Lesson 33: 1 Corinthians 1-7

August 19-25
1 Corinthian 1-7
"Be Perfectly Joined Together"

Materials: Pictures of temples, whiteboard and marker, picture fo body, My body is a temple maze, 
Opening Song: "Choose the Right" (Hymnal, 239)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: 1 Corinthian 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

Attention Activity:
Pass around pictures of temples to your family. What words could we use to describe the temple? Make a list of these words on the white board.


Show picture of a body like the one below. How are our bodies like temples? Circle the words on the whiteboard that can also describe our bodies.

Lesson:

Paul taught the Corinthians that our bodies are temples. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

Paul points out that our bodies are temple because the Holy Ghost can dwell in us just like he dwells in the temple. How can we treat our bodies like temples? Make a list of there answers on the board. As your family gives answers discuss the following:

- Obey the Word of Wisdom. If we a careful about the things we put into our bodies, we will receive great blessings. Read D&C 89: 19-21

- Have High Standards in dress and grooming. "Prophets of God have continually counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act...Do not disfigure yourself with tattoos or body piercings. Young women, if you desire to have your ears pierced, wear only one pair of earrings." (For the Strength of Youth)

- Use clean language. Only soft, kind words are spoken in the temple. So we should refrain from swearing, gossip, and vulgarities (potty language). Always speak kindly to/of others. "Use language to build and uplift those around you." (Thomas S. Monson) This also includes ourselves. We should try to keep our thoughts clean of self degrading remarks. 

- Obey the Law of Chastity. Just as temples are pure sacred places are bodies are also. This means we need to keep the law of chastity. Do not date until you're 16 and then only date in groups until you are ready to find an eternal companion. Sex should only be between a man and a woman legally and lawfully wedded. Refrain from pornography. (Tailor to your family's situation) "Remaining sexually pure helps you to be confident and truly happy and improves your ability to make good decisions now and in the future."(For the Strength of Youth) See the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet on "Sexual Purity" for ideas on how to talk to your children about chastity. 

- Peace, Kindness, and Love. Temples are peaceful places full of love and kindness. We should emulate those qualities in our lives. 

Activity: My Body is a Temple Maze 

Read again 1 Corinthians 6:20. What does it mean that we are "bought with a price?" Christ suffered for our sins; our debt was paid by Him. Paul implores us to righteously use our bodies to glorify God. If we treat our bodies the same way we would treat the temple, we will be able to have that same peaceful spirit with us always. 

Closing Song: "Choose the Right Way" (Children's Songbook, 160)
Closing Prayer: 

Refreshment: Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe Here

Lesson 32: Romans 7-16

August 12-18
Romans 7-16
"Overcome Evil with Good"

Materials: small sticker, piece of paper, tape, video: "Looking Through Windows" 
Opening Song: "Lord I Would Follow Thee" (Hymnal, 220)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-2 1 ^aJudge not, that ye be not ^bjudged.

2 For with what ^ajudgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what ^bmeasure ye mete, it shall be ^cmeasured to you again.

Attention Activity:
Watch the video "Looking Through Windows" found on churchofjesuschrist.org . Why did the woman keep looking through her window? What does it mean to judge others?

** This lesson has several quotes. You may want to print them out and have family members read them aloud to engage them in the lesson. 

Lesson:
When Paul was writing to the saints in Rome he told them that it is wrong to judge others. Read Romans 14: 13 "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."
Sometimes we assume things about people based on their appearance. Sometimes we criticize someone when they make choices we don't agree with. This is judging others. It can become easy for members of the church to judge others because we set such high standards for ourselves. When others aren't living our same standards, it can be easy to think negatively about them. This is not what the Heavenly Father wants us to do. Not everybody shares our standards and we can never fully understand someones circumstances. Only Jesus is allowed to judge others because only he knows their hearts. 

“Do we judge one another? Do we criticize each other for individual choices, thinking we know better, when in fact we rarely understand another’s unique circumstance or individual inspiration? ... Such judgments, and so many others like them, rob us of the good part, that pure love of Christ.” Bonnie D. Parkin, Ensign, Nov 2003 © Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Just like sister Parkin said, when we criticize others, we are not showing love. When you judge someone unrighteously you invite the spirt of contention into your heart. Paul counseled, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." 

