“Lesson 12: The House Built on a Rock,” Primary 7: New Testament, 41

Have you ever built a Have you ever built a house out of sand? house out of sand?

Did you watch the waves Did you watch the waves wash it away? wash it away?

If you were If you were building a house building a house to live in, you to live in, you wouldn’t build it wouldn’t build it on sand. on sand.

You would want to build You would want to build your house on a solid your house on a solid

foundation—perhaps of foundation—perhaps of concrete or rock. concrete or rock. Then if the Then if the

rain came rain came down, a down, a flood flood started, or started, or the wind the wind blew, your blew, your house house would be would be safe. safe. (Sheila E. Wilson, (Sheila E. Wilson,

“Sharing Time: Build Upon My Rock,” “Sharing Time: Build Upon My Rock,” FriendFriend, Aug 2004, 15), Aug 2004, 15)

Living the Living the gospel of gospel of Jesus Jesus Christ can Christ can help us help us withstand withstand temptatiotemptation and n and adversity adversity or or problems problems in our in our lives.lives.

“The Wise Man and the Foolish Man,” Friend, Jul 1999, 47Cartoon images from “Sharing Time: Build upon My Rock,” Friend, Feb 1991, 44, Illustrated by Shauna Mooney

While He While He was in was in Galilee, Galilee, Jesus Christ Jesus Christ gave the gave the Sermon on Sermon on the Mount.the Mount.

In it, he taught His disciples In it, he taught His disciples the Beatitudes and to be a the Beatitudes and to be a good example to the world. good example to the world.

He taught them that it was He taught them that it was wrong to be angry with or wrong to be angry with or hate anyone, even their hate anyone, even their enemies. enemies.

Not only should Not only should His disciples do His disciples do what is right, what is right, but their but their thoughts should thoughts should be righteous, be righteous, too. too.

He taught the principles of He taught the principles of prayer, forgiveness, and prayer, forgiveness, and seeking seeking “first the kingdom “first the kingdom of God, and his of God, and his righteousness” righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).(Matt. 6:33).

Jesus said Jesus said that to live that to live with Him in with Him in the kingdom the kingdom of heaven, of heaven, His disciples His disciples needed to needed to learn the learn the gospel and gospel and to live it. to live it.

He explained: “Therefore He explained: “Therefore whosoever heareth these whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:house upon a rock:

““And the rain descended, And the rain descended,

and the floods came, and the floods came,

and the winds blew, and beat and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; upon that house;

and it fell not: for it was founded and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.upon a rock.

““And every one that And every one that heareth these sayings of heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:house upon the sand:

““And the rain descended, And the rain descended,

and the floods came, and the floods came,

and the winds blew, and beat and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; upon that house; and it fell: and great was the and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24–27.)(Matt. 7:24–27.)

We have many We have many opportunities to learn opportunities to learn the gospel of Jesus the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ.

We can We can show that show that we have we have faith that faith that the gospel the gospel is true by is true by choosing choosing the right the right each day. each day.

If we do, If we do, we will we will be like be like the wise the wise man—man—building our lives upon the building our lives upon the solid foundation of the solid foundation of the gospel and preparing gospel and preparing ourselves to live again with ourselves to live again with Heavenly Father and Jesus Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.Christ.

Where did Where did the wise the wise man build man build his house? his house?

Let’s read Let’s read Luke 6:47–Luke 6:47–

4848 Why do you Why do you

think he think he was wise?was wise?

Where did the Where did the foolish man foolish man build his build his house? house?

Let’s read Let’s read Luke 6:49Luke 6:49 Why do you think he was Why do you think he was

foolish? foolish? Why do you think someone Why do you think someone

might build a house on a might build a house on a sandy foundation?sandy foundation?

Where would it be easier to Where would it be easier to dig a foundation—in sand or dig a foundation—in sand or in solid ground?in solid ground?

What does “hearing Jesus’ What does “hearing Jesus’ sayings and doing them” sayings and doing them” mean?mean?

Why do you Why do you think Jesus think Jesus compared compared someone who someone who hears his hears his teachings and teachings and obeys them to obeys them to the man who the man who built his house built his house upon a rock?upon a rock?

Why do you Why do you think Jesus think Jesus compared compared someone who someone who hears his hears his teachings but teachings but does not obey does not obey them to the them to the man who man who built his built his house upon house upon sand?sand?

1. The wise man built his house upon the rock,The wise man built his house upon the rock,The wise man built his house upon the rock,And the rains came tumbling down.

