"Treat" Your Body Like A Temple {Includes Free Printables}

This month the Come, Follow Me topic for the Youth is The Plan of Salvation. As I was reading through the outlines for this month, I immediately had an idea for the lesson "Why should I treat my body like a temple?" found here.

I like to include a little something fun to eat with my handouts and it only took a minute to come up with a little play on words for the lesson:

My body is a "sweet" gift from Heavenly Father and I should "treat" it like a temple . . .

And it just so happens that Hershey's Miniatures are perfect building blocks for the temple as well as a "sweet treat"!

I made some candy bar wrappers and labeled each with a reason we should treat our body like a temple. I found the reasons from the lesson outline as well as a talk by Sister Susan W. Tanner. You can find her talk here.

When the handout was complete each block of the temple completed the sentence at the top of the handout: 

My body is a "sweet" gift from Heavenly Father and I should "treat" it like a temple . . .

. . . because my body is God's sacred creation!

 . . . because my body houses my spirit!

. . . and I will receive blessings!

. . . and if I live worthily my body can one day be sanctified and exalted!

I think that the handout turned out pretty cute!

You can view and download a copy of the handout here.

You can also view and download a copy of the candy bar wrappers here.

Enjoy!

The "Rolls" of the Holy Ghost Handout

UPDATE (3/5/2017) You can now view and download the file for the Tootsie Roll handout. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the link!

A couple of years ago I posted about the lesson I taught on The Roles of the Holy Ghost. You can find the details of my Tootsie Roll idea here. The post has been really popular and many, many people have asked for the PDF of the Tootsie Rolls to use for their lessons. Because I have received such a positive response to the idea, I decided to create a handout to go along with the lesson and here it is! You can use this handout if you want your students to remember the lesson even after the treat is gone!

The handout lists the "Rolls" of the Holy Ghost and is the perfect size to attach a Tootsie Roll snack bar!

I am currently working on adding my files to the blog so that they can be downloaded by my followers. In the meantime, if you would like a PDF of the handout, you can email me at addapinchofsparkle{at}gmail{dot}com

Enjoy!

UPDATE (3/5/2017) You can now view and download the file for the Tootsie Roll handout here!

Celestial Marriage Cookies

Today I want to share an idea I used when I taught my Young Women the lesson entitled, "Why is temple marriage important?" You can find the lesson outline here. Although the talks I used when I taught the lesson are not on the current Come Follow Me outline, this idea can still be used! I used the following quotes as the basis for my idea:

Celestial marriage is a pivotal part of preparation for eternal life. It requires one to be married to the right person, in the right place, by the right authority, and to obey that sacred covenant faithfully.

- Russell M. Nelson

(you can find his talk, Celestial Marriage, here)

and

There is no substitute for marrying in the temple. It is the only place under the heavens where marriage can be solemnized for eternity. Don't cheat yourself. Don't cheat your companion. Don't shortchange your lives. Marry the right person in the right place at the right time.

-Gordon B. Hinckley

(you can find his message, Life's Obligations, here)

I decided to take the four "Rights" listed in these two quotes and present them to the girls in a fun way- by making Four Ingredient Celestial Marriage Cookies!

As a visual, I displayed the four "Rights" on a "wedding cake". I took four different sized round boxes I found at Hobby Lobby, wrapped them in wedding wrapping paper, and set them up to look like a wedding cake. I even used my daughter's Little People Prince Eric and Princess Ariel as cake toppers!

As we talked about each "Right", we opened one of the boxes. Inside was an ingredient for our cookies. We then spent some time reading quotes about that "Right"/ingredient.

The first ingredient was the right person. I said this was like the chocolate chips for our recipe. Because they add sweetness, they represented our "sweetheart".

The second ingredient for the recipe was the right time. I used an egg to represent this ingredient because the egg reminded me of an egg TIMEr! 

The third ingredient for the recipe was the right place. This was represented by sugar in the recipe and symbolized the whiteness of the temple.

The final ingredient in the recipe was the right authority. This is the priesthood authority that will seal families together. In the recipe I used peanut butter to represent the right authority because it helps everything stick together.

