In Tune With the Holy Ghost

Purpose:

To help family members understand:

1. What a wonderful gift the Holy Ghost is

2. The importance of living worthy so we are in tune with the promptings of the Holy
Ghost

Materials:

A radio
Paper plate shakers - put beans in the middle of a paper plate, fold the plate in half
and staple around the edges.
Wordstrips, cut apart, for older children and teens
Story, Saved From Death

Suggested Songs:

1. "The Still Small Voice", Children's Songbook page 106

2. "Let the Holy Spirit Guide", hymn #143

Lesson:

1. Prior to the lesson, tune the radio so it picks up only static.

2. Begin by telling your family to imagine that there is a serious disaster in the community
and they need to get important information from the radio.
a. Turn on the radio and allow them to listen to the static.
b. Ask, "Why can't we hear anything?" (It's not tuned in to any station)
c. Ask a family member to tune the radio to a station.
3. Explain that the gift of the Holy Ghost is very much like a radio. Heavenly Father has
given us this gift to give us important direction and guidance in our lives. When the
Holy Ghost is trying to communicate to us we cannot hear it unless we are in tune.
a. Ask, "What things can we do to keep our lives in tune with the Holy Ghost?"
(Prayer, scripture study, fasting, church attendance, service)
b. What are some things you can think of that will keep us from listening to or
feeling the Spirit? (Answers will vary fighting with our siblings, listening to bad
music, watching bad movies, disobeying our parents, etc)

Activity We are going to do a little experiment that shows us how these things can keep us
from listening to the Spirit. On each paper plate shaker write one of the things that will
quench the spirit. Line up at least four to six people in a row. Give the ones in the middle the
shakers. Instruct one person on an end to whisper very quietly You are special while the
ones in the middle shake the shakers. The person on the other end of the row has to try and
hear what is being said. Can he hear it? No! Take away one of the shakers and try again.
Can the person hear what is being said now? No! Keep taking a shaker away each time you
try the experiment until there are none left. If done correctly the only time the person on the
end will hear what is said by the other person is when there is nothing there to quench the
words You are special from being heard.

4. For older children and teens: write and post the following wordstrips: ABIDE WITH
YOU, TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH, WITNESS TO
YOU, SHOW YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, BEAR RECORD OF THE FATHER
AND JESUS CHRIST, and HELP YOU KNOW THE TRUTH OF ALL THINGS. Have
the children locate and read aloud these scriptures: John 14:1617; John 14:26; John
16:13; Heb. 10:15; 2 Ne. 32:5; 3 Ne. 28:11; Moro. 10:5. Ask them to match the
scripture with the wordstrip describing how the Holy Ghost can help them. Read 1 Cor.
3:1617. Challenge the children to choose the right and keep their bodies clean so
they will be worthy to have the influence of the Holy Ghost.
5. Share the story Saved From Death
6. Testify that the Holy Ghost is a wonderful gift and it is important to live worthy of His
guidance.
ABIDE WITH YOU
TEACH YOU ALL THINGS
GUIDE YOU INTO ALL
TRUTH
WITNESS TO YOU
SHOW YOU WHAT YOU
SHOULD DO
BEAR RECORD OF THE
FATHER AND JESUS
CHRIST
HELP YOU KNOW THE
TRUTH OF ALL THINGS
To put the story together:

1. Print out all the pages.

2. Cut the words to the story out and tape it to the back of the picture
that is on the same page.

3. Put the pictures in order starting with the cover of the story.

4. To read the story hold up the pictures in front of you. Move the first
picture (cover) to the back and read the words that are now facing
you. They go with the picture that is in the front facing the children.
Take the picture in front and move it to the back, again reading the
words that are now facing you. Repeat to finish the story.

5. I find it useful to laminate the pages, punch two holes at the top and
use book rings or key rings to hold the pages together. Then it is easy
to just flip the front page to the back and the story lasts a long time. It
can also be used as a talk in Primary!
Page 1

"I was once saved from death or serious accident because my father hearkened to the voice of the
Spirit. If he had not responded instantly to the whisperings of the still small voice, my life might have
ended then or had its course totally changed.

"One of my earliest childhood recollections is of riding a horse through an apple orchard. The horse
was tame and well broken, and I felt at home in the saddle.
Page 2

"But one day something frightened my mount, and he bolted through the orchard. I was swept from the
saddle by the overhanging limbs, and one leg slipped down through the stirrup.
Page 3

I desperately hung to an almost broken leather strap that a cowboy uses to tie a lariat to his saddle. My
weight should have broken the strap, but somehow it held for the moment. Another lunge or two of the
stampeding horse would have broken the strap or wrenched it from my hands and left me to be dragged
to injury or death with my foot entangled in the stirrup.
Page 4

"Suddenly the horse stopped, and I became aware that someone was holding the bridle tightly and
attempting to calm the quivering animal. Almost immediately I was snatched up into the arms of my
father.

"What had happened? What had brought my father to my rescue in the split second before I slipped
beneath the hoofs of my panic-driven horse?
Page 5

"My father had been sitting in the house reading the newspaper when the Spirit whispered to him, 'Run
out into the orchard!'
Page 6

"Without a moment's hesitation, not waiting to learn why or for what reason, my father ran. Finding
himself in the orchard without knowing why he was there, he saw the galloping horse and thought, I
must stop this horse.

"He did so and found me. And that is how I was saved from serious injury or possible death." (Bruce
R. McConkie, "Hearken to the Spirit," Friend, Sept. 1972, pp. 1(3-11.)
Page 7

DO NOT TAPE TO THE BACK: All illustrations came from the Beginning Course Kit CD. It can be
purchased from the Church Distribution Center for $5. I highly recommend this CD! It has over 50
pencil illustrated stories and includes lessons on teaching the Scripture Readers to young children.