Short Attention Span Sunday School: Primary 5 Lesson 8 The Priesthood is Restored

PRIMARY 5 LESSON 8 THE PRIESTHOOD IS RESTORED

CLASSROOM PREP

Draw tree with chalk but just a trunk with branches (no leaves)

Write “priesthood” on the trunk

Tape up printed out definition of “restore” on the board near the tree

To put or bring back into existence or use

To bring back to or put back into a former or original state

To put again in possession of something

Have picture of Susquehanna River photo up on laptop

QUICK REFERENCE FOR ENTIRE LESSON

OPENING ACTIVITY RUBIK'S CUBE

LESSON

PENNY ACTIVITY

FRUITS DISCUSSION

VIDEO/SNACK

TAKE HOME SNACK/CARD

OPENING ACTIVITY

Kate visits our class with her Rubik's cube and shows everyone first that it's all mixed up.

“Kate is going to restore this Rubik’s cube to its original state.”

(then kate goes to her own class)

What does "restoration/restore" mean?

Can you give me an example? (something dirty or rusty made clean again)

How did Kate restore the Rubik’s Cube?

Remember our cups activity (lesson 2)? Who can tell me what that was about?

The apostles were killed, the scriptures were changed, the truth was taken away

There needed to be a restoration!
Refer to the empty trunk/branches on the board --> when the apostasy happened, it was like all the fruit died off the tree.

The restoration of the gospel started with Joseph Smith praying, Heavenly Father and Jesus visiting him in the Sacred Grove, and the Angel Moroni and the golden plates.

Their translation was a start. Many truths had been restored that were lost.

But something very important needed to be restored to the earth.

The Priesthood → the power of God

They couldn’t organize a church without the priesthood.

Without the priesthood there could be no baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost etc

Who knows the 5th Article of Faith? (have it printed out and hold it up for them to read/sing)

There’s two parts to the priesthood: Melchizedek and Aaronic (part of Melchizedek)

We’re going to learn about how both parts of the priesthood were restored!

LESSON

In Spring of 1829, they were translating still and they came to the part of the Book of Mormon where Jesus had been resurrected and visited the Nephites. He was teaching them about baptism.

Baptism was a topic of confusion at the time of Joseph Smith. Was it needed? How to do it? How old?

Joseph and Oliver decided to go pray in the woods along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to find out. They were visited by an angel, John the Baptist
- He had baptized Jesus
- He gave them the Aaronic Priesthood (show image of this)
- The Aaronic Priesthood are the deacons, teachers, priests, and bishop

Read JS 1:69 for more about the Aaronic Priesthood:

1/keys of ministering of angels

2/gospel of repentance

3/baptism by immersion for the remission of sins

4/also can baptize, bless and pass the sacrament, etc

Joseph baptized Oliver and then Oliver baptized Joseph

They then were each ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood

They were very happy and felt the Spirit strongly

Read verses 73-74 in full

Soon after, Joseph and Oliver took a trip to New York.

On the way back, Peter James and John appeared to them on the edge of the Susquehanna River.
They were apostles of Jesus when he lived on the earth & had the Melchizedek Priesthood

There at the river, they were ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood (show image of this)

Now Oliver and Joseph had the authority to act for the Lord upon the earth!

→ holds keys to all the blessings, can seal in the temple, can give the gift of the Holy Ghost, etc

→ elder, high priest, patriarch, seventy, apostle

So what new things have you learned about restoration/restoring?

It takes special people to restore the Priesthood

It takes worthy people to receive it

It was required to organize the church

We should all support it and be excited about it in our lives

We’re now going to see restoration in action!

PENNY ACTIVITY

4 Tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp salt → into a jar, stir around a little
Drop a dirty penny in and let it sit for about a minute

Sing “The Priesthood is Restored” while waiting!
Talk about how shiny the penny is now and how it was restored

Repeat if time (bring a dozen pennies or so)

FRUITS DISCUSSION

So what are the fruits of the restored gospel? What do we have in our life because of the priesthood?
Write them on each blank paper apple as we say them (have at least 9-10 apples)

Tape them up to the tree

baptism, confirmation, sacrament blessing, giving a blessing, temple sealings, endowment, missionaries, bishops, the prophet, setting apart in callings, dedicating a temple/building

VIDEOS/SNACK

Cut fruit to pass around while watching: (depending on how much time, make this short or long)

1/Restoration of the Priesthood (church movie found on lds.org)

2/Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood (church movie found on lds.org)

3/Power of God (church movie found on lds.org)

TAKE HOME

Fruit leather with note on it: “...the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors.” Alma 36:25

* “fruits of the restored gospel” concept from a 1991 Conference talk by Elder Wirthlin