 After we discussed all the ingredients, I gave the girls the baked cookies with a recipe card attached. This is what it said:

Recipe for: Celestial Marriage

Ingredients: Right Person

Right Time

Right Place

Right Authority

Directions: Mix ALL ingredients together with lots of love, faith, and a commitment to the commandments of God. Work out the lumps with communication and selflessness. This is a recipe that gets better with time. "Your companionship will sweeten through the years, your love will strengthen. Your appreciation for one another will grow." ("True to the Faith" pg. 101)

This recipe serves: 1 Eternal Family

You can find the recipe to make the actual cookies here!

I think it turned out to be a successful and sweet way to teach about the importance of temple marriage!

Are you teaching the Youth this month? What ideas are you using to teach about the importance of temple marriage?

Want a PDF of the Celestial Cookies recipe card? Email me at addapinchofsparkle{at}gmail{dot}com !

Cup of Inspiration

I'm really excited to share one of my favorite lesson ideas I've used in awhile. Our Young Women lesson was on personal revelation. When I am planning my lessons I read through the outline and then start searching the Internet for inspiration on unique and interesting ways to present the topic. As I was looking up ideas for personal revelation, I found several "recipes" for personal revelation. I liked the idea, but all the recipes made full batches of different treats. As I was thinking about this, I thought it would fit more with the lesson if I could find a recipe for an individual treat, after all it is personal revelation. From there, ideas just flowed. I decided that I would make one of the popular "dessert in a mug" recipes because they make an individual serving and I thought it would be super cute to decorate the mugs with the words "cup of inspiration" to go along with the lesson theme. Everything came together perfectly!

I first picked up a bunch of plain white mugs at the dollar store, then I set out to decorate them. I searched all over the Internet and found a bunch of tutorials for DIY Sharpie mugs. After taking all the best tips, this is what I did:

I washed the mugs.

Next, I wiped the area to be drawn on with some rubbing alcohol.

Then I decorated the mug with regular Sharpies.

Next, I baked the mugs at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. I put the mugs in a cool oven, then turned it on to 450 and once it was heated set the timer. After 30 minutes, I turned off the oven and let the mugs cool over night. Some of the colors faded during the baking process, but there wasn't really any rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes it was light colors, sometimes it was dark colors, some colors faded on some mugs and not on others. They still all turned out pretty cute in the end.

*note* I did a trial run with one mug at 450 degrees and didn't have any problems other than a little fading. When I baked the rest of the mugs they ended up with a little brownish tint to them, kind of like a toasted marshmallow. I am not sure why this happened. Maybe overcrowding in the oven, or maybe the oven was too hot. Next time I would probably do two batches and bake at 425 degrees instead of 450.

After the mugs were cooled, I baked a special individual-sized cookie in each one. The recipe is super easy and meant to be made in a mug and cooked in the microwave. You can find the original recipe here. This picture was taken right after the cookie was baked. It was still warm and a little gooey. It tasted great!

After I had made all the cookies and they had cooled, I put the mugs in some little treat bags I found at Dollar Tree and attached a recipe to each one.

I assigned each ingredient in the recipe to a piece of counsel that is important for receiving personal inspiration. I found this counsel in the book True to the Faith found here.

Here is what I put on the recipe card:

For: Personal Promptings

The following recipe will prepare

an Individual cup of Inspiration.

           Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon Prayer (Butter)

                                     1 Tablespoon Reverence (Granulated White Sugar)

                                     1 Tablespoon Firmly Packed Humility (Dark Brown Sugar)

                                     3 Drops of Keeping the Commandments (Vanilla Extract)

                                     Small Pinch of Partaking of the Sacrament (Kosher Salt)

                                     1 Regular Scripture Study (Egg Yolk)

                                     Scant 1/4 Cup Time to Ponder (All Purpose Flour)

                                     2 Tablespoons Studying it Out in Your Mind (Chocolate Chips)                                         

Directions: Combine ingredients necessary for personal promptings. Start by melting your butter in the microwave. Add sugars, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine. Add the yolk. Stir to combine. Add flour, then stir again. Add the chocolate chips, and give a final stir. Now your mixture will look like cookie dough. Cook in microwave 40-60 seconds, start checking for doneness at 40 seconds. Do not cook past one minute. Remember to be patient as you seek God's will.

