Overcoming Fear

Scripture

D&C 6: 34 & 36

34 – Therefore, fear not, little aflock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

36 – Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

Hymn

I Pray in Faith– Primary Songbook #14 or Abide with Me; ‘Tis Eventide – Hymn #165

1. I kneel to pray ev’ry day.
I speak to Heav’nly Father.
He hears and answers me
When I pray in faith.

2. I begin by saying “Dear Heavenly Father”;
I thank him for blessings he sends;
Then humbly I ask him for things that I need,
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lesson

*For Younger Children* Discuss with your children what their fears are. Have them write their fears down on a piece of paper and share them with the family if they feel comfortable. Choose from the stories below – whatever is most applicable to you and your family or tell your own story of a time when you were afraid and turned to the Lord for help. Discuss key points and what they can learn from it. 

Read the following story with them:

1 – But I’m Too Shy

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13).

Will Mindy overcome her fear of meeting people?

“Mom, I’m bored,” Mindy said.

Mom had just picked Mindy up from her piano lesson, and now they were at the stake center waiting for Mindy’s sisters to finish rehearsing for the stake musical.

Her older sister, Jessica, and younger sister, Krista, had both gotten parts in the play. But Mindy didn’t get a part. She envied her sisters a little, but she was also kind of glad she wouldn’t have to perform in front of the whole stake. That sounded scary.

“Well, why don’t you go find some other kids who aren’t practicing right now?” Mom said.

“OK,” Mindy said.

Mindy left the cultural hall and followed the sound of voices to a nearby classroom. Peeking in the door, she saw several kids she didn’t know.

“They must be from other wards in the stake,” Mindy thought.

She wanted to meet them, but she was too afraid to say hello. Instead, she walked back to the cultural hall and sat down by Mom.

“Didn’t you find the other kids?” Mom asked.

“I found them, but I don’t know any of them,” Mindy said.

“It’s not that hard to meet people,” Mom said. “When I was your age, I was really shy too, but then I decided I didn’t want to be shy anymore. I made a goal to meet one new person every day.”

“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t really think I can not be shy,” Mindy said.

“If you just try, it will get easier,” Mom said. “You can start small with just one person. Look, a girl is sitting over there by herself. Why don’t you go say hello?”

Mindy tried to think of an excuse, but she knew she should take her mom’s suggestion. She said a quick prayer asking Heavenly Father to help her, took a few deep breaths, and walked over to the girl. “Meeting one person does seem a lot easier than approaching a whole group,” she thought.

“Hi,” Mindy said.

“Hi,” the girl replied. “My name is Shalee. What’s yours?”

“My name is Mindy.” There was a bit of silence, and then Mindy thought of a question to ask. “Are you in the play?”

“No,” Shalee said. “But that’s my dad up there practicing,” she said, pointing to the stage.

“My sisters are in the play too,” Mindy said.

Their conversation went on as they learned about each other. Pretty soon practice was over, and it was time to go home.

 “I was very shy in high school. … I was afraid to try. … Live up to your potential. Don’t be afraid to try. Have confidence in yourself.” – L. Tom Perry

Feeling Shy?

Many children feel shy sometimes, whether they’re meeting new people, giving a talk, or answering a question in school. Here are some things to try when you feel shy:

• Pray. You are a child of God, and so is everyone else. Heavenly Father wants to help you.
• Breathe. Sometimes when you’re scared, you forget to breathe deeply enough. Taking slow, deep breaths can help you calm down.
• Smile. Sometimes when you’re feeling shy, other people may think you don’t want to be their friend. Smiling tells them that you are nice.
• Try. When you are in a situation where you’re feeling shy, you need to leave your comfort zone. Start small, and work up to harder things.
• Practice. Think about what you will do and say before you get into the situation. You can even practice with family or friends.
• Help. Think about and help others around you. Remember, someone who seems unfriendly may be shy just like you!
• Don’t give up! It may take a while before you learn to overcome your shyness, but don’t stop trying.

2 – The Opposite of Fear

(Based on a true story)
Do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you (D&C 68:6).
Tricia stared with wide, watery eyes at her bedroom closet. The door was broken and wouldn’t shut all the way. In the dark the clothes looked like huddled monsters waiting to jump from their hangers and rush at her. To make things worse, she could hear loud breathing that seemed to come from the closet.

She knew that there were bad people who sometimes hurt children. One of them could be hiding in the closet! She also remembered the story a boy in her kindergarten class had told about a nightmare. He had been chased by a snake with a very long tail. The snake caught him and tied him up with its tail!

