Nephi's Courage

As we study The Book of Mormon this year, "Nephi's Courage," p. 120, is one song the children will love singing. 

• There are many pictures depicting the events of this song.  Use the gospel library for beautiful artwork showing these events.  
• You can also ask the children to bring their own artwork to use as well.  
• There are various websites that have pictures that you can download, too.  In your search, always include "free" if you want access to free images.

Remember to add variety to learning and reviewing songs by boys or girls singing, half of the primary then the other half.

Choose to Live the Gospel

Making the choice to live the gospel is important.  Sometimes we do it without thinking and other times we forget to think about living the gospel.  When the Lord commanded Nephi to return to Jerusalem to get the records, Nephi had no idea what kind of choices he would have to make to get them.

Ask the children what choices he had to make in order to bring the plates back to his father.  You might what to tell the story, read it or ask questions to help the children tell the story.   ( 1 Nephi 3:1-10, 18:4)

• What happened when they asked Laban for the plates?
• What did they decide to do?
• What happened when they offered Laban money?
• What choices did Nephi have to make after?

When the Lord asked Nephi to build a boat, what choices did he have to make as he did his best to do what the Lord asked him to do?

What are we asked to do?  How do we make choices to do what the Lord asks us to do?

• What do we do to prepare for Sunday so we can go to church?
• What choices to we make to honor our parents?
• What choices to we make to serve?

Sing each verse of Nephi's Courage, p. 120 after the discussion for each verse. You may have other questions that will help the children see that they make choices all the time.  Are they making good choices?

"Nephi's Courage" Review

Review Nephi's Courage, pg. 120, with the following activity:

• Assign each class a word from the song and stand every time it is sung.
• Command, commandment or commanded
• courageous
• obey
• try
• go
• do

An alternative activities are:

• Write the words on the board and ask the children to raise their hand every time they sing one of the words.
• Have the children stand whenever they sing: command, commandment or commanded
• Boys stand when they sing go.  Girls stand when they sing do. 

Nephi's Courage

This song will stick to children throughout life!  It's a favorite to sing, also. Using visuals helps children and adults remember the words as well as the meaning of the song.

You will need the following:

• word strips of: Commands, Commandments, Commanded, Reply
• a picture of "the plates"
• cutouts of Laban, Laman, Lemuel and Nephi (use an outlined picture of any biblical man and color the clothes differently and label each one with one of the names.)
• picture or cutout of a boat

Verse 1 and 2

• Sing one line at a time using the pictures, then have the children sing it with you.
• Hold up the word strips as you sing the word or tape them to the board and point to them as you sing the word. 
• Point our that there are rhyming words at the end of the lines (phrases).  Ask the children to see if they can hear them.

Verse 3

• 1st phrase - sing this phrase and ask, "What commandments does Heavenly Father give us?  How do we obey them?  Sing the phrase with the children.
• 2nd phrase - sing this phrase and ask, "How are we tempted to make wrong choices?"
• Sing the next 2 phrases about being discouraged and courageous.  Ask the children if they have ever been discouraged and then had the courage to do what's right.  Sing the two phrases with the children.

Chorus

• Sing the chorus and ask how many times you sang  "commands?"  Sing it again if necessary.
• Ask the children if any of the phrases in the chorus are repeated.  You may need to sing the chorus again.
• Ask how the Lord provides a way for to keep his commandments.
• Why does Heavenly Father want us to obey?
• Sing the whole chorus - with exuberance.

Sing the entire song and ask the children to tally how many times they sing "command, commandments and commanded."

"Nephi's Courage"

In The Friend magazine, February issue, the inside back page has a Book of Mormon scripture cutout of Nephi and Laman and Lemuel.  In the April issue there is a cutout of Zeezrom.  I am using him as Laban because he has a frown.  If you want them bigger, enlarge them.  Color an outline of a book brass color to look like the brass plates.  Use these pictures to teach the first verse of "Nephi's Courage."

The second verse, use the picture in the Children's Songbook on page 120 - Nephi building a boat.  Use the cutouts of Laman and Lemuel from the first verse.  Ask two children to be Laman and Lemuel laughing and pointing.  Put all pictures and children in order and sing the second verse.

Draw a picture of the 10 commandment tablets.(1st phrase)  Make a picture of the CTR shield. (2nd phrase)  Draw a frowny face.(3rd phrase)   Write the word "reply" on a word strip. (4th phrase)  Sing the third verse.

Chorus: Write "GO" and "DO" on two word strips or signs.  I attached the words to a stick so the children can hold them when we sing the words.  Sing the chorus for the children then have them sing it with you.

This activity can be divided into 4 weeks or less if time permits.  Once the children know this song, it will be a favorite!