Sometimes we do have to make judgements. The Savior called this making "righteous judgements." “You need to make judgments of people in many of your important decisions, such as choosing friends, voting for government leaders, and choosing an eternal companion. Judgment is an important use of your agency and requires great care, especially when you make judgments about other people. All your judgments must be guided by righteous standards. Remember that only God, who knows each individual’s heart, can make final judgments of individuals (see Revelation 20:12)” True to the Faith © Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. When we go to make decisions about friends and relationships those decisions should come from a place of understanding and never from a place of criticism. 

Activity:
The Savior warned us about judging others when He taught the Sermon on the Mount. Read Matthew 7: 2-5. Place a small sticker next to the eye of one family member. Explain that this sticker represents a "mote" which is like a splinter. Then take a piece of paper and tape it to the face of another family member. The paper represents the beam. 

Ask the "beam" family member to try to remove the sticker from the "mote" family member. Did you feel foolish pulling off the sticker with that big paper on your face? It is just as foolish to judge other’s faults unrighteously while attempting to cover up or hide our own faults. Let us not look foolish! Instead be humble and recognize and work on overcoming our faults. Then, with love and compassion, we can help others.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated: “This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:
'Stop it!'"

If we apply the counsel of Elder Uchtdorf to "stop it," we will be able to open our eyes to see the good in others. We will be able to be more understanding, compassionate, and charitable towards others. 

Closing Song: "Kindness Begins With Me" (Children's Songbook, 145b)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: Texas Sheet Cake Cookies Recipe  These are awesome. I doubled the cookie part of the recipe when I made them because the yield is a little small. 

Lesson 31: Romans 1-6

August 5-11
Romans 1-6
"The Power of God Unto Salvation"

Materials: Coloring Page, parachute toys (optional), scriptures, "His Grace is sufficient" video (link below)
Opening Song: "I Stand All Amazed" (Hymnal, 193)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Romans 3:24  ^aBeing ^bjustified freely by his ^cgrace through the ^dredemptionthat is in Christ Jesus:

Attention Activity:
Tell your family to close their eyes and imagine they are flying in a small airplane. What would happen if while you were up in airplane and you decided to jump out? Why would you fall? What would you need to survive?

Lesson:
A long time ago Paul and the other apostles did not have text messaging or cell phones. If they wanted to send a message to someone, they had to write letters. The letters found in the Bible are called epistles and they communicated gospel truths to the Saints around the world. In Paul's epistle to the Romans, he wrote to them about grace. What is grace? "Grace is the help or strength given to us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." (gospel topics, "grace") 

Read Romans 3: 23-24 and point out the JST in the footnotes. Some people misunderstand what Paul taught about grace. They think that because grace is "free" we don't have to anything to receive God's grace, that all you have to do is have faith in Jesus Christ. While faith is always the first step, there is more to accepting God's grace than just having faith in him. We still need to live righteously and repent in order to truely be changed through grace of Jesus Christ.

 Read Romans 3:28 and explain that the law referred to by Paul in that verse is the law of Moses. Paul is telling people they no longer need to do the works required by the law of Moses. Christians no longer need the law of Moses to pay for sins because Christ paid for them. We now live what Paul calls "the law of faith." So, what do we have to do to accept grace? 

Think back to the airplane question for the beginning of the lesson. Last General Conference, Brother Tad R. Callister shared this same analogy to help us understand grace. 

"Suppose for a moment a man contemplating an exhilarating free fall makes a rash decision and spontaneously jumps from a small plane. After doing so, he quickly realizes the foolishness of his actions. He wants to land safely, but there is an obstacle—the law of gravity. He moves his arms with astounding speed, hoping to fly, but to no avail. He positions his body to float or glide to slow the descent, but the law of gravity is unrelenting and unmerciful. He tries to reason with this basic law of nature: “It was a mistake. I will never do it again.” But his pleas fall on deaf ears. The law of gravity knows no compassion; it makes no exceptions. Fortuitously, though, the man suddenly feels something on his back. His friend in the plane, sensing the moment of foolishness, had placed a parachute there just before the jump. He finds the rip cord and pulls it. Relieved, he floats safely to the ground. We might ask, “Was the law of gravity violated, or did that parachute work within that law to provide a safe landing?”

