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?

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?

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?