Prioritizing Things that Matter Most

This lesson stems from Elder Dallin H. Oaks conference address "Good, Better, Best," , October 7, 2007 found here.

Another good reference is Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk "Of Things That Matter Most," during the October 2, 2010 found here.

 Goal: To teach children the importance of doing the things that matter most first.
Things needed for object lesson:
-Jar or see-through container of some sort
-a few larger objects like pink pong balls, rocks, tennis balls -depending on the size of your container
-Lots of little items to fill space such as dry rice, dry beans ect.


There are so many things to do in our day to day that sometimes we forget to do the things that matter most. Discuss with your children the most important things we do each day. Some answers may include: pray, scriptures, journal, family time, family meals, ect.

Then you can discuss some other less important activities that can be done each day.

There is an "oldie but goodie" object lesson that works really well. Take your jar and list with the kids the non-important things we can do each day that fill our time. Pour the smaller objects into the jar. Then talk about the important things we should be doing each day and try to then put the larger objects in. They do not fit! Then do this activity the other way around. Putting in the most important things first, then the lesser important, and they all fit perfect!

Teach the children that when we do the things we should each day, our Heavenly Father will help us make time for everything else. If you want you can write on your golf balls (or other objects) what the most important things are, then leave the jar somewhere where people can see it throughout the week.

Quotes that go along with this from Elder Oaks talk are:
"We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.

As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all."

Prioritizing Things that Matter Most

I am a Child of God

my four year old knows we pray to Heavenly Father and that we want to make Him happy, but I wanted to have a lesson where we really taught her that He is our Father. Literally. So, we came up with this lesson.


Prep

Get pictures of baby animals and their animal parents for matching.
On a board or the wall put up the baby animal pictures, save the parent ones.

Start by singing “I am a Child of God”

Activity
Tell children that all babies will grow up to be like their parents. Hold up each “parent animal” picture and ask them to match it with the baby. Just like a foal will grow up to look like a horse (or elephant, puppy, kitten), kids will grow up to be as tall and know as much as their parents. Tell them we have another parent we want to be like and ask if anyone knows who that is (Heavenly Father).

Tell the children that Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits and that we live Him before we were born on earth. Just like we will someday become like our moms and dads, we can also become like Heavenly Father too. Heavenly Father loved us so much that when He sent us to earth, he gave us another mom and dad to love us and take care of us so that one day we can return to live with Him.

Song
“I lived in Heaven”

I am a Child of God

Children Of God

This was another one of those good ideas by my husband. He was sitting in ward conference when it came to him. In Sunday School, we learned about how we can become like God because we are His children. In Priesthood, they were lectured to go home and teach their families what they learn in church :). So he did!

Opening Hymn:

I Am A Child Of God

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:9 or D&C 76: 23-24

Lesson:

My husband got a board book out that was full of pictures of baby animals with their parents.

He pointed to a picture with a mare and foal--pointing to the foal (baby) "What is this?" he asked.

The children responded it was a horse. He then pointed to the foal (baby).

"What is this?" he again asked.

Again, the answer was horse.

"That is right. The baby horse looks like the mommy horse. What do you think the baby horse will be when he grows up? Do you think he will be a dog?"

"No!" came the giggled replies.

"What about a pig. Will the baby horse grow up to be a pig?"

"No!" more giggles.

"No? Then what will it be when it grows up?"

"A horse still!"

"That's right. The baby horse will grow up to be a horse because his mommy and daddy are horses."

He then went through the same exercise with the remaining animals.

Then he held up a picture of Heavenly Father and Jesus together. He talked about what they were like.

"Are you a child of God?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Then what will you grow up to be? Will you grow up to be a horse? No?...(go through more silly things they won't grow up to be)....that is right. You will grow up to be like our Heavenly Father because you are His child."

This was a great lesson. The children were interested and involved with the pictures and the questions. If you don't have a book with these pictures, you can pull them up on a computer screen or print them off on paper.

Children Of God