Lesson 29: Having Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

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Lesson 29: Having Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

“Lesson 29: Having Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ” Primary 3, (1994) 138-143

Purpose

To strengthen the children’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

OUR OPENING PRAYER WILL BE GIVEN BY

(Enter name here)

We Can Have Faith in Jesus Christ

 Let’s Listen to the follow story about a little girl.

A little girl took her father’s lunch to him as he worked deep in a well. Although she could not see her father down in the darkness of the well, when she called to him he answered, so she knew he was there.

The father told her to drop the lunch bucket into the hole, and he would catch it. He did so, and in a moment called up to her that he had too much lunch for just one person, and invited her to join him.

“Jump,” he said, “and I will catch you. You cannot see me, but I can see you, and I will not let you fall.” She jumped into the dark well and landed safely in her father’s strong arms. Together they had a fun time sharing the lunch.

The little girl trusted her father to catch her, even though she could not see him.

This trust is like faith. Faith is believing in something you cannot see, but you have great hope that it is true.

Let’s talk about the story we just heard.

Do you believe there is something under here?

Why?

Even though you could not see the object, you believed it was there.

• Even though we have not seen Jesus Christ, we believe he is there.

We see evidence of his existence everywhere as we look at the world that he created, as we see the stars in the heavens, and especially as we read the scriptures.

We also have prophets who have told us that they have seen him.

Today they will learn of someone from the Book of Mormon who had such great faith that he actually saw Jesus Christ.

We have been learning about the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon.

Another group of people came to the same continent.

They came much earlier than Lehi’s family. They were called Jaredites.

Their leader was a man named Jared.

Jesus Christ heard the prayers of Jared’s brother and blessed the people.

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Let’s Read Ether 2:17 together which describes the Jaredite Barges

17 And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish.

Place your cupped hands together like a ship, and turn them one way, then another, to show how the barges might roll over onto either side like one dish placed tightly on top of another.

Draw what you think the barges looked like from the description in the scripture we just read.

Let’s read together Ether 2:23 and see what Jesus Christ said to the brother of Jared.

23 And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.

Jesus did not give the brother of Jared an answer but asked instead what help he needed.

What are some solutions you might have thought of if you had been the brother of Jared?

Let’s read Ether 3:6 together.

6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was

as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

What did Jesus Christ do to the stones?

Why did Jesus Christ show himself to the brother of Jared?

• People today can have faith like the brother of Jared. • Faith is believing and trusting in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

• We show our faith by being obedient and prayerful. • We have been promised that we can have our prayers answered if we ask in faith for what is right (see Mosiah 4:21).

Let’s say the Fourth Article of Faith 4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Let’s Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:6

6 And, as it is written— Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.

We need faith when we pray to our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father has promised to answer our prayers if we ask him in faith. What did Jesus Christ do to the stones?

It is not enough for us to just say our prayers. We need to believe that he will answer our prayers in the way that is best for us. What did Jesus Christ do to the stones?

Listen to the following imaginary situations. Tell me how the main character in each situation showed faith.

 1. Bart had lost his CTR ring on the school playground. His best friend, Jim, told him that there was no chance that he would find it in all the gravel and sand. Bart knew he needed extra help. He wanted to find his ring. That night he prayed and asked Heavenly Father for help. When he finished his prayer, he had a good feeling inside and felt he would get help from Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost to find his ring. The next day he found the ring.

What did Bart do to show his faith in Jesus Christ?

How was Bart’s faith rewarded?

 2. Sally was asked to give a talk in Primary the next Sunday. She had never done this before, and she was very nervous. During the week Sally worked hard preparing her talk. When Sunday came, she still felt nervous and wasn’t sure about giving her talk. Just before she left home, she knelt by her bed and asked Heavenly Father to help her be calm. She knew she had worked hard on the talk, and she felt Heavenly Father would help her.

What did Sally do to show faith?

How do you think her faith was rewarded?

You can have your prayers answered if you ask in faith. Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we would like them to be. If we have faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we know that we will be given the answers that are best for us.

Play the Stone Game

TESTIMONY  I want to bear my testimony to you that Heavenly Father will hear and answer our prayers when we ask in faith.  I want to encourage you to strengthen your faith.

OUR CLOSING PRAYER WILL BE GIVEN BY

(Enter Name Here)

THE END

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The Jaredites Leave Babel

Jared and his brother were righteous men who lived in a city called Babel. They lived hundreds of years before the Nephites. Most of the people in Babel were wicked. They built a tower to try to get to heaven. The Lord became angry and changed their language.

Jared asked his brother to pray and ask the Lord not to change the language of their families and friends.

The brother of Jared prayed, and the Lord answered his prayer. Jared, his brother, and their families and friends could still understand one another.

The Lord told the brother of Jared to gather his family and friends and leave the land. They took their animals and all kinds of seeds with them.

The Lord said he would lead the Jaredites to a promised land.

The Jaredites caught birds and fish to take with them.

They took swarms of honeybees.

The Jaredites traveled to the wilderness. The Lord spoke to them from a cloud and told them which way to go.

The Lord said the people who live in the promised land must serve God or they will be destroyed.

When the Jaredites got to the seashore, they put up their tents. They stayed by the sea for four years.

The Jaredites Travel to the Promised Land

While the Jaredites camped by the sea, the brother of Jared forgot to pray. The Lord came in a cloud to tell him to repent. The brother of Jared repented and prayed. The Lord forgave the brother of Jared but said he should not sin anymore.

The Lord told the brother of Jared to build barges to take his people to the promised land.

The Lord told the brother of Jared how to build the barges.

The barges were made airtight so no water could get inside.

The brother of Jared wondered how the people would have air to breathe in the barges. He asked the Lord what he should do.

The Lord told him to make a hole in the top and bottom of each barge. The hole could be opened to let air in and closed to keep water out. The brother of Jared told the Lord that the barges were dark inside. The Lord asked him to think of a way to have light inside the barges.

The light for the barges could not come from fire or from windows because they would break. The brother of Jared went to a mountain and formed 16 small stones from a rock. The stones looked like clear glass. He made two stones for each of the eight barges.

The brother of Jared carried the stones to the top of a mountain. There he prayed to the Lord.

The brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones so they would give light inside the barges.

The Lord touched each stone with his finger.

Because the brother of Jared had great faith, he saw the finger of the Lord. It looked like a human finger.

Then the Lord showed himself to the brother of Jared.

Jesus said those people who believe in him will have eternal life.

Jesus taught and showed the brother of Jared many things. Jesus told him to write what he had seen and heard. The brother of Jared carried the stones down the mountain. He put one stone in each end of each barge. They gave light inside the barges.

The Jaredites went into the barges with their animals and food. The Lord made a strong wind blow the barges toward the promised land. The Lord protected them in the rough sea. They thanked the Lord and sang praises to him.

After 344 days on the water, the barges landed on the shore of the promised land.

When the Jaredites came out of the barges, they knelt down and cried tears of joy.

The Jaredites built homes and planted crops in the promised land. They taught their children to listen to the Lord and obey his words.