Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Primary Sharing Time - The Fall & the Atonement

Sharing Time – The Fall & the Atonement

Who were the first people on the earth? Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and Heavenly Father visited them.

He taught them many things like how to take care of the garden and how to take care of the animals.

Heavenly Father also taught Adam and Eve that they should not eat the fruit from a certain tree.



Can anyone tell me what that tree was called?
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It they disobeyed they would have to leave the garden.

Satan, also called Lucifer, came into the garden and tempted Adam and Eve.

They did eat the fruit, so Heavenly Father told them they had to go out into the world as we know it now.

Heavenly Father wouldn’t be able to come down and visit them anymore, but if they prayed, Heavenly Father would listen and answer their prayers.

Their bodies would also get old and die someday.

Adam and Eve were sad to leave the garden, but after they left they began to have children and taught their children about the plan of salvation.

They also were glad to have earthly experiences to help them grow and to be able to make choices between good and evil.

When Adam & Eve ate the fruit and had to leave the garden it was called “The Fall.”

Two things happened as a result of the Fall. What were they?
1) Adam & Eve couldn’t be with Heavenly Father. This is called “Spiritual Death.”
2) Adam & Eve would die someday. This is called “Physical Death.”

SONG

[Set up a road in the Primary room made out of butcher paper. In two places, place blue paper representing the obstacles of sin and physical death.]

Imagine that you are going on a trip.
What would you bring in your suitcase? (Discuss briefly with children)

Now imagine that you are taking a trip back to your Heavenly Father.
What are some things you might pack in that suitcase?
Scriptures – faith
Soap - repentance
Picture of John the Baptist – baptism
Flashlight – Spirit to guide us
Shoes – follow in Christ’s footsteps

Drive toy car on the fake road.

Each of us will have our own kind of road trip through life. We will all have different experiences and challenges.

But all of us will have some obstacles that are the same. An obstacle is something that blocks your path.

Obstacle of Physical Death -
Because of the Fall, Adam and Eve and all of us have mortal bodies. Who can tell me what mortal means? (imperfect, subject to death)

Because we have mortal bodies, we will die. That means our spirit will be separated from our physical body.

We need to have an immortal and perfect body to become like Heavenly Father.

No matter how hard we try, we can’t make our spirits go back with our bodies after we die.

Heavenly Father had a plan for us to live again and get an immortal body after we die.

Can anyone tell me what He planned and who would help us?

Jesus overcame this obstacle for us.

Jesus died on the cross.

On the third day after his death his followers returned to the tomb where they had laid his mortal body. But his body was not there.

Jesus had been resurrected. His spirit had been reunited with his body in a glorified immortal form.

If death is a separation of our spirit and physical body, then resurrection is the reuniting of our spirit with our immortal body.

Because Jesus triumphed over death and was resurrected, all of us will be resurrected. This is a free gift to everyone, good or evil.

Put up a bridge on road to overcome obstacle – resurrection

Obstacle of Sin -
The next obstacle we come across on our path is sin. This obstacle prevents us from becoming like Heavenly Father.

Each of us left our Heavenly Father to come to earth.

On earth we have chances to grow spiritually.

We grow by learning to know goodness from evil and choosing the good.

While we are learning sometimes we will choose the wrong.

To act against the will of God on purpose is sin.

During our life on earth all of us commit sin.

Sin makes us unhappy and make us unclean spiritually.

No unclean thing can dwell with God.

This separation from God because of our sins is called Spiritual Death.

Because of our sins we are unable to live with Him unless we’re forgiven and repent.

We cannot overcome this obstacle by ourselves.

God sent his beloved son to overcome the obstacle of sin.

Through the grace of Christ we can become clean of sin.

We can also live with God again.

As part of the plan of his father Christ paid for our sins.

We are forgiven when we accept Christ and repent and follow his commandments.

In this way we are cleansed from our sins. And we can become worthy to return to the presence of God.

The triumph of Jesus Christ over physical death and sin is called the Atonement.

(Put up bridge on road to overcome obstacle of sin– the Atonement) Through the Atonement we can return to live with God.

AT-ONE-MENT (At One with God)

We need to do our part.

We can use the things that can help us on our journey.

Scriptures – faith
Soap - repentance
Picture of John the Baptist – baptism
Flashlight – Spirit to guide us
Shoes – follow in Christ’s footsteps

Bear Testimony

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