Get all the Article of Faith FHE lessons here.
Thought: “Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step by step, line upon line. We first build a foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We treasure the principles and ordinances of repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We include a continuing commitment to prayer, a willingness to be obedient, and an ongoing witness of the Book of Mormon.”
—Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Song: “Come, Follow Me,” Hymn #116
Scripture:
Articles of Faith 1:4: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(This would be a good time to teach the family where the Articles of Faith are found in the scriptures, at the conclusion of the Pearl of Great Price.)
Lesson:
• Ask family members how they feel about each of the gospel steps. Ask questions such as “When is a time you’ve repented and what did you learn?” “How did you feel at your baptism?” and “What can the Holy Ghost do for us?”
• Watch Zack & Zoey Explore the Articles of Faith, Fourth Article of Faith clip:
• Ask each person to share one thing they learned from the video clip.
Activity:
Preparation: You will need a pair of shoes, a coat, a pair of mittens, and a warm winter hat. Place them in a box or a bag so no one can see the items.
Step 1: Choose one family member to help with the activity. Explain that this is an object lesson, which means that physical objects will be used to teach a principle.
Step 2: Pull the shoes from the box and have the volunteer put them on their feet. Explain that the shoes represent the foundation of faith. In other words, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the gospel.
Step 3: Pull the coat from the box and have the volunteer wrap the coat around them. Explain that the coat represents repentance. When we repent, we allow the blessings of the Atonement and God’s love to come into our lives and “cover” us.
Step 4: Pull the pair of mittens from the box and have the volunteer wear them on their hands. Explain that the mittens represent baptism. When we are baptized by immersion, we immerse ourselves completely as a symbol of being clean and having our sins washed away. The mittens are “immersing” your hands completely, keeping your hands pure and uncontaminated by unclean things.
Step 5: Pull the warm winter hat from the box and have the volunteer put it on their head. Ask the volunteer how it makes them feel. Explain that the warm winter hat represents the “laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, a priesthood holder lays his hands on our head and givesus this gift. We are promised that as long as we keep the commandments, we will have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with us always. The winter hat is warm and comfortable, which is how the Holy Ghost makes us feel when we do what is right.
Step 6: Explain that with all four principles, as well as all four articles of clothing, the volunteer is now ready to endure to the end. Bear testimony of the importance of the principles of faith and repentance and the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost and talk about how they have blessed your life.
Get the PDF version of this lesson here.
Image from Getty Images
To learn more about the Articles of Faith, check out the full DVD of Zack & Zoey Explore the Articles of Faith.
Sing along with the children's choir and orchestra as you learn the Articles of Faith with Zack and his sister, Zoey. Golden-Globe nominated composer Lex de Azevedo teams up with the producers of Signing Time to create fun new songs for you to remember, enjoy, and understand the Articles of Faith.