In Sunday School the other day we were talking about the fiery serpents that
came to the children of Israel.  These serpents were everywhere.

They were biting people.

People were dying.

The frantic people went to Moses and begged him to tell God to get rid of the snakes.

Make. It. Go. Away. (Have you ever said that?)

God didn’t do that.

BUT, He did give them a solution to their challenge. It just wasn’t the one they wanted.

And we’re told in the Book of Mormon that some people didn’t act on the solution they were given.
I’ve always wondered why they didn’t.

I know that sometimes we think things need to be bigger to be impactful.
That could be part of it.

But yesterday a woman in our class shared another reason I hadn’t
thought about. She said, if she had been there with poisonous snakes
slithering everywhere, she would not take her eyes off the ground! She
would be constantly looking around for the snakes trying to make sure
she was safe.

Of course you would!

We do that often with our challenges and concerns.

We’re so busy or so worried about something that it is difficult to stop
thinking about it and focus on something else instead.

But that is what we are asked to do.

We are asked to lift our eyes from the problems and concerns we have and
look to the solution, to the Savior.

It would have taken a lot of courage and faith for the children of Israel to stop
looking around for the snakes and look up to see Moses holding the
bronze serpent on a pole. BUT IF THEY WOULD HAVE, they would have been
healed.

Their concerns would have been taken care of.

The same goes for us.

If we would pause for a moment, if we would take a deep breath, if we
would remember what the Savior is offering, we would look up to Him. We
would find answers.

We would find comfort, peace, healing, strength.

In ALL of our challenges.

But that requires us to give up a little of our control which is hard
sometimes because we think we have to handle it or hold everything
together.

But really, when we look to the Savior we have more power to do that
than we ever have alone.

From Dallin H. Oaks (4/2018):

“After reciting a seemingly small event that had great consequences, Nephi wrote, “And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:29). The Old Testament includes a memorable example of this. There we read how the Israelites were plagued by fiery serpents. Many people died from their bites (see Numbers 21:6). When Moses prayed for relief, he was inspired to make “a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole.” Then, “if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (verse 9). Such a small thing for such a miraculous result! Yet, as Nephi explained when he taught this example to those who were rebelling against the Lord, even when the Lord had prepared a simple way by which they could be healed, “because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41).

That example and that teaching remind us that the simplicity of the way or the easiness of the commanded task cannot mean that it is unimportant to achieve our righteous desire.”

During conference we will hear amazing thing! We will hear warnings, guidance, comfort, and protection that the Lord knows we need right now!

“The teachings of general conference are the considerations the Lord would have before us now and in the months ahead.” (Elder Anderson, October 2017 Conference)

We’ve created this note taking sheet to help you sort out how to use the information from conference WHILE taking notes.

By organizing your notes into 4 categories you will be able to see how to act on what you hear in a way that will make a big impact on your life.

The categories are:

1. To Avoid
2. To Do
3. To Understand
4. To Receive

Page 1 of the note sheet below is instructions and page 2 is the note taking sheet.

Print as many of page 2 as needed for conference.

To print select the pop-out icon in the upper right corner. 

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photo source: pixabay

Activities to practice sharing thoughts and feelings about the gospel using questions from Sharon Eubank’s talk from 2017 October Conference.

These activities could be used in Family Home Evening and Church lessons or as youth activities. In connection with these activities Young Women could work on Personal Progress Good Work 7 about sharing your testimony with a friend.

Being able to clearly express our ideas and feelings brings order to our thoughts. The more we put anything in order the easier it becomes to create more order in our lives. And having Order in our lives positively impacts our Wellness and Relationships.

To Print: Select the pop out icon in the top right corner of the image.

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Let kids choose a topic by tapping a picture. Then listen to the prophets speak about it. Great for kids at home or in primary!

This slide presentation has video clips from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from October 2016. (Note: It may take a little while to load the videos. If you’re using a handheld device for this presentation you will need the Google Slides app to make it work correctly.)

Instructions:

• Press play or start presentation.
• The 2nd slide is the main slide. Each of the pictures in the speaking bubble links to a clip from a different Apostle.
• Have your children pick a picture and click on it (if you are on a mobile device you may have to click on the link under the action links. There is a guide to which image goes to which slide in the speaker notes.)
• Once you pick the link the video should automatically play. (The small picture of the Quorum of the Twelve or associated link will link back to the second slide)
• When the video is over click once and it will go to the next slide which will be blank.
• At this time you can ask people to identify which it was that just spoke.
• One click on this page will reveal the speaker’s name and picture. A second click will reveal some thoughts or questions.
• After you are done discussing the quote for as long or short as you want you can click on the small picture of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to take you back to slide 2 to pick another topic.

