Anti Nephi Lehi's Buried Their Swords!

July 8, 2012

Today in Sunday School we talked about the Anti Nephi Lehi's who when they were converted they buried their weapons of war because they wanted to repent, and never commit the murders they had previously been committing.  We talked about conversion, and how that changes our hearts and our attitudes.  Then I took them outside with my british shovel....yes, it works the same as an american shovel, and I had Spencer dig a hole in the church flowerbed.  It was sprinkling rain.  So when the hole was dug, then they started passing their swords down a line and Dallas reverently put them all in the hole.  Maddy was upset because Dallas got some dirt on her sword, but in the end they were all covered up with dirt!  Spencer put the dirt back in the hole and tapped it down, and finished up....then he took the shovel and turned away and said "What hole?"  Then we went back into class.

Once back in the classroom we talked about what could be our weapons of war or rebellion today.  They came up with immorality, cheating, lying, sins, and I added racism, social bias, stubbornness, pride, deliberate irritation, religious persecutions, gossiping.  Then we talked about what blessings we can gain if we can just bury our weapons of rebellion, and LEAVE them buried.  Not dig them up again a few days later to just gossip a little bit more, or to cheat on one more test.  But to really repent and leave them buried, and to then rely on the Savior to back us up and preserve us against our enemies.

Then we talked a bit more about Ammon and the Sons of Mosiah and the missions to the Lamanites that they had fulfilled.  How Ammon was sort of boasting, and that Aaron called him out on it.  Then we talked about how he wasn't really boasting about himself, but about the Lord, and how they had all become instruments at the hand of the Savior to build up His kingdom.  We talked about what we would need to be an instrument in the hands of the Savior, and I brought it back around to the fact that we needed to be without the weapons of rebellion that we were burying in order to be receptive to the Spirit, and to truly become an instrument in the hands of the Savior.

Then as their treat today, I had light saber suckers that lit up.  They look like swords, and the kids were THRILLED!

Guy said that in priesthood opening exercises, the boys in my class had their swords in their belts like you would carry a sword, and they were dueling it out with their light sabers......

Cooper came home from EFY and told me that the kids were counting on me having a great lesson to tie up the EFY week...no pressure, right?

All in all, it appears that I came through to tie up the EFY week with a fun Sunday School lesson.....score one more for the crazy teacher!  I think that's like 25 by now....just saying!