Recipe adapted from www.number-2-pencil.com

I handed the cookies and recipes out to the girls and we discussed the importance of each "ingredient" in the recipe.

There you have it! A recipe for personal revelation that makes a single-serving treat in a special "Cup of Inspiration". What do you think? I think the girls enjoyed it!

Object Lesson: Follow the Prophet

Today I want to share a fun object lesson idea I found here. I used it for my recent lesson on following the prophet in Young Women. I think the girls enjoyed it.

I set out two identical boxes on a table. Inside one box I put some candy and I left the other box empty (I added the tissue paper so you couldn't hear the candy rolling around). I left the boxes closed and asked the girls to raise their hands to indicate which box they would choose. About half chose each box. When I asked them why they chose the box they did, they didn't really know. 

I then had one girl come up and look inside both boxes. I had talked to her beforehand, so she knew to choose the box with the candy in it. When I pointed to the empty box and asked the girls to raise their hands if they chose that box, everyone looked at the girl who had seen inside the boxes. Because she didn't raise her hand, no one else did. When I pointed to the candy box, the girl who had seen inside raised her hand and everyone else did too.

When I asked the girls why they had all chosen this particular box, they said it was because they followed the girl who had seen inside the box. I then told them that they had made a good decision and showed them that one box was empty and the other box had candy in it.

As I passed the candy around, I explained to the girls that the Prophet has "seen inside the box". Heavenly Father speaks to him and in turn he tells us what we need to know to stay safe, to have joy, and to return to our Father in Heaven. When we follow the Prophet we receive blessings, just like when they followed the girl who had seen inside the box they got a treat!

I like to use object lessons when I teach to help make the lessons more clear to the girls. I think this object lesson did just that!

One "Foot" In Front Of The Other

 

I made a quick and cute handout for our recent Young Women lesson on following the prophets. One of the talks in the lesson outline was President Monson's "Believe, Obey, and Endure" (found here). Near the end of the talk was a quote I really liked and I knew I had to use it for a handout:

"Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness."

I knew right away what treat would go well with the quote- a Fruit by the Foot! I put together a little handout with President Monson's quote on it and added the following to tie it in more clearly with our lesson:

Put one "foot" in front of the other as you follow the prophets and endure to the end.

I found some cute "ruler" ribbon at Hobby Lobby and used it to tie the quote to the Fruit by the Foot.

I think it turned out great! What do you think?

The Lord's Lighthouse

I thought I would share an idea I am going to use for an upcoming Young Women lesson on following the Prophets.

This idea is based on President Monson's talk, "Believe, Obey, and Endure" (found here). In the talk President Monson talks about three signals from the Lord's lighthouse that will lead us back to live with Him. These three signals are believe, obey, and endure.

I knew right away that I wanted to make a little lighthouse to give to the girls to remind them of the lesson and President Monson's talk. It only took me a few minutes on the Internet before I found this cute idea that I thought would be perfect! The link gives instructions on how to make your own lighthouse, but I made a few changes.

First of all, the instructions ask for white plastic tape. I searched all over for plain, white tape and could not find any! No Washi tape, no mini Duck Tape, nothing. None were just plain white. Finally, I found Post-it Full Adhesive Roll (this is what it looks like) at Walmart and decided it would work. It was a little thick, so I cut it down the middle to make my stripes. 

As I wrapped the tape around the cup, I had to slowly angle it downward to keep it from wrinkling. This also made some interesting gaps so I covered them with some black cardstock and called them "windows" similar to the instructions, but not exactly.

Another couple changes I made: The instructions say to cut the bottom off the clear cup, but I just left it as is and started the stripes lower. I used a 1-3/4" punch to make my black circles for the top of the clear cup which fit perfectly and took a lot less time than tracing!

Finally, I added the words "Believe", "Obey", "Endure" to the stripes on the cup. It was really convenient that I used the Post-it tape because it was made to be written on. 

I plan to ask the girls to share something they believe in, a commandment they have been blessed for obeying, and something they have endured- or something that has taken courage to withstand (President Monson's definition).

