PRIMARY 5 LESSON 38 BRIGHAM YOUNG LEADS THE CHURCH
CLASSROOM PREP
Post up a print-out of one or both of these maps, or have it up on a laptop
Post the Fifth Article of Faith
OPENING ACTIVITY
Sing “Latter-day Prophets” with this image posted:
...or just have their names posted on the board to follow along
Could also show them this video:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-01-1090-why-do-we-have-prophets?lang=eng
Could also show them this video:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-01-1090-why-do-we-have-prophets?lang=eng
I love learning about our latter-day prophets.
So far we've learned about one - the first one, Joseph Smith.
Today we're going to learn about what happened after Joseph was killed.
How do you think the next prophet was chosen?
Do any of you know who the second latter-day prophet was? Start singing the song if they look like they don’t remember
We’re going to learn a little about Brigham Young!
But first we’re going to designate you as each the head of a Nauvoo family.
Have nametags ready and write on them either using their real name or a fake name something like, “The Johnson Family” or “Mrs. Johnson” etc.
We’re going to also learn about how the Saints first started on their pioneer journey.
You are each a pioneer family, so listen carefully!
LESSON
Illustrate as much as possible to hold their attention
After Joseph was killed, the Saints were worried and sad!
The Prophet and his brother Hyrum were dead, most of the Quorum of the Twelve were away serving missions.
Before he was killed, Joseph had written them to come back to Nauvoo.
But they only received these letters after he was killed!
As soon as they heard of his death, the Apostles all came back!
The people were told by the city of Nauvoo that they should be “peaceable, quiet citizens, doing the works of righteousness” until the apostles returned to give them instructions on what to do.
Remember William W Phelps? Remind them about the printing press, the hymns he wrote, etc.
He was on the city council and he helped everyone stay calm.
Sidney Rigdon was first counselor in the First Presidency and had moved away, feeling unhappy with the Church.
When he heard of the death, he returned to Nauvoo too.
He felt like he should be the next prophet!
He was able to convince some people that he should be the next prophet.
When the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had all returned, they met with Sidney.
Sidney told them why he should be the next prophet.
Brigham Young was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve, and he said they should pray about it.
They all met and a miracle occurred!
First, Sidney Rigdon gave a very long speech, for an hour and a half, about why he should be the new prophet!
Brigham Young gave a shorter talk, and a miracle happened while he spoke!
Suddenly, he appeared to look like Joseph Smith! And sound like Joseph Smith!
People wrote down their feelings about what they saw - they wrote that they were amazed!
It was as if Joseph Smith was speaking to them.
Members of the Church voted to keep the Quorum of the Twelve apostles as their leaders.
Sidney Rigdon wasn’t happy about this, and he wanted to be the leader.
Eventually he left the Church.
Brigham Young was set apart as the new prophet!
Today, how is a new Prophet chosen?
The senior Apostle (the man who has been an Apostle the longest) is set apart as the new President of the Church.
Before Joseph died, he told the Saints that some of them would move to the Rocky Mountains and grow the church there.
Where are the Rocky Mountains? Display a US map showing the mountain ranges and point out that the mountains in Utah are part of the Middle Rockies
So the Saints were making plans to move west when Joseph died in 1844.
They planned to leave in 1846, after the Nauvoo Temple was finished.
They knew they needed to leave as soon as possible due to persecution!
Some left before they were fully prepared because they were in such a hurry.
Some people tried to sell the property so they could buy supplies to move west.
It was hard because they were desperate to leave, and people took advantage.
One lady wanted to sell her house and 20 acres of land, and someone offered her only $10!
Many Saints traded land and furniture for horses, wagons, and cattle.
Wagons were needed to be built for their move west.
Most houses in Nauvoo were converted to workshops for building wagons.
Supplies for a family of five included:
- One strong wagon
- 2-3 yoke of oxen (usually a yoke is referring to a pair)
- 1,000 lb of flour
- A musket or rifle for each man
- 25 lb of salt
- 25 lb of soap
- 4-5 fishhooks and lines
Play “Covered Wagons” on a phone, laptop, or simply a cappella.
Hand out the words so they can sing along.
The first part of the journey to the Salt Lake Valley was really hard for those first groups!
It took them 131 days to travel 300 miles across Iowa. Show on the map...
