The Helps You Need to Teach Jacob 1-4 "Be Reconciled unto God through the Atonement of Christ" (March 9-15)
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may be paid for products you purchase through my links. See my full disclosure for more.
On with Jacob as we study Come, Follow Me Jacob 1-4 "Be Reconciled unto God through the Atonement of Christ" (March 9-15). One verse to note is Jacob 2:5 and how God knows all. Cross-reference it with Alma 12:3 and D&C 6:16. How does what we learn in these scriptures affect the way you pray?
Jump Ahead to the Section You Need
Remember, Jacob is Nephi’s brother. He was born in the wilderness so he would have been less than 10 years old when they arrived in the promise land. He saw the Savior in his youth and was appointed as a priest and teacher.
We should magnify our callings
Warnings against pride, riches, and immorality
Don’t look beyond the mark (Keep your focus on Christ)
Seek God first
Why not speak of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
Spiritual Whirlwinds (about 2 1/2 minutes)
“We Believe in Being Chaste” by Elder David A. Bednar
I Choose to Be Pure (about 4 1/2 minutes)
Chastity: What Are the Limits? (about 4 minutes)
Law of Chastity (about 2 minutes)
“Magnify Your Calling” by President Gordon B. Hinckley
Rise To Your Call (about 2 minutes)
“United in Building the Kingdom of God” by Elder L. Tom Perry
My Favorite Scripture- Doris (about 1 1/2 minutes)
My Favorite Scripture- Megan (about 1 1/2 minutes)
“How Do We Avoid ‘Looking beyond the Mark’”- March 2020 Ensign
“How Could I Magnify My Calling” by Faith S. Watson (March 2017 Ensign)
“Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus” by Elder Quentin L. Cook
“A Remarkable Future Is Before You!” by President M. Russell Ballard
“Looking beyond the Mark” by Elder Quentin L. Cook
Find out more about your current calling even if that is simply being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as you study Jaocb 1. What are your responsibilities? Check the Handbook to find out more or ask the President of your organization. For membership duties, read about the covenants you made at baptism (see last week’s helps). What’s one thing you want to focus on as you magnify your calling this week? Remember, another word for magnify is fulfill.
Why are you grateful for the calling that you have? Make a list!
Compile a list of the talents you have that can help you magnify your calling most. Then see if there is a talent that you need to work on developing more in your calling. Make a plan to strengthen it.
- How have you seen the current and past prophets magnify their callings? You can read one of their biographies for great examples. Check out “Insights from A Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson” by Sheri Dew for great one about our current prophet (included with your Deseret Bookshelf PLUS).
- Now is also a good time to go through the various leaders of the Nephites over the yeras in the Book of Mormon. You can find the chart in the Institute Student Manual for the Book of Mormon. It gives you a good overview of government leaders, church leaders, and military leaders. See if you remember which ones magnified their callings.
- You can also review the 5th Article of Faith as you discuss callings as one must be called and set apart when they serve. The Friend has a quick activity page that you can use with it.
Before you discuss Jacob 2 -3, do this fun treasure chest activity:
Grab your own treasure chest or whatever you have that you can put a lock on and fill it with some big heavy rocks. You’ll want to get a lock that you can set the combination to like this easy to program lock (they come in handy for DIY escape rooms too- these are the ones I have). If your lock has four numbers instead of three, set the last number to zero and let your class know. Each clue card will give you the number for one part of the lock. When they open it, share how these three sins bring nothing but emptiness and the heavy weight of sin. P.S. The answers are love of riches/money, pride, and unchastity.
Don’t have a treasure chest or lock? Print out my image of a chest and glue to it a box (a cereal box will work). Cut three slits so the strips can go through and only show a little at a time. Slowly pull the clues out until they guess them. Once all are decoded, open the box to reveal the rocks inside.
- Pretend you just received a large inheritance from a long lost uncle. What would you do with all that money? Based on your answers, where do you feel your priorities are? What are you seeking first? Is there something you would do with lots of money that you can go ahead and do now (maybe on a smaller scale)? What is preventing you then?
As you discuss ways we can overcome these three sins that Jacob talks about, you can print my sewing poster to show how thoughts can ultimately determine our destiny. What can you do to better control your thoughts? (And by destiny I mean outcome at the judgment)
Remember you can also go back and use my pride cycle wheel. How do we break the cycle? What is pride? Why is it a sin?
Head to the For Strength of Youth booklet and review what it says about Sexual Purity. Be sure everyone understands by following it up with Chastity: What Are the Limits? (about 4 minutes).
You might also want to reference the helps available for those who have a pornography problem as well as their family members on the Church’s website.
- One of my favorite phrases in Jacob is found in chapter 4 verse 12, “Why not speak of the Atonement of Christ?” Read verses 1-15 then try this target activity. Throw a dart or bean bag at the target and give an example of that type of knowledge (here’s the link to the magnetic dart board I recommended a few weeks ago again- you can tie it into all sorts of lessons). Since our overall goal is the Celestial Kingdom, what are really the essential things to know? What type of knowledge really doesn’t matter? How can we be better at filling our minds with the essential and important information? Why do you think knowing about the Atonement of Jesus Christ is essential? Why is knowing Jesus Christ essential? What happens when we fail to recognize this?
How would you answer Jacob's question, "Why not speak of the Atonement of Christ?" Can you?
In Jacob 4:14, it states how the Jews were blind because they looked beyond the mark. Do the target activity again but this time, look at something behind the target (you can place your dartboard on a chair and put a big picture to look at behind it). How well did you do at hitting the target and the bullseye? Why was it difficult? Apply this to your life and how sometimes we might be looking beyond the mark.
- You may also want to review some of the old Jewish practices in New Testament times and show how they looked beyond the mark. For example, you couldn't have a needle in your cloths on the Sabbath day and you could only take so many steps.
As you discuss not looking beyond the mark but looking to Christ, use this fun spyglass. Roll the paper after coloring to make a tube then tape on a circle with Jesus at one end. That way when you look through the tube, you see Christ. How can we keep our eyes on Christ? What can we do when we start to become distracted?
For older kids, you may want to try the Christ optical illusion (it’s number five). How can we keep Christ our focus always?
One powerful example of looking beyond the mark is found in the visuals of Elder Neil L. Andersen’s talk, “The Eye of Faith.” Play the little clips with your family and show how drastically different each perspective is. How is this similar to when we take our eyes off of Jesus Christ?
- Play a fun gospel version of "Old Maid" when you get the lesson packet from The Red Headed Hostess.