I hope that the girls will keep this lighthouse in a place where they will see it often and that it reminds them of our lesson. I love this quote from President Monson's talk:

". . . there is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what the lighthouse of the Lord can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, "This way to safety. This way to home." It sends forth signals of light easily seen and never failing. If followed, those signals will guide you back to your heavenly home."

-President Thomas S. Monson

(source)

Are you teaching the Youth this month? How will you teach about following the Prophets?

M&M: The Merciful Shall Obtain Mercy

UPDATE (3/5/2017) You can now view and download the file for the M&M tag. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the link!

Here is one last handout for our recent lesson on forgiveness. 

I asked each girl to share a time when she forgave someone. After she shared I gave her a pack of M&M's with a little tag that said:

"Blessed are the Merciful: for they shall obtain Mercy."

-Matthew 5:7

I reminded the girls that in order for us to be forgiven for our sins, we must also forgive.

I love it when candy fits so perfectly into the lesson!

If you are still working on a lesson for this month, here are some ideas that I have posted on the topic of The Atonement that you may be able to use this week. Or you can just file them away for next year!

What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ? (link to Come Follow Me)

An "Egg-stra" Special Gift

How Can Repentance Help Me Every Day? (link to Come Follow Me)

How Repentance Heals Us

Object Lesson: A Change Of Heart

Repentance Road Map

Repentance Is Like Soap

What is Grace? (link to Come Follow Me)

Grow In Grace

Why Do I Need to Forgive Others? (link to Come Follow Me)

"Fortunately" We Have Forgiveness

Object Lesson: A Change Of Heart

Grudges: Let Them Go!

Forgive Yourself!

How Can the Atonement Help Me During My Trials? (link to Come Follow Me)

The Atonement Can Help Us During Our Trials

UPDATE (3/5/2017) You can now view and download the file for the M&M tag here! Enjoy!

"Fortunately" We Have Forgiveness

For our recent lesson on forgiveness in Young Women I made this quick little handout to give to the girls.

The handout said:

We all make mistakes, but "Fortunately" we have forgiveness!

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

- Isaiah 1:18

I gave each girl a fortune cookie and inside some of them were scriptures and quotes from talks on forgiveness that we used to learn more about the topic.

I thought it was a fun way to introduce the topic and it helped the girls be a little more engaged.

March is almost over! Have you taught about forgiveness this month?

Grow in Grace

In Young Women on Sunday we talked about grace. Grace isn't something that we discuss a lot in our Church, but it is really a very important part of the Gospel. Because the girls weren't too familiar with the concept, we spent a lot of time going over what the meaning of the word "grace" is. 

This is a great definition of grace:

Grace is divine help and strength that we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through grace, we are saved from sin and death. In addition, grace is an enabling power that strengthens us from day to day and helps us endure to the end. Effort is required on our part to receive the fulness of the Lord's grace.

(source)

During our lesson we focused primarily on how grace gives us strength to face challenges and trials in our day to day lives. We talked about how this aspect of grace is depicted in the parable of the vine and the branches in John 15:1-10.

As we read and discussed the parable, I used this Easter Egg Tree as a fun visual to help the girls better understand grace. We discussed that the vine is Jesus Christ and that the branches are the members of the Church. We can receive strength and nourishment from the vine. We talked about how the husbandman, our Heavenly Father, must "prune" us through challenges and trials. Although difficult at the time, this helps us to learn and grow and bring forth "much fruit" (good works). It is through this process that we "grow in grace" (2 Peter 3:18) through the help of Jesus.

(You can find a great talk that explains the parable of the vine and the branches and how it relates to grace here.)

I had each girl share how they have "grown in grace" or been given the strength to do something that they could not accomplish on their own.

After each girl shared her experience, I gave her a handout to remind her to "grow in grace":

Peter taught us to "grow in grace . . ." 

- 2 Peter 3:18

If we are "rooted" in Christ, His grace will give us strength to overcome trials and challenges, learn and grow in this life, and bring forth much "good fruit".

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing"

-John 15:5

The girls also got some "good fruit" in the form of Starburst Jelly Beans to remind them of what can be produced through grace.

