Two important gospel truths are seemingly in conflict with one another: 1) The Lord loves us just as we are, and 2) the Lord also wants us to repent and to change through His atonement!
However, this conflict only arises if we assume that the change He desires for us is bad (it’s good!), the Lord is a respecter of persons (He is not!) or if we assume that the change is impossible (it is not!).
The ultimate transformation that the Lord desires for us is glorious beyond anything we can comprehend! Yes, the Lord loves us perfectly just as we are. He also sees our true potential! Through the redeeming power of Christ, we can repent and become “new creatures!” We can experience a mighty change of heart!
Children are naturally believing, and “all things are possible unto Him that believeth.” This lesson topic is one that our children could very well teach to us (if we have eyes to see and ears to hear)!
LESSON BUNDLE DOWNLOADS:
➤ L E S S O N
Open the lesson with a song and a prayer.
🎶 O P E N I N G S O N G : "Teach Me to Walk in the Light"
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
You will need a few grains of wheat, a slice of bread, ⅛ cup of water, ¼ cup of flour, a small bowl, and a spoon.
➤ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Show the grains of wheat to the children. Let them handle them and lead a brief discussion about the characteristics of the grans. (They are small, hard, etc.) Now ask the children to guess what would happen to the wheat if it was crushed. (It would become a powder!)
Place the flour into the bowl and hole up the flour and have a brief discussion about the characteristics of the flour. (It’s flour. It’s a powder. It’s dry, etc.) Allow the children to touch the flour and to pinch some of the flour in their fingers to see that it is different from the grains of wheat. Now ask the children to guess what would happen to the flour if you added water. (The flour would turn into dough! It would become sticky and stretchy, etc.)
Add the ⅛ cup of water to the flour and stir with the spoon. Continue to stir and knead the dough until the dough has been mixed thoroughly. Allow the children to handle the dough to see that it has once again changed into something different. Now ask the children to guess what would happen to the dough if it was baked in an oven. (The dough would become bread! It would be light, fluffy, and crisp on the edges.)
Reveal the slice of bread. Let the children handle the bread to see what the flour has ultimately become!
Explain that the Lord loves each of us just as we are, but His plan is to help us change and grow into something even more wonderful! Just like an acorn becomes a mighty oak tree, He wants to help us become like Heavenly Father! We received a physical body when we were born, and that was a big change! And Heavenly Father has even more wonderful changes in store for us if we are willing to follow Him.
🎥 V I D E O : " A Mighty Change of Heart | Come Follow Me Lesson for Kids"
“Now we are going to watch a video about a caterpillar! Let’s watch and see what the caterpillar changes into!”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) What did the caterpillar become? (A butterfly!)
2) Was the change good or bad? (It was a good change! Being a caterpillar was just a small step on the way to becoming a butterfly!)
3) What does Heavenly Father want us to become? (He wants to help us become just like Him!)
4) If we become more like Heavenly Father, do you think that is a good change? (It is a good change! Who we are now is just a small step on the way to becoming like Him!)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the following scriptures and discuss the questions that follow.
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
1) Who was journeying and what was he doing? (A man named Saul. Saul was traveling around and being mean to the disciples of Jesus Christ.)
2) What was the light that fell upon Saul? (The Lord came to visit Saul!)
3) What did the Lord ask Saul? (Why are you persecuting me?)
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
1) How did Saul feel when the Lord was with him? (He was trembling and astonished!)
2) What did Saul say to the Lord? (He said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?)
3) What did Saul’s heart want to do before he saw the Lord? (He wanted to be mean to the followers of Jesus Christ.)
What did Saul’s heart want to do after he saw the Lord? (He wanted to follow Jesus Christ! And he asked the Lord what he should do.)
Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them? And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
1) What was the mighty change that happened to Alma? (His heart changed, and he wanted to follow the Lord.)
2) What made the change happen in Alma’s heart? (He believed in Jesus Christ, and he showed faith by following Jesus Christ.)
3) Do our hearts usually change all at once, or does it usually take a long time? (It usually takes a long time, just like it takes a long time for a seed to grow!)
➤ C O L O R I N G P A G E S
Pass out the coloring page, one to each child. Invite the children to color the scene from the video. Use this time to talk about the importance of honesty.
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
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