***Updated March 2018 with President Nelson

Get excited and ready for General Conference with a paper chain countdown to Conference. Each day includes a simple activity and discussion. Two variations for different ages. Start the Sunday before Conference!

The Countdown – Print out the word strips. Cut them apart and connect them as a paper chain. Starting the Sunday before General Conference take one link off each day. Sing the song or do the activity listed on the paper and talk about the questions. When all the links in the chain are gone, it will be Conference time!

Two Versions, Same Topics – There are two versions of this activity. The Song Countdown includes a song for each day. It is simpler and is aimed at younger children. The Activity Countdown includes videos and other activities for each day. It has deeper discussion questions and is aimed at older children and teens. They are designed so both sets discuss the same topic on the same day. You can use one version or the other, both together, or pick and choose which papers to include in your paper chain based on the activities you want to do each day.

Finding the Music & Videos – The song or activity on the paper chain for each day includes music and videos found online. To find these online resources easily:

1. Bookmark this website in order to return here each day to use the links. On this site you will also find additional activities listed for each day that aren’t listed on the links of the paper chain.
2. Look up the songs or videos yourself using the name and website given on the paper chain.

Songs Countdown – Includes primary songs and simple questions. Good for younger children.

Activity Countdown – Includes videos and activities with discussion questions. Geared to older children & teens.

I have been studying the Conference talk, “Happiness, Our Heritage”, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. I stopped and pondered statements that particularly touched me. I looked for things that I could apply to my life. Things that will help me get through hard times when they come; because they always do.

President Uchtdorf reminds us that we are children of God. A God whose happiness is beyond our mortal comprehension. Because he is happy, he wants us to be happy. Our Father put us on this earth to have Joy (2 Nephi 2:25). There are many things on this earth that bring happiness. Whether consciously or not, we are constantly seeking out things we think will bring us the most happiness.

President Uchtdorf suggests we look at some of the things that make God happy. Creating is one of the things that brings happiness. We are all born with an ability to create. My first thought as a single woman was, ‘Yeah, children, I know that and can’t do that at this time in my life.’ But President Uchtdorf, the inspired man that he is, is not talking about only creating children.

What can/have you created? I love to create things and was thinking about all the many things you can create. May I suggest you try it. Pick something to make or create and do it. You can work on it a little at a time or all at once. It can be something you already know how to do or something completely new. Try and, here’s the important part, don’t expect perfection. Just have fun, learn and progress on the way and don’t forget to marvel at the process. You are a living being who can do so many things. Now before you think to yourself, ‘I can’t make anything, I don’t have talent, I’m not creative;’ listen to Elder Uchtdorf’s exact words.

“You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us (See D&C 46:11–12).The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.”

There you have it. A Prophet of God says you have talent. So believe in the power God has given you and show him you will use it to be happy and to make others happy.

I like how he says, “Creation is bringing into existence something that did not exist before.”
So may I add to his list of things you can create; A smile, a letter or email, a song, family time, confidence, a dessert, comfort, painting, activities. There are so many. If you can’t think of anything that feels right to you, please pray and ask the God who created you, your very Father in Heaven if He will help you, guide you, and perhaps whisper in your ear what you need to hear. Happiness can and should be yours. Go get it.

As you prepare to celebrate the founding of the United States this fourth of July and as you look at the troubling times the country is experiencing, it is important to consider this statement by President Ezra Taft Benson.  He said,  “ [The Constitution] will be saved by the righteous citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church—among others—men and women who understand and abide the principles of the Constitution.”  

In the same talk, “Our Divine Constitution” given in the October, 1987 General Conference, he gave four things we can do to fulfill our role to defend this country.  

“How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven?

First and foremost, we must be righteous….

Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers….

Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented….

Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice.”

Interestingly, the steps to saving our families are very similar to what it will take to save our nation.  We hope that our WalkHisPath.org and ConnectAdventures.org websites will be a useful forum for you in your efforts to strengthen yourself and your family and as you fulfill the role set forth by President Benson as a protector of this nation.