Did you teach the Youth about grace this month? Did you find that they were not too familiar with the concept? How did you help them to better understand what grace is?

Object Lesson: A Change of Heart

I can't take credit for this really great object lesson idea. I saw the idea here, but I had to share because it goes so well with March's theme of the Atonement.

I froze some small hearts inside ice cubes then sealed the ice cubes inside plastic bags to prevent water from getting everywhere. I gave each girl an ice cube and I told them to use their hands to melt it until they got to what was inside. After some time, the cold of the ice started to cause some pain, but the girls continued on until they found the heart inside.

Once all the girls had melted the ice cube we talked about how repentance requires us to have a change of heart. We need to have a change of heart so that we no longer have the desire to continue to sin. We must align our will with our Heavenly Father's. Like trying to melt the ice cube, this can sometimes be a long and painful process, but the Lord will help us through it and in the end we will have joy because we are doing what our Heavenly Father wants us to do. 

I then shared this scripture with the girls:

And it came to pass that when Ammon arose he also administered unto them, and also did all the servants of Lamoni; and they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing—that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil. 

-Alma 19:33

I think this was such a great object lesson to teach the girls the process and importance of having a change of heart when we repent.

When we had our lesson on forgiveness, the subject of having a change of heart came up again. This great quote from President Uchtdorf shows how we must have a change of heart when we forgive others:

Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy. In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking—even a change of heart. But there is good news. This “mighty change” of heart is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives.

How is it done? Through the love of God.

Lay your burden at the Savior’s feet. Let go of judgment. Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another.

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

(source)

You could definitely use this object lesson when you teach about repentance OR forgiveness!

Do you use object lessons when you teach? What has been a really good object lesson you have used recently?

Repentance Is Like Soap

Here is a quick handout I made for our Young Women lesson on repentance last year.

 I used the following quote that I found on Sugardoodle here.

Soap is a practical household necessity.

Soap is cleansing.

For physical cleanliness, soap must be applied frequently.

Repentance is a practical principle of the gospel.

Repentance is cleansing.

Spiritual cleanliness requires constant repentance.

 I gave the girls the handouts with cute little rose-shaped soap petals I found at Dollar Tree. Quick, easy, and cute!

Do you teach the Youth this month? How will you teach about repentance?

The Atonement Can Help Us During Our Trials

Here's a handout I used for the Young Women when we talked about how the Atonement can help us during our trials (see more here).

I made a little tag that said the following:

When your trials seem like they are too much to "BEAR" turn to your Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the enabling power of the Atonement and you will find "PIECE" and "JOY" during adversity.

I filled little treat bags with some Gummy Bears, Reese's Pieces, and Almond Joys and attached the tags. I thought it turned out cute and it is always fun to be able to incorporate a treat!

How are your lessons going this month? How will you teach the Youth about how the Atonement can help us during our trials?

Grudges: Let Them Go!

Another quick handout I used last year for our lesson on forgiveness.

I wrote the following at the top of each handout, attached a balloon, and added a quote by President Uchtdorf:

Don't hold on to grudges- filling them with time, energy, and hot air.

Let them go!

Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord's way.

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

(source)

We talked about how holding on to grudges can hurt us. Even though it may be difficult, through the power of the Atonement we can find peace and the change of heart required to forgive those who have wronged us. 

I asked the girls to think of a grudge they were holding on to and someone they needed to forgive as they blew up their balloon. I then told them to, "let it go," as they released their balloon. Of course this is easier said than done, but we talked about how it was a start and that they could pray to their Heavenly Father for help in forgiving others.

Letting go of grudges can be difficult. How will you encourage your class to let them go?

Forgive Yourself!

I just wanted to share a quick little handout I made last year for our lesson on forgiveness.

I used this quote by President Uchtdorf and attached a small mirror (found at JoAnn's) to it:

When the Lord requires that we forgive all men, that includes forgiving ourselves. Sometimes, of all the people in the world, the one who is the hardest to forgive—as well as perhaps the one who is most in need of our forgiveness—is the person looking back at us in the mirror. 

– President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

(source)

I think this is a great reminder for everyone- forgive others AND yourself!

