Lesson 3: John the Baptist Prepared the Way for Jesus Christ

Primary 7: New Testament, (1997), 9–11

Purpose

To help the children understand that they were foreordained to do an important part of Heavenly Father’s work on earth.

JST John1:

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came into the world for a witness, to bear witness of the light, to bear record of the gospel through the Son, unto all, that through him men might believe.

8 He was not that light, but came to bear witness of that light,

9 Which was the true light, which lighteth every man who cometh into the world;

10 Even the Son of God. He who was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Preparation

1. Prayerfully study Luke 1:5–25, 57–80; Matthew 3:1–6; andDoctrine and Covenants 84:27–28. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the scripture account (see “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii).
2. Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
3. Materials needed:
1. a. A Bible or a New Testament for each child.
2. b. A paper with the words I am a choice spirit printed on it for each child.
3. c. Picture 7-2, John Preaching in the Wilderness (Gospel Art Picture Kit 207; 62132).

Suggested Lesson Development

Before class privately ask one of the children to give the papers you have prepared to the other children right after the opening prayer.

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Have the child pass out the papers to the class members. Explain that before class started you chose the child who passed out the papers to do this service. Foreordination is like this. (Write Foreordination on the chalkboard.) Heavenly Father foreordained us in premortal life when he chose us to do a special work for him on earth. Being foreordained does not mean that we have to do the work; we still have our freedom or agency, but the opportunity is ours if we choose. Explain that in this lesson the children are going to learn about John the Baptist, who was foreordained or chosen to carry out an important mission on earth. Have the children read aloud the words on their papers. Tell them that the scriptures they will study explain that John the Baptist was a choice spirit, chosen in the premortal life to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

Scripture Account

Teach the story of John the Baptist’s birth, childhood, and mission from the scriptures listed in the “Preparation” section. Display the picture John Preaching in the Wilderness at an appropriate time. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Help the children understand that John the Baptist was foreordained to prepare the people to listen to Jesus Christ.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.

• What do we know about the parents of John the Baptist? (Luke 1:5–7.)
• Why was Zacharias struck dumb so that he could not speak? (Luke 1:18–20.)
• Why did Zacharias and Elisabeth name their son John? (Luke 1:13.)
• What do we know about John’s childhood? (Luke 1:80; D&C 84:27–28.)
• What was John the Baptist foreordained to do? (Luke 1:15–17, 76–77.)
• How did John the Baptist fulfill his foreordained mission to prepare the way for Jesus Christ? (Matthew 3:1–6.)

Explain that just as John the Baptist was a choice spirit chosen to help build Heavenly Father’s kingdom by preparing the way for Jesus Christ, we are choice spirits chosen to help build Heavenly Father’s kingdom by helping people know more about Jesus Christ.

Read this quotation by President Ezra Taft Benson: “You are choice spirits, many of you having been held back in reserve for almost 6,000 years to come forth in this day, at this time, when the temptations, responsibilities, and opportunities are the very greatest” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, p. 43; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, p. 30).

• How does it make you feel to know that Heavenly Father knows you personally and chose you to come to earth at this time?
• What are some of the things we might have been foreordained to do to help build Heavenly Father’s kingdom? (Serve missions, be good examples by keeping our covenants, hold the priesthood, raise righteous families, fulfill Church callings.)
• How can you find out what Heavenly Father wants you to do here on earth? (Pray about decisions, listen to the Spirit.) Explain that Heavenly Father has also given us the opportunity to receive patriarchal blessings from a stake patriarch when we are old enough. Patriarchal blessings often indicate what callings we might receive or what Heavenly Father wants us to do with our lives. How can you prepare yourself to do what Heavenly Father wants you to do?

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

1. Prepare a paper with the following statements on it (without the answers) for each child, or write the statements on the chalkboard:
John the Baptist:
1. a. Lived in the ____________________.
2. b. Was _____ months older than Jesus.
3. c. Wore clothing made of ____________________ and ____________________.
4. d. Ate ____________________ and ____________________.
5. e. Prepared the way for ____________________.
Answers: a. wilderness; b. six; c. camel’s hair, leather; d. locusts, wild honey; e. Jesus Christ.

Have the children read Luke 1:26–27, 35–36, 76 and Matthew 3:1, 4 to fill in the blanks. (If the children don’t know what locusts are, explain that they are large flying insects.) Help them realize that even though John the Baptist lived a simple, humble life in the wilderness, he faithfully fulfilled his mission and prepared the way for Jesus Christ.

This is a locust.

2. Have the children read the following scriptures to discover others who were foreordained for their earthly missions:
Jeremiah 1:5—Jeremiah

1 Nephi 11:18—Mary, the mother of Jesus (vision given to Nephi)

Ether 3:14—Jesus Christ

Doctrine and Covenants 138:53, 55—Joseph Smith and others

Abraham 3:23—Abraham

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony that just as John the Baptist was foreordained to prepare the way for Jesus Christ and be a witness for him, so each of us was foreordained to our mission on earth. Express your feelings about the importance of living the gospel and being worthy to do whatever Heavenly Father foreordained us to do.

Lesson 2: Jesus Christ Volunteered to Be Our Savior

Primary 7: New Testament, (1997), 5–8

Purpose

To help the children feel greater love for Jesus Christ by teaching them that in the premortal life Jesus volunteered to be their Savior.

Preparation

1. Prayerfully study John 15:13, Hebrews 12:9, Revelation 12:7–9,Doctrine and Covenants 93:21, and Moses 4:1–4. See alsochapters 2 and 3 of Gospel Principles. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account (see “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii).
2. Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
3. Arrange to have some of the children in your class sing “I Lived in Heaven” (Children’s Songbook, p. 4) or prepare to sing or read the words with the children during the lesson.
4. Materials needed:
1. a. A Bible or a New Testament and a Pearl of Great Price for each child.
2. b. Picture 7-1, Jesus the Christ (Gospel Art Picture Kit 240; 62572), and a picture of a newborn baby, preferably of a class member or you.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Show the picture of a newborn baby, and have the class guess who it is.