“[There is a] divine source of strength. It is a source often underestimated, yet it can be used daily to lighten our load and guide our precious children. That source is the guiding gift of the Holy Ghost.” – Mary R. Durham from April 2016 General Conference

Ways to Talk About “A Child’s Guiding Gift”

by Mary R. Durham from April 2016 General Conference:

(Quotes listed here are from that talk unless otherwise noted.)

• Read, tell, or watch the story at the beginning of this talk about the man who starts to sink while swimming across a lake. His wet shoes were weighing him down.
• Play or show a video of President Monson speaking (like this one), then start adding distractions (a loud song or a show playing, kids role playing an argument, etc) until they are loud enough that you can’t hear President Monson anymore. Discuss ways to make sure you don’t let the noise of the world overcome the voice of the Spirit

“We live in ‘a noisy and busy world. … If we are not careful, the things of this world can [drown] out the things of the Spirit.'” (Mary R. Durham quoting Joseph B. Wirthlin)

• Have someone hold their arms straight out. Stack books on their arms. For dramatic effect you may want to place the books on their arms one at a time. (Choose the size and amount of books depending on the person who will be doing this activity. An older child can probably hold more.) Don’t add too many they can’t hold it, but add enough that they’ll get tired quickly and need to stop. You can always add another book or two if they don’t get tired quickly enough.
  • As they are getting tired, ask the person and the group what would help them be able to hold the books longer…
    • One idea would be to take some books away (go ahead and take some away, but not all of them).
    • Another idea might be to support their arms somehow (go ahead and let them support their arms, not by bending them, but by resting them on something like someone’s shoulder or the back of a chair or by having other people support the person’s arms with their own hands).
    • Listen to other ideas that people suggest. Try them out if they would work with the message you are presenting.
  • Discuss how that support is helpful.
  • Use quotes or other ideas listed here to connect this experience to life:
    • The books are weighing him/her down. Discuss what things weigh us down every day.
    • Sometimes the Holy Ghost helps us know how to set those weights down. But we still have to hold other weights, bear other challenges, so He helps and supports us as we hold them.

“Feeling and recognizing the Spirit will bring spiritual capacity into our children’s lives, and the voice they come to know will become clearer and clearer to them. It will be as Elder Richard G. Scott said: ‘As you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.’”

• We can increase our capacity to receive help from the Holy Ghost.
  • If you use the book experience above, you could point out that just as an older child would be able to hold more books because he/she has grown stronger, with time and effort we can also increase our capacity for receiving the Holy Ghost and knowing how to use that skill. It is something we can learn and develop and improve.
  • With young kids, discuss things that they have learned how to do (dress themselves, tie shoes, read etc). Being able to hear and recognize the Holy Ghost is something they can learn too. And the more they practice the easier it will become.
• We can make the effort to learn to recognize His voice.
  • Samuel learns to hear the voice of the Lord. (1 Samuel 3:4-10 or the summary from this talk)
  • “Sometimes…[children] don’t realize that a recurring thought, a feeling of comfort after they cry, or remembering something at just the right time are all ways that the Holy Ghost communicates [with them].”
  • Use any of the stories, scriptures and songs below as examples of how the Holy Ghost can speak to us.
  • A book like “The Holy Ghost Is Like a Blanket” by Annalisa Hall could be used to talk to kids about what the Holy Ghost might feel like to them.

To Consider

Parents, remember that we are trying to teach our children these skills so they will understand them and know how to use them on their own.

“How do we as parents increase the spiritual capacity of our little ones? How do we teach them to kick off worldly influences and trust the Spirit when we are not with them and they are alone in the deep waters of their lives?”

Here are 3 things to help us do that: “First, we can bring to our children’s attention when they are hearing and feeling the Spirit….Second, we can prepare our homes and our children to feel the still, small voice….Third, we can help our children understand how the Spirit speaks to them. “

