Teachers: The lessons in the manual contain more information than you will probably be able to teach in one class period. Seek the Spirit of the Lord in selecting the scripture passages, stories, activities, questions, and other lesson materials that best meet the needs of class members.

Basic Resources

• Do you want to see this week's lesson? Lesson 42

• You can read the assigned scriptures for this week online: Exodus 20:12; 1 Samuel 1–4; 3 John 1:4.

• The official scripture study aids often have helpful information you can use in your lessons. For example, for this week's lesson, read the entry on "Parents" in the Guide to the Scriptures.

Art

The picture in the upper-right corner of this page shows the boy Samuel being called by the Lord. The picture is available online or in your meetinghouse library: Boy Samuel Called by the Lord, Gospel Art Picture Kit, no. 111.

Recent Talks and Articles in Church Magazines

Would you like to see what Church leaders have said recently about topics in this week's lesson? Click on the photographs or article titles below to read the complete articles.

Why should we involve our parents in our lives and decisions? President Gordon B. Hinckley explains: "No one has a greater interest in your welfare, in your happiness, in your future than do your mothers and fathers. They are of a prior generation. That is true. But they were once the age that you are now. Your problems are not substantially different from what theirs were" ("Words of the Prophet: Love at Home," New Era, Oct. 1999, 7).

President Thomas S. Monson has encouraged children to express love to their parents: "Don't wait until that light from your household is gone; don’t wait until that voice you know is stilled before you say, 'I love you, Mother; I love you, Father.' You have a heritage; honor it" ("A Code to Live By," New Era, Sept. 2005, 6). Download this article or listen to it online.

Music

Below are a couple of songs that relate to this week's lesson. You could read words from a song in class or have your class sing the song together. Click on the song titles below to go to the Church Music site, where you can read or listen to the song online. Or, search for a hymn that relates to the lesson.

• "The Dearest Names," Children's Songbook, no. 208
• "I Thank Thee, Dear Father," Children's Songbook, no. 7

Additional Helps

• Remember to be sensitive to the family situation of each class member. Some of your students may have parents who are active, less active, nonmembers, or deceased. Regardless of their parental situation, they can honor their fathers and mothers by the way they live.

• You can use role playing with those you teach. Here are some ideas for using it:

  1. Prepare those you teach for role playing by briefly explaining the problem or situation. Give them enough information so they will be able to act out their roles thoughtfully. Emphasize that they are to play a role and not act as themselves.

  2. Select the participants or ask for volunteers. Indicate who will play each specific part. Arrange for as many participants as possible, since allowing several people to role-play a situation often tends to be more successful than having just one person act out what might happen. (Role playing could be repeated to help more people participate and to discover other solutions.)

  3. Give the participants a few minutes to plan what they are going to do.

  4. To involve all those present, invite those not participating to watch carefully. (From Teaching, No Greater Call, 178.)