Receiving a physical body (created in the image of God) was a key component of the Plan of Salvation, and having a physical body makes us more like our Heavenly Parents!
Our bodies make us more holy, more glorious, and capable of more joy!
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
God has given each of us a physical body. Now, we must choose what we will do with this marvelous gift!
Will we receive it? Will we nourish and care for our body with great diligence? Will we treat our body with reverence and respect? Will we treat our body as something that is sacred and holy?
Or will we reject the gift? Will we despise our body? Will we neglect or abuse it? Will we treat our body as something that is cheap or worldly or profane?
This lesson bundle is designed to help you and your children reflect on the importance of taking care of our bodies - a sacred and holy gift from God!
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 : "I Love to See the Temple"
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
You will need a cup that has been made very dirty on the inside. Use dirt and a little bit of water to create a muddy paste and smear the mud around on the inside of the cup. Allow it to dry so that the mud and dirt is stuck to the cup. You will also need some scissors and some pencils for each child.
➤ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Show the cup to the children (without revealing the inside) and ask them the following questions:
1) If you are thirsty, how can this cup help you? (It can help us by holding water for us so that we can get a drink!)
2) If you didn’t have a cup, would it be easier or harder to get a drink? (It would be harder.)
Now show the inside of the cup to the children and ask the following questions.
1) This is a good cup, but the cup is not ready to hold water for us yet. Why isn’t the cup ready to hold water for us? (If we put water inside this cup, it would make the water dirty and we wouldn’t be able to get a drink of clean water anymore.)
Explain: If we keep it clean, this cup can hold drinking water for us. Our bodies are kind of like a cup that can hold the Holy Ghost! The Holy Ghost can dwell with us, and we need the Holy Ghost to be with us, just like we need water!
But, the Holy Ghost is clean and pure, just like the drinking water. The Holy Ghost can’t stay in a place that is dirty. Today we will learn about how we can take care of our bodies and invite the Spirit of God to stay with us!
🎥 V I D E O : "My Body is a Temple | Animated Scripture Lesson for Kids"
Say: “Now we are going to watch a video about temples and the Spirit of God. Did you know that your body is also like a temple? Let’s watch and see why our bodies are like a temple!”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) Why is your body like a temple? (Because your body is a special place where the Spirit of God can dwell.)
2) When we take good care of a temple, what are we saying to Heavenly Father? (We are saying: “We want you to be with us! We are excited for you to visit! We are ready for you!”)
3) When we take good care of our body, what are we saying to Heavenly Father? (We are saying: “We want you to be with us! We are excited for you to visit! We are ready for you!”)
4) Why do we need the Spirit of God to be with us? (The Spirit of God comforts us, teaches us truth, guides us, strengthens us, warns us, inspires us, etc.)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the following scripture verses and discuss the questions that follow.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1) Who is speaking in this verse? (The Apostle Paul is teaching others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.)
2) Why did Paul say that we are the temple of God? (Because the Spirit of God dwells in us!)
3) What are some things we can do to take care of our “temple?” (Talk about ways to care for our bodies. Some examples are: Nutritious food and drink, cleaning and maintaining our bodies, good and uplifting media, speaking wholesome words, and using our bodies to do good things.)
And let all things be done in cleanliness before me.
1) Who is speaking in this verse? (The Lord is speaking.)
2) Why do you think the Lord wants all things done in cleanliness? (So that His Spirit can dwell with us!)
3) What are some things we can do to have a clean heart and a clean body? (Discuss.)
O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day.
1) How does this scripture tell us that we can become clean and pure? (We can turn to the Lord and cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus. We can be cleansed by Jesus’ sacrifice!)
2) What does it mean to cry mightily? (It means to pray sincerely, with all of our heart!)
3) Why do you think the Lord is telling us how to be pure? Why would He want to tell us that? (Because He loves us and He wants to be with us!)
➤ C O L O R I N G P A G E S
Pass out the activity pages, one to each child. Help the children follow the steps on the activity pages to create the body/temple spinners. Use this time to talk about things we can do to invite the Spirit of God to dwell with us!
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy…
One of the ways we can protect and take care of our “temple” is by carefully curating the media we watch with our eyes and listen to with our ears. This is true for everyone, but it’s especially important for young children who are innocent and impressionable.
If you are fed up with the vulgarity and crassness of popular children’s “entertainment”, you might be pleasantly surprised when you see what Living Scriptures Streaming is up to!
It costs you nothing to try it. Click the image below to gain access, then explore the full library of movies and shows for 30 days with no commitment or obligation!
Seek the good:
