The First Article of Faith
SUPPLIES: Set of Scriptures for each family member, Children’s Songbook or Selected Music from Church Music Site (There is a link included at the end of this lesson.)
PREPARATION: Prayerfully study the lesson in order to prepare yourself to teach your family about the First Article of Faith.
SONG: The First Article of Faith, Children’s Songbook, page 122
SCRIPTURE: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." (A of F 1:1)
OBJECTIVE: To learn about the first Article of Faith and that we believe in the Godhead.
LESSON:
It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God (History of the Church 6:305).
When writing down our most important beliefs, the Prophet Joseph put this as number one: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost” (A of F 1:1).
When the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote the Articles of Faith, he knew that it was important for us to know about the Godhead and to understand how the members are alike and how they are different. “The Father has a body of flesh and bones … ; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost … is a personage of Spirit (D&C 130:22).
God the Eternal Father is the father of everyone. He is kind, and he loves you and all his children.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “I believe in God, the Eternal Father. He is my Father, the Father of my spirit, and the Father of the spirits of all of us. He is the great Creator, the Ruler of the Universe. He directed the creation of this earth on which we live. In his image man was created. The Eternal Father is personal. He is real. He is individual. He has a ‘body of flesh and bones as tangible [touchable] as man’s’ (D&C 130:22).
I worship him. I look to him as my strength. I pray to him for wisdom beyond my own. I seek to love him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. His wisdom is greater than the wisdom of all men. His power is greater than the power of nature. His love is greater than the love of any other, and it is his work and his glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all of us. (See Moses 1:39.)”
Because God loves you, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to be your Savior and to be an example for you to follow.
President Hinckley said the following words about Jesus Christ: “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal, living God. I believe in him as the Firstborn of the Father and as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. I believe in him as an individual, separate and distinct from his Father.
I believe that he was born of Mary and that Heavenly Father was his father. I believe that in his mortal life he was the one perfect man to walk the earth. I believe that through his atoning sacrifice, the offering of his life on Calvary’s Hill, he paid for our sins if we will forsake evil and follow him. I believe that through his atonement, without any price on our part, each of us is offered the gift of resurrection from the dead. None so great has ever walked the earth.
He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in him. I love him. I worship him as I worship his Father. I thank him and kneel before his wounded feet and hands and side, amazed at the love he offers me.”
Heavenly Father also wanted someone to always be near you to help you and to teach you, so he sent the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost helps you make right choices.
President Hinckley had this to say about the Holy Ghost: “I believe in the Holy Ghost as a personage of spirit who occupies a place with the Father and the Son. He stands as the third member of the Godhead, the Comforter promised by the Savior, and the one who would teach the Savior’s followers all things and bring all things to their remembrance. The Holy Ghost is the Testifier of Truth. He can teach men things they cannot teach one another.”
Bear testimony of the importance of the Godhead in your life. Testify of their individuality and divine roles.
ACTIVITY:
For this activity, you will be singing three different songs from the Children’s Songbook together as a family. After each song is sung, discuss the characteristics that you discovered in the song about the member of the Godhead you were singing about.
1) “I Know My Father Lives” Children’s Songbook, page 5
2) “He Sent His Son” Children’s Songbook, page 34
3) “The Holy Ghost” Children’s Songbook, page 105
CONCLUSION:
The first Article of Faith teaches us that we believe in the Godhead and that each member of the Godhead are separate, distinct beings with divine roles.
PREPARATION: Prayerfully study the lesson in order to prepare yourself to teach your family about the First Article of Faith.
SONG: The First Article of Faith, Children’s Songbook, page 122
SCRIPTURE: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." (A of F 1:1)
OBJECTIVE: To learn about the first Article of Faith and that we believe in the Godhead.
LESSON:
It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God (History of the Church 6:305).
When writing down our most important beliefs, the Prophet Joseph put this as number one: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost” (A of F 1:1).
When the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote the Articles of Faith, he knew that it was important for us to know about the Godhead and to understand how the members are alike and how they are different. “The Father has a body of flesh and bones … ; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost … is a personage of Spirit (D&C 130:22).
God the Eternal Father is the father of everyone. He is kind, and he loves you and all his children.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “I believe in God, the Eternal Father. He is my Father, the Father of my spirit, and the Father of the spirits of all of us. He is the great Creator, the Ruler of the Universe. He directed the creation of this earth on which we live. In his image man was created. The Eternal Father is personal. He is real. He is individual. He has a ‘body of flesh and bones as tangible [touchable] as man’s’ (D&C 130:22).
I worship him. I look to him as my strength. I pray to him for wisdom beyond my own. I seek to love him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. His wisdom is greater than the wisdom of all men. His power is greater than the power of nature. His love is greater than the love of any other, and it is his work and his glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all of us. (See Moses 1:39.)”
Because God loves you, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to be your Savior and to be an example for you to follow.
President Hinckley said the following words about Jesus Christ: “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal, living God. I believe in him as the Firstborn of the Father and as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. I believe in him as an individual, separate and distinct from his Father.
I believe that he was born of Mary and that Heavenly Father was his father. I believe that in his mortal life he was the one perfect man to walk the earth. I believe that through his atoning sacrifice, the offering of his life on Calvary’s Hill, he paid for our sins if we will forsake evil and follow him. I believe that through his atonement, without any price on our part, each of us is offered the gift of resurrection from the dead. None so great has ever walked the earth.
He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in him. I love him. I worship him as I worship his Father. I thank him and kneel before his wounded feet and hands and side, amazed at the love he offers me.”
Heavenly Father also wanted someone to always be near you to help you and to teach you, so he sent the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost helps you make right choices.
President Hinckley had this to say about the Holy Ghost: “I believe in the Holy Ghost as a personage of spirit who occupies a place with the Father and the Son. He stands as the third member of the Godhead, the Comforter promised by the Savior, and the one who would teach the Savior’s followers all things and bring all things to their remembrance. The Holy Ghost is the Testifier of Truth. He can teach men things they cannot teach one another.”
Bear testimony of the importance of the Godhead in your life. Testify of their individuality and divine roles.
ACTIVITY:
For this activity, you will be singing three different songs from the Children’s Songbook together as a family. After each song is sung, discuss the characteristics that you discovered in the song about the member of the Godhead you were singing about.
1) “I Know My Father Lives” Children’s Songbook, page 5
2) “He Sent His Son” Children’s Songbook, page 34
3) “The Holy Ghost” Children’s Songbook, page 105
CONCLUSION:
The first Article of Faith teaches us that we believe in the Godhead and that each member of the Godhead are separate, distinct beings with divine roles.
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