Ideas to Teach “This is My Beloved Son” Please Note: The theme for February is: “My faith in Jesus Christ Grows When I Know who He is.” Help the children grow in their testimony of the Savior by taking the time to increase your own knowledge and understanding of the Savior and his life. Again, remember Sharing Time will always be more effective if the music leader, pianist and sharing time leader work together to coordinate the principles being taught each week. Helping children feel the Spirit is our common goal.
IDEA #1
“You can find maps in the scriptures, lesson manuals, Church magazines and the meetinghouse library” (Teaching, No Greater Call, p. 171) (approx. 5-10 minutes):
Materials you will need:
Take responses and tell the children:
World Map
Jesus was baptized close to Bethlehem, where He was born and Nazareth, where he was raised. The River Jordan is on the border of Israel and Jordan, two countries in the Middle East. (Point to location 1 on your world map. If possible, mark it with a red dot, etc. Show where you live on the map also.)
Gospel Art Picture: John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus (#208) (Read the summary on the back of the picture so you can help the children review what is happening.) Read: Matthew 3:16-17 & JST Matthew 3:44-46 (Pearl of Great Price, p. 47)
Introduce song by having pianist play through the song. Ask the children:
You could also show the attached photo of the River Jordan and talk about how beautiful and green it was along the river–the water fresh and clean.
“Raise your hand if you recognize this song. Keep your hand up if you can tell me who this song is about.”
Discuss with the children:
Takes responses and tell the children: “This song tells us about four different places in the world where God has testified of His son, Jesus. Listen as we sing the first verse together. Let’s try to discover where Heavenly Father and Jesus are in this verse. Then we’ll try and find it on our map. Jesus entered Jordan’s waters when His work had just begun. God the Father spoke from heaven: This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him.
Ask the children: “What clues did you hear that tell us where Jesus was baptized?”
Take responses and show picture #1: Jesus entered Jordan’s waters… “Where is the River Jordan?
Who baptized Jesus? (John the Baptist. John had been raised by his mother in the desert to avoid being killed by Herod, who had all the children two years and younger killed. It was John the Baptist’s calling to prepare the way for the Savior, Jesus Christ.) John’s father Zacharias prophesied: “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways…” (Luke 1:76) To protect John, “Zacharias caused [Elisabeth] to take him into the mountains, where he was raised on locusts and wild honey” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 261). NOTE FOR LEADER: Three months before John was born, his mother, Elisabeth, was visited by her “cousin” Mary, the mother of Jesus. They were both soon to give birth to sons under miraculous circumstances. John would have certainly been taught by his mother from a very young age that Jesus was no ordinary man, because Elisabeth said of Mary’s visit, “And whence (how) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43) Why didn’t John the Baptist want to baptize Jesus? (He knew Jesus had special power and was without sin.) “…I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?“ Matthew 3:`14 …he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes
I am not worthy to bear: for he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire (a symbol of God’s presence and power to make us clean again when we sin.) Matthew 3:11 Who else was there the day Jesus was baptized? (the “Spirit of God” or the Holy Ghost, and God the Father) “…and he saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove… and lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17)
Tell the children: “Can you imagine what that day must have been like for John the Baptist? Now lets imagine that we’re at the River Jordan as we sing the first verse of the song again.” Jesus entered Jordan’s waters, When his work had just begun. God the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Testify of your love for the Savior and how you feel as you learn more about Him. You might also talk about your feelings on the day you were baptized, or ask the children to share a special memory from the day they were baptized. ©2007 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. www.ldsfamilyfun.com
The Jordan River connects The Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea and is 65 miles long.
Ideas to Teach “This is My Beloved Son” Please Note: The theme for February is: “My faith in Jesus Christ Grows When I Know who He is.” Help the children grow in their testimony of the Savior by taking the time to increase your own knowledge and understanding of the Savior and his life. Again, remember Sharing Time will always be more effective if the music leader, pianist and sharing time leader work together to coordinate the principles being taught each week. Helping children feel the Spirit is our common goal.