A year later, another group of pioneers took only 111 days to travel the 1,050 miles from Iowa all the way to the Salt Lake Valley.
Not everyone left Nauvoo right away.
Some stayed through the summer so they could harvest crops and try to sell their property.
In September (1846), around 800 anti-Mormon men with six cannons began to attack these Saints who remained in Nauvoo!
They fought for a few days and then the Saints were forced to leave.
Five men and their families were allowed to stay to try to sell all the property left.
Everyone else left with nothing, not even extra clothes or supplies.
They crossed the Mississippi River and formed camps on the Iowa side of the river.
Some were too sick to travel.
Many were too poor to buy the supplies they needed to move on.
Most only had blankets or branches for shelter, and only corn to eat.
A miracle occurred!
Thousands of small birds called quail flew into the camps. They were everywhere!
The people were weak, tired, and sick, but they were easily able to catch the quail.
They were starving so these quail provided important food.
Great illustration can be found here for a 1955 Friend magazine:
http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/03/miracle-of-the-quail/
Great illustration can be found here for a 1955 Friend magazine:
http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/03/miracle-of-the-quail/
Brigham Young sent people with wagons and supplies to people in Iowa to help them.
PIONEER DISCUSSION FOLLOW-UP
Let’s look at the list of what they took with them when they headed west.
Let’s talk about each item and why they would choose to bring those things.
Go through the list
What would you want to take if you were going on a similar journey today?
Remember, there isn’t much room to take things.
Give everyone a piece of paper/pencil for their lists
Mark off on the floor (with string or tape) the dimensions of a wagon (58” x 45”)
Do you think the items on your list would fit?
How do you think they felt making these sacrifices?
GAME
Based on this game idea from The Friend
Hand out
- a glue stick per kid (or a small Ziploc per kid)
- a piece of paper per kid to act as their “wagon” - it could be a clip-art wagon like this:
Have separate slips of paper with images for the items listed above (oxen, flour, gun, salt, soap, fishhooks) and prepare them as mentioned below
Post these six scriptures up on the wall around the room:
Ether 9:18
And also all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many other kinds of animals which were useful for the food of man.
1 Kings 4:22
And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal
D&C 71:9
Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you -- there is no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.
D&C 101:39
When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men.
3 Nephi 24:2
But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap.
Amos 4:2
The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
On each scripture paper, have stapled to it an open Ziploc bag filled with the related paper images (the one that's underlined).
They will be reaching in and taking one per person.
Have them go from station to station (if your class is small, do it as a class) and read the scripture. If you want your class to take time to look them up, just put the reference on the paper (with the bag of images too).
Once they’ve read it, they get to collect the corresponding paper and glue it on their wagon.
At the end, talk about how it must have felt to be a pioneer family trying to gather what they needed!
Hand out wagon-shaped snacks like Ritz crackers….but don’t eat yet….
PROPHET DISCUSSION FOLLOW-UP
So let’s talk about our prophet, Thomas S Monson.
What will happen when he passes away?
Who holds the keys of the priesthood and the authority to lead the Church? D&C 112:30
Who will become the new President of the Church when the living prophet dies? (senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Russell M Nelson)
Let’s learn a little bit about him.
Post or show an image of Russell M Nelson
They can eat the wagon-shaped snacks while you do one or more of the following:
- Share details about his life (family, job, etc.)
- Share some words Elder Nelson from previous General Conferences...ideas here:
Video idea:
Articles with information:
TESTIMONY / TAKE HOME IDEAS
Brigham Young was chosen by the Lord to lead the Church after Joseph Smith was killed.
Our prophet today was similarly chosen by the Lord.
As we learn about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and how the Church stayed strong after Joseph died, our testimony of the Lord’s true church can grow.
The Lord will never let us be led astray, never let the Church end up in chaos, and there is an order to all things! We can trust in the prophet!
Pass out something like a box of wagon-shaped pasta or snacks with the Fifth Article of Faith on it and perhaps a thought about prophets and pioneers!
Love this. Do you mind giving the recipe for the wagon wheel treat?
ReplyDeleteI actually just used Chocolate Cheerios in the little bags!
DeleteAnd the thing I passed out for them to eat in class were some Keebler fudge circle cookies that looked like wagon wheels. I don't usually give treats so they were excited. :) This was my lesson today!