Lesson Plan: “Upon this Rock”

Powerfully TeachingYour Children

Gospel Principles

Each lesson contains 5 timed activities:(Choose the activities that fit your familyʼs schedule.

Additional resources are provided as extra time may be available.)

Reverence Time: Song, prayer, scripture and video clip Lesson Time: Lesson summary and points to ponder Story Time: Story Activity Time: Object lesson or activity Treat Time: Prayer, theme related recipe & music video

Objectives:

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Reinforces Principle of: Emphasize the importance of building your testimony on the rock of Jesus Christ. Talk about the tools Heavenly Father has given us to help build strong testimonies.

Testimony

Lesson Plan: “Upon this Rock”


Sing Together:

Prayer:

Scripture Time:

Video Clip:

Approximate Time: 5 minutes

Childrenʼs Songbook #281 “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man.” If you wish to have an online music file to accompany you visit: http://www.lds.org/churchmusic(Note: Navigate to the Interactive Church Music Player where you can listen to and print Church hymns and children s̓ songs.)

Helaman 5:12

12. And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Watch chapter 5 from the animated Complete Learning System, Built Upon the Rock DVD. (Video clip is also provided for viewing online.)


(For younger children, it may be helpful to summarize the following ideas):Lesson Summary: “Build upon my rock, which is my gospel.” (D&C 11:24)

The rock of Jesus Christ is His gospel that has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. To build upon His rock is to build your testimony of Him and His gospel. To do this you must believe in Him, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, learn his teachings through scripture study, attending church, praying, and by keepingHis commandments.

Sheltered from the raging storms of life.“...If you make your home a house of prayer and fasting, faith, learning and glory, and order, it can become a house of God. If you build your homes on the foundation rock of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and the gospel, they can be sanctuaries where your families can be sheltered from the raging storms of life.” Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, May 1993 © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Satan s̓ tools destroy.“Satan uses many tools to weaken and destroy the home and family...Pornography, drugs, and immorality...Yes the devil has many tools that lead to the very life-style we are here to avoid.” Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Dec. 1971 © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

“One of Satanʼs most effective tools is at work among us today–it is a destroyer of happiness, peace, contentment, family solidarity. Families are stumbling and falling because of its hobbling and crippling effect. This tool of Satan is called contention. Contention is to argue, to bring discord or strife, to dispute, to quarrel.” H. Burke Peterson, Ensign, Jan. 1973 © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.


The wise listen to learn from the Lord. Jesus taught that the wise man listens to His teachings and does them. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man.” (Matt 7:24)

“Listen to learn from the Lord through the still small voice—the Holy Spirit—which leads to truth. Listen to learn by studying scriptures that record His holy mind and will. Listen to learn in prayer, for He will answer the humble who truly seek Him. His disciples. (See D&C 1:4.) Wise members listen to learn from Church leaders.” Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, May 1991 © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.


Points toPonder:

What does it mean to build your testimony upon the rock of Jesus Christ?“It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends. That test is part of the purpose God had for us in the Creation.” Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, Nov. 200

What “tools” can we use to build our home and testimonies upon His rock?“Personal, sincere involvement in the scriptures produces faith, hope, and solutions to our daily challenges. Frequently reading, pondering, and applying the lessons of the scriptures, combined with prayer, become an irreplaceable part of gaining and sustaining a strong, vibrant testimony.” Donald L. Staheli, “Securing Our Testimonies,” Ensign, Nov. 2004

What are some of the tools Satan uses to try and destroy homes and families? (Anger, drugs, pornography, etc.)

Can listening to the apostles and prophets help protect us from lifeʼs storms?“But we also have our spiritual guardians, those whose calling it is to watch and warn, helping us avoid spiritual damage, destruction, and even death. Our watchmen on the tower are known to us as apostles and prophets. They are our spiritual eyes in the sky, and they know, through inspiration and insight and pure intelligence, the course these storms may take.” David R. Stone, Ensign, Nov. 1999

“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise.” (Prov. 19:20.)

What will it cost us if we are like the foolish man and hear Christʼs teachings, but fail to keep His commandments?“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:” (Matt 7:25)

“The tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to ourHeavenly home.” Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, Nov. 2005 © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.



Father placed the house plans on the kitchen table. “This will be yours and Andyʼs room, Josh,” he said pointing to a box. He then traced his finger along another box, “and this will be your room, Katie.”

Josh and Katie studied the small boxes and tried to imagine them as rooms. “Will the new baby have a room?” Katie wanted to know. Mother pointed to the box next to Katieʼs room. “The nursery will be right here across the hall from your room and then when sheʼs old enough sheʼll share your room with you.”

Katie smiled. She was excited about getting a new house, but even more excited that she was going to have a sister.

One day after school Mother took the children to the lot where the new house was being built. Katie and Josh scrambled up the hill to where Father and Uncle Jeff were busy framing the new construction. When Father saw them coming he knelt down and they raced into his big arms, almost knocking him over.

“Wow!” Josh exclaimed, “Itʼs not just a big old hole anymore.”

“Show me my room, Daddy!” Katie begged. Father lifted Katie high up onto his shoulders and walked to the room that would be hers.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“Itʼs bigger than it looks on the paper!” she marveled. “Is that where my window seat will be?”

“Thatʼs right! And over there is where your closet will be. Letʼs go see the boys ̓room now.”

“I know where it is.” Josh said, leading the way down the hall. Josh ran to the where the window had been framed and looked out at the big old oak tree. “Look Katie. The tree is still there, just like Dad promised.” Turning to Father he asked, “When do we get to start building the tree house?”

Father began to laugh, “Letʼs get the house built first. Then we can start on the tree house.”

“Oh, all right,” Josh mumbled.

