testimony fhe lesson

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Testimony By Lara Goold

Materials needed: Scriptures, pieces of candy (or other small treat), glove.

Parental Preparation: A page of quotes from the Ensign have been included for you to study in preparation for teaching

this lesson.

Purpose: To teach family members the importance of having their own testimonies of the gospel and ways that they

can develop their own.

Scriptures: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in

the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent,

having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Moroni 10:4

Opening song and prayer: “Search, Ponder, and Pray”, Children’s Songbook, page 109

Attention Activity: Begin with a family discussion. Talk about family business or ask the children about their weeks.

Listen to a few comments and then say, “Just a minute, I’ve got this really good candy that I want to eat.”

Eat a piece of candy and tell them how good it is—really play it up. Then ask them to continue about

their week. Stop them again and do the candy thing over. Say, “This candy is so good, I just need to eat

another piece.” Then ask them who believes that the candy tastes good. Invite someone to come up and

have a piece of candy with you. Ask the child if the candy was good. Then, ask if your family believes

both of you that the candy is good. Then, give everybody a piece of candy and ask them to eat it. After

they eat, ask them if they think it was a good piece of candy. Then ask which they like better—having

you tell them that the candy was good or tasting it for themselves.

Relate: Tie the candy experience into having a testimony. We can listen to our parents, primary teachers,

and other leaders tell us that the church is true, but just like with the candy, it is so much sweeter when we

gain our own testimonies.

Lesson:

What is a testimony? “A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a

testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that

He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of

God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the

Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this

foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.” From lds.org

How can we gain a testimony? Write the underlined words down on a chalkboard (or piece of paper).

1. First you must WANT one

2. We must ASK our Heavenly Father to help us gain a testimony.

3. We must want a testimony enough that we are willing to WORK to gain one.

4. We will ENJOY our testimony as we study and increase in our knowledge of the truth.

5. We must CARE for our testimony by keeping the commandments of our Heavenly Father.

Read “Tomato Seeds” with accompanying visuals about gaining and taking care of a testimony.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=e2462f2324d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=968539b439c98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=fcda9daac5d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=c6549c57af139010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD


Why do I need a testimony? (Boy and armor): Using the boy, armor, and accompanying sheet,

teach your family about the protection from sin that having a testimony offers.

What should our testimony consist of? Use the testimony glove activity to teach your family about the

five essential parts of a testimony and how that can help them as they bear their testimonies.

Why should we bear our testimonies? We should bear our testimonies when the Holy Ghost prompts us

to. Our testimonies are strengthened when we bear them. We should remember the five essential parts of

a testimony (from the glove activity) and keep our testimonies short and simple. You do not need to wait

for fast and testimony meetings to share your testimony. You can write it out in your journal, share it

privately with your parents, or to your whole family in family home evening.

Activities:

Testimony Wheel: Use it to review what you’ve learned about testimonies and maybe keep it in your

Sunday bag as a quiet activity during church.

Enrichment/Challenge:

Family testimony meeting: As the spirit guides, bear your testimony to your children. Encourage, but do

not force, them to do likewise. In our family, we have found that it takes the pressure off them if you ask

them to share something meaningful that has happened to them or something significant that they have

learned at church. For our children, who are a little on the shy side, it gives them a starting place and we

have been amazed at the profound thoughts they have shared with us—thoughts I’m not sure we would

have heard had we just insisted that they bear their testimony.

Additional scriptures: D & C 62:3, Ether 4:11,

Faith Journals: Provide notebooks and pens and encourage the children to use it as a place to record

times when they’ve felt the spirit in their lives. This can be a great way for them to record instances that

have strengthened their testimonies and give them a private place to record their testimonies.

Plant seeds: Like Adam in the story, “Tomato Seeds,” plant seeds and be willing to follow through with

nourishing them and helping them to grow, while reminding them of how it relates to nourishing our

testimonies.

Closing song and prayer: “I Know My Father Lives”, Children’s Songbook, page 5

Refreshments: see below for a fun treat recipe.


Testimony Cookies

2/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups (12-oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking

soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Add chocolate chips.

