Synonyms of Plumb:

Synonyms of Plumb: Straight, Aligned, True, Upright, Level, Vertical, Exactly, Perpendicular, Precisely

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Plan of Salvation Olympics

PLAN OF SALVATION OLYMPICS

February : Plan of Salvation

Why is learning an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan?
Sunday School Official Lesson:
https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/ss/plan-of-salvation?lang=eng

You can pretty much change up the rules as much as you want, but the scriptures go along with the main subject question.  I decided which ever group read the scripture, they got to choose the order of which the competitors got to go for each event.

This activity is for ages 12-18 year olds, you can definitely make the events easier or harder depending on the kids.  It should only take about 30-40 minutes.  It could also be used for a weekly youth activity.

Please email for pdf versions of these, as I have no idea how to post them via pdf.

Don't Forget my in-depth plan of salvation chart is found here








Larger Versions:








Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Plan of Salvation - Chalk it Up!

We were inspired by the New York Missionaries who shared their message of the Plan of Salvation using sidewalk chalk at Union Square here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJhLtjl246k

We basically split up the Plan of Salvation into 4 parking spots.  I split my class into 5 groups.  One group was in charge of writing the title below.  And we also put our hand prints in the mortal stage parking spot.  I think it really helped them to understand the steps.  Even though one of the kids the next week was honestly explaining the kingdoms as "Celestial, Terrestrial, Telestial, and Outer Space." Made me laugh.  Also I usually don't like sharing pictures of our wonderful kids, but major shout out here.  We also brought towels for people to sit on in case they didn't want to get dirty. Also we didn't make a mess of it and did not vandalize anything during this, we also did it in the far back of the parking lot, so we didn't take up people's spots for church — it even rained the next day and washed it away.












Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Plan of Salvation: PreMortal Existence (Sunday School Activity)

Plan of Salvation: PreMortal Existence
THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE CAME FROM
Ages 12-18
Sunday School Activity

We have about 23 students in our class, so we put 3-4 kids in each group.  Most classes have a lot less so 1-2 kids per group.  Give Students 10 minutes to complete their own groups page.  Spend the Next 30 minutes answering all the questions and asking questions to the groups who did each page respectively as you go along.  I put all the questions (all 6 group questions) onto one page for each student so they could take notes whenever.

By understanding where we came from, we can:

-Understand Who We Are
-Know Where We Are Going
-Make Righteous Goals
-Be Enlightened and Receive Blessings
-Be Confident in God’s Plan for You
-Know That You Are Not Alone
-Know Your Purpose and Assignment
-Understand Why Good and Bad Things Happen
-Make Better Decisions








1)Abraham 3 (Part 1)

Read Abraham 3:1-14
What is the star named that is closest to the throne of God and closest to the Lord’s time?



In the beginning of Abraham 3 (2-10), it proves that God follows a law of physics.  Explain.







Abraham 3:14: How large will Abraham’s family be, what is it compared to?




Abraham 3:19: Who is God more intelligent then?






















2)Abraham 3 (Part 2)

Abraham 3:22-28.  Fill in the Blank. 
Abraham 3:22 – Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the ____________________________ that were organized before the __________________ was; and among all these there were many of the ________________________ and _________________________ ones.

What is your “first estate”?  What happened to those that kept their first estate? 


Did everyone in this classroom keep their first estate?


Who did not keep his first estate? What happened to those who did not keep their first estate?


What is your “second estate”?


(verse 27) Who is the “Son of Man” who will be sent?


(verse 25) What is the great purpose of earth life/mortality?


Read Doctrine and Covenants 138:53-56. Were you chosen for certain assignments here on earth?  Do you have a purpose for being alive at this time? (read the quote below)

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 365). In other words, not only was Abraham chosen for certain assignments before birth, but so were you (see D&C 138:53–56).




3)Intelligences/Spirit Matter

D&C 93:29

“Man was also in the _______________________ with God.  Intelligence or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.


Are there a specific number of intelligences?


Were the intelligences ever created?