The three then walked out to meet Mother who was pushing Andy up the hill in his stroller. Out of breath from the climb Mother exclaimed that she was couldnʼt wait until the driveway was poured so she could drive up the hill instead of climbing.

Father took over pushing the stroller and Josh and Katie went to explore the house. “Youʼve really done a lot since we were here last,” she said turning to her husband. “Do you still think we will be in by Christmas?”

“If everything goes as planned, weʼll stay on schedule and the stockings will be hanging from a real fireplace mantle this year, instead of that cardboard thing you drag out every year at Christmastime.”

“Hey, donʼt make fun of my mantle!” Mother protested. “It has served us faithfully over the years.”

Father put his arms around Motherʼs waist. “We can still put it up in the basement if you want.”

Mother laughed. “No, I think weʼll give it to someone thatʼs not as fortunate as we are. After all, if we had more than one mantle it might confuse Santa.”

Just then Katie ran over to her parents. “Whereʼs the rock?” she asked, “I canʼt find the rock!”

“What rock, Princess?”

“You know! The rock that weʼre supposed to build our house up on so it wonʼt wash away!”

Kneeling down, Father took Katie by the hand and placed it on the cement foundation. “Here s̓ the rock Katie. It doesnʼt look like the rocks that we skip on the lake or the big rocks that we climb on when weʼre camping in the mountains, but itʼs very strong?” He then took a hammer from his tool belt and gave it to Katie. “See, you can even hit it with a hammer and it wonʼt break.”

Katie lifted the hammer and hit the foundation. The hammer sparked as it hit the cement.

“Look, thereʼs a little scratch, but it didnʼt crack or break!”

“And remember when it rained last week?” Mother asked Katie.

Katie nodded. “The thunder scared me and you let me get in bed with you!”

“Thatʼs right, and even without the roof on the house yet, it didnʼt wash away.” Mother continued, “Daddy loves us so much he built a strong foundation for our house.”

Katie gave Father a big hug, “Daddy, Iʼm so glad that you are a wise man and built our new house on the rock and not on the sand like the foolish man.”

by Margie Nauta Lee © 2006 Living Scriptures, Inc.



What you need: A copy of “Tool Box, Tools, and Houses” (artwork included with this lesson), scissors, tape, wash tub or pan, a rock or brick (approx. 6” x 6”), sand, and water.

Preparation 1. Print out the artwork. 2. Cut out all pieces (tools box, tools, and houses). 3. Tool Box: Cut along dotted lines. Fold along solid lines. Match up letters (A̓ s, Bʼs, etc.) and tape in place. Put tools in tool box. 4. Houses: Fold heavy black lines inside (toward the blank side). Fold all tan tabs out (toward printed side). Leave red lines flat.

Activity: 1. Ask: What do we need to before we can build a house? (Tools, building materials, and a foundation) 2. Explain that to build a true testimony also takes tools. Heavenly Father has given us spiritual tools to help us build our testimonies. Satan also has tools, but his tools destroy testimonies. Satanʼs tools are very strong, but Heavenly Fatherʼs are stronger. Show the two hammers. Both tools work, but that the rubber mallet is not as strong as the metal claw hammer. 3. Explain that you are going to build two houses. One house will be built using tools that Heavenly Father gives us and the other will be built with tools Satan gives us. A–Draw the tools out of the tool box, one at a time. Read the caption. Ask if this is a tool from Heavenly Father or Satan (ask this question with each tool drawn). B–The wise manʼs house will be built using parts 1,2, and 3 and the foolish manʼs house will be built using parts 4,5, and 6. Build the sections one at a time as you draw the tools from the tool box (match up letters and tape together). C–After the three sections are built put the three sections together one at a time, as you continue to draw tools (match letters on section 1 and 2 and tape together. Then match letters on 1 and 3 and tape together to build the wise manʼs house. Do the same with sections 4 and 5 and 4 and 6 to build the foolish manʼs house). D– Place the rock and sand in the pan for the foundations as you draw more tools. E–When the last of each of the tools is drawn, tape the wise manʼs house to the rock foundation and the foolish manʼs house to the sand foundation to complete. F– Pour water over the rock and sand, to imitate a flood, until the foolish manʼs house is washed away. Explain that the rock is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the houses are our testimonies. We want our testimonies built upon the rock so that they will be like the wise manʼs house and withstand lifeʼs storms.

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Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: Approximately 30 minutesCool Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Toffee Rock

1 Cup real butter1 Cup granulated sugar1 Tbs. light corn syrup3 Tbs. water1 cup milk chocolate chips1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Butter a 2 quart glass or metal bowl and set aside. Place all ingredients, except chocolate chips and nuts, into a heavy 3 quart sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (without scraping sides of pan) until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Place a candy thermometer into the boiling mixture and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 290 degrees F.

Remove from heat and pour into prepared bowl. Do not scrape sides or bottom of pan. Allow toffee to cool for approximately 30 minutes. After mixture has cooled, turn out of bowl, upside down, onto a wooden or plastic cutting board.

Heat chocolate chips in microwave for approximately 30 seconds, just until melted. Stir in nuts and pour chocolate mixture over the top of the toffee. Chill just until chocolate mixture hardens.

Closing Prayer and blessing on the food.

Treat Time: Explain to the children that in order to enjoy all of the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we must partake of His Gospel. Explain that partake means: to eat or drink something or to share or take part in something. With a clean hammer and chisel, let children take turns breaking away pieces of the rock toffee.

Video Clip: Watch the New Testament Music Video Upon This Rock DVD (also provided online), while you partake of the Toffee Rock.

Lesson Plan: “Upon this Rock”

Documents

Transcript of Lesson Plan: “Upon this Rock”