When we sin, we are like the foolish man who jumped from the plane. No matter what we do on our own, only a crash-landing awaits us. We are subject to the law of justice, which, like the law of gravity, is exacting and unforgiving. We can be saved only because the Savior, through His Atonement, mercifully provides us with a spiritual parachute of sorts. If we have faith in Jesus Christ and repent (meaning we do our part and pull the rip cord), then the protective powers of the Savior are unleashed on our behalf and we can land spiritually unharmed."

What does the parachute represent in Brother Callister's analogy? Who gave us the parachute? Just as the parachute is useless without pulling the ripcord. Grace can only work for us, if we repent. If we don't repent we are still spiritually falling or in our "fallen" state. Grace was Jesus's ultimate gift to us. The ability we have to repent enables us to return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

How has his grace helped you overcome your sins and weaknesses? How has the gift of repentance helped you? Bear your testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Activity: Watch video clip from Brad Wilcox's talk "His Grace is Sufficient" 

Optional Activity: At your local dollar store, you can often find parachute toys for cheap. Give each child a parachute toy and have them throw them from a high point like a ladder or the stairs. Have each child describe to you how the parachute is like grace. 

Coloring Page:
 

Closing Song: "Amazing Grace" (lyrics found online)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: No Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars

Lesson 30: Acts 22-28

July 29-August 4
Acts 22-28
"A Minister and a Witness"

Materials: a rubber snake or a picture of a snake, Craft supplies: ties (one for each person), needles and thread, poly fill/stuffing, buttons/goggly eyes, ribbon, scissors, glue. 
Opening Song: "Faith" (Children's Songbook, 96)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture:

Attention Activity:
Hold out your pinky to each member of your family and give them a pinky promise. If they are good the end of FHE they can have a treat. What does it mean to make a promise? What is it called when we make promises with the Lord? Promises can also be made to us individually if we live righteously. 

Lesson:
Show a rubber snake or a picture of snake. What is this? What do you know about snakes? Can snakes hurt us?

After Christ was resurrected, He visited with His apostles and made them certain promises. Read Mark 16:18 "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." What promise did Jesus make to his apostles? 

On his travels, the apostle Paul came to the island of Melita. This island people treated Paul and his companion kindly, taking them in from the cold and rain and building them a fire. When Paul gathered some sticks for the fire, a "viper" or snake came out of the wood and bit him on the hand. (You could act out this part with the rubber snake) When the island people saw the venomous snake hanging from his hand, they thought that Paul must have been a murderer receiving his just reward. But Paul shook off the snake into the fire. It didn't hurt him at all! The island people were shocked because the snake should have killed Paul, but it didn't. They thought he must have been some kind of god. Paul was invited to stay with the chief. The chief's father was sick and Paul healed him and other sick people on the island. 

Point out to your family that Paul's experience on the island of Melita fulfilled the promise Christ made in Mark 16. 

The Lord and His servants continue to give us special promises today. We make covenants with God when we are baptized and when we receive our temple endowment. We also can learn of some personal promises made to us when we receive our patriarchal blessings. Another way we can hear of promises made by the Lord is listening to the talks during general conference. At the end of a lot of general conference talks, the speaker will often offer us a promise if we live a certain principle of the gospel. Promises made by the Lord are always dependant on our obedience and faith. How can we show our faith that his promise will be filfilled?

Bear your testimony of the faith you have in the Lord. Heavenly Father will always keep his promises if we are obedient to his commandments. 

Craft: Stuffed snakes
Craft supplies: ties (one for each person), needles and thread, poly fill/stuffing, buttons/googly eyes, ribbon, scissors, glue. 

For directions watch the following Youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLYSwU8n0mQ 


Closing Song: "Keep the commandments"  (Children's Songbook, 146)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: 
Cinnamon Sugar Snakes

Ingredients: 
1 can crescent rolls
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
raisins

Open can and separate dough into rectangles. Cut rectangles into 1/2 inch strips. Roll into snakes with hands like play dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Wrap into coils or make "s" shapes. Pinch and diamond shape at one end for the head and put raisins for eyes. Bake as directed. 