Shape into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets Bake at 350° for 8-10

minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before removing from baking sheet. Enjoy!

**************************************************************************

FLOUR: is like the scriptures, providing a strong foundation for our testimonies

BAKING SODA: is like bearing our testimonies. When we bear our testimony to others, it helps

our testimony to rise.

SALT: is like service to others. Sometimes our small acts of service don’t seem like much, but if

they’re missing, their absence is greatly noticed.

SUGAR: is like our families, providing “sweet” love in our lives fo that our testimonies can grow.

EGGS: are like faith. Believing in something we can’t see, like believing that there will be a

yellow yolk inside each egg, is an important part of our testimonies.

BUTTER/SHORTENING: is like prayer, it makes everything smoother in our lives.

VANILLA: is like church attendance. Worshipping with our friends allows us opportunities to

share our talents and experiences, thus adding extra “flavor” to our testimonies.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: are like the blessings we receive from living the gospel.

As you mix the ingredients together, explain to the children that by having and using all of the ingredients in

our lives (scriptures, bearing testimonies, service, family, love, faith, prayer, and church attendance), we can

enjoy the many blessings of the gospel. As you pass out the cookies, talk about how much sweeter these

cookies are when you share them instead of keeping them to yourself.


Tomato Seeds

When Adam got to the car that Sunday after Primary he had a big smile on his face.

“Look Mom and Dad. Look what I got in Primary today! I have my own seeds. [SHOW PACKET

OF SEEDS] My teacher told me that we could plant them and watch them grow. After you plant them

you have to take really good care of them and then, after a long time, we can have tomatoes.”

“Why did Sister Tippets want you to grow tomatoes?” Dad asked.

“ Sister Tippets told us it’s like planting a testimony seed. She said if we watched our vegetables grow

and learned how to take care of them, it would also teach us about growing our testimonies. She also

says that when our vegetables are ripe, we need to bring some to share with the class,” Adam eagerly

answered.

He continued, “Can you help me to plant and take care of my seeds?”

Pretty soon, the whole family was pitching in to help Adam.

Dad helped prepare the soil. [SHOW SHOVEL PICTURE]

Emma showed Adam how to drop the seeds into the ground and cover them with just enough dirt to

grow. [SHOW HAND DROPPING IN SEEDS]

Spencer taught Adam how to water them [SHOW WATERING PICTURE] and Ellie promised to show

Adam how to tell the tiny plants from the weeds. [SHOW WEEDING WITH HOE PICTURE]

Even though it was hard work, everyone helped Adam like they had promised and all summer long

Adam watched his tomato plant grow. First they were little yellow blossoms, then tiny green tomatoes

that grew and finally turned red. One day he picked a whole basket of juicy, red tomatoes.[SHOW

ADAM WITH BASKET OF TOMATOES] Then Mom helped Adam put them into bottles so they

would last all winter long. [SHOW BOTTLES OF TOMATOES]

Adam took his tomatoes to class. He told his teacher and his class how he learned to grow tomatoes

and how his family had helped him.

Adam had learned that to grow tomatoes you had to prepare the soil, plant the seed, weed, and water

them. And still, that wasn’t enough. If the tomatoes were to last very long, they had to be carefully

bottled. Most of all he learned that testimonies, like tomatoes, needed to be carefully cared for if they

were to grow. And the best way to grow a testimony was just like he grew tomatoes—with the help of

his family and friends.


Tomato Seeds—cut out and use where indicated in the story


Why do I need a testimony?

“When you have a testimony, you know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. In the scriptures, we are told

that one of the blessings of the gospel is protection from sin—like wearing armor to protect your body.”

“Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye

may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.” Doctrine and Covenants

27:15

“Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come

forth out of obscurity and arise from the dust.” 2 Nephi 1:23

*A testimony of the gospel means that we talk to Heavenly Father in prayer. We get to know Heavenly Father

and learn that he listens to us and speaks to us. Knowing that Heavenly Father loves us helps us feel close to

him. (Put on leg armor)

*A testimony of the gospel means that we obey the principles of the Word of Wisdom, and that will help protect

our physical body. (Put on leg armor)

*A testimony of the gospel means that we know our family will always love us, and that protects us from

feeling alone. (Put on chest plate)

*A testimony of the gospel means that we want to help others. Service to others protects us from being selfish.