• Why was this not the beginning of this person’s life?

Testify to the children that before we were born on earth we all lived with Heavenly Father as spirit children. Explain that our spirit bodies look like our physical bodies, with arms, legs, eyes, and so on, but are not flesh and blood. Also explain that this life as spirit children is called premortal life. During this premortal life our heavenly parents taught us the gospel and the plan of life.

You might share this quotation from Brigham Young: “You are well acquainted with God our Heavenly Father. … There is not a soul of you but what has lived in his house and dwelt with him. … There is not a person here to-day but what is a son or a daughter of that Being” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 50).

Scripture Account

Ask questions like the following ones, and give the children an opportunity to discuss their feelings:

• Who loves you?
• How can you tell that someone loves you?
• Whom do you love?

Tell a story about someone who loved another person so much that he or she did something important for the loved one, such as a mother staying up at night to care for a sick child or an older brother or sister helping a younger brother or sister with a project for school.

Explain that this lesson is about what Jesus did in the premortal life that shows his great love for each of us.

Display the picture of Jesus Christ and tell the story of Jesus’ volunteering to be our Savior. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Help the children understand the following ideas:

1. In the premortal life we were spirit children and lived with our heavenly parents (Hebrews 12:9).
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto theFather of spirits, and live?
2. Jesus was the firstborn spirit child of Heavenly Father (D&C 93:21) and is the older brother of our spirits.
21 And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn;
3. Lucifer, who became Satan, was also a spirit child of Heavenly Father.
4. Heavenly Father called a meeting for all his spirit children. At this meeting he explained his plan for us to become like him. He told us that he wanted us to go to earth to get a physical body. He explained that on earth we would be tested to see if we would keep his commandments.
5. At this meeting Heavenly Father also explained that on earth we would all sin and we would all die. Heavenly Father needed someone to be the Savior, to suffer for our sins, and to die for us so that we could be resurrected.
6. Lucifer wanted Heavenly Father to change his plan. Lucifer said he would save everyone by taking away their freedom to choose, which would have made it impossible for us to make mistakes or be righteous. Lucifer also wanted all the honor (Moses 4:1).
1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
7. Because he loved us (John 15:13),
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for hisfriends.
Jesus volunteered to be our Savior. He wanted to follow Heavenly Father’s plan and give the glory to Heavenly Father (Moses 4:2).
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
8. Heavenly Father chose Jesus to be our Savior. Lucifer was angry and rebelled against Heavenly Father (Revelation 12:7–9;
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Dore engraving: Satan falling from heaven
Moses 4:3–4).
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.

Deceive: fool, trick, mislead, lie to and be believed

9. Heavenly Father’s spirit children had to decide whether to follow Jesus or Lucifer.
10. One-third of Heavenly Father’s spirit children chose to follow Lucifer, and they were all cast out of heaven. Lucifer became Satan, and the spirits who followed him became evil spirits, who try to get us to do wrong things. These spirits who followed Satan did not receive physical bodies.
11. All the spirits who chose Heavenly Father’s plan and followed Jesus in the premortal life have been or will be born on earth with physical bodies of flesh and blood.
12. All the children in this classroom chose to follow Heavenly Father’s plan and have been born on earth with mortal bodies.

Discussion and Application Questions

• What do you think it was like to live in heaven with Heavenly Father?
• How does it make you feel to know that Heavenly Father is the Father of your spirit?
• What does it mean that Jesus is the older brother of our spirits?
• How did Lucifer want to change Heavenly Father’s plan?
• How does it make you feel to know that Jesus volunteered to suffer and die for you?
• How do you know that you chose to follow Jesus in the premortal life? Why are you glad you made that choice?
• What does the fact that you chose to follow Jesus in the premortal life tell you about yourself?
• Now that we have been born in mortality, why is it important that we still choose to follow Jesus?

Show the children the Bible, and explain that the New Testament in the Bible tells about the things Jesus and his Apostles did while they lived on the earth. Explain that this year’s lessons are based on the life and teachings of Jesus and his Apostles. Encourage the children to bring their Bibles to class each Sunday.

Have some of the children sing “I Lived in Heaven” (Children’s Songbook, p. 4), or sing or read the words with the class.

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

1. As a review, write the following words on the chalkboard:
One-third

Firstborn

Older brother

Father of our spirits

Meeting in Heaven

Lucifer

Divide the class into smaller groups. Ask each group to discuss one or more of these concepts and prepare to tell the class what they remember about them. After a few minutes ask each group to report to the class.
2. Have the children open their Bibles to the list of books in the New Testament. Review lesson 1 by asking some of the following questions: How are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John similar? How are they different? What is the book of Acts about? Why are most of the rest of the books called epistles? Help the children become better acquainted with the books of the New Testament by writing references on the chalkboard and having them locate the references in their copies of the Bible.
3. Help the children memorize John 15:13.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for hisfriends.
4. Help the children memorize the books of the New Testament (see “The Books of the New Testament,” Children’s Songbook,p. 116).

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony that you and the children in your class are spirit children of Heavenly Father and that Jesus loves us so much that in the premortal life he volunteered to be our Savior. We loved Heavenly Father so much that we chose to follow his plan. Emphasize how important it is that the children continue to follow Heavenly Father’s plan here on earth. Testify that following Jesus and obeying his commandments are the only ways to be truly happy.

Primary New Testament

Pages

Sunday, December 28, 2014