This week we start diving into the beatitudes in “Blessed Are Ye” Matthew 5: Luke 6 (February 18-24). This lesson mainly focuses on being a peacemaker, loving one another, and sharing our lights. Have you noticed how many times we’ve talked about light in these two months alone?

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Study Suggestions

Matthew 5-7 and Luke 4-8 from the New Testament Institute Manual

Matthew 1-5 and Luke 6:1-7:18 from the New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

“We Are Architects of Our Own Happiness” by Gérald J. Caussé

“True Happiness: A Conscious Decision” by Benjamín De Hoyos

“What does it mean to be the ‘salt of the earth’?” from April 1999 Ensign

“The Salt of the Earth” from January 2014 Ensign

“The Higher Law” by Larry E. Dahl (February 1991 Ensign)

“Law of Moses” from the Bible Dictionary

“The Law after Christ” by Stephen E. Robinson (September 1983 Ensign)

”Joy” from Guide to the Scriptures

“Be Ye Therefore Perfect- Eventually” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

“Perfection Pending” by President Russell M. Nelson

Remember for whole New Testament study guide recommendations, see my general New Testament helps page.

Deseret Bookshelf PLUS Recommendations

These are great to listen together in the car on the way to school. My whole family loves listening to the youth speaker ones especially. Remember, as a Deseret Bookshelf PLUS member, you can access these eBooks or audio books anytime. Find out more about Deseret Bookshelf PLUS.

"Be Happy: Simple Secrets to a Happier Life" by Hank Smith (He’s a youth speaker but this is a book, not just a fireside)
"Happiness: Finders, Keepers" by Mary Ellen Smoot
"Habits of Happiness" by Wendy Ulrich
"Experiencing Your Plan of Happiness" by Hank Smith (Time Out for Women talk)
"Illuminiating the Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount" by John W. Welch (ties in the sermon to the Nephites)
"The Mount and the Master" by Robert E. Wells

Video

Sermon the Mount: The Beatitudes (about 2 minutes)- Bible video

#LIGHTtheWORLD: A Christmas Message (about 2 minutes)

Sermon on the Mount: The Higher Law (about 2 1/2 minutes)- Bible video

“Perfection Pending” (about 16 minutes)- President Russell M. Nelson’s General Conference talk (as linked above in the study suggestions)

Jesus Calls Twelve Apostles to Preach and Bless Others (about 1 1/2 minutes)- Bible video

The Sermon on the Mount (about 1 1/2 minutes)- Illustrated scripture story (Chapter 19)

Jesus Chooses His Apostles (about 2 minutes)- Illustrated scripture story (Chapter 18)

The Perfect Lie- Tiffany Webster (about 16 minutes)- Hope Works speaker

Images

Bright Ideas are posters from the Friend, Mormonads come from the New Era.

Master Teacher- Mormonad with the Savior teaching on the mount

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness”- Poster

“Blessed are the peacemakers”- Bright Idea

Standards themed Mormonads go well with discussing worldly teachings versus Christ’s laws.

“Let your light so shine before men”- Bright Idea (with a lighthouse- pairs well with my handouts below)

“Ye are the light of the world”- Bright Idea

“Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam”- Bright Idea

“Walk as children of light”- Bright Idea

“I am the light of the world”- Bright Idea

Sermon on the Mount- Photo from Bible video (here’s one of them walking to the sermon)

Sermon on the Mount- Illustration- there is also this version.

Salt and Dirt- Photo

Teaching Ideas

These are my ideas. I share them with the hope that they will be a springboard to your own great ideas.

Print Wanted Poster

Print out my Wanted Posters and glue a photo of each of the children in your class on a different poster. Hang all the posters on the board so your class can see them as you start your lesson. As each person answer a question or gives an example of how to be a peacemaker, you can take their poster down and give it to them since you found what you needed. Encourage them to hang their posters up in their room so they can remember to choose to be a peacemaker.
As you discuss what a peacemaker is (read Matthew 5:9), pass out my Wanted Posters. Ask your class to draw themselves as a peacemaker- not just their face but them doing something that could create peace in a situation they often come across. Then have them share if they are comfortable.
Give each person in your class a scenario and a Wanted Poster. Ask each person to draw how they can be a peacemaker in that situation. Then have each person share their posters and ask for more solutions to each scenario as well to show how there are lots of ways we can bring peace into our lives. If you need ideas for scenarios, check out Primary 2 Lesson 22.
Instead of focusing on who can be a peacemaker, discuss places where you might find peace. Again, have your class draw ideas on their posters either using their own ideas or prompts from you. The final point, however, should be while the temple or church is an easier place to feel peace, we can find peace anywhere so long as we choose to carry it inside ourselves with the help of the Lord.