(Put on arm armor)

*A testimony of the gospel means that we take the Sacrament and promise to obey the commandments. By

obeying the commandments, we receive many blessings that protect us on our path to Heavenly Father. (Put on

arm armor)

*A testimony of the gospel means that we study the scriptures and listen to the prophet. By having knowledge

of the true gospel principles, we are protected from wrong information, and we can make wise decisions in our

lives. (Put on helmet)


Why do I need a testimony? Print, cut, and attach top to bottom with a metal brad. Affix sticky backed Velcro to indicated places (or just use tape) to

attach armor during the lesson.


Why do I need a testimony? Print and cut. If desired affix sticky backed Velcro to backs of each piece of armor or just use tape.


What should our testimony consist of? Print and cut out the small pictures and affix them to a glove (or if you don’t have

gloves, then have the kids trace their hands and cut around them). You may want to think of making enough testimony gloves for

every member of the family.


Testimony Wheel: Cut out around edges and in the “windows”. Affix front to back with metal brad.


Testimony Wheel: Cut out around edges. Affix front to back with metal brad.


Parental Preparation: Below are a couple of quotes from the Ensign about the importance of teaching your children

about testimonies. You may find these helpful in preparing spiritually for teaching this lesson.

Quote from Elder Bednar: “We also can become more diligent and concerned at home by bearing testimony

to those whom we love about the things we know to be true by the witness of the Holy Ghost. The bearing of

testimony need not be lengthy or eloquent. And we do not need to wait until the first Sunday of the month to

declare our witness of things that are true. Within the walls of our own homes, we can and should bear pure

testimony of the divinity and reality of the Father and the Son, of the great plan of happiness, and of the

Restoration… Feeling the power, the edification, and the constancy of testimony from a spouse, a parent, or a

child is a rich blessing. Such testimony fortifies faith and provides direction. Such testimony generates light in a

world that grows increasingly dark. Such testimony is the source of an eternal perspective and of enduring

peace. We can become more diligent and concerned at home as we bear testimony—and consistently live it.”

“As parents, we should help children understand that bearing a testimony is a spiritual experience and

that it is not a means of attracting personal attention. We should teach them that bearing their

testimony is sharing their love and experiences, that it is a means of learning of and expressing

gratitude for the Savior, that it can make them feel good as they express their feelings about their

blessings. To mimic others prevents the child from understanding what a true testimony is and may

lead him to think he has a testimony as soon as he can use the vocabulary of a testimony.”

Emerson R. West (December 1993, Ensign)

Q. What should I teach my children about bearing their testimonies?

Susan Zmolek, “Questions and Answers,” Ensign, Jan. 1983, 14–15

Children cannot learn these true principles just by listening to the varied expressions of adults in testimony

meeting. Parents need to use family home evening and private conversations to teach children about

testimonies. An easy way to begin is to ask—perhaps at bedtime—what a testimony is. Parents have a

responsibility to help their children enlarge their understanding, year by year, until they know what is

appropriately included in a testimony.

A six-year-old can learn simple concepts—for example, that it is not appropriate for him to bear his testimony

every fast meeting. A child can understand that the phrase “I love my Mommy”—however pleasing the

thought—is not a testimony of the gospel. A child can also learn to say what is in his heart, rather than use

routine expressions which lose meaning through repetition. If taught since childhood, a youth can understand

the difference between a faith-promoting experience and what “really went on” at camp.

When should a child bear his testimony? Many children mistakenly believe that fast meeting is their only

opportunity to bear testimony. By example, parents can show them many other private opportunities. If parents

frequently bear testimony to particular gospel principles in the course of family conversation, children likely

will also express their feelings in conversations about the gospel. If dad relates at the dinner table how he bore

his testimony of living prophets to a coworker, his children will be encouraged to share what they know with

their nonmember friends. Parents can also provide regular opportunities to bear testimony in family home

evening.

testimony fhe lesson

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