IDEA #2
“Good discussions broaden and deepen each participants understanding of gospel principles. Listen sincerely to learners’ comments. ” (Teaching, No Greater Call, p. 63-64) (approx. 5-10 minutes):
Materials you will need: World Map Gospel Art Pictures: John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus (#208) Jesus Appears to the Nephites (#315) (Read the summaries on the back of the pictures so you can help the children review what is happening.) Read: 3 Nephi 11
Review and Sing First Verse: “Last week we talked about Jesus being baptized. Who can tell me about that? (Have a child hold picture #208) Jesus entered Jordan’s waters, When his work had just begun. God the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Tell them: “This week we want to talk about Jesus visiting people in another part of the world. Listen to the next verse and tell me where Jesus was.”
Show picture #315 while singing: Nephites gazing into heaven, Saw their white-robed Savior come. And they heard the Father witness: This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!
Take responses and tell the children: “After Jesus was crucified on the cross outside of Jerusalem at a place called Calvary, (Point to location 1) He appeared to the Nephites.
We’re not sure exactly where, but the Nephites were probably somewhere in Central America. (Point to location 2 and mark it if possible. Show again where you live on the map.) We know that the people in the land northward lived in tents and houses of cement. They built cities and temples and synagogues (churches or houses of worship). Helaman 3:9
Show picture #315 again and ask: “What’s wrong with the ground in this picture?” (There had been earthquakes and fires and whirlwinds or tornados. 3 Nephi 8:5-7). When Christ appeared, “Many people were gathered together in the land called Bountiful around the temple.” (3 Nephi 11:1) “After all the distruction and darkness, how would you have felt to look into heaven and see someone coming down from the sky?”
Ask and then sing together: “How does the song say Jesus looked?” Nephites gazing into heaven, Saw their white-robed Savior come.
Point to location 1 again and tell the children: “Just like in the land of the New Testament, God announced his Son, Jesus: ‘Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased…hear ye him.’ (3 Nephi 11:7) And they heard the Father witness, This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!
Sing the second verse again and testify to the children of the truths found in 3 Nephi 11. Challenge them to read this chapter during the week. ©2007 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. www.ldsfamilyfun.com
Ideas to Teach “This is My Beloved Son” Please Note: The theme for February is: “My faith in Jesus Christ Grows When I Know who He is.” Help the children grow in their testimony of the Savior by taking the time to increase your own knowledge and understanding of the Savior and his life. Again, remember Sharing Time will always be more effective if the music leader, pianist and sharing time leader work together to coordinate the principles being taught each week. Helping children feel the Spirit is our common goal.
IDEA #3
“Help the children discuss scripture accounts. Teach them to ask questions when they read, such as ‘What is happening? Who is speaking?’…” (Teaching, No Greater Call, p. 59) (approx. 5-10 minutes):
Materials you will need: World Map Gospel Art Picture: John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus (#208) Jesus Appears to the Nephites (#315) First Vision (#403) (Read the summaries on the back of the pictures so you can help the children review what is happening.)
Find Joseph Smith–History with the children and show them: “On page 47, verse three, Joseph tells us that his family moved to the state of New York when he was 10 years old. (Point to location 3 on the world map and mark it if possible. Reference where you live on the map.)
Read: Joseph Smith–History 1:5-19
Review and Sing First Two Verses: “So far we’ve talked about two places where Jesus has taught the people. First, in the “Old World” near Jerusalem (point to location 1 on world map) and second in the “New World” or somewhere in Central America (point to location 2) Have two children hold pictures, #208 & 315. Jesus entered Jordan’s waters, When his work had just begun. God the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Nephites gazing into heaven, Saw their white-robed Savior come. And they heard the Father witness: This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!
“Who in this room is 10 years-old like Joseph Smith was when his family moved?”
Ask the children:
“How many people were in Joseph’s family? Let’s look for the answer in verse 4.” (“His family, consisiting of eleven souls…”)
“There is still another place in the world God testifies of His son, Jesus Christ. Can anyone guess where in the world that was?
Show picture #403 while singing: Joseph saw two glorious beings, Shining brighter than the sun. God again presented Jesus: This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!