Resources

• Scriptures
  • Mosiah 24:12-15 – The Lord lifts the burdens of a righteous people in bondage.
  • 3 Nephi 27:20 – The Holy Ghost sanctifies and cleanses us.
  • Moroni 10:4-7 – By the power of the Holy Ghost you may know the truth of all things.
  • John 14:26 – The comforter will teach all things and bring all things to your remembrance.
  • D&C 9:8-9 – Study out a decision in your mind and go to the Lord for confirmation. If it is right, you will have a warm feeling and know it is right.
• Songs
  • The Holy Ghost – Children’s Songbook, 105
  • The Still Small Voice – Children’s Songbook, 106
  • Let the Holy Spirit Guide – Hymns, 143
  • I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus – Children’s Songbook, 78
• Articles & Stories
  • Yichen prayed when she was scared. The Holy Ghost removed the fear from her mind. “I Felt the Holy Ghost” by Yichen, Age 6, Taiwan in the Friend, June 2014.
  • A young girl and her friend find a wallet on the sidewalk. Instead of returning it they spend some of the money. The Holy Ghost helps the girl do the right thing by sending feelings of guilt and sorrow. “Lost and Found” by Shyrl L. Sevey in the Friend, July 1995.
  • As a young boy, Elder Cardon feels the Holy Ghost with overwhelming emotion. “The Holy Ghost is Real” by Elder Craig A. Cardon in the Friend, December 2007.
  • Melissa gets baptised and realizes that the Holy Ghost can help her do better in school. “My Companion” by S. Melissa Ochsenhirt in the Friend, May 2006.
  • A young woman feels the prompting of the Holy Ghost in a recurring thought/idea. “What if I don’t Feel a Burning in the Bosom?” by Rachel Nielsen in the New Era, June 2014.
  • Elder Clark’s Mission President felt the Holy Ghost to send him to another area at the end of his mission. He just felt the decision was right. Elder Clark was needed to help a mother find her daughter. “Becoming What You Want to Be” by Elder Don R. Clarke in the New Era, January 2011.
  • Renee heard the Holy Ghost speak, “Stop!” She listened and was kept safe from a falling snow pile. “Stop!” by Barbara J. Jones in the Friend, February 1998.
• The footnotes of the talk reference several other articles. Check those out for more information and inspiration.

As always, TAKE & TWEAK these ideas to fit your needs.

“May we choose to build up within ourselves a great and powerful faith which will be our most effective defense against the designs of the adversary—a real faith, the kind of faith which will sustain us and will bolster our desire to choose the right. Without such faith, we go nowhere. With it, we can accomplish our goals.” -Thomas S. Monson (“Choices” from April 2016 General Conference)

Ways to Talk About it

Look at these ideas to see which ones would work for your family. Depending on your group use one idea or a few together and of course add your own ideas too.

• Share and discuss the quote from President Monson. (Read it, watch the clip from his talk, or show the meme.)
• Set out blocks or recyclables (cereal, tissue and other boxes) and let everyone build a tower as tall as possible. Talk about how building faith is like building a tower, you build it a piece at a time or line upon line.
• Discuss what things (pieces) help build our faith.
  • For older kids: Have everyone look up scriptures about faith. See what you find out about building faith and what blessings come from having faith. This is a great chance to help kids learn to share what they learn from the scriptures. You could give everyone a scripture to look up or even better have them search for scriptures about faith. Help them learn how to find things in the scriptures by using the topical guide and search features.
  • For younger kids: Come up with a few scriptures about faith or a few things that help us build faith. (Praying, Reading Scriptures, Keeping Commandments, Going to Church, Family Home Evening, etc.) Write the words or scripture references on small pieces of paper and attach them to blocks. Hide the blocks around the room beforehand. When the kids find the blocks look up the scriptures and discuss how those things can help make our faith tall and great like the tower. Use the blocks to build a tower.
  • Other people who have faith and who care about us can help us build our faith. To discuss this point, read or tell the story from General Conference about Elder Stanfill needing more light while riding bikes through a long tunnel. Just as he needed the light of his friends to help him through the tunnel, the light, or faith, of those around us (family, friends, ward family) can strengthen our faith. Talk about how the faith of others can help us on a daily basis? How can it help us when our own faith doesn’t seem strong enough? You could also discuss the opposite of this, how somepeople test and drain our faith.

“Those who truly love us can help us build our faith.” -Elder Stanfill, October 2015 General Conference

• Read Helaman 5:12 and discuss how to build our foundation (our faith in Christ) or discuss the protection we receive when we have the foundation mentioned in the scripture.
• Have a nerf gun fight (or it could be a pillow fight, water balloon fight, or even a sock ball fight while folding laundry). Make comments about everyone’s efforts to defend themselves. Afterward (now or a different day) discuss those defense strategies. Relate it to President Monson’s quote and discuss how faith protects us and what it protects us from.
• Plant flowers or a garden. Discuss the needs of plants (water, sun, soil, weeding, patience).  Discuss how nourishing faith and testimony is similar to caring for a garden. (This could be used as a goal or project for older primary children or youth.) 
• Choose a goal or read scriptures from the Faith section in the Personal Progress book. Everyone could set a goal to increase faith, not just young women.

