Everyday object lessons

Submitted by Amanda Nelson

The lesson is about trust.  You will need a bunch of building blocks, the wooden kind, not Lego’s or anything that locks together.  You can tape labels  on the blocks that build character like, caring for others, responsibility, fairness, service, being a good friend, truthfulness, etc.  (This is not necessary, but helpful)  Then as a group, build a tower together until its as high as you can build it.  Then have one person try to knock it down.  Ask them to try and do it in one kick or push.  Then tell them that you need to build it again.  Once that is done you can explain that just like trust in a person, it builds over time, but it only takes one kick (lie or broken promise) to destroy it all.  All trust is broken.  It also takes a long time to rebuild that trust once it has been broken.

This was a lesson from a recent primary sharing time.  I don’t know the original source.  The topic was on family history but the lesson could be used for any topic where you want to encourage and show how helpful it is to use teamwork.

Have  a bag containing a wide variety of 20 items.  Show each one as you bring it out then put them back into the bag.  Then move on something else in your topic – this way the students will “forget” some of the items they have seen.

Then have the students write down as many items as they can remember – on their own.  After that, give instructions for students to work together and see if they get more items on the list.  This illustrates that working together makes it more fun, and you get more accomplished.

For an object lesson regarding marriage, partnerships, working together, etc. I used a simple clothespin. I showed the class that if I only have one side of the clothespin it does not perform it’s full function. However, with the two sides of the clothespin being bonded together by the Lord the clothespin can perform it’s full function. In relationships if one side is trying to do it all, the relationship will not always work. But by working together with the Lord it is amazing what can be accomplished.
Submitted by Kori Hoyt

Bring a few combs to the class, or have them use their own combs. If you bring your own, please make sure they are washed and very clean before offering students to use them.
Have students comb their hair, with the stipulation that they cannot bend their elbows. This is quite a hilarious sight to see them trying to comb hair with straight arms. Its basically impossible unless the person has very long hair and can bend over very far. Then give the same comb to a neighbor and again with only straight arms, have the neighbor comb the hair. It is possible for this to happen

You can take this object lesson in several directions. It is the message that there are things we cannot do for ourselves. Another person must do it for us. This can be temple work for the dead, or it can be the savior’s atonement. Develop this idea any way you desire.

Source: J.R. Sharp and Deaunna Evans
We were all excited when he asked the class if anybody wanted some gum. He then passed around a plate with pieces of gum that had already been chewed (ABC) along with pieces of gum still wrapped up “clean and pure”. Well we were all thoroughly disgusted and everyone choose the “clean and pure” gum. He acted surprised and questioned us as to why no chose the ABC gum. Why had we all chose the “clean and pure” gum?

He then gave a wonderful lesson on chastity and encouraged us to keep ourselves “clean and pure” for our future husbands and wives.

gave the lesson in Relief Society last week on Marriage. I invited a sister and her husband to come forward and play “Tug-of-war” with a paper chain which represented civil marriage. It broke when they struggled and they fell away from each other. They then played using a metal chain which represented temple marriage. This time as they struggled the chain did not break and they were pulled closer together

Source: Doug Hoffman from Kentucky
Here’s an an awesome object lesson that I use with my kids at camp – all you need is a can of fruit or vegetables, and take the label off…add a dent or two also. It’s amazing what and how much the younger ones can come up with! Put the can in the middle of the group and let the group examine it. Ask them to describe the can. Some may say that it’s shiny, that it has dents, and that it has no label. Then ask how this relates to people. Dents of course, because we aren’t perfect and we all have some sort of short falling. The reflection…we reflect what people say about us. Some may say we’re really good at something, and others not good and often we’ll do just that. Then the label. We don’t want to label people. Only God knows whats on the inside, yet as people we know how to look on the outside. We need to train ourselves to look on the inside. On that same note, we need to get to know people and people need to open themselves up in order to really get to know what’s inside. A whole different road can be taken in discussing what labels we have had, why we don’t like them, etc. Some cans may have a pricetag on them, and one can touch on putting value on people needs to only be done if we really value them (because sometimes people don’t get high value, when they really are).

This is a really cool object lesson, something we can get from our kitchen cupboard. Great for group discussion and learning about relationships and judging.

Source: Rabbi Nachum Braverman as heard on the Toni Grant radio show
This lesson can be tailored to be for the subject of parenting, or for the subject of the marriage relationship and accepting our mate, the way he/she is. You need a ball of play dough or soft clay and either a small plant or flower or seeds. Show how its possible to fashion any object or shape from the clay, but with the flower the only thing you have power to do is to help the flower be healthy and vibrant, or wilted and dying. You cannot shape it into some other object.

The lesson in this is that we have the power and opportunity to help our children or spouse or the relationship be the best it can by our love, example, service, & attention. But it is fruitless and even damaging to try to mold the flower into something different. Force is not the Lord’s plan. Providing the best circumstances for blooming is the Lord’s plan.