D&C 93:33
“For man is spirit.  The elements are ___________________________, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fullness of joy.”


What does eternity mean to you?


Explain the quote from a famous author “You don’t have a soul.  You are a soul; you have a body.”

Read D&C 131:7: There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes.
Does the spirit weigh anything?  What is it made of?

Light has a mass that is so fine that it is 0 at resting.  How fast is the speed of light?  How many times can it go around the earth in one second?

How does this scripture help us understand the spirit world?  Why can’t we see the spirit world around us?

4)Spirit Children of our Heavenly Father
Acts 17:29: We are the ______________________________ of God.
Romans 8:16: We are ______________________ of God.
Romans 8:17: We are _____________________ of God. We are _____________________ with Christ.
[Not direct doctrine, quote from askgramps.org] “We have no idea what the physical shape of the eternally existing intelligence is. We know that when a spirit child is born of our Heavenly Parents, a previously existing intelligence enters the spirit body, giving it independent life, in much the same way, I would imagine, that the previously existing spirit enters the mortal body at some time prior to birth, giving it independent life………………The spirit occupies space and has essentially the same form and dimensions as the physical body that it inhabits. The spirit came into being in the same manner as physical bodies come into being. It was born of Heavenly Parents. We do not remember the date of our spiritual births, but the age of the spirit would be counted from that point. Jesus Christ was the first born son of God. He is our elder brother, and all the human family are brothers and sisters to each other-all children of the same Father in Heaven.”
Q: Did God create the intelligences or create the spirit bodies of his children?

Q: Who was the first-born Son of God?

“Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of an earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so that undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable, by experience through ages and eons, of evolving into a God” (in Clark, 5:244).
Q: Are you a Child of God?  What are you capable of in the eternities?





5)Satan and His Followers/War in Heaven
Read Revelation 12:6-9.  Who was fighting in the war in heaven?

________________________and his angels VERSUS the_________________________ and his angels

Who was cast out of heaven?


Where were they sent????????


Read D&C 29:36-39
Did we have agency in the premortal life?

How many of the host of heaven did the devil turn away?

Read D&C 76:25-27.  Fill in the Blank
 25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an __________________ of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who ____________________ against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
 26 And was called __________________________, for the heavens wept over him—he was ________________________, a son of the morning.
 27 And we beheld, and lo, he is ___________________! is fallen, even a son of the ­______________________!

Read Moses 4:1-4: How Satan becomes the devil.
What did Satan seek to destroy?


Satan chose a path of full rebellion in the very presence of Heavenly Father. Nobody forced him to this decision. Satan posessed the same agency we all had in the pre-mortal life. While most of us used our agency to obey God, and thus be able to receive further blessings from him, Satan, and those who followed after him used their agency to fight against God. Satan planted seeds of rebellion and disobedience. Eternal Justice demands that he receive the consequences of that choice, and one of those consequences is a complete loss of an opportunity for a mortal life. Because he will never receive a physical body, he will never be able to obtain what is needed to return to God’s presence. Satan knew the consequences of his choice before he made the decision, yet he proceeded despite knowing what it would cost him. Because he knew beforehand, it is ultimately fair that he receive the consequences of his choice. (askgramps.org)

BONUS Question: Read Over Abraham 3, Moses 1-4.
In what order did these three events happen….*the Creation, *the War in Heaven, * Satan and His Followers being cast out.
6)Ecclesiastes 1: The Veil, Eternity, and Increased Wisdom


What does the preacher talk about in Eccl 1:11 as pertaining to the veil?




Eternity is a hard concept for us to understand in mortality. What are some examples of “eternity” or “infinite” in this chapter?




In what verses does the preacher basically say that matter is infinite and neither created or destroyed?




Why do you think that “increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow” means? (Eccl 1:18) 






Definition of sorrow: a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.  To mourn, to grieve.


How much “knowledge” did Jesus Christ have on this earth?  How can we relate that to sorrow and Him atoning for our sins?




Why do you think there is a “Veil” protecting us from our previous knowledge of our premortal life?  [there are several answers to this question]