Lesson 29: Acts 16-21

July 22-28
Acts 16-21
"The Lord Had Called Us to Preach the Gospel"

Materials: map of the missionary journeys of Paul, saran wrap, packing tape, assortment of candy, dice, oven mitts/gloves
Opening Song: "Give Said the Little Stream" (Children's Songbook, 236)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 25: 40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Attention Activity: 
Game: Guess Who to Help? Written below are five ways to help a mystery person. Read the clues below and have your family guess who the person is. (You can adjust the clues if you based on your family situation or create your own)

Mystery Person: Mom
1. Sweep the kitchen floor
2. Clean up your toys
3. Play nicely and quietly
4. Make your school lunch
5. Give her a back rub 

Mystery Person: The Missionaries
1. Always be friendly to those not in our church
2. Talk with your friends about what you learned at Primary/Church
3. Invite your friends to church activities
4. Write them a letter
5. Have them over for dinner

Mystery Person: Grandma/Grandpa
1. Send them a card/draw them a picture
2. Call them and tell them about your day
3. Ask them for advice
4. Ask them about their childhood
5. Give them hugs and kisses 


Lesson:
We have been reading about Paul in the scriptures. Paul was a great missionary. He traveled to many different cities and places with different companions to teach people about Jesus Christ. Show the map of the missionary journeys of Paul (there is one in the CFMFIAF Manual and in most scriptures) Point to Ephesus on the map. Paul went to Ephesus twice. The second time he told the people he would not be back and he reminded them of all the things he had taught them. Read Acts 20: 35 "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give then to receive." What did Paul mean when he said it is "more blessed to give than to receive?" Why are we more blessed when we give rather than  receive?

Ask a family member,"Tell a story from your own life about a time you gave a loved one a special gift for Christmas or their birthday. How do you feel when you gave them their present? 
Other than giving someone a gift, what is another way we can be giving? Paul said that we need to "support the weak." This means we need to look for ways to support and serve others. Is there someone we know that could benefit from our service? How could we help them? Make a plan to help someone in need with your family. 

 Read Matthew 25: 40. Jesus said, when we serve others, it is like we are serving him. We are doing what He would do and that makes him happy and us happy too. Bear your testimony of service and how giving to others has blessed your life.

Optional Activity: go to justserve.org and find a service opportunity your family can do together. 

Closing Song: "Because I Have Been Given Much" (Hymnal, 219)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment/Game: 

How To Play the Saran Wrap Game

This Plastic Wrap Ball Game for Kids or Adults requires a group of children or grown-ups (or both!) Make a saran wrap/tape ball with candy like the one pictured below. 

The players will need to sit in a circle.  One player will start off with the ball. The player to the left of that player will receive dice. 

The player with the ball put on gloves or oven mitts, and will start unwrapping the ball. At the same time, the player with the dice will start rolling the dice. 
The person unwrapping the ball will continue until the player rolling the dice rolls a double. 
The player rolling the dice will want to roll a double as fast as possible so he or she could have a turn at trying to unwrap and win a prize. 
Any prize or party favor that is unwrapped during your turn is yours to keep!!!

Tip: Keep in mind that each player has to keep the plastic wrap ball on their lap (if someone has it on the ground it will get uncovered way too easy!) 

Lesson 28: Acts 10-15

July 15-21
Acts 10-15
"The Word of God Grew and Multiplied"

Materials: scriptures
Opening Song: "A Child's Prayer" (Children's Songbook, 12)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Acts 10:5 "Peter was therefore kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."

Attention Activity:
Tell the following story. Mikey was playing the backyard when he fell and cut his knee. The cut hurt badly and was bleeding. Mikey knew he needed a bandaid, but the bandaids were in the tallest cupboard in the kitchen. Mikey knew he couldn't reach the bandaids so he asked his dad for help. Mikey's dad cleaned the cut and put a bandaid on it and Mikey felt much better. He was glad he asked his dad for help. Sometimes we have problems we can't solve on our own and we need to ask for help. Who can we always go to for help? Heavenly Father is always there to hear and answer our prayers. 

Lesson:
Remind your family that Peter was the leader of the church after Christ's death. Just before Easter, Peter was cast into prison by King Herod. Herod wanted to have Peter killed after the Easter holiday so sent 16 guards to watch him. "Peter was therefore kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." (Acts 12:5) Who was praying for Peter? What does is mean to pray "without ceasing"? 