Print Coloring Page

Hide various objects that provide light around the room. For example: flashlight, lantern, empty box of matches, glow stick, candle, etc. Discuss how each one provides light- what makes it work. Will it eventually stop working? Then read Matthew 5:14-16. How does that light work? Can it run out? How can we make the light brighter? Next, handout my Let Your Light Shine coloring page to use as you watch a related video or as you continue to discuss ways each of us can be lights.

Use glow in the dark stickers to decorate the background of my coloring page (I purposefully left room). Discuss how glow in the dark stickers work (first they need to be charged). Then discuss how we can charge our own lights each day and in turn help others charge their lights too.
Cut my coloring page into puzzle pieces. Put each puzzle piece inside an Easter egg with small glow sticks and hide them around your classroom (between a stack of chairs, behind the trashcan, under the table, etc.). Turn the lights off enough to be able to see the glow easier but not cause chaos. Have your class find each puzzle piece and put the scripture together. Then discuss what it means and how you can apply it to your lives.

Ideas to help show love to one another #teachlikeachicken

Print Bag and Cards

Make an “I love you” (Eye Heart Ewe) sack for each child to bring home and put into action. Help them decorate and fill out their cards. Then explain how the bags work. When you get mad, instead of stomping your feet, complaining, or running to your room, get your bag out. Pick one card and do that action. Then discuss how doing loving actions can help us as well as how it follows the scripture in Matthew 5:44.
Have each child think of one person that they have been mad at or rude to lately. Give them one of my “I will show love by” cards to fill out specifically thinking about how they can show love to that person instead of anger. How does that make them feel? Why did Christ teach us to love our enemies? How does it help us? Encourage your class to put those cards into action this week.

Print Love Notes

Continue on the theme of loving others and being a peacemaker by using my Love Note cards. Ask your class to think of someone that could use a little love. Why do they think they need some extra love? How else can we show love? When do we need extra love? How can we ask for people to help us when we are in need of some extra love?
Show someone in your ward some extra love during your lesson! Use my love notes or Latter-day Saint themed Conversation Hearts and go “heart attack” their door, closet, or car. Ask how showing love helps us shine our lights brighter as well.

Get Sermon on the Mount

Match the teachings of Jesus with the blessings that are promised using my two page Sermon on the Mount printable. This activity is included in my Individuals and Families helps for this week.

Discover even more activites and printables from Teach me Messages. This week's includes a word search, picture story, and lots more!

Activity Pages

These are resources from LDS.org

Beatitudes

Beatitudes- Word search with fill in the blanks

The Beatitudes- Matching

If I Choose to Obey, I'll Be Happy All Day- Make a Beatitude Book

Peacemakers- Decode the sentence

I Am a Peacemaker- Peacemaker 24 hour challenge worksheet

Body Blessings- Word puzzle

Sermon on the Mount- Crossword Puzzle

Eternal Treasure- Treasure chest activity

Following Jesus: Be Generous- Includes summary, examples, and challenges. Other ones in this series that go with the Sermon on the Mount: Be Helpful, Be Brave, Be a Peacemaker, Pray, Be Merciful, Be A Good Example.

Cease from Anger- Examples with multiple choice answers of how to act as peacemakers instead of reacting.

I am a Peacemaker- Read what other kids think about being a peacemaker than fill out how you can be a peacemaker. The writing is better for older classes.

Blessed are the Peacemakers- Bright Idea poster. Try making it into a puzzle and put one piece up at time as you do the lesson or as they try to guess what the lesson is about.

A Peacemaker- Illustrated story about how Joseph Smith is a peacemaker and told us to be as well. Turn it into a comic strip on a scroll for a fun way to read it.

Peacemaker Wanted- Towards the bottom there is a order of sequence activity. President Eyring offers some good counsel as well.

COLORING PAGES

Jesus Christ Sermon on the Mount

Let Your Light So Shine