Have the children get their scriptures and ask them: “Who wrote about the visit of God the Father and Jesus to Joseph Smith?” (Joseph Smith did!) “Where can we find that story?” (Joseph Smith–History, found after the Doctrine & Covenants in the Pearl of Great Price, p. 47)
“Verse 5 talks about people in the community being really excited about something. What were they excited about?” (“…there was in the place where we lived and unusual excitement on the subject of religion.”) “Joseph likens this excitement to ‘a war of words.’ Was Joseph’s family caught up in this fight over religion?” Verse 7 & 8 tells us that some of Joseph’s family joined the Presbyterian church and he was thinking about joining the Methodist Church. He was still confused about what he should do when he read James 1:5 in the Bible. “What did James 1:5 tell him to do? Let’s look in the Bible on p. 1539.” “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally (generously,) and upbraideth not (He won’t
criticize you), and it shall be given him.” “So Joseph decided that he would ask God for help. Can you imagine what it was like on the day he went to pray? He tells us in verse 14: “…I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful clear day, ealy in the spring of 1820.”
Show the children the attached photos of the Palmrya area and ask: “This is what it looks like where Joseph went to pray. It was probably still quiet outside as he started to walk to the woods that morning. May be he heard some birds singing, and may be it was still a little cold outside. Do you think you would have been excited if you were Joseph? Would you have been nervous or afraid?” “This is what happened after Joseph prayed”: Joseph saw two glorious beings, Shining brighter than the sun. God again presented Jesus: This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!
Sing this verse again and talk about your personal testimony of Joseph Smith and the First Vision. Explain how God has answered your prayers. ©2007 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. www.ldsfamilyfun.com
An eastward view of the Smith farm. This path leads west to the Sacred Grove.
©2007 Living Scritptures, Inc. Photo by Robert Casey
The Sacred Grove, where 14-year-old Joseph knelt and offered his first vocal prayer.
©2007 Living Scritptures, Inc. Photo by Robert Casey
Ideas to Teach “This is My Beloved Son” Please Note: The theme for February is: “My faith in Jesus Christ Grows When I Know who He is.” Help the children grow in their testimony of the Savior by taking the time to increase your own knowledge and understanding of the Savior and his life. Again, remember Sharing Time will always be more effective if the music leader, pianist and sharing time leader work together to coordinate the principles being taught each week. Helping children feel the Spirit is our common goal.
IDEA #4
“As we liken the scriptures to ourselves and hep others to do the same, we will be able to see the power of the word of God in every aspect of our lives.” (Teaching, No Greater Call, p. 170) (approx. 5-10 minutes):
Materials you will need:
Show picture #617 while singing:
World Map
As I read the scriptures daily–Words of Christ the Holy One– In my heart I’ll hear God tell me: This is my Beloved Son, Hear HIm!
Gospel Art Picture: John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus (#208) Jesus Appears to the Nephites (#315) First Vision (#403) Girl Reading Scriptures (#617) (Read the summaries on the back of the pictures so you can help the children review what is happening.) Read: Doctrine & Covenants 18:34-36
Take Reponses and tell the children: “The fourth place this song says God testifies of His son Jesus Christ would be millions and millions of places on this map. It’s in the hearts of His children throughout the world, every day.
Be prepared to share an example from your life of when you have read the scriptures and HOW you felt God testify to you of His Beloved Son. (Galatians 5:22, 2 Nephi 33:1) Hearts (attached) cut out and tape or pins to attach one close to each child’s heart
Review and Sing First Three Verses: “We’ve gone to three different places in the world in this song. First, in the “Old World” near Jerusalem (point to location 1 on world map) and second in the “New World” or somewhere in Central America (point to location 2) and in the state of New York in the United States (point to location 3). Have two children hold pictures, #208, 315 & 403 and sing the first 3 verses. Jesus entered Jordan’s waters, When his work had just begun. God the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Nephites gazing into heaven, Saw their white-robed Savior come. And they heard the Father witness: This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him! Joseph saw two glorious beings, Shining brighter than the sun. God again presented Jesus: This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!
Share an experience of when you have felt God testify of the divinity of His son Jesus Christ. Identify the Spirit, how it feels, etc. Tell the children: Let’s mark the fourth place where God testifies of His Son, Jesus Christ. I have a heart here for each of us. Let’s place it close to our hearts and remember to listen carefully today so God can testify to us of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Have leaders help pin or tape a heart on each child.
Ask the children: “There is one more place in the world where God testifies of His son, Jesus Christ in this song. Where do you think that might be? Listen very carefully.
©2007 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. www.ldsfamilyfun.com
❤❤❤ ❤❤❤ ❤❤❤ ❤❤❤ ❤❤❤ ❤❤❤ ❤❤❤ “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
