The arrival of Jesus Christ to the people in ancient America is the crowning event of the Book of Mormon. This Book of Mormon FHE lesson teaches us how Jesus Christ is the light of the world and how to fully invite and enjoy that light in our lives.
Scripture
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
Hymn
The Lord Is My Light | Hymn #89
1. The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night his presence is near.
He is my salvation from sorrow and sin;
This blessed assurance the Spirit doth bring.
[Chorus]
The Lord is my light;
He is my joy and my song.
By day and by night
He leads, he leads me along.
2. The Lord is my light; tho clouds may arise,
Faith, stronger than sight, looks up thru the skies
Where Jesus forever in glory doth reign.
Then how can I ever in darkness remain?
3. The Lord is my light; the Lord is my strength.
I know in his might I’ll conquer at length.
My weakness in mercy he covers with pow’r,
And, walking by faith, I am blest ev’ry hour.
4. The Lord is my light, my all and in all.
There is in his sight no darkness at all.
He is my Redeemer, my Savior, and King.
With Saints and with angels his praises I’ll sing.
Lesson
FOR CHILDREN
Begin the lesson by sitting in a darkened room. Try to remove as much light as possible. Place a picture of Christ on a table or somewhere everyone would normally be able to see it. Summarize 3 Nephi 8. Ask the children how they would feel sitting in darkness for three days. Ask them if they can see Jesus. Then, turn on the light. Tell them that Jesus Christ appeared to the people after three days. Ask them again how they feel and if they can see Jesus.
Read aloud: When Jesus appeared to the people, He testified: “I am the light and the life of the world.” Jesus Christ brings light into our lives.
Ask: Why do we need light? What can light do for us?
Read aloud: Light keeps us warm. Light helps things grow. Light helps us see. Without light, we could not live. When we follow Jesus Christ, we can experience joy, peace, and clarity.
Share a personal experience about how Jesus has been a light in your life.
Read aloud: Sometimes, a light needs to be turned on. We light a candle. We put batteries in a flashlight. We turn on a light switch. We need to turn on our spiritual lights sometimes.
Ask: How do we turn on our spiritual lights?
Read aloud: We can help invite the light of Jesus Christ into our lives by being obedient to the commandments, serving others, and reaching out to Christ in our hearts.
Finish with your testimony.
FOR TEENS & ADULTS
Begin the lesson by sitting quietly in a dark room. Give everyone a candle or some sort of light device (flashlights, cellphones). Ask everyone to ponder for a few minutes about a time in their life when they’ve felt trapped in darkness as you read 3 Nephi 8:19-25 aloud. Then turn on a small light yourself and read 3 Nephi 11:8-10. Ask everyone to think of one way Jesus Christ is the light of the world. When they share, have them turn on their light.
Ask: Why is “light of the world” such a fitting description for Jesus Christ and His gospel?
Turn on the rest of the lights and continue the lesson.
Read aloud: The arrival of Jesus Christ to the people in ancient America is the crowning event of the Book of Mormon. Though we may not experience the same tumultuous physical darkness, we live in a time of great spiritual darkness. Just as the people needed to actively listen for the voice of the Lord, we need to seek after Christ. In order to access light in the world around us, we need to do something. We strike matches and add kindling to fires. We take care of power lines, check breakers, and turn on light switches to illuminate our homes. With even the tiniest tap of a finger, we can have a light on our phones.
Ask: What are some things we need to do to fully enjoy the light of the gospel in our lives?
Share a personal experience when you were in darkness and how the light of God helped you. Invite others to share as well.
End by playing the following video and asking everyone to write down ideas on how they experience God’s light as they listen. When the song is over, finish with your testimony.
Featured Products
FREE Book of Mormon Come, Follow Me Coloring Page
Treat
TreatAngel Lush Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (16 oz.) angel food cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cans (8 oz. each) DOLE Crushed Pineapple in Juice, undrained
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
2 cups assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries)
Instructions:
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; pour into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until tops are golden brown and cracks feel dry. (Note: If baking in batches, refrigerate remaining batter in bowl until ready to pour into lined muffin cups and bake.) Cool cupcakes in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.
MIX dry pudding mix and pineapple in medium bowl. Gently stir in COOL WHIP; spread onto cupcakes.
TOP with berries.
Activity
Make Candles
For this craft, you’ll need crayons or candle wax, wicks, small paper cups, paper clips, and pencils. Melt the crayons or wax down. Add the optional essential oils for scent. In a small paper dixie cup, place the wick, with one end tied to the paper clip. Fill up the cups with colorful wax. Wrap the wick around a pencil and allow it to rest on top of the cup. Cool completely. Unwrap the wick and trim.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
