every day for the handkerchief and the blessing which
President McKay sent through her two children. Immediately after the children
came home, she began to get better, and she was soon able to move her body
and take care of her children. (See Cherished Experiences from the Writings of
President David O. McKay, comp. Clare Middlemiss [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book Co., 1955], pp. 14951.)

We Can Follow the Prophet

Treasure hunt Have a simple progressive treasure hunt. Begin by stating: Somewhere in this
room is a message from the prophet of the Church to the members of this
class. See if you can find it. Then tell the children the first clue. As each clue is
found, either read it aloud or have a child who can read do so. The last clue
could state something like, It is printed on paper. It is with other pages of
paper. It has a colorful cover. When the children discover the magazine, read
or have a child read from the magazine the marked message from the prophet.
Then explain what a treasure the words of a prophet are. Prophets can tell us
how to live so that we can return to Heavenly Father.
Summary Bear your testimony of the blessings that have come to you through studying
the teachings of the prophets in the scriptures and obeying the living prophet.
You might want to share a personal experience of how a teaching from a
prophet has influenced your life.
Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

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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 stand in a line and march quietly around the room while
saying or singing the words to the chorus of Follow the Prophet (Childrens
Songbook, pp. 11011). After finishing the chorus each time, the child at the
front of the line should tell how he or she will follow the teachings of the
prophet and then go to the end of the line. Be sure each child gets a turn
to be at the front of the line.
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; dont go astray.
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; he knows the way.
2. Explain that when we follow the prophet by doing what he asks us to do, we
will be blessed and be able to return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ. Pass out a copy of the maze (located on the next page) to each child
and ask them to color the right path to get back to Heavenly Father and
Jesus. The children who cant read may need some help.
3. Share facts and stories about the current prophet as you show his picture.
4. Help the children learn as much of the fifth article of faith as possible.

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Follow the Prophet

e
g m
in ho
en ly
ev ami
Be honest

f
ld
Ho
Obey the Be a missionary
commandments

Pay your tithing

Study the scriptures

Honor your father
and mother
Attend church

Pray daily

Tell the truth Love one another