1 Nephi 16-22 Book of Mormon Stories and Activities for Primary Children

Daily Opening Exercises:

Scripture to Memorize:

And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

1 Nephi 19:23

*teach young children to memorize the underlined portion

This week's song:

Second Verse of “Nephi’s Courage"

Weekly Overview:

Monday:

• Lesson: 1 Nephi 16

• Activity: Bow and Arrow Craft

Tuesday:

• Lesson: 1 Nephi 17

• Activity: Expressing Emotions

Wednesday:

• Lesson: 1 Nephi 18

• Activity: Build a Paper Ship

Thursday:

• Lesson 1 Nephi

• Activity: Follow the Path

Friday:

• Lesson 1 Nephi 20

• Activity: God's Love Scavenger Hunt

Monday || 1 Nephi 16

Once upon a time, there was a family led by a man named Nephi, and they were on a long journey in the wilderness. After traveling for many days, they decided to take a break and set up their tents to rest and find some food.

Nephi, a brave and strong brother, went out to hunt for food with his special bow made of strong steel. Sadly, during his hunting adventure, his bow broke, and he couldn't bring back any food. This made his brothers and the others in the family very upset because they were tired and hungry.

Laman, Lemuel, and the others started complaining a lot about their difficult journey and the lack of food. Even Nephi's father began to feel sad and complain against God. Everyone was feeling so unhappy.

Nephi, although sad about his broken bow, decided to make a new one using wood and a straight stick for an arrow. He armed himself with his homemade bow, arrow, a sling, and stones. He asked his father where he should go to find food.

His father, realizing they needed help, humbly prayed to God for guidance. The Lord spoke to him, and he learned to look at a special ball with writings on it. As they paid attention and followed its directions, they understood the Lord's ways and received new messages written on the ball. It showed them that even small things could lead to great blessings.

Nephi went up to the top of a mountain following the ball's guidance and successfully hunted wild animals for food. When he returned with the meat, everyone was overjoyed! They humbled themselves before the Lord, giving thanks for the food, and their spirits were lifted. The family learned that even in tough times, with faith and humility, the Lord could provide great blessings. And they continued their journey with hope and gratitude in their hearts.

With your child, take time to think on these questions: Who was the hero in this story? What was the problem in this story? What was the solution or answer to the problem? What did Nephi’s Father, Lehi, do when they needed help? What can you do when you need help?

Activity: Bow and Arrow Craft

Materials Needed:

• Craft paper

• Markers or crayons

• Safety scissors

• Craft sticks

Activity:

• Help toddlers create their own bow and arrow using craft paper and craft sticks.

• Discuss how Nephi made a new bow to help his family.

• Encourage imaginative play where toddlers pretend to be like Nephi, using their homemade bows.

Tuesday: 1 Nephi 17

Nephi and his family had been in a place called Bountiful for many days, and one day, the voice of the Lord spoke to Nephi, telling him to go into the mountains. Nephi listened and went up into the mountain to talk to the Lord.

The Lord told Nephi that he needed to build a ship to carry his family across the waters. Nephi was excited but wondered where he could find the metal to make the tools for building the ship. The Lord guided him and showed him where to find the right materials.

Nephi worked hard to make the tools. Nephi's brothers, however, started complaining. They didn't believe Nephi could build a ship, and they thought he was foolish.

Nephi felt sad because his brothers doubted him. They said unkind things, and it made Nephi very unhappy. But he remembered how the Lord had helped their ancestors in the past. Nephi explained to his brothers about the children of Israel, how they were led out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and were blessed by the Lord.

Nephi told his brothers that the Lord had commanded their father to leave Jerusalem and how their ancestors had been righteous but later became wicked. He warned them not to harden their hearts, just like the people who rejected God's words in the past.

Despite Nephi's teachings, his brothers got angry and wanted to throw him into the sea. But Nephi, filled with the power of God, commanded them not to touch him. He reminded them that God had commanded him to build a ship, and if God commanded, he could do anything.

Nephi continued to teach his brothers, and the Lord shook them to show His power. His brothers fell down, ready to worship Nephi, but he stopped them. Nephi reminded them to worship the Lord and honor their parents. Even though his brothers had been unkind, Nephi forgave them and continued with faith in the Lord's commandments.

Activity: Expressing Emotions

Materials Needed:

• Emotion Wheel below

• Coloring Materials

• Scissors

• Paper Fastner

Activity:

• Use the emotion wheel to talk about feelings.

