CHILD ACTIVITY Ages 4-7. CHOOSE TO FOLLOW HEAVENLY FATHER & JESUS premortal life puppet show. Children can show and tell about the WAR IN HEAVEN before we came to earth. Satan’s plan was to force everyone to choose the right. Jesus’ plan was to let us have “agency” to choose for ourselves. Those who followed Satan did not receive a body. But we chose to follow Jesus, come to earth to receive a body, and make our own choices. This way we can earn our way back to heaven. Jesus volunteered to be our Savior to help us return.
GREAT FOR Come Follow Me lessons (Primary and home), family home evening, and scripture study
Little LESSON LIFESAVER
Choose to Follow Heavenly Father and Jesus – Premortal Life puppet show
OBJECTIVE: Help children understand that in the pre-earth life we lived with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and chose to follow them.
ACTIVITY:
1. Children can move puppets across the premortal life scene to show that we knew Jesus and Heavenly Father in the spirit world.
2. Explain, “We had a choice to follow Satan or to follow Jesus. We liked Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness and chose to follow Jesus, who followed God’s plan. For this reason, we were sent to earth to receive a body like Jesus and Heavenly Father and to learn to live Heavenly Father’s commandments, as Jesus did. This way we can find happiness and live with Heavenly Father and Jesus again someday.”
TO MAKE Print, color, and cut out the puppets and puppet-scene. Mount puppets on wooden sticks or straws.
*MANUAL SUGGESTS: Testimony
Bear testimony that before we came to earth, each of us made a choice. We chose to follow Jesus Christ, and we will again live with Him and Heavenly Father if we do what Jesus has taught us to do.
Encourage the children to thank Heavenly Father in their prayers for sending Jesus to earth to be our Savior. Suggest that they ask Heavenly Father to help them make the right choices so they can live with Him and Jesus again someday.
THOUGHT TREAT (when appropriate): SMART Snacks. Share apple slices, carrot and celery sticks, and raisins. Remind children that since we were SMART enough to choose to come to earth and receive a body, we need to be SMART enough to eat our fruits and vegetables and other good food to keep our bodies healthy and strong.
LESSON IDEAS (for the activity above):
Present CTRA Lesson 4 “Choose to Follow Jesus” (see details below*)
*CTRA Lesson 4 MANUAL SUGGESTS
Scripture story and discussion
Tell the children that Heavenly Father asked whom He should send to teach us. Open the Pearl of Great Price to Abraham 3:27 and read aloud what Jesus answered: “Here am I, send me.” Jesus said he would do whatever Heavenly Father wanted him to do to help us. Read aloud the last part of Moses 4:2 (from Father). Jesus also said that He would give all the glory to Heavenly Father. Explain briefly the meaning of glory.
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How can you tell that Jesus loved Heavenly Father? (He was willing to do what Heavenly Father wanted Him to do.)
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Whom else does Jesus love? (Us.)
Emphasize Jesus’ love for Heavenly Father and for us by reviewing what Jesus was willing to do.
Jesus Christ was willing to—
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Come to earth to help us.
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Testify of Heavenly Father.
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Teach us the right way to live and be happy.
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Show us what to do so we can live with Heavenly Father again.
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Give His life for us.
Point out that another spirit son whose name was Lucifer also wanted to be sent to earth to help us. He told Heavenly Father that He would come to earth and force all of us to do what is right. He wouldn’t let us choose for ourselves. Lucifer wanted Heavenly Father to give him all the honor and glory.
Read aloud Heavenly Father’s decision from Abraham 3:27: “I will send the first.”
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Whom did Heavenly Father choose to help Him?
Explain that Lucifer became very angry that He wasn’t chosen. He did not accept Heavenly Father’s plan. Instead, Lucifer caused a great war in heaven. It was not a war of guns and bombs, but a war of talking and trying to get people to follow him. Lucifer convinced some of our spirit brothers and sisters that his evil ideas were good, and they chose to follow him instead of Jesus.
Tell the children that Lucifer is also called Satan, or the devil.
Discussion
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Whom did you choose to follow, Jesus or Satan?
Ask the children to stand if they chose to follow Jesus. Explain that all of them chose to follow Jesus, so they should all be standing.
Explain that we know we followed Jesus because we are here on earth. The spirits who followed Satan were not allowed to be born on earth and receive physical bodies.
Tell the children how happy you are that you chose to follow Jesus. Tell them that you are proud of them because they chose to follow Jesus and not Satan. Praise the children for choosing the right.
