I’m teaching the lesson today, Lesson 46: Jesus Christ Will Come Again.
Objective: To acquaint the children with the signs of the Savior’s second coming, and to encourage them to prepare themselves to meet him.
Scriptures to Study: Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:1–4, 21–55; Acts 1:9–11; and Doctrine and Covenants 29:11; 38:30; 101:24–25; 133:46–48.
Questions to Ask:
Why is it important for us to learn about the Second Coming?
Why has Jesus given us signs of his second coming?
What is a false Christ or false prophet? Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:21–22
How can we avoid being deceived? Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37
Emphasize that we must always listen to the living prophet and follow what he tells us to do to avoid being deceived. President Wilford Woodruff, fourth President of the Church, said, “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray”
How will we know it is the true Christ when he comes? Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:25–26, 36, D&C 133:46–48
What’s the “gathering of Israel”? D&C 45:69
How are the missionaries helping “gather Israel”? Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:31
What are some of the heavenly wonders that will appear immediately before the Second Coming? Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:33
“Do we realize we are living in the days of the fulfillment of these signs and wonders? We are among those who will see many of these prophecies fulfilled. … We know not the day nor the hour of His coming, but of this we may feel assured: We stand close to the great day of the Lord!” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 20).
What will be the signs?
22 For in those days there shall also arise false aChrists, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.
23 Behold, I speak these things unto you for the aelect’s sake; and you also shall hear of bwars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet.
25 Wherefore, if they shall say unto you: Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: Behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not;
26 For as the light of the morning cometh out of the aeast, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
29 Behold I speak for mine elect’s sake; for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be afamines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
30 And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax acold; but he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved.
31 And again, this aGospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all bnations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked;
Acts 1:9-11
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was ataken bup; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into aheaven? this same Jesus, which is btaken up from you into heaven, shall so ccome in like dmanner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
D&C
22 Ye say that ye know that the aend of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know that the heavens and the earth shall pass away;
23 And in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you shall not apass away until all shall be fulfilled.
28 And when the times of the aGentiles is come in, a blight shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my cgospel;
29 But they areceive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their bhearts from me because of the cprecepts of men.
How can we best prepare?
37 And whoso atreasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall bcome, and he shall send his cangels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the dremainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
46 And what I say unto one, I say unto all men; awatch, therefore, for you know not at what hour your Lord doth come.
47 But know this, if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up, but would have been ready.
48 Therefore be ye also aready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.
50 Blessed is that aservant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing; and verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
D&C 38:30
30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.
D&C
32 But my disciples shall astand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and bcurse God and die.
34 And now, when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my disciples, they were troubled.
35 And I said unto them: Be not atroubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled.
36 And when the alight shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you—
39 And it shall come to pass that he that afeareth me shall be blooking forth for the great cday of the Lord to dcome, even for the esigns of the coming of the fSon of Man.
40 And they shall see signs and awonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.
41 And they shall behold blood, and afire, and vapors of bsmoke.
42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the asun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.
51 And then shall the aJews blook upon me and say: What are these cwoundsin thine hands and in thy feet?
52 Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was awounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was bcrucified. I am the cSon of God.
53 And then shall they aweep because of their iniquities; then shall they blament because they cpersecuted their dking.
56 And at that day, when I shall come in my aglory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten bvirgins.
57 For they that are wise and have received the atruth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their bguide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the cfire, but shall abide the day.
Does anyone know the day it will happen?
40 But of that day, and hour, no one aknoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only.
41 But as it was in the days of aNoah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;
42 For it shall be with them, as it was in the days which were before the aflood; for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;
43 And aknew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
Teaching Ideas
ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (dramatizing a scripture story): Tell the children that Jesus often taught with parables, using familiar objects and situations to teach spiritual truths. Briefly tell the story of the ten virgins (see Matthew 25:1-13; see also “The Parable of the Ten Virgins,” Ensign, March 2009, 48-49). Explain that this parable compares the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to a wedding. Ask the children who play the parts of the wise virgins how it feels to know they were prepared, and discuss the importance of preparing for the Savior to come again.
ENCOURAGE APPLICATION (discussing and drawing pictures): Draw a lamp on the chalkboard. Discuss how following Jesus Christ by doing good things each day is like putting oil in our lamps. Have the children name some ways they can follow Jesus Christ, such as serving others, paying tithing, and praying. Explain that these are things they need to do individually; other people cannot do these things for them. Give each child a piece of paper cut into the shape of a large drop of oil. Ask them (or their teachers) to write, “To prepare for the Second Coming, I will follow Jesus Christ by _______________” on their papers. Ask the children to fill in the blank or draw a picture of something they can do to prepare for the Second Coming. Encourage the children to take their papers home and share what they learned with their families.
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