Tricia’s sisters, MaryAnn and Rebecca, were sleeping in the bedroom too, but she didn’t call out to them. Whatever was hiding in the closet might attack. She heard the TV fall silent. That meant her parents had finished watching the news and were going to bed. But she couldn’t run to them—she couldn’t even move.

Tricia was so scared that she wanted to cry, but she didn’t dare make a sound. All she could do was stare at the dark, creepy closet, hoping that whatever lurked there wouldn’t get her.

As Tricia stared, a thought came quietly into her mind: “Why don’t you pray?” Immediately she felt a little better. Her mom had told her that she could pray anytime, anywhere. She didn’t even have to close her eyes! Tricia prayed silently. As soon as she said, “In the name of Jesus Christ,” a calm feeling came over her. She knew that Heavenly Father had heard her prayer.

With every breath she became calmer. The scary breathing wasn’t as loud anymore either. In fact, as her own breathing grew quieter and quieter, so did the breathing from the closet. Tricia held her breath. The breathing stopped entirely. Finally she understood—she had been afraid of her own breathing!

She felt a little foolish, but mostly she felt grateful. As soon as she had thought about Jesus, her scary thoughts had stopped being scary, and she could see how silly they really were. She remembered her father telling her that the opposite of fear was faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “No wonder Satan likes people to be scared,” she thought. “They’re not thinking about Jesus when they’re afraid.”

Tricia snuggled into her covers and prayed again. This time she thanked her Heavenly Father for hearing her prayer and helping her overcome her fears. When she finished praying, she silently sang “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam.” Now she wasn’t afraid to close her eyes and let the music and words warm her. Before long, she was fast asleep.

“Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of spiritual power that will give you and me the assurance that we have nothing to fear.” – M Russell Ballard

*For Teenagers or Adults* Read the talk “God Hath Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear”,  by President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Discuss a time when you have felt fear, what you did to overcome it, and how you turned to the Lord.

Write down your fears on a piece of paper and discuss them with the family.

Set a goal to overcome one fear and discuss a plan of action.

Testify of a time when you faced fear with the help of our Savior.

1. Combine the blueberries and the water in a medium-size saucepan. Partially cover the pan, then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering the berries until they begin to break down, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook the berries until they become soft, about 1 to 2 minutes more.

2. Stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl until evenly blended. Stir the mixture into the berries, then cook them at a low boil, stirring constantly, for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer it to a medium-size bowl. When the sauce is cooled, cover it and place it in the refrigerator to chill.

3. Line a 9- by 5-inch metal loaf pan with two sheets of crisscrossed plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides, then chill the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.

4. Place the container of sorbet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to soften, then spoon the sorbet into the pan and mold it, using a sheet of plastic wrap to smooth the top as needed. Cover it with foil and freeze it for 2 hours. The last 30 minutes, soften the vanilla ice cream in the refrigerator. Remove the pan from the freezer, add half the vanilla ice cream, mold it, cover it with foil, and freeze it and the remaining ice cream for 30 minutes. For the third layer, mix the remaining ice cream with 3/4 cup of the blueberry sauce, and add it to the pan. Freeze the dessert for one more hour.

5. Chill a platter in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Right before serving, thin the remaining blueberry sauce with a spoonful of water or orange juice. Invert the dessert onto the platter, unwrap it, and garnish it with fresh berries. Use a sharp knife to slice the dessert, and serve it with the sauce. Serves 10.

Crispy Creamy Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1 bag of marshmallows (10 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups crisped rice cereal
1/2 cup decorating sprinkles or mini candies
1 quart ice cream or frozen yogurt

Instructions:

1. Coat a 9- by 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set the pan aside. Coat a medium saucepan with nonstick cooking spray and melt the butter and marshmallows in it over medium-low heat, stirring continuously. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the cereal.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until it forms a large ball. Add the sprinkles or candies, if desired. Spoon and press the mixture into the 9- by 13-inch pan. Chill the pan for 10 minutes. Then cut the crisped rice treats into twelve 2-inch squares.

3. Peel the container away from the ice cream. Working on a waxed-paper covered surface, slice the ice cream into six 2- by 2- by 1-inch blocks with a warm knife (a parent’s job). Sandwich each one between 2 crispy squares and lightly press the layers together. Makes 6 sandwiches.

(Recipes taken from www.familyfun.go)