Ideas to Help You Teach Jacob 5-7 "The Lord Labors with Us" (March 16-22)
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Are you ready for the longest chapter? Come, Follow Me Jacob 5-7 "The Lord Labors with Us" (March 16-22) starts with Jacob sharing Zenos’s allegory about the olive tree. Consider why he included this long writing on the small plates. What’s the significance for you? Remember! If you are struggling to get through Jacob 5, try dividing it up into these key parts:
Jacob 5:3-14 is the scattering
Jacob 5:15-28 is the ministry of Christ
Jacob 5:29-49 is the apostasy
Jacob 5:50-76 is the gathering
Jacob 5:76-77 is the Millennium and end of the world
Jump Ahead to the Section You Need
The Lord always has His arm outstretched towards us.
Those who labor in the vineyard are blessed
The Holy Ghost and words from the prophets can help us withstand false teachings
The scattering and gathering of Israel
We can be unshakeable
Jacob and Sherem (about 2 1/2 minutes)
Old Testament Olive Vineyard (about 7 minutes)
“The Lord Leads His Church” by President Henry B. Eyring
“Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus” by Elder Quentin L. Cook t
“Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted” by Elder Allen D. Haynie
Help the Church Grow (about 1 1/2 minutes)- Clip from President M. Russell Ballard
“The Cost- and Blessings- of Discipleship” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“Put Your Trust in the Lord” by Elder M. Russell Ballard
What Can We Learn from the Allegory of the Olive Tree?- March 2020 Ensign
“The Gathering of Scattered Israel” by President Russell M. Nelson
“12 Facts about the Gathering of Israel” by David A. Edwards (July 2019 New Era)
“Hope of Israel” by President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy W. Nelson (This is that broadcast to the youth in June 2018)
“Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel” by President Russell M. Nelson
“Defending the Faith” by Elder Jörg Klebingat
“Sherem’s Skepticism: The Tactics of a Faith Shaker” by Benjamin Hyrum White (digital only- March 2020 Ensign)
“How Can I Develop Unshakeable Faith and Overcome Doubt?”- Quick answer from the New Era September 2018
“5 Ways to Defend the Faith (without Causing Contention)” by Elder Von G. Keetch
The Allegory of the Olive Tree
Print out my Olive Trees scene to help you act out these verses. Using your hands to move the branches and fruit helps you pause and understand more of what you are reading. Use whatever you have on hand for the branches and what not- pretzels, real sticks, crayons, etc. Write down the verses that correspond with each part as you go so you can reference them easily later.
If you have little ones, use my Olive Trees scene to have some fun! Put my scene inside a sleeve protector or under some saran wrap that is then taped to the table. Fill out the scene using playdough! You can make the different parts as you listen to the chapter together.
If you have a fire pit, have a fire! You can toss in different “wicked” branches as you read chapter 5.
The chart in the manual is a great study aid. There are also some helpful charts from BYU Studies:
Here’s a great coloring page from the Book of Mormon coloring book that Church put out for the Allegory of the Olive Tree.
Questions to ponder as you discuss our role in the gathering of Israel: How can you use your unique role as a man or woman; child, youth, or adult to help gather Israel? Why should we? What are some things you have recently heard from our prophet and other church leaders about gathering Israel? What specifically will you do to help gather Israel? What are some things that might distract you from helping with the gathering? How can you overcome these distractions? Why does the Lord want us to be united? How might we become complacent about temple and family history work? How can we overcome that?
Divide your discussion into three key parts: 1) the gathering of Israel or missionary work 2) preparing for the kingdom of God, and 3) temple and family history work. How are we accomplishing these tasks? Where can we do better? How do we do these things? What resources are available to help us? Consider breaking into three groups to discuss each responsibility. How does each relate back to Zenos’s allegory?
After you read Jacob 5, see if you answer some True/False questions or fill out my tree theme question page. It’s a great review and can help you realize how you fit into this allegory.
Play a game of Pick Up Sticks (this one has plastic sticks so you don’t have to worry about splintering). You can assign each color of stick to a different theme of things that have been restored in these latter days or that will happen during the gathering. For example, all the orange sticks can be a tribe of Israel and when you collect it, you name one of the tribes. The blue sticks could be spiritual gifts, etc.
- It's another great week to review how the gospel was restored. Study another account of the First Vision this week (see the Joseph Smith Papers Project for an quick reference), read from Saints, or try a podcast from the Church. Then find where the Restoration takes place in Jacob 5.
Host an Indexing Party! Contact your local Family History Library to see how many people they can accommodate and schedule a time to meet. This is the best way to do it if you or those you are inviting have never indexed before- the temple and family history workers are a great help! Indexing records greatly helps gather more.
If your family watched “Hope of Israel” by President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy W. Nelson live, discuss what they remember about it now. Did the accept any of the invitations? How did it help them gather Israel? You may want to review some key parts of that and make a goal as a family to help gather Israel.
Becoming Unshakeable in Faith and Responding to Attacks
Have some fun with Jell-O! While it technically shakes, it doesn’t break. You can use the wiggliness as an example of an attack and how it doesn’t fall apart. How can we be like the Jell-O and bounce right back up? What made Jacob unshakeable? What are we doing now that is helping us become unshakeable?
Use this coloring page from The Friend as you discuss unshakeable faith.
Play the laughing game! Each person puts their head on another person’s stomach. You’ll want to form a circle so everyone has someone. The goal is to try not to laugh and shake the next person with your laughter. While this type of shaking is fun, what are some reasons we wouldn’t want to shake? What does it mean to be unshakeable? How can that be a good thing in the gospel of Jesus Christ? How can we become that way?
Try a fun corn experiment! Get out the cornstarch. If you hold a little bit in the palm of your hand and walk around outside or blow on it, what will happen to it? Would you like to be like the cornstarch? What if you add water to it? What will happen? Transform your cornstarch into oobleck. What happens now when you hold it? What if you squeeze it? Do you want to be like the cornstarch now? Next, make ornaments out of cornstarch! After you bake them, they won’t shake, blow away, or ooze through our fingers. This is where we want to be with our testimonies- they won’t just disappear. How do we make our testimonies like this and keep them like this?
Practice key parts of having a testimony with a testimony match game. Then talk about why you believe that and how you can stand unshakeable in it.
Watch some of the Religious Freedom videos and discuss how you can defend your beliefs and freedoms without compromising your values.
There are some fun talks about developing strong testimonies included in your Deseret Bookshelf PLUS membership. Put one on in the mornings or duing carpool for your family to listen to:
- "Building a 3D Testimony" by Andrew Horton
- "Filling Your Testimony Tank" by Brad Wilcox
- "Chips, Slasa and Testimony: Feed Your Faith, Find Your Joy" by Andrew Horton
- "Weed Your Brain, Grow Your Testimony" by John Bytheway
- The Red Headed Hostess has some more fun activities in her lesson packet. If you are looking fore more, definitely check it out.
- Here's the Primary packet from Love Pray Teach as well (includes older and younger activities). Remember, she also has a family one!