2. The rains came down, and the floods came up,The rains came down, and the floods came up,The rains came down, and the floods came up,And the house on the rock stood still.

3. The foolish man built his house upon the sand,The foolish man built his house upon the sand,The foolish man built his house upon the sand,And the rains came tumbling down.

4. The rains came down, and the floods came up,The rains came down, and the floods came up,The rains came down, and the floods came up,And the house on the sand washed away.

Doctrine and Doctrine and Covenants Covenants 11:24 is a 11:24 is a revelation revelation given through given through Joseph Smith Joseph Smith to his brother to his brother Hyrum: Hyrum:

Build upon my Build upon my rock, which is rock, which is my gospelmy gospel

Why should Why should we build we build our houses, our houses, or, in other or, in other words, our words, our lives, on lives, on the rock of the rock of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ and his and his gospel? gospel?

Let’s read Helaman 5:12Let’s read Helaman 5:12

Jesus and his teachings are Jesus and his teachings are our only sure foundation. our only sure foundation.

If we build our If we build our lives on lives on anything else, it anything else, it would be like would be like building a building a house upon house upon sand.sand.

What do some What do some people build people build their lives on their lives on that might be that might be compared to compared to sand?sand?

Money, fame, popularity, Money, fame, popularity, sports, physical beauty, and sports, physical beauty, and so on…so on…

These are all sandy These are all sandy foundations to have as foundations to have as main goals in life.main goals in life.

Is it important in our lives Is it important in our lives to make money, to play to make money, to play sports and get exercise, to sports and get exercise, to have friends and do nice have friends and do nice things for them? things for them?

Why?Why?

We need money to buy We need money to buy food, clothing, and so on. food, clothing, and so on. Friends and work are also Friends and work are also important in our lives. important in our lives. But if these But if these things become things become more important more important than following than following the Savior and the Savior and living the gospel, living the gospel, we may lose the we may lose the blessings of blessings of eternal life.eternal life.

Why did Why did Heavenly Heavenly Father send Father send us to earth?us to earth?

What are What are some some specific specific ways we ways we can build can build our lives on our lives on Jesus Christ Jesus Christ and his and his teachings?teachings?

Jesus Christ is my sure foundation Jesus Christ is my sure foundation because______________________________because______________________________..

Write as many things as you can Write as many things as you can think of on the paper that would think of on the paper that would finish the sentence. finish the sentence.

What did you write?What did you write? Some ideas are:Some ideas are:

He loves me.He loves me. He taught me how to live properly.He taught me how to live properly. He set an example for me.He set an example for me. He gave his life for me.He gave his life for me. He suffered for my sins.He suffered for my sins. Because of him I will be resurrected.Because of him I will be resurrected. He made it possible for me to return to He made it possible for me to return to

Heavenly Father.Heavenly Father.

Enr. Act. 1

Finish the sentence “I will build Finish the sentence “I will build my life on the Savior by my life on the Savior by ________.” ________.”

Answers could be participating Answers could be participating in family home evening, in family home evening, helping at home, paying helping at home, paying tithing, praying, obeying the tithing, praying, obeying the Word of Wisdom, telling the Word of Wisdom, telling the truth, being kind to others, truth, being kind to others, reading the scriptures, being reading the scriptures, being modest, and so on. modest, and so on.

The only way we can gain The only way we can gain eternal life is by being eternal life is by being obedient to the laws of the obedient to the laws of the gospel. gospel.

Enr. Act. 2

It is by obeying Jesus’ It is by obeying Jesus’ commandments that we commandments that we build our lives on a firm build our lives on a firm foundation.foundation.

Let’s look up the following Let’s look up the following scriptures to see what Jesus scriptures to see what Jesus said about obedience. said about obedience. Matthew 7:21 (note (note footnote footnote ee))

Luke 11:28 John 15:10

Enr. Act. 3

Let’s review the third Let’s review the third article of faith: article of faith:

We believe that through the We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.ordinances of the Gospel.

Enr. Act. 4

Doctrine and Doctrine and Covenants 11:24:Covenants 11:24:

Build upon my rock, Build upon my rock, which is my gospelwhich is my gospel

Enr. Act. 5

I love the I love the Savior and Savior and testify that testify that every every commandment commandment he has given he has given us will help us us will help us be happy and be happy and that that disobedience disobedience leads to leads to unhappiness. unhappiness.

Living the gospel has been Living the gospel has been a blessing to me.a blessing to me.

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