The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5 can be a little hard for children to grasp. Sometimes even us adults have a hard time deciphering it. So this week we tackled Jacob 5, broke it down and created a video and lesson bundle that teach this allegory at a child's level. We hope your families will find this helpful!
Download this week's Lesson Bundle HERE!
➤ L E S S O N
Open the lesson with a song and a prayer.
🎶 K A R A O K E V I D E O : "Called to Serve"
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
Place an image of Jesus Christ in the front of the room where it can be seen. Hide some photos of family members or loved ones in several rooms of the house.
➤ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Invite children to go and find photos of family members and to “gather” them into the room where you are holding your meeting.
As photos arrive, place them together in a display in front of the room next to the image of Jesus Christ.
Discuss the following questions:
1) Who are these individuals?
2) How does Jesus Christ feel about these people?
3) Who else can you think of that you know? (Friends, neighbors, LDS or non-LDS)
4) How does Jesus Christ feel about these people?
5) These pictures were far away from the image of Jesus Christ, but now they are close. What does
that make you think of? (Discuss)
6) When Jesus works to strengthen us and bring all of us unto Him, does he work alone? Or does
he invite others to work with Him? (Discuss)
🎥 V I D E O : "The Allegory of the Olive Tree"
Say: “We are going to watch a video about Jesus Christ working to strengthen and gather His followers. The trees and branches represent all of us. Let’s see if he works alone to strengthen us and bring us to Him, or if others help Him.”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) Did the Master of the garden work alone? Or did others help him? (Discuss)
2) Who do you think the workers represent? (Missionaries, all of us)
3) How did the worker feel about the tree and the branches? (Cared about them very much)
4) How did the Master of the Garden feel about the tree and the branches? (Loved them and didn’t want to lose them)
5) What did the Master do to help the branches grow? (Discuss)
6) Who do you think is the master of the garden?
7) Who do you think are the workers?
8) Who do you think are the branches?
9) What do you think the good fruit means?
10) What do you think the bad fruit means?
11) How did the tree get really strong in the end? (All the good branches were gathered together)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the following scriptures, then discuss the questions that follow.
Read the first sentence only. Invite children to listen for all the things that the Master did to try to help his vineyard grow.
1) What are some things the Master did to help his garden grow? (Discuss)
2) How long did the Master “Stretch forth His hand?” (Discuss)
3) What do you think it means when the Lord is stretching forth His hand? (Discuss)
1) What do you think it means when the Master “calls servants” to labor in the vineyard? (Missionaries,
callings in the church, ministering to others, serving others, etc.)
2) What do you think it means to labor diligently? (Discuss)
3) What do you think it means to labor in a way that is not diligent? (Discuss)
1) What does it mean when the Master says this is the “last time” he will nourish his vineyard and
“the end is nigh at hand?” (Last time before the second coming)
2) Who will feel joy with him when that time comes? (Those who labor diligently with him)
➤ A C T I V I T Y
Color the olive tree and the scene behind the tree. Color the branches that were scattered. Cut them out and graft them (glue them) back into the olive tree. Use this activity as an opportunity to discuss “laboring in the Lord’s vineyard.”
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
'Come, Follow Me' is a resource offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is designed to be used in the home to support personal and family scripture study to build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Come, Follow Me is self-contained and adequate, when used properly. Products and materials designed to supplement this resource, though they may be helpful in some instances, are not necessary for a successful home study program.