The night Herod was to kill Peter, Peter was sleeping chained between two guards when an angel appeared and a light shined in the dark prison. The angel nudged him, raised him up, and told him to get up. He wanted Peter to get up, put on his shoes, and follow him. Peter and the angels went through two levels of the prison then came to the large iron gate the guards the entry into the city. The gate lifted all on its own and Peter and the angel went out. After Peter was safely out fo the prison the angel departed. 

Read Acts 12: 10. How were the prayers of the members of the church answered? Just like Heavenly Father answered the prayers of the members of the church, he also answers our prayers. We might not, and probably won't get angelic help when we pray, but Heavenly Father does hear us and answer our prayers. Heavenly Father loves us; he knows us; he knows what we are going to pray for even before we pray for it. And he wants to help us. But he has a plan for us and Heavenly Fathers plan might have things in store for us that we are unaware of. He might not answer our prayers right away or in the way we think.

Elder Brook P. Hales of the Seventy said, Brothers and sisters, sometimes our prayers are answered quickly with the outcome we hope for. Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we hope for, yet with time we learn that God had greater blessings prepared for us than we initially anticipated. And sometimes our righteous petitions to God will not be granted in this life. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Faith also includes trust in God’s timing.”

Ask members of your family to share the following:
1. Tell of a time when you prayed to Heavenly Father and he answered your prayers.
2. Tell of a time when you received an answer to a prayer but it wasn't what you had originally had in mind? How were you blessed because of it?/
3. Tell of something you are currently praying for but have not yet received. Do you have faith in Heavenly Father's plan?

Remind your family of people you need to or are currently praying for. Just like the members of the ancient church prayed for Peter, we should also pray for President Nelson and the other leaders of the church. Bear your testimony on the power of prayer and how Heavenly Father answers prayers. 

Game: Prayer Popcorn
Children can sit in a circle. When the teacher says to START POPPING, the children will jump (pop) up one at a time and shout out something to PRAY about. That child will sit down and then another child or teacher can POP up and continue to name prayers until all the children have had an opportunity to POP up with a PRAYER. Continue as time allows and then serve POPCORN to the children in the circle to remember their POPCORN PRAYING!

Closing Song: "I Pray in Faith" (Children's Songbook, 14)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: Popcorn Bar (plain, buttered, cheddar, carmel, kettle, candied, etc.)

Lesson 27: Acts 6-9

July 8-14 
Acts 6-9
"What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do"

Materials: "Oh the Places You''ll Stand" Poem, Stephen Handout, I See the Son of Man Standing on the Right Hand of God by Walter Rane, 
Opening Song: "Stand for the Right" (Children's Songbook, 159)
Opening Prayer: 
Scripture: D&C 87:8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

Attention Activity: Read "Oh the Places You'll Stand" Poem by Jill Revelli. As you read have your family stand up every time the word "stand" is said. 

Lesson:
The apostles needed some help ministering unto the people, so they called some men to help them. One of these special men was named Stephen. Show handout of Stephen above and explain that Stephen is described in the Bible as full of the Holy Ghost, wisdom, obedience, and faith. Read Acts 6: 8. Stephen helped teach the people in Jerusalem about Jesus which lead to the number of disciples multiplying greatly (Acts 6:7) This made the Jewish leaders angry with Stephen, so they caught him and put him on trial for telling lies (blasphemy). They even called false witnesses against Stephen. When it was Stephen's turn to speak, he told the counsel that they were resisting the Holy Ghost as their fathers did before them. He told them they have persecuted the prophets and betrayed and murdered Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Acts 7: 52-53). 

Show I See the Son of Man Standing on the Right Hand of God by Walter Rane

This made the counsel very angry. Read Acts 7: 55-56. Stephen was so full of faith, he not only saw Jesus, but he also saw Heavenly Father. There are not many people who have seen Heavenly Father, but Stephen did. The people cried out and ran at Stephen. They threw him out of the city and stoned him. Stephen said, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7: 59-60). And he died. 