Are you teaching the Youth this month? What ideas are you using to teach about forgiveness?

Repentance Road Map

UPDATE (3/5/2017)

You can now view and download the file for the Repentance Road Map. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the link!

When I was preparing to teach the Young Women about repentance, I read this quote from Elder Neil L. Andersen that gave me a great idea for an activity:

For most, repentance is more a journey than a one-time event. It is not easy. To change is difficult. It requires running into the wind, swimming upstream. Jesus said, "if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Repentance is turning away from some things, such as dishonesty, pride, anger, and impure thoughts, and turning toward other things, such as kindness, unselfishness, patience, and spirituality. It is "re-turning" toward God.

- Neil L. Andersen

(source)

I used this idea of "re-turning" toward God to create a "Repentance Road Map". I used True to the Faith (found here) as a reference for the steps of repentance and a little creativity to relate each step to a road sign on our map.

At the top of the map I wrote the following, represented by a "Wrong Way" sign:

On the highway of life we occasionally sin and go off course, but with repentance, we can find our way back.

Next, I put a quote from Elder Andersen with a "U-turn" sign:

"When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God."

 Under the heading, "Directions Back to the Straight and Narrow Path", I listed the steps of repentance and explained to the girls a little about how they related to each road sign.

1. "Stop" sign- Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Before you start on your road to repentance, you must first stop and confirm your testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It is through them that repentance is possible.

2. "Rough Road" sign- Sorrow for Sin. Feeling bad about what you have done is not easy.

3. "Merge Right" sign- Confession. To start on the "right" path you need to begin by admitting the wrong you have done.

4. "No U-Turn" sign- Abandonment of Sin. It is important that you continue moving forward on your road to repentance and not "u-turn" back to old sins.

5. "Construction Ahead" sign- Restitution. It takes some work to make things right again.

6. "Merge" sign- Righteous Living. Once you have "re-turned" toward God, you can "merge" back to the straight and narrow path.

I put large road signs on the board during the lesson and the girls followed along on their own maps.

I think the girls enjoyed my approach to this lesson and I think it helped to keep them interested and focused.

Have you taught about the steps of repentance before? How did you approach the subject?

UPDATE (3/5/2017)
You can now view and download the file for the Repentance Road Map here. Enjoy!

How Repentance Heals Us

UPDATE (3/5/2017) You can now view and download the file for the Healing Hearts. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the link!

Last March I taught the Young Women a lesson on repentance. Many times when we hear the word "repentance" we get uncomfortable thinking that it is a bad thing or a thing that only bad people need. This is not true. We all need repentance and it is a great gift provided by our Heavenly Father and Jesus because they want to help us and heal us. As we read Elder Andersen's talk entitled, "Repent . . . That I May Heal You" (found here), we discussed several "band aids" or qualities of repentance that show that repentance is a wonderful thing all about love and healing.

I put a sad and hurt girl on the board. Each Young Woman read a quote from Elder Andersen's talk then came up to the board and put a band aid on the girl to "heal" her. Each band aid was labeled with a healing/comforting quality of repentance or its process. I tried to pick out things that would calm the girls' fears about repentance or that would help them better understand the repentance process.

Following is what I wrote on each heart, I put in bold the parts that I wanted the girls to pay special attention to:

In this life, it is never too late to repent.

Don't be discouraged. If you are striving and working to repent, you are in the process of repenting.

If you are concerned, counsel with your bishop. He will help you.

Repentance removes pain and guilt from our hearts and replaces them with joy and peace of conscience.

The Savior is there, reaching out to each of us, bidding us: "Come unto me" We can repent. We can!

The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to "re-turn" toward God.

For most, repenting is quiet and quite private, daily seeking the Lord's help to make needed changes.

The Lord will forget our sins, but to help us the Lord at times allows the residue of our mistakes to rest in our memory.

I hope that through Elder Andersen's talk and our lesson the girls learned that repentance is a wonderful thing! I also hope that I was able to clear up any confusion about it.

Do you find that the Youth often feel like repentance is a bad thing? How have you tried to clear up this misconception?

UPDATE (3/5/2017) You can now view and download the file for the Healing Hearts here! Enjoy!