• Go through the story again and talk about which feelings were felt by the different characters

• Encourage toddlers to express how they feel in different situations.

Wednesday: 1 Nephi 18

Nephi listened to the Lord and built a special ship to travel across the waters. Nephi didn't build the ship like other people; he built it the way the Lord told him to.

Nephi often prayed and talked to the Lord, and the Lord showed him great things. After working hard, the ship was finished, and Nephi's brothers and family were amazed at how good it looked. They were happy and thanked the Lord.

When everything was ready, they filled the ship with fruits, meat, honey, and other things the Lord commanded. Nephi's family, including his two younger brothers, Jacob and Joseph, got into the ship with their wives and children. They were excited to go to the promised land.

As they sailed, some of Nephi's brothers started to forget the Lord's power. They danced, sang, and behaved rudely. Nephi became worried that the Lord might be angry. When he tried to talk to his brothers, they got mad at him, tied him up, and treated him harshly.

While Nephi was tied up, a special compass the Lord had prepared stopped working, and a terrible storm began. The ship was tossed in the sea for many days. Finally, Nephi's brothers realized they needed to repent. They freed Nephi, and the storm calmed down when Nephi prayed.

Nephi guided the ship, and after many days, they reached the promised land. They were grateful to be there, and they started planting seeds and finding animals and precious things. They were blessed with abundance in their new home. The Lord had helped them through challenges, and Nephi's family was happy in their promised land.

• What did Nephi build?

• How did Nephi build the ship?

• What did Nephi’s brothers do during the journey?

• What did they do to calm the storm?

• Who guided the ship to the promised land?

• Hod did the Lord help Nephi’s family through challenges?

Activity: Build a Paper Ship

Materials Needed:

• Colored construction paper

• Glue

• Child-safe scissors

Activity:

• Assist toddlers in cutting and gluing colored construction paper to create their own paper ships.

• Discuss how Nephi and his family built a special ship.

• Encourage them to decorate their ships with crayons or markers.

Thursday: 1 Nephi 19

The Lord asked Nephi to make special plates from a shiny material called ore. Nephi engraved the plates with the stories of his people and the prophecies from his father and himself.

At first, Nephi didn't know why he was making these plates, but later the Lord told him to write the important and precious parts of the prophecies on them. These plates were meant to be kept for the instruction of Nephi's people and for other important purposes known to the Lord.

There will be times in our lives when the Lord asks us to do things and we won’t know why. In these moments, we need to be like Nephi and have faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and follow these impressions. 

Activity: Follow the Path

Materials Needed:

• Tape

• Large paper or cardboard

• Stickers or markers

Activity:

• Create a winding path using tape on the floor or a large paper.

• Discuss the idea of following a path even when we don't know where it leads.

• Encourage toddlers to follow the path using stickers or markers to mark their way.

Friday: 1 Nephi 20-22

Once upon a time, there were people from the house of Jacob, and they were known as Israel. They believed in God. But even though they called themselves holy, they didn't always act in truth and righteousness.

A wise man declared important things to them. He said that God had known from the beginning that they could be stubborn and not always choose the right path. The wise man reminded them that God had shown and done many things to guide and help them, but sometimes people misunderstood and thought it was their idols or images that brought them good things.

Despite all this, the wise man reassured them that God had been patient and forgiving for the sake of His name. God had chosen them. The wise man emphasized that God was the first and the last, the one who created the earth, and had a plan for them.

He called on them to listen and be obedient, promising peace and prosperity if they followed God's commandments. The wise man even spoke about a future time when a great nation among the Gentiles (non-Israelite nations) would help and nourish them. He said that this nation would play a role in God's marvelous work.

The wise man continued, talking about the scattering of the house of Israel and their eventual gathering. He spoke of a time when a mighty nation among the Gentiles would assist in God's plan, leading the scattered Israelites back to their lands. The wise man also warned about a great and abominable church, a symbol of evil, that would fight against Zion but eventually fall.

In the end, the wise man revealed that he had read these things on special plates and explained the importance of following God's commandments. He assured them that God would bless the righteous and eventually bring all His children together. The wise man encouraged repentance and declared that all these things would happen as part of God's plan. 

Activity: God's Love Scavenger Hunt

Materials Needed:

• Tape

• Heart Cards

Activity:

• Spend time cutting out and hiding the heart cards throughout the house

• Take time to discuss the importance in finding and recognizing God’s love and hand in every aspect of our lives