He was the first Christian martyr in the scriptures. That means he was killed because of his belief in Jesus Christ. Who else was martyred for their testimony of Jesus? Our opening song today was, "Stand for the Right." What does it mean to stand for the right? How did Stephen stand for the right? How can you stand for the right?

Optional Activity: "The Martyrdom of Stephen" Bible video (5:42)

Activity: Have each of the follow scenarios below printed, cut out, and placed in a bowl. Have members of your family take turns choosing a scenario. What could you do in each scenario to stand for the right?

1. A boy shows up at school with new glasses. All of the children in your class are teasing him and laughing at him, calling him "four eyes."

2. Your little brother has been working on a lego project in his room, but you accidentally knock it over when you go in there to get something. You want to pretend like nothing happened, but you know he'll be upset.

3. Your best friend tells you she was too busy to do her math homework, and asks if she can copy your answers. 

4. You can't find your red shirt and it's red shirt day at school. Your sister's is clean and it fits okay, but she doesn't like you borrowing her stuff. 

5. You heard some interesting news about a girl in your class, but you don't know if it's true or not.  You really want to talk to your friends about it.

6. You're at a friends house, and they want to watch a movie that your parents have already told you you're not allowed to watch. 

7. Your sister broke your mom's favorite lamp. She wants you to lie and say that the dog knocked it over. 

8. After you checkout at Walmart, you notice the chapstick you forgot to pay for peaking out from under one of your shopping bags.  

Bear your testimony about standing for the right. Tell a story from your own life about a time you had to take a stand for what was right. Stephen was a good example of standing for the right and because he did, he got the amazing blessing of getting to see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. If we are righteous and stand for the right like Stephen, we too can see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in heaven. 

Closing Song: "Choose the Right" (Hymnal, 239)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe Here

Lesson 26: Acts 1-5

July 1-7
Acts 1-5
"Ye Shall Be Witnesses Unto Me"

Materials: Simple costumes, coins, coloring page, The Death of Ananias by Raphael, 
Opening Song: "I Believe In Being Honest" (Children's Songbook, 149)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Article of Faith 13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Attention Activity: 
Tell a story from your own life about how you learned the value of honesty and telling the truth. If you cannot think of one, recount the story of the boy who cried wolf or use a story from The Friend found here.


Lesson:
After Jesus was resurrected, he went back to heaven to be with Heavenly Father. The church was then presided over by Peter. He was the new President of the Church much like President Nelson is today and all the members of the church were living in harmony. Read Acts 4: 32 "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common." Explain in that the saints were living the law of consecration which meant that everything you had was shared with the other members of the church. 

There was a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who had sold some of their land. Instead of taking the money to the apostles, they lied and kept some of the money for themselves. Peter asked Ananias, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost." (Acts 5:3) He knew Ananias had lied to the church, which is like lying to God. When Ananias heard what Peter said, he fell down and died. 

Show the following picture:

The Death of Ananias by Raphael

Peter then went and asked Ananias's wife, Sapphira,  about the money and she also lied to Peter. Peter told her he knew she was lying and that her husband had died after he lied to him. Sapphira then also fell down to the earth and died and was buried next to her husband. 

What did Ananias and Sapphira do that was dishonest? What happened to them when they found out that Peter knew they were lying?

Activity: Ananias and Sapphira role play. 
Using some coins and simple costumes like bathrobes, pillowcase headdresses, etc. have the children reenact the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

When Ananias and Sapphira lied about their money, they were being dishonest. They were also breaking a commandment by not living the law of consecration like they had been asked. This would be like lying about paying our tithing . Today we aren't living the full law of consecration--we are living the law of tithing. What does it mean to pay our tithing? How can we be honest when we pay our tithing? 

It is important to be honest. We might not die as a consequence for lying like Ananias and Sapphira did, but there are always consequences when we lie. What are some consequences  when we fail to tell the whole truth? We might not always be caught like in this story, but there is always someone who knows the truth. Peter said, "thou has not lied unto men, but unto God." (Acts 5: 4) When we are dishonest, God always knows the truth. So, it is important that we are always honest, tell the entire truth, and keep the laws of God like the law of tithing. 

Activity: Honesty Coloring Page


Closing Song: "I Will Be Valiant" (Children's Songbook, 162)
Closing Prayer:

Refreshment: No Bake Eclair Cake recipe here