Sharing Time February 2014 Week 2: Heavenly Father commanded Jesus Christ to create the earth as a home for His children

Preparation:
Prayerfully study and think about what the specific needs of your primary are and how you can teach them this doctrine.

Identify the doctrine:  Heavenly Father Commanded Jesus Christ to Create the Earth as a Home for His Children. 

Help the Children Understand the Doctrine: Prepare to play the matching game.  Print out the printables for the matching game, cut them apart and place them on the board so the picture is facing the board. (I usually just use magnets to put them on the board, then they can easily be turned over).

Help them apply the doctrine in their lives: Have chalk to write the days of the creation on the board. Prepare to ask the children how each days creation is a benefit for them.

Example of how to place pictures: 

Free Printables: (Printing Tip: Click on image to open and then save image to your computer.  You can then print the image from your computer.)

Day 1 and 2

Day 3 and 4

Day 5 and 6

Day 6 and 7

Sharing Time Instruction:

Start the Sharing Time by explaining to the children that part of Heavenly Father's plan was for us to come to Earth.  The earth had to be created before we were sent down to it. So, our Father in Heaven commanded his son Jesus Christ to create the earth as a home for all of his children. 

Ask the children to play a matching game with you.  Invite a child to come up and turn over two pictures.  If it is a match leave them turned over.  If they do not match turn them back over and invite another child to come up and turn over two more cards.  Continue, until all cards have been matched.  Write on the board Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7.  Above the days write, "Heavenly Father Commanded Jesus Christ to Create the Earth as a Home for His Children."

Read the scripture D&C 59:18-19 to the children.  Explain that in six days Jesus under the direction of our Heavenly Father created this Earth.  All things of the earth are for our benefit, to help us to be happy.

Get one of the picture of the Earth, the darkness and the light and place it under Day 1.  Explain that on the first day, Heavenly Father had Jesus form the earth.  He also created light and separated the light from the darkness.  Ask the children how the formation of the earth and the creation of light would make them happy or would be for their benefit?  Answers could include: The earth is a place for us to come to, to live and gain a body.  

Get the picture of the clouds and water and place it under Day 2.  Explain that on the 2nd day, Heavenly Father had Jesus separate the waters.  We have waters on earth in lakes and oceans and rivers. We also have waters in the atmosphere, from clouds we receive rain and snow.   Ask the children how the waters are a benefit to them?  Answers might include: We need water to drink.  We water our gardens with water.  Water helps things to grow and helps the earth be beautiful. We can go swimming and skiing and boating, water can help us have fun.  We use water to wash things.

Get the picture of the tree and grass and place it under Day 3.  Explain that on the 3rd day Heavenly Father had Jesus create grasses, herbs and trees.  Ask the children how we benefit from the vegetation that is on the earth?  Answers might include: It beautifies the earth.  We eat the fruit, grains and vegetables.  

Get the picture of the sun, moon and stars and place it under Day 4. Explain that on the 4th day Heavenly Father had Jesus create lights to divide day and night and for signs and seasons.  Ask the children how we benefit from having the sun and the moon and the stars? Answers might include: The sun gives us light during the day and warmth.  It helps things to grow.  The stars and moon are beautiful and give us some light at night. The star shown as a sign of Jesus' birth. 

Get the picture of the fish and bird and place it under Day 5.  Explain that on the 5th day Heavenly Father had Jesus create the fish, the birds and "every living creature".  Ask the children how we benefit from having living creatures, fish and birds?  Answers might include: We enjoy some of these for pets.  We also use some of these for nourishment. They beautify the earth. 

Get the picture of the animals and place it under Day 6. Explain that on the 6th day Heavenly Father had Jesus create the beasts and cattle and everything that creepeth upon the earth.  Ask the children how we benefit from having animals on the earth?  Answers might include:  Animals are our pets.  We also use some for nourishment.  They are beautiful.

Get the picture of the man and woman and place it under Day 6.  Explain that also on the 6th day Heavenly Father and Jesus created Adam and Eve in the likeness and image of God and Jesus.  We are all descendants of Adam and Eve.  We have also been created in God's image. Our Heavenly Father then said, "...And I, God, said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that reepeth upon the earth." (Moses 2:26) 

Get the picture that says "Rest" on it and place it under Day 7.  Explain that after they had created all things and saw that they were good, Heavenly Father and Jesus rested on the 7th day.  We also rest from our labors on the 7th day, which is our Sabbath day. 

Explain that our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy.  He wants the earth, "...both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;" (D&C 59:18) We are so blessed that our Heavenly Father loves us so much to have had his son create such a beautiful earth.

Bear your testimony about our Father in Heaven's love for us and his desire for his son Jesus Christ to create the earth for us to be a home and a benefit to his children.

***Basic ideas for this sharing time came from the 2014 Sharing Time Outline, you can find a link here