Resources

• Scriptures
  • JST, James 2:15 – show faith through works
  • Moroni 10:20 – faith, hope, and charity
  • Ether 12:6 – things hoped for and not seen (Faith is trusting God)
  • 1 Nephi 3:7 – believing that God prepares a way for us
  • Alma 32:28-36 – when talking about Alma’s experiment remember that the seed represents Christ. That means at any given time the seed could represent any principle of the gospel of which someone wants to increase their testimony. Faith is like the soil used to nourish the seed. And as we nourish the seed (study and learn about the principle and show faith by practicing the principle), our testimony of it will grow little by little, line upon line.
  • 2 Nephi 28:30 – line upon line
• Songs
  • Faith (Children’s Songbook, 96) – Faith grows through obedience.
  • I’ll Follow Him in Faith
  • How Firm a Foundation (Hymns, 85)

Related Ideas

• Build on this lesson by preparing a lesson about The Faith of Joseph Smith for next week. (It could fulfill the requirement in Faith in God, 2nd bullet point, for older primary children).

As always, TAKE & TWEAK these ideas to fit your needs.

General Conference is a great time for family to gather together and to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sure, it can be long, especially for kids but it can be an experience they look forward to. Having activities for kids to do can be a great way to help kids participate in General Conference. And many activities for kids can encourage them to listen and learn from the talks  instead of just keeping them busy and quiet.

Here are some ideas:

Apostle Chairs

Print this sheet (on one sheet or as a large poster). Be sure to print the Apostle Pictures too. When any of the 1st Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve speak, find their picture and glue it onto the chair with their name. (Or print the pictures on sticker paper.) You could use this as a way to organize activities during conference by having prepared activities labeled 1-15. When you put a picture on a chair do the activity labeled with the number on the chair. Instead, you could use these Apostle Cards to put up on the wall or take off the wall as they speak.

Apostle Pictures

A picture of each of the members of the 1st Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. Print them on regular paper or sticker paper and use them with the Apostle Chairs.

Color the Speaker (Full Sheet or Quarter Page Booklet)

Color clothes and hair to look like the speaker. Draw or write in the speech bubble what is said in the talk. Print one or multiple copies. For a version of this activity with the speech bubble and a place to glue a picture of the speaker (instead of coloring the speaker) click here.

I Spy Colors

Look for things during conference that are red, yellow, blue, etc. Write or draw the items in the colored box.

Conference ABCs (Full Sheet or Half Sheet)

Write words said in a talk that start with each letter of the alphabet.

Apostle Names

Match the person speaking to the picture on each writing page. Write their name while they are speaking and draw a picture of what they talk about. A great activity for kids learning how to write.

Conference Sculpting

Build things from playdough that go with a certain talk.

Lollipop Listening

Suck on a lollipop during a talk. Can you make the lollipop last for the whole talk?

Picture Wall

Use about 7 gospel pictures you have or print some from lds.org. (Pictures of Jesus, Joseph Smith, Baptism, Prayer, Temple, Sacrament, Scriptures, Family or Missionaries would work well.) Hang the pictures on the wall before Conference. Kids can listen for the speakers to talk about the things in the pictures. When they do, kids can go touch the picture then sit back down and listen for another one of the words.

I Spy Jar

A great activity for very young kids. To make an “I Spy Jar” fill an empty water bottle or similar bottle with rice or wheat. Add about 6-10 small objects or beads. (Add some rice to the bottle and put in a few objects. Then add more rice and more objects. Repeat.) Leave about 1” of space at the top of the jar. Secure the lid with hot glue or tape. Kids can shake the bottle to look for the different objects inside.

Word Snacks

Set out a bowl of a variety of snacks. Label each snack with a word or picture that might be mentioned during conference. When one of those words is mentioned you can have one of those snacks.

Other Ideas For Young Children

Make your own bingo board or print some from lds.org. There are other conference activities there too. Use a variety of markers for your bingo board, like stickers, stampers, skittles, m&ms, smarties, jelly beans, fruit sacks, buttons, coins or bingo paint daubers. You can play more than once.

Scripture story sticker scenes are a fun activity for conference. Find some here. Sometimes they aren’t great for very young children because the stickers are very detailed and can rip easily when being peeled off the